KC’s fountains

I keep hearing the pros and cons on whether the Kansas City’s fountains should be turned on, or just left off to save money.

While I don’t live in Kansas City, I think that leaving the fountains off would be like having your front door boarded up. What a bad impression for anyone considering relocating to this area.

The remedy is simple: Get the public involved. The city could set up a “Flowing Fountain Fund” for the public to contribute to. You would then have businesses donating (they would oppose the negative image, too), “do-gooder” groups and children holding fundraisers, and even contributions from citizens like me who might send in a dollar or two.

This would go a long way toward paying the water bill. It would also have the added effect of fostering pride in our surroundings and a desire to help maintain them.

Esther Miller
Liberty
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I have read articles that Kansas City is considering turning off the water fountains in an effort to save money. With that in mind, why are they spending a pretty good sum of money to rebuild the fountain at Ninth and the Paseo?
 
Ferdinand Shore
Kansas City
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Turn off the fountains to save $160,000? Great idea. When the smoke clears, it will cost a quarter of a million to turn them back on due to the vandalism, graffiti and theft. The city won’t have that kind of money, so the fountains will sit idle.

Kansas City will no longer be known as the city of fountains. It will be known as the city of stupidity.

L.D. Mason
Kansas City

Comments

[Engineer]

solomon
Would you say that this ineligibility for civil service should include membership the ACLU, La Raza or even membership in organized religion which is very distasteful to a number on this blog?

[solomon]

Arminius,

I don't consider Mrs Semler a bad person in any way. The group she belongs to is controversial to a large segment of our population. As you would connect all members of the nation of islam or the Black Panthers to words or acts by certain members of their organizations there are those who would connect mrs Semler to acts committed by members of the MM.(like the head of their Ozark, Mo branch whose wife, the second in command there, made up the story about being sexually aassaulted by Hispanics)

A political appointee needs to be non-controversial, and the fact that it doesn't bother you that she is a member of the MM is not an accurate litmus test.

[Arminius]

solomon:

"The Mayor is his own worst enemy with the exception of his wife, who did not do the due diligence before endorsing Frances Semler for the Park board."

What more needed to be known about Semler? She is a law-abiding woman who belongs to a group of other law-abiding citizens who advocate that the government enforce the laws on the books. Because of that, a bunch of nutcases such as La Raza, Lee Judge, and Fuzzy Nelson went after her.

[solomon]

Arminius,

The Mayor is his own worst enemy with the exception of his wife, who did not do the due diligence before endorsing Frances Semler for the Park board.

[Roger Lambert]

Cities use this tactic all the time. They pick something very popular and very visible and threaten to cut it if they don't raise taxes.

I would be surprised if the city makes this cut, and I'd be even more surprised if a private donor doesn't step in to pick up the tab if they do.

[Stifled Freedom]

We already forcibly contribute to the city's funds with a 1% city earning tax. WHere is that money wasted??? How does OP and other cities provide services without the additional tax. This is just a classic example of city bureacracy, incompetence and waste. The more you give them....the more they will waste.

[Keith Williams3]

The school board and the city council might just be the same board. Efforts are targeted on the wrong issue.

[Arminius]

Yes, get the public involved. If the nutcases in KC stopped peeing on the mayor, Frances Semler, and others, they could redirect their efforts and keep the fountains flowing.