Though the government purports to have solutions to the housing shortage, much of the problem can be traced back to government policies. There has been no shortage of government plans purported to make houses more affordable in America, including most recently a $25,000 government subsidy to select first-time buyers proposed...
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Houston’s Ongoing Homelessness Crisis Is A Damning Indictment Of ‘Housing First’ Policy
The problem with the Housing First approach to homelessness is that it’s a one-size-fits-all policy that ignores human nature. Houston, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah, made eye-popping headlines for their self-claimed success in addressing homelessness using the Housing First approach. Both jurisdictions had all but declared victory over homelessness.Salt...
Audit of Kansas TIF districts reveals delays in returns, increased crime rates
Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, wants the Kansas Department of Commerce to track the success of economic initiatives like tax increment financing districts to evaluate the full burden on taxpayers. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Some of Kansas’ largest cities are struggling to gain full returns on tax increment...
Conservative candidates hope to undo Johnson County Commission’s liberal policies, misadventures on Nov. 5
A county commission that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a homeless shelter without gauging the city’s support for it – while rejecting a motion to require its residents to be U.S. citizens? A county commission that is still going all-in on divisive and discredited DEI ideology, as other entities across the...
Playing Favorites with Public Funds
A majority of the Johnson County Kansas Board of Commissioners have demonstrated that their last concern is the tax burden on citizens of the county. Their decisions over the last 3-1⁄2 years indicate a predilection for enriching private not-for-profit entities, developers, and new (but not existing) businesses. Commissioners Allenbrand and...
Plan for 300 apartments near key Overland Park corridor advances
Plans to build nearly 300 apartments in Overland Park’s College Boulevard and Metcalf Avenue corridor are moving ahead. On Monday, the Overland Park City Council voted 11-0 to approve the rezoning for the project — dubbed Livano Overland Park — on 12 acres at the southwest corner of 112th Street and Lamar...
What the JoCo Audit REALLY Says About their Finances
Johnson County AuditBy: Charlotte O'Hara, Johnson County 3rd District CommissionerThis does not reflect the majority viewpoint of the JoCo BOCCMy head is still spinning from the Johnson County Audit report, on which I sent out an email recently. But I have to report I…MADE…A…MISTAKE!!! I had read that the percentage of invoices...
The Price of Poor Leadership: $500,000 Wasted on a Flawed Homeless Initiative
Stand Up for Johnson County: It's Time to Vote for Real Change! The recent decision by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners shows the irresponsible behavior of Mike Kelly and his supporters, highlighting the urgent need for better leadership. In a surprising 5 to 2 vote, the Commission voted...
Did You Know?
In the Johnson County 2022 county wide commission chairman race, there were 19,992 under votes. That is over 8% of voters who did not cast their vote in this critical local election. That’s correct, over 8% of voters participating in the November 2022 general election chose to leave their ballot blank on the race for...
Johnson County audit shows lax purchasing controls
The first page of a recent audit of purchasing controls in Johnson County government shows a startling lack of oversight. According to the report — presented at the Sept. 5, 2024, Johnson County Commission Meeting — new purchasing guidelines designed to reduce costs, speed purchases, and simplify purchase procedures have resulted in a process...