James Expands E- Tax Defense

Kansas City Mayor Sly James expended his defense of the Kansas City earnings tax Sunday.

He also stepped up his attacks on its critics.

At a Sunday speech at the All Soul Universalist Church James dedicated a big portion of his speech to the earnings tax.

Last Thursday the mayor lead a delegation of Kansas Citians to a Jefferson City state senate hearing on a bill to eliminate the earnings tax.

“We wanted everybody who came down there to tell them how stupid of an idea it was for them to interfere with what we’re doing,” James said during the Sunday speech.

He continued to focus on the impact of the earnings tax on Kansas City’s main operating budget.

James says losing 40% of the general fund money could lead to police and fire lay-offs.

Ritual a say the city would find a way to a pod that.

The earnings tax generates $238 million of the city’s $533 million dollar General Fund.

He told state lawmakers losing the earnings tax would force the city to try to triple the property tax and double the sales tax.

In Sunday’s speech he says the city had looked at replacing the earnings tax funds.

James says they could also replace all of the money if they raised seven difference taxes.

James also accused state legislators of trying to sneak the earnings tax hearings by the city.

It was quietly set for 8:30 in the morning on the finals workday of the week for the state senate.

He also said bill sponsor Kurt Schaefer has accepted $700,000 in contributions from anti-tax businessman Rex Sinquefiled.
James also says the Chairman of the Committee that heard the bill, Lee’s Summit Republican Will Krause also received $500,00 from Sinquefield.

Schaefer’s bill calling for the elimination of the earnings tax is one of several such measures.

This spring, Kansas City is scheduled for a renewal vote on the earnings tax.

A requirement passed by the legislature several years ago to permit voters to have a say on a tax that has been on the Kansas City books since 1963.