Congratulations, Kansas City!!

You're not on the FBI's "Most Dangerous Cities in America." (But St. Louis, is. See links, below).

So... what, if anything, do these "top ten" cities have in common?

Anything?

Bueller?

(Side note: We have also, it's been decided and declared, been listed as the nation's 20th "Most Manly City." Wth? See link below for this, too).

Links: http://realestate.yahoo.com/news/most-dangerous-cities-in-america.html


http://247wallst.com/2012/06/11/the-most-dangerous-cities-in-america-2/

http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2012/06/13/kansas-city-is-americas-20th-manliest-city

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oklahoma-city-claims-title-of-americas-manliest-city-158474215.html

Sewage rates in Alabama due to federal requirements

I was reading the news today when I was struck by this rather explosive headline: Alabama Residents Furious Over Possible Rate Increases: ‘If They Let This Stuff Happen They Are Going to Get the Biggest Riot the South Has Ever Seen’ It seems people are paying sewage and water bills from the city to the tune of $150 per month--and it's been threatened with big increases. What got me about the story, as far as KC is concerned is this: "Sewage and water rates (on average) have increased faster than inflation because the federal government has demanded that cities replace their “worn-out” sewer facilities to meet federal clean-water standards. When a federal judge forced Jefferson County to upgrade its outdated sewer system, officials decided to finance the project with bonds." Now, they did make a big mistake by taking out floating interest rate loans for the bonds but here's another big problem: "The sewage system was supposed to cost $300 million. However, since the project started in 1996, the costs have risen to $3.1 billion after various problems and a series of bond and derivatives deals fell through in 2008. Not surprisingly, a large amount of corruption was involved. JP Morgan Securities and two of its former directors have been fined for trying to bribe to Jefferson County employees and politicians in a bid to win business financing for the sewer project. Six former Jefferson County commissioners have been found guilty of accepting bribes, along with 15 other state officials." Hopefull nothing remotely similar will happen here in little ol' KCMO with the new sewers we're supposed to be getting. Here's hoping. Enjoy your weekend, y'all. Link to original article: http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-residents-furious-over-rate-increases-let-stuff-202403568.html

"America's Saddest Cities"?--St. Lou--not you

Men's Health Magazine just came out with a list of "America's Saddest Cities" and, yes, St. Louis is on there but you, Kansas City, you are not. I think the Sprint and the Kauffman Centers may have helped keep us off there. Either that or we're just not on their radar. Note: Detroit and Memphis are on there, too. In my next post, you won't believe who's number 4 on "Happiest American Cities." Anyway, enjoy, Kansas City--it's only been good press coverage lately. For now, anyway. Link to original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/americas-saddest-cities_n_1120753.html?ncid=webmail18#s507155&title=St_Louis_MO

Kansas City No 9 on FBI's "most dangerous cities"

Yikes.


I was afraid of this.


When I saw this headline, I thought we'd likely be on it and there we are:


The 11 Most Dangerous Cities

City/ Crime Risk Index

1. St. Louis: 530

2. Atlanta: 484

3. Birmingham Alabama (tie): 380

3. Orlando (tie): 380

5. Detroit: 369

6. Memphis: 361

7. Miami: 346

8. Baltimore: 339

9. Kansas City, Missouri: 337

10. Minneapolis (tie): 331

10. Cleveland (tie): 331

The bad news?  We're on the list.  Worse, we're  not even in last place.

The good news?

We're not as bad as Detroit.  (Yet?)

Better yet, we're not St. Louis.

Link to original story:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-11-Most-Dangerous-usnews-1262959588.html?x=0

How desperate it's getting out there

This is, as I mention above, how bad things are getting out there:

Alabama's largest county is set to release 80 percent of its staff, due to low tax coffers, as it faces possible bankruptcy. Maybe you caught this on NPR this evening, as I did, on your way home from the office.

"Alabama's largest county, Jefferson County, is in financial turmoil. It can't make its payroll and plans to furlough two-thirds of its workers, about 1,400 people, on Friday."

"At the county courthouse in downtown Birmingham this week, residents waited in long lines for hours to take care of business before the cuts take effect."

This is really fairly stunning.

It isn't like we're talking Florida or Nevada or California, where we've known for a long time there were awful budget deficits that had to be dealt with.

The reason isn't just the worst downturn in the economy in 70 years, however, and that's the key here.

"Commissioner Bobby Humphryes says the problem stems from a court ruling that struck down Jefferson County's occupational tax, taking away about a quarter of the county's budget."

This ruling, on top of this economy, makes for a really horrible situation for Jefferson County, Alabama and its citizens.

Then, at the same time, news is out that Arizona is considering selling its state capital, to raise money.

While it's clearly a desperate move on the legislator's part, if they can make their plan work, I have to hand it to them. Check this out:

"...officials hope to sell the properties and then lease them back over several years before assuming ownership again."

That's genius.

Like I said, if they can pull off selling the capital, getting millions of dollars for it and then buying it back and have it work well, that is one incredibly clever plan.

Sure, it's born out of desperation but it's surely brilliant.

That is, if they can pull it off.

Link to stories:
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/07/arizona-may-sell-state-capitol-building.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111341720