Don’t waste time trying to reimburse Sedgwick County’s general fund for any bit of time someone on the county payroll spent related to the downtown arena, as County Commissioner Kelly Parks wants. Of course county employees — including commissioners — are involved in the massive project. Who expected otherwise? But the time is not excessive and is not worth haggling over. As Commissioner Tim Norton noted, regardless of which budget is charged, it’s all taxpayer money.
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9 Comments
Sorry Phillip Brownlee, in a democratic form of government, its never wrong to “haggle” over the waste of taxpayers’ dollars … particularly in the case of Wichita/Sedgwick County’s 1/2 billion dollar unneeded, unwanted WHITE ELEPHANT downtown arena.
The related costs of the arena continue to rise. Last week we heard the news that some 96 new police officers will be needed to patrol the area of the downtown arena when it is being used. I think I estimated this expense will be an additional $70,000,000 over the next decade.
I predict the cost of this albatross project will continue to rise to a billion dollars of taxpayers money over its first decade of use or non-use.
And as I have said before, the downtown arena site eliminates the possibility of using the classic historic downtown railroad station for … a railroad station … in the event a new north-south Amtrak route from Texas to Newton is activated. The reason of course is that constant problem … lack of parking. The arena site should have been saved for a 500 car parking lot for the railroad station.
The so-called arena promoters, most of whom have admittedly fled town, should kneel down and apologise to Sedgwick County’s approximate 100,000 taxpayers for this flagrant waste of their tax dollars.
As Commissioner Tim Norton noted, regardless of which budget is charged, it’s all taxpayer money.
A rather cavalier attitude…
But…but…we were PROMISED that the temporary sales tax was all that would ever been needed to fund this thing.
This is more solid proof that we were lied to, over and over and over about this arena. It was first ’sold’ with parking–that changed. It was ’sold’ with the idea it would be self supporting. That is now proven to be false.
To email Tim Norton:
mailto: tnorton@sedgwick.gov
Tom Winters is the real problem here. HE has been on the Commission all along – he helped develop the entire Albino Pachyderm.
They are doing everything they can to hide the cost over-runs on this thing. They are doing it by moving costs ‘off-books’ into other accounts. The City is a part of this as infrastructure that we were told would be covered by the Arena Tax is shifted to City costs.
Also email Kelly Parks with encouragement for his efforts at honest government.
I kept copies of the Arena promises. I was told by Arena cheer-leader that I should destroy it because he and his cronies had absolutely no intention to fulfill them. In effect, he acknowledged that they were lying all along.
This thing will continue to be a drain on the budget as its operating looses need to be covered. They had promised a loss reserve – that is also being spent on cost over-runs.
Kelly Parks – HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE!
CF2K has nothing to add to the facts and observations listed above, that never have been anything less than OBVIOUS TO ANYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN, that the arena was nothing more than a pretext to ratf*ck the voters of Wichita and Sedgwick County out of hundreds of millions of dollars. And JWink perceptively connects this boondoggle to the transportation infrastructure needs that now will go unmet as fuel prices continue to increase.
Anytime anyone tells you not to “follow the money” as has Commissioner Norton, well, do I even need to finish the sentence?
This arena fiasco resembles the same battle played out in many other cities. Wichita, however, is in a class by itself, because unlike other places, where non-local owners force the city to take a bath, we did it to ourselves. We capitulated when there wasn’t even a major league sports franchise blackmailing us or threatening us. That’s some pretty epic civic stupidity. Way to go, Sedgwick County Commission.
You know I was thinking about the Wichita arena as I was watching a great concert here in Atlanta Tuesday night. As the Doobies and Chicago played I thought to myself it is really ashamed that Wichita will not get to see this great show. No, if Wichita wants to see this show- and many bigger acts, they have to drive up to Kansas City. But now that they are finally building a good venue maybe- just maybe-you will start enjoying the big shows too!
Doobies/Chicago are on the county fair and casino circuit. I certainly hope that we didn’t spend 200 million to draw old has-beens like those.
I think I saw chicago in Hutch last year – without the Arena.
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