Is KC Tenants destroying the development future of downtown KCMO?

[beautyfromashes]

I've seen a few people on here encouraged about Hazley taking the seat from Ellington. Why does everyone think she will be better for downtown or even urban development? I don't see her advocating for that in any real way. I know Ellington was a no-man at the beginning of his term, but I'm not sure one would be better than the other.

[CrossroadsUrbanApts]

Hazley has served on the LCRA board for a number of years and as such has a good familiarity with development incentives and how they can be used. She's clearly not pro-incentives anything-goes but would be a big improvement over the alternative.

[TheUrbanRoo]

I've seen a few people on here encouraged about Hazley taking the seat from Ellington. Why does everyone think she will be better for downtown or even urban development? I don't see her advocating for that in any real way. I know Ellington was a no-man at the beginning of his term, but I'm not sure one would be better than the other.

Darren Story endorsed her so she must be solid

[beautyfromashes]

I've seen a few people on here encouraged about Hazley taking the seat from Ellington. Why does everyone think she will be better for downtown or even urban development? I don't see her advocating for that in any real way. I know Ellington was a no-man at the beginning of his term, but I'm not sure one would be better than the other.

Darren Story endorsed her so she must be solid

I just really don't see her being any more pro-incentive (outside of her own district) than Ellington is.

[TheUrbanRoo]

I've seen a few people on here encouraged about Hazley taking the seat from Ellington. Why does everyone think she will be better for downtown or even urban development? I don't see her advocating for that in any real way. I know Ellington was a no-man at the beginning of his term, but I'm not sure one would be better than the other.

Darren Story endorsed her so she must be solid

I just really don't see her being any more pro-incentive (outside of her own district) than Ellington is.

At the debates she said she'd be willing to listen and try to understand the developers. Ellington just said he wouldn't.

We need Michael Kelley to win as well.

[im2kull]

Interesting observation.. but apparently KC Tenants is funded by a group of out Chicago and other national orgs affiliated with the Soros? Anyone else hear about this before? KCT tries to have this local look, but is it just a façade for a larger, socialized housing push?

[Chris Stritzel]

Maximum intrigue

[FangKC]

So what is wrong with a wealthy man, or an organization, giving money to a group of mostly poor people advocating for more affordable housing? The problem is a national one. People are being priced out of housing in many places, not just Kansas City.

The is nothing illegal or wrong about someone donating money for this purpose.

Nothing is intriguing about this. Wealthy people and corporations donate money to many causes on both sides of politics.

[langosta]

So what is wrong with a wealthy man, or an organization, giving money to a group of mostly poor people advocating for more affordable housing? The problem is a national one. People are being priced out of housing in many places, not just Kansas City.

The is nothing illegal or wrong about someone donating money for this purpose.

Nothing is intriguing about this. Wealthy people and corporations donate money to many causes on both sides of politics.

Their funding from outside sources has been know privately. Not the first I’ve heard of it. Intrigue comes when a local grass roots org isn’t as local or grass roots as you might think.

Their campaigns of (often lies) are not organic

[TheLastGentleman]

After several years of following this topic, KCRAG remains the only place I have ever seen people complain about KC tenants. Anyone I know irl who has any opinion on them sees them in a positive light, which makes the vitriol on this board all the more alarming.

I’m not even a direct supporter of them, I’m just finding it hard to believe that a broadly respected, minority led tenants rights group in the inner city is some malicious organization “destroying the developer future of downtown KCMO” like this thread claims.

This is a city that has a dark history when it comes to real estate development and socioeconomic issues, so I have no idea why everyone on here is so stunned that there’s a housing advocacy group now.

You should’ve seen this issue coming from miles away, but all you do its label them the enemies, call them stupid and uneducated, and them seem pleased as punch that you found the “problem.” Come on, have some perspective

[phuqueue]

After several years of following this topic, KCRAG remains the only place I have ever seen people complain about KC tenants. Anyone I know irl who has any opinion on them sees them in a positive light, which makes the vitriol on this board all the more alarming.

I’m not even a direct supporter of them, I’m just finding it hard to believe that a broadly respected, minority led tenants rights group in the inner city is some malicious organization “destroying the developer future of downtown KCMO” like this thread claims.

This is a city that has a dark history when it comes to real estate development and socioeconomic issues, so I have no idea why everyone on here is so stunned that there’s a housing advocacy group now.

You should’ve seen this issue coming from miles away, but all you do its label them the enemies, call them stupid and uneducated, and them seem pleased as punch that you found the “problem.” Come on, have some perspective

Yes but on the other hand, have you heard that the right wing's most hated Jew is now "apparently" involved too? Scary stuff!

[Jblanco]

......the right wing's most hated Jew

Debatable. But don't really care zzzzzzz. He'll be gone soon enough.

I hate KC tenants, they're useful idiots that have done nothing (ZERO) to help a single tenant. These people are professional complainers and never-do-wells that can't/won't keep a job and hate everyone and everything. They make perfect rioters due to their cheap labor qualities and limitless amount of disposable time.

[Chris Stritzel]

The truth is that they're idiots and they're only seen in a positive light by outsiders because the outsiders don't see the crap they spew or believe.

They've done noble things, like push for tenants rights and push back against unsafe living conditions and slumlord activities. Those are good and respectful.

Where they become idiots is when they oppose every single new development, incentive seeking or not, because it doesn't include affordable housing. Then, when a project is shot down by the city, they celebrate its death as a "win for the little guy" when in fact, you just screwed over the little guy. This is the same playbook used by suburban NIMBYs, and NIMBYs in general. Pathetic.

We need to be build more housing, not less. We need the market to flood with new residential units to meet demand in order to prevent rent from increasing. We need to push for zoning and building code reform to allow single-stair developments and multi-family projects in primarily single-family neighborhoods in the core of the city. We need to stabilize vacant buildings and houses as a way to subsidize more affordable living. Some in their apparatus hope that rent control can be instituted or cities can take over rental properties in order to make it "social housing".

Two things can be true at once: They've done good things but pursue other things that are insanely stupid. Therefore, I'm not siding with them and will not work with them on anything I pursue in KCMO or the surrounding area. They don't deserve my time or respect.

They run the socialist playbook to a T. Have the government build housing. Have the government mandate rent limits. Have the government take over private property because we don't like the landlord/property owner. Prevent evictions (in some cases, fine, but in other cases where people are too lazy to pay their rent, absolutely not). Have developers bow to their every want and demand or else "eXpEcT uS!" This is a group not grounded in any sane reality beyond the one they believe and live in. Newsflash, the world isn't all unicorns and rainbows if you get government involved. It's hell. Go talk to the Cubans, the Russians/former Soviet residents, North Koreans, Venezuelans, and the Chinese (to name a few) before saying the government is your friend and ally and will save us from the evils of businessmen.

All movements are backed by dark money of some sort. Soros backs the left. The Kochs back the right. What's new there? All of them are an enemy to progress and deserve to be relegated to the waste bin of history.

[TheLastGentleman]

^^^^^^If this attitude is representative of developers, if you all are somehow quivering in your boots imagining the Specter of Communism in your midwestern midsized city, then I think it’ll be the Tenants that win this fight in the end. If you intend to rally the city behind The Real Estate Industry with this attitude, Godspeed to you, cause you will need it while you stumble around fighting your make-believe Red Menace

[Chris Stritzel]

I speak for myself. Where developers tell me to shut it, I ignore them and push ahead with no filter because I don't honestly care. If KCTenants wins the day, I will move away from this city and let it burn like St. Louis in order for it to be taught a valuable lesson.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

^^^^^^If this attitude is representative of developers, if you all are somehow quivering in your boots imagining the Specter of Communism in your midwestern midsized city, then I think it’ll be the Tenants that win this fight in the end. If you intend to rally the city behind The Real Estate Industry with this attitude, Godspeed to you, cause you will need it while you stumble around fighting your make-believe Red Menace

Main & Armour, while facing standard NIMBYs, was directly killed by KCT. If you want to pretend they’re not a genuine threat to housing affordability in this city, and their attempts at eroding property rights aren’t rooted in anti capitalist sentiment, then more power to you. Reality is different, unfortunately…

[Chris Stritzel]

Main & Armour, while facing standard NIMBYs, was directly killed by KCT. If you want to pretend they’re not a genuine threat to housing affordability in this city, and their attempts at eroding property rights aren’t rooted in anti capitalist sentiment, then more power to you. Reality is different, unfortunately…

That's why they want rent control. Forcibly keep prices down and prevent thew free market from doing its work (like St. Paul Minnesota or whatever city saw many new residential units built that rents went down. Rent control sounds good in theory, but it will lead to no new competition being built (construction costs are far too high), housing stock growing stagnant (no updates and deferred maintenance), and a lag in innovation to force the hand of others to reduce rents to remain competitive. In some cases, landlords will face foreclosure as a result of rent control policies, forcing banks to assume control of properties or relinquish them to civic governments (who aren't equipped to handle the responsibility of property management).

[Highlander]

^^^^^^If this attitude is representative of developers, if you all are somehow quivering in your boots imagining the Specter of Communism in your midwestern midsized city, then I think it’ll be the Tenants that win this fight in the end. If you intend to rally the city behind The Real Estate Industry with this attitude, Godspeed to you, cause you will need it while you stumble around fighting your make-believe Red Menace

A bit of hyperbole there. KC Tenants need to stick to representing tenants and making life better for them. They absolutely do not understand supply and demand (or maybe they do and just do not care) because their opposition to apartment incentivized projects drives up the cost of rentals in KC. As CrossroadsUrbanApts said a couple of pages back, the commercial risk is such that it's likely that nothing gets built in urban KC without incentives.

[FangKC]

I agree that they didn't help themselves by stopping the Armour and Main development. They also don't help by demanding affordable housing be included in the most expensive type of development -- residential towers on parking podiums.

But that doesn't mean they don't deserve a voice, and even make wrong-headed mistakes. This was partially a response to rents going up too quickly for them and many facing eviction during the COVID shutdown.

Many of the people leading and joining the tenants' group are not well-educated people or experienced in negotiating deals that benefit everyone. They are going to make mistakes. They aren't attorneys and politicians.

What they are is angry, and anger often drives people to behave irrationally and with a punitive intent.

Let us not attack them without also acknowledging the failure of the government, and society, to adequately fund existing housing programs like Section 8 that would improve the housing situation for low-income citizens. If our country is not going to build housing for the poor, then at the very least fund the programs that provide housing assistance to them in the private housing market.

[FangKC]

......the right wing's most hated Jew

Debatable. But don't really care zzzzzzz. He'll be gone soon enough.

...These people are professional complainers and never-do-wells that can't/won't keep a job and hate everyone and everything. They make perfect rioters due to their cheap labor qualities and limitless amount of disposable time.

JBlanco. This is a disgusting post, and you should be ashamed of yourself for posting it. However, you probably won't be. You seem to have nothing but disgust for other human beings. You often make inflammatory posts. You come across as an angry person who doesn't seem to have any empathy for what other people might be going through.

Frankly, I'm getting very tired of you on this forum, because you never seem to provide an articulated solution to anything. Instead, you just seem to be here to throw bombs.

There are many low-income workers who work very hard every day to maintain housing and keep food on the table. You probably interact with them every day. Secondly, many people needing affordable housing are seniors who spent their lives working hard, and now struggle to keep up with the cost of living on fixed incomes. Others are disabled.

The fact that many people work jobs that you consider "cheap labor," and that somehow diminishes their humanity, is another example of what I'm talking about. I can tell you this. You are not superior, or any more special, than the housekeeper at a Rodeway Inn. I don't care about your background or how much you earn. You just come across as an ugly person. I'm sorry to have to say it. I rarely single a person out like this.