Yes, TIF promises actually can come true

Sometimes taxpayer-subsidized projects work out just as advertised. Putting SummitWoods Crossing in Lee’s Summit on the full tax rolls will provide an extra $4.8 million a year in sales tax and property tax revenues for taxing jurisdictions.

Close Guantanamo now, end indefinite detentions

The Constitution Project determined that “it is indisputable that the United States engaged in the practice of torture.” Given that dishonor, continuing to operate the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, only deepens the damage already inflicted on the nation’s laws and values.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in fiscal netherworld

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback appears increasingly detached from the fiscal realities he has imposed on his state. Thanks to the disastrous moves to severely roll back income tax rates, the state remains strapped with painful fiscal choices.

The high costs of cheap clothing

Poorly paid Third-World workers are dying — literally — to produce low-cost clothing that’s sold at leading retailers around the United States and the world. The latest tragedy to strike the low-wage garment industry in Bangladesh was also one of the most horrific in years.

Release child abuse records in Missouri

Attempts by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration to avoid releasing records involving child abuse incidents are amateurish and deceptive, and must stop. When a child is harmed, the public deserves to know whether the harm could have been prevented.

It’s about time we took issue with this word

But soon the little word was squirting all over the place and the original irony was lost and what you have now is a weak, flaccid, cringing indirectness. The linguistic real estate once held by once-proud problems has been almost fully engorged by a wimpy upstart.

Capitol Watch: Cooking up trouble is a favorite pastime

During an appearance at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Gov. Sam Brownback argued that maintaining the sales tax increase shouldn’t be interpreted as increased government spending, but rather maintaining the core functions of the state. Great. The same could be said for the income tax.

KC must press on with pension reform

Kansas City’s pension programs aren’t as costly or as fiscally shaky as those in many other cities. However, the current ones are financially “unsustainable,” according to City Manager Troy Schulte. Their annual cost has risen from $54 million two years ago to $60 million in the current budget.

Downtown slowdowns still far from worst

It’s true that almost any work on highways is going to bring out words not suitable for print. But the Missouri Department of Transportation has good reasons to do the repair work needed in both directions of traffic on I-35 as quickly as possible, even though that means inconveniencing more people right now. The entire project is expected to be done in December.

End vindictive lawmaking in Missouri

As matters stand, state funding to issue and renew Missouri driver’s licenses will run out on July 1. Or is it the money to register boats and motor homes? This is what happens when lawmakers confuse politics with responsible policy. Everybody looks bad.