Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[Diane Amberg]

Nice article, thanks for posting it.

[Ross]

That story reads just like the story written by Elk Konnected, LLC praising Elk Konnected, LLC.
It is a nice story written by Ord, Nebraska praising Ord, Nebraska.
The county seat of Valley County, Nebraska.
Pat ourselves on the back, don't you think?
Just an advertisement about lining the merchant's pocket's from taxes.

Nothing in there to verify anything said.
And it is just one community in the county.
They are not taxing everyone in the county, are they?
They haven't proven any real growth in population either, have they?
And that is their county seat too, right.
It was simply a beggar - thy - neighbor story?
Again, it was only one community in the whole county, right?
Why couldn't they get their loan's the old fashioned way?
Just a story that an apparent Elk Konnected, LLC follower thought proved something?

There is no proof of growth, is there. In fact they are hoping to just maintain their population.
Just tax the heck out of the citizens, so the people in business can make more money, from the local taxpayers.

Quote From the article:
And despite their successes and aggressive attitude toward development, not everyone thinks using sales taxes to fund it is a good idea.
Others have accused Valley County Economic Development of being too socialist, Pollard said.
Pollard said he thinks the city sales tax is a big part of Ord's relative success.

And tax the people even more:

From the article: Soon, cities like Ord might get a boost in the form of a bill from Nebraska Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha that would increase the sales tax amount municipalities can levy from 1.5 percent to 2 percent.
But while urban areas can expect continued growth, many rural cities have to work at simply maintaining a stable population.

Another from the article:
"If there is another downturn in ethanol, it will have a substantial negative effect here," Pollard said matter-of-factly. "I mean, we can't ignore that. It will have an effect. It's one of our largest private employers here in town, they employ forty people. You know, the same thing could be said if ag does down the tubes, we're screwed. I mean, that's the reality of it.

Well, if Howard, Kansas, our county seat, and Elk Konnected, LLC want to go that route, with Howard citizens, well more power to them. I say go for it.

Leave the rest of the county out of it. Leave it up to each individual city in the county just like Valley County, Nebraska did.

But just remember if you raise your taxes to high, it might make it cheaper for people to shop in Sedan or Independence or Winfield.

Give me a break!
I definitly agree with Diane nice article.
It proves you can tax the heck out of the citizens of the county seat and not accomplish any growth.
And for what purpose --- to make the merchants more money --- right?

[evanstrail]

More about the downward trends Ord was facing, and the cooperative effort put forth to do something about them:

http://www.sog.unc.edu/programs/cednc/stbi/cases/pdf/ord.pdf

Communities that actually try to do something to end the downward spiral effecting most rural small towns and counties stand a chance of succeeding.  Those who listen to all of the naysayers and don't do anything to change the economic picture will simply continue to shrink until they no longer exist.

[Diane Amberg]

On a side, but interesting note about getting loans the old fashioned way. In a near by town a well liked merchant needed a new commercial refrigerator for her store. Her customers loaned her the money themselves, in varying amounts. She deducted 10% from their purchases until they had recaptured their loans and then she gave them discounts up to the amount the interest would have been on their money. Pretty clever I thought.  Now back to the original programing.

[pepelect]

Loss maybe you should go back and read for content not just knock it.  3% unemployment.  38 loans but the kicker 105 new businesses in the last ten years.   What part of that says bad?  Ten years isn't a trial.  That includes the worst recession in that ten year period.

Show me your constitutionally inspired private sector financed but secured funding plan that produces that kind of result? 


Blame a  Nebraska town on Elk Konnected that is a stretch but how dare they actually succeed using your money.  That town is as big as our whole county.  How on earth did the  Nebraska loss and unpatriotic allow that to happen.  I am sure that they exist.  Retired old kermudgins jones'n for a cig bitching about the $800,000 dumped on their lap.   Didn't invest a dime in the infancy stage but is right there to claim the bounty as our money.   What about closer to home?  How about looking at the  commissioner's comments again too.  Not the  two "admitted supporters" but the other one. The part about what to do with the money that " we will never see a dime of " and compare it to the first page of this verbose blog trail.  The two look pretty similar to almost verbatim if you ask me.  Maybe he is more konnected to the real constitutional conservatives but spouts the ideas as  the elk konnected community conversation did ten months previous.

  I am sure it is just a fluke. 

There is no way that everyone in the county is all wanting the exact thing. 


Come on  pick this apart..   Make sure you go line by line.  Read slowly.    Call Fred if you are at a loss.......  He's the one with the new culvert.

[redcliffsw]

Looks like the private sector is being destroyed to advance the cause of more government to make all citizens participate whether
they want to or not.  In my opinion, a partnership between government and companies is not something desirable.  The socialist cause gains and gains.  We'll all becoming stakeholders in their losing deals across the land.

Liberty loses time and time again in these scenarios.

[Patriot]

... cause of more government to make all citizens participate whether they want to or not.  In my opinion, a partnership between government and companies is not something desirable.  The socialist cause gains and gains.  We'll all becoming stakeholders in their losing deals across the land.

Liberty loses time and time again in these scenarios.

So true Red.  And the socialists travel in packs.  Not unlike wolves, wondering to and fro, seeking whom they may devour (to borrow a phrase from a much higher source).

Loss maybe you should go back and read for content not just knock it....

Hello Patrick Perkins.  Nice to see you back.  Have a nice winter? 

[Ross]

More about the downward trends Ord was facing, and the cooperative effort put forth to do something about them:

http://www.sog.unc.edu/programs/cednc/stbi/cases/pdf/ord.pdf

Communities that actually try to do something to end the downward spiral effecting most rural small towns and counties stand a chance of succeeding.  Those who listen to all of the naysayers and don't do anything to change the economic picture will simply continue to shrink until they no longer exist.

The Time frame was 2001–2007 not TEN years, nothing about what is happening there today 5 years later.
Where is the follow up? Wasn't it in 2008 that the countries financial crisis started. How many job's have been lost, how many foreclosures have occurred there since 2008? No facts about today is there? Do you just want us to believe in facts of yesteryear?

You leave out a lot of vital information.

And with this plan, and no growth and no guarantee of growth, but they do guarantee to succeed in making life harder for the taxpayers (especially those on fixed incomes) and to empty their wallets faster with more and more taxes. They don't show a drop of growth in that feel good story either. They don't show that they are not still losing population either. It is just a feel good story. We read feel good stories frequently from organizations, they never admit their failures, do they? Like Elk Konnected, LLC's failures. They failed running their own business, the Wellness Center in Howard and sold it, didn't they?


I'm not a naysayer, if you go back and read my previous post, I said if this is what the city of Howard and your beloved Elk Konnected, LLC want, do it. Go for it. Just leave the rest of the county alone. Try your experiment within the Howard city limits. Tax Howard Tax, tax them all you want. I just don't want you taxing the hell out of me, out here in the county, in hopes that Howard stops losing population. So go ahead and tax Howard all you want. Just stay out of the county coffers. Ya all, got your eye on the county coffers concerning the wind farm money don't you? A bunch of money grubbers out there if you ask me. Elk Konnected, LLC already seems to think they should have control of the purse strings of Elk County. Isn't that why Elk Konnected, LLC came about, wind farm PILOT? Try to be honest now, just try.

I may be a naysayer in your eyes, because, I don't believe calling a privately owned companies business meeting a community meeting, that in my opinion is only twisting words to manipulate and control the people of the county? And you are welcome to that opinion. Enjoy it to the fullest.

Loss maybe you should go back and read for content not just knock it.  3% unemployment.  38 loans but the kicker 105 new businesses in the last ten years.   What part of that says bad?  Ten years isn't a trial.  That includes the worst recession in that ten year period.

Loss now that's cute. It reminds me of my time in Japan. Are you part Japanese? The Japanese could not pronounce the letter "R" and consequently I was called Loss, I thought it was fun and cute. But you know, I did think a speech impediment carried over to the keyboard, very interesting.

Where is the growth in population? Where is the proof that the population is not still declining.
We see the proof that they tax and tax for the benefit of the merchants. Perhaps the merchants that agree with them get loans and they possibly don't approve the loans for those that don't agree with them? But we will never know will we?

And again The Time frame was 2001–2007 before the financial crises and the housing crises and all the job losses.

I may be dumb but I ain't stupid. I ain't go no scholarship to wipe my butt with, durn it.

Show me your constitutionally inspired private sector financed but secured funding plan that produces that kind of result? 

So, you think taxation is the answer to every problem, is that right? Perhaps you would agree to pay more taxes to the Federal Government so they can keep spending more and more? They need a larger budget don't they?

Blame a  Nebraska town on Elk Konnected that is a stretch but how dare they actually succeed using your money.  That town is as big as our whole county. 

No one blamed a Nebraska town on Elk Konnected, LLC except you. Twisting words in the same manner that Elk Konnected, LLC  does, that's my opinion. Are you Elk Konnected, LLC trained?

And again there is no proof of succeeding.

How on earth did the  Nebraska loss and unpatriotic allow that to happen.  I am sure that they exist.  Retired old kermudgins jones'n for a cig bitching about the $800,000 dumped on their lap.   Didn't invest a dime in the infancy stage but is right there to claim the bounty as our money.   What about closer to home?  How about looking at the  commissioner's comments again too.  Not the  two "admitted supporters" but the other one. The part about what to do with the money that " we will never see a dime of " and compare it to the first page of this verbose blog trail.  The two look pretty similar to almost verbatim if you ask me.  Maybe he is more konnected to the real constitutional conservatives but spouts the ideas as the elk konnected community conversation did ten months previous.

That is just Unexplainable Gibberish.

  I am sure it is just a fluke.

I agree everything you have said is just a fluke. Just a little humor with a twist on words. Do you like it?

There is no way that everyone in the county is all wanting the exact thing. 

So leave the county out of it and keep it in Howard. What makes you think a person in Longton or Grenola wants to pay more county taxes to support the City of Howard merchants when they may already support those merchants by spending their hard earned  moneyin their stores. Let Howard take care of Howard, that sounds fair to me. Don't be like Ord the county seat and tax the rest of the county who do not benefit from it.

Come on  pick this apart..   Make sure you go line by line.  Read slowly.    Call Fred if you are at a loss.......  He's the one with the new culvert.

Why the remark, "Come on  pick this apart.. ", you apparently knew this was a faulty post.

I also appreciate the compliment by your copying my humor from an earlier thread, "Read slowly.", Thank You.   

You say, "There is no way that everyone in the county is all wanting the exact thing." So what you are saying is let Elk Konnected, LLC a privately owned company that has failed at running their own business, the Wellness Center, let these people with all their un-named visionaries decide for us. Is that right? 

The city Ord, Nebraska has their four pillars and Elk Konnected, LLC (not a city or community) has it's Public Square with it's 4 corners. Sounds and appears to be similarities, don't you think?

Patrick you are Konnected right?

So anyway have a right nice Konnected day, the weather will be changing soon.

[Ross]

Patrick please review what I said for content, LOL.

That story reads just like the story written by Elk Konnected, LLC praising Elk Konnected, LLC.
It is a nice story written by Ord, Nebraska praising Ord, Nebraska.
The county seat of Valley County, Nebraska.
Pat ourselves on the back, don't you think?
Just an advertisement about lining the merchant's pocket's from taxes.

I most certainly did not say Elk Konnected, LLC was to blame for a town far away as you said I did.

It was simply a beggar - thy - neighbor story?
Again, it was only one community in the whole county, right?
Why couldn't they get their loan's the old fashioned way?
Just a story that an apparent Elk Konnected, LLC follower thought proved something?

Quote From the article:
And despite their successes and aggressive attitude toward development, not everyone thinks using sales taxes to fund it is a good idea.
Others have accused Valley County Economic Development of being too socialist, Pollard said.
Pollard said he thinks the city sales tax is a big part of Ord's relative success.

And tax the people even more:

From the article: Soon, cities like Ord might get a boost in the form of a bill from Nebraska Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha that would increase the sales tax amount municipalities can levy from 1.5 percent to 2 percent.
But while urban areas can expect continued growth, many rural cities have to work at simply maintaining a stable population.

Another from the article:
"If there is another downturn in ethanol, it will have a substantial negative effect here," Pollard said matter-of-factly. "I mean, we can't ignore that. It will have an effect. It's one of our largest private employers here in town, they employ forty people. You know, the same thing could be said if ag does down the tubes, we're screwed. I mean, that's the reality of it.

These are their own negatives not mine.

Well, if Howard, Kansas, our county seat, and Elk Konnected, LLC want to go that route, with Howard citizens, well more power to them. I say go for it.

Leave the rest of the county out of it. Leave it up to each individual city in the county just like Valley County, Nebraska did. Except for taxing everyone in the county, don't do that here, prove yourself in Howard, not at the expense of everyone else outside of Howard.

But just remember if you raise your taxes to high, it might make it cheaper for people to shop in Sedan or Independence or Winfield.

Give me a break!
I definitely agree with Diane nice article.
It proves you can tax the heck out of the citizens of the county seat and not accomplish any growth.
And for what purpose --- to make the merchants more money --- right?[/color][/b]

[Diane Amberg]

"To make the merchants more money." Why is that a bad thing? Isn't that the whole point? If they don't, they have to go out of business and then where are you? Walmart?
Most will have to get some sort of loan to buy the original inventory to sell in their stores when they open. Then they will have debt service every month, probably for years.That has to come from part of their profit.  Most people can't save enough to start a real store from their own savings. If they want to expand they may or may not need another loan.
  Then they need to buy new inventory to sell and on and on. I'd sink just from the paper work.
   Most folks in retail are also very generous to their community.They donate to the fire company, have trick or treating candy for the kids, and give out those dreaded "lollipops" to the kids....maybe even worse ,they might cook hotdogs!
     No, of course, not everybody in a community is going to feel the same way about every tiny detail. Everything depends on one's point of view and their own personal history. That's why there is recall and referendum or referendum in general. Elections, voting, that's how our country has worked for an awfully long time.
    Our district Councilman has decided to retire and three candidates have stopped by looking for support. One is a young neighbor two doors up.Very sharp and cute as a button. But he won't get my vote until I really check out the other two in depth.