Sorry I missed all this.
Really bummed. What an incredible exchange.
BTW, scribe, yes that's how taxes work. People buy things like food, rental cars etc. And the city gets money from taxes! Incredible idea really.
Not sure if you expect only local companies to be involved here, but that's not how the world works. Like, do you want a small local company to build a massive hotel the city needs? Or have some rule that convention goers can only eat at local restaurants?
Still not sure what your comment about McDonald's employing high school dropouts means, would you rather them be unemployed?
Let me be very clear here: If the way you generate increased taxes is by giving tax money or tourism funds to large companies, you better ensure it will increase the tax revenue by more than the amount you have handed over.
If Budweiser launched a microbrewery brand to go head to head with local smaller breweries, wouldn't you be upset if Kansas City handed them $20 million to start with? If money is to be made and the economy is to be helped by a businesses' building or expansion, why is government help needed?
Do you really think the city would have agreed to a deal without doing due diligence on how much $ would be raised from tax revenue? Obviously I don't know the numbers, but I have faith the city leaders wouldn't enter into a clearly losing proposition.
About the budweiser thing, that's not quite how it works.... What business is this hotel threatening directly? Like is there another hotel that's going to go out of business? Is there a small local brand that it will be hurting? Nope. Your comparison makes no sense. And for the record, budweiser buys a brewery every 5 days. You really think that company has never gotten a tax break from St Louis? What a joke.
If this is your argument why are you not upset about hotel Philips selling? A local brand, now owned by a national chain?! you have every right to not want the hotel, but don't make up stupid crap to defend yourself.
Tax breaks are there to lure companies in order make the city money. That's how it works. Look at the border war between joco and kc.
If you don't think every small business owner in the downtown area is rough ridin' excited about this hotel you're wrong. I can promise you that because I am a small business owner in the downtown area. The potential of having 800+ more people within 3/4 of a mile of me? eff Yeah. It helps the city in more way than one, man. The same goes for the streetcar, minus a select group people that are still blind to its' benefits.
