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

[Patriot]

Will other business, LLC's be allowed to operate out of the taxpayers school building?

Or print their promotional literature at taxpayers expense then store it in the county courthouse.  Where does government stop and private business begin?

[Ross]

Why do we vote for bad, ineffectual men?  Why do we keep them in office?

Is it because it allows for official license to do wrong? It provides for a crowd with which to run to do wrong.  It is easier to sin in a crowd than all alone.  If the leaders are immoral, wrong headed, stupid, we have more excuse for ourselves.

We bailed out failed business in order to give a veneer of success when we should have allowed them to reap what they sowed.  "Too big to fail" became the standard.  Nothing, no one is too big to fail.  Bad things come to a bad end and all you can do is forestall it a bit.

We need to set our standards higher and expect more from our leaders and from ourselves.

To see the whole quote click this line:

Excellent post Warph. I hope you don't mind me borrowing it. Thanks.

I even added a couple of words to one sentence, because I don't see real leadership, do you?

We need to set our standards higher and expect more from our so called leaders and from ourselves.

[Ross]

Here is sonmething I think helps explain Elk Konnected, LLC's  attitude and the reason's they think they can continue to lord it over our County and School District's government by being member's of them.

Don't you think they believe we are still stupid enough to believe the same old worn out retoric?

I read this just tihiis morning and I thought of Elk konnected, LLC how ironic is that?
Just my opinion of what is going on here and something to think about because words get so twisted and formed into terms that are meaningless.

The Link to "Say what? 10 meaningless sales terms." is http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/10-meaningless-sales-terms-110000350.html

Here is the article.

                "Say what? 10 meaningless sales terms."

At one time, these phrases made a real impact on potential customers. Not anymore.

Words—spoken or written—can make sales happen.

Or not.

Read Web copy and brochures. Listen to salespeople. Often you see and hear the same old words and phrases.

Once those words made a real impact. Now they're almost meaningless, if only because they've been used so often.

If the following terms are used in your marketing, advertising, or sales processes, put yourself in the customer's position and consider their reaction—because that's the only reaction that matters:

"Exceed expectations." Exceeding expectations is an admirable goal, and one every company should aspire to, but exceeding expectations should be an internal and not an external goal. Tell me you will exceed expectations and "exceeded expectations" is the expectation. (I know that's a little Zen.)

Just tell me exactly what you will do. If you consistently pull it off, I'll be happy. Let the customer judge whether you truly go above and beyond expectations.

"Customer focused." Gee, I hope so. Should you be anything except customer focused? If the goal is to imply that other providers are not customer focused, tell me how you're better: quicker response times, greater availability, customized processes or systems, etc.

Explain in concrete terms how you will meet my specific needs. (If you don't know my needs and therefore can't explain how you will meet them, shame on you.)

"Best in class." There are two problems with that term: Who defined your "class," and who determined you were the "best" in that class? (Most of the time the answer to both questions is "you.")

But maybe you are that wonderful. Great! Prove it. Detail your accomplishments, awards, and results. As a customer I don't need the best in class, I need the best for me—so tell me objectively how you will provide the best value for my needs.

"Low-hanging fruit." Consultants love this one. The problem is, when you say, "We'll start with the low-hanging fruit," I hear, "We'll start with the really easy stuff you really should have done yourself."

No business wants to hear they have low-hanging fruit. Just describe, in cost-benefit terms, how you prioritized your list of projects or tasks.

"Unique." Sure, everyone is a snowflake, but the ever-increasing pace of commoditization means few products and services have no like or equal for very long.

If a customer is considering whether to hire your firm or buy your products, "unique" means nothing to them. Customers want "better." Describe how you're better for their needs.

"Value added." This term is often used to imply a customer will receive something for little to no incremental cost. Of course that really means what I receive isn't value added because it's a part of the overall deal.

Tell me the deal, explain all the options and add-ons, and help me figure out how I can take full advantage of what you provide.

"Turn key." I love a turn-key solution as much as the next guy, but few solutions truly are. No matter how comprehensive the offering I always wind up participating more than I was led to expect, so when I hear "turn key" I'm naturally skeptical.

Unless, that is, you thoroughly break down what you will provide and what my participation will be, both during implementation and after. Turn key is in the eye of the beholder; the customer is always the beholder.

"Expert." Margaret Thatcher once said, "Power is like being a lady; if you have to say you are, you aren't." Anyone can claim to be an expert; real experts can prove it.

So show what you can do, and let me decide how expert you are. For example, "Web 2.0 expert" can be read as, "We can plop videos and marginally interactive applications on any website. On the other hand, saying, "Built websites for..." or, "Created applications that..." and showing examples allows potential customers to evaluate your level of expertise and its suitability for their needs.

"Outstanding ROI." Everyone seeks a return on investment. Everyone loves a great ROI. But without access to my numbers you can't accurately calculate my ROI. Therefore your estimate is either theoretical or based on another customer's results; either way I know your estimate is absolutely best case.

Show the costs, don't hide anything, and trust me to calculate my own ROI. If I'm not smart enough to do so I probably don't have purchase authority anyway, so you're wasting your time.

"Partner." Long-term business relationships are great, but we will never truly be partners until the day my hand can reach into your pocket like yours reaches into mine.

Still, maybe one day a customer could come to see your business relationship as a quasi-partnership... but that's something they will decide based on your long-term performance, not your marketing.

[Ross]

Just wondering is Elk Konnected, LLC with it's County Commissioners and School Board members are they going to be good responsible citizens of Elk County and reimburse the West Elk School District for the electricity for lighting and the janitors pay when they finish running their private companies business out of the school building? None of that is free to the taxpayer!

The West Elk School District buildings are not community civic center for private business now is it?
I thought the purpose was to educate our children.

If the school board figures the premises should used for other than educating our children then why not lease it out for a profit and then they would not need the taxpayers to pay for it, right?
Why not take the school private and lease it to private business after school hours or get out of the business of business altogether? Or, Why not do the right thing by the taxpayers and run a public school?

Are there no scruples in our county governments?
I'm asking about both the County and School Board.
They are both Governments, elected by the taxpayers, right?

Doesn't Howard have the Howard Cox Building available for such uses such as Elk Konnected, LLC needs?
Howard City Cox Building 620-374-3074
Isn't it available to rent?

Why does Elk Konnected, LLC feel the need to invade the children's school??
They pulled the same thing with the county by invading the county's web site, until the aunt of a county commissioner called them on the carpet, didn't they? Did the same thing with the county emergency call system too, didn't they?

Is it because they don't care about Economic Development?
It appears that way by not supporting the Howard Cox Building?
Is Elk Konnected, LLC to good to rent space for their personal business which would help the Howard economy?
Especially since they have all that money discussed in this thread at an earlier date, that was a hand outs that they took in?
Is it just that Elk Konnected, LLC want everything provided to them on a silver platter and free?
At the expense of the taxpayers and the children?

Does Elk Konnected, LLC get special privileges because they have elected School Board members as their members?
Is it because Elk Konnected, LLC's founding member and County Commissioner is also employed as coach at the school?
Is it partly because the School Board President is also Elk Konnected, LLC?
   
What are the answers?
Where are the ethics, principles, the scruples and the honesty in an open dialog that Elk Konnected, LLC has said they want?
Where is all that?

Can Elk Konnected , LLC and it's County Commissioners and School Board Members stand up to the light of day and the scrutiney of transparency and answer to the taxpayers?

If so come on out?

[Ross]

I just read the paper, the School Board Minutes for January 9, 2012.

Some Rather interesting stories in there about our Elk Konnected, LLC & County Commissioner & Head Volleyball Coach.

Quoted from the Minutes in the paper:

"Board Member Hilton had been approached about the liability involved to the district allowing Elk Konnected and other organizations to use of school for activities. Mr. Reese said the insurance covers incidents up to environmental point."

What the heck does that mean, "up to environmental point"?

Are our elected officials suppose to provide insurance for Elk Konnected, LLC and other organizations?

I think the other organization would be ECCEF which is having their fund raiser at the school, right?

Isn't there a relationship between Elk Konnected, LLC and ECCEF?
Yes, isn't that right?
ECCEF accepts donations on behalf of Elk Konnected, LLC, isn't that what Elk Konnected, LLC told us?

Is the School a school for our kids or a community center that takes financial liability responsibility for Elk Konnected, LLC and ECCEF?

Who is going to pay the light bill?
It isn't cheap?

Oh, it's alright all the tax payers in the county can handle this "beggar thy neighbor" attitude.
While the Howard Cox Building sits empty, right?

Quoted from the Minutes in the paper:

"Bellar moved to accept the resignation of Liz Hendricks as West Elk High School Head Volleyball Coach. Hilton seconded and the motion passed. (5-0)"

That's it?
That's all they had to say?
No one said thank you for your years of service?
No one said thanks for teaching our kids sportsmanship?
No one said we will miss you as Head Volleyball Coach?
No one said thank you for your service to our school district?

Even if she was present they could have still have said something nice about her service, couldn't they?
Then it would have been in the Minutes and the newspaper Minutes, right?

Well I'll say it.
Thank you Liz Hendricks for your excellent service to our school district.
Thank you for teaching our children good sportsman ship.
I'll bet all the kids on the volleyball team will miss you.
And good luck in any other endeavors you under take.

[Ross]

Stopping Crony Capitalism

By Paul Jacob

Voters in Wichita, Kansas, went to the polls, Tuesday, to smash a measure that would have forked over $2.25 million in tax rebates to a downtown hotel project. Those supporting the giveaway spent $300,000 to promote the deal, while opponents ponied up a scant $30,000 against it. The vote nevertheless strongly weighed against the big money, 62 to 38 percent.

The Wichita City Council had enacted this "economic development" deal with the hotel developers, and that would have been the end of it ... but for some pesky Wichita taxpayers.


Isn't that what economic development in Elk County is about?
Where and what are the actual jobs for Elk County Citizens?
Why is our Economic Development Employee working in secret with some group or person?
Simply because that group of person is afraid they will fail?
Why not be open with her employers, the taxpayer?
Because someone outside of our government say's she has to keep it secret?

Economic Development appears just to be a tool misused by politicians to fool the taxpayer.

[Diane Amberg]

Ross, I'm really sorry you don't get it. How do you think businesses decide where to expand when they are ready to make a jump into a new market? They investigate the business atmosphere in many areas, see what the tax structure is like, what the current infrastructure, etc. is like,  what generally are the land prices,check out whether there are enough of the kind of employees they would need, etc. Tax relief is often one of the carrots dangled to attract them. We just hooked an Amazon fulfillment center south of here, and yes, the dealings weren't made public until the details were worked out. It's not that they had anything evil to hide, it's just good business practice. For example, if people find out a business rep. is looking, they do sneaky things like raising their land prices or rezoning.
Is  it that you don't think Elk county is worth saving? You don't want it to grow? As I said before, you came with your own income, you could live anywhere.
  How would you encourage new businesses? What would you like to see happen to put Elk County on the map as a business friendly place so venture capitalists of one type or another would take the chance?

[Patriot]

No, Diane, it's you who doesn't get it.....

We have the highest property tax rate in Kansas.  That's due largely to low valuation coupled with special interest expenses.  Given our remote location, logistic/infrastructure issues and severely limited labor force, a tax giveaway program is not going to attract major investors.  What it will do is provide perks to a limited few and rebate monies that represent needed revenues for county operations.  Our problems are management problems, not tax incentive problems. 

What happens in your east coast world of liberal politics is not what happens here.  Your local conditions are not our local conditions.  It's great that you 'snagged' Amazon.  There's been one in these parts for several years.... just not in Elk County, it's near Coffeyville, a town that alone has a population greater than all of Elk county.

Catch a clue... Elk County, Kansas is NOT Joe Biden's precious Delaware.  How about comparing apples to apples in the future.

[Diane Amberg]

I agree it's not the same, but you make it sound like we have some sort of advantage here and you are being sucked down into a big black tar pit.
  As I said to Ross, what would you do to attract something, anything, to stop the downward creep or is it too late and you all  are willing to watch Elk County become a series of little ghost towns?  You talk as if the only thing to be done is run out the people who are trying to grow the area any way they can. It has to be more than just a management problem.The downward slide didn't just start with your current commissioners  Is no government at all the solution? Yes, I do know about your taxes. Remember I did own land there until a few years ago. It's something like 193 mills.
   Why was it necessary to try to be smart with me and write with such a sharp edge? It doesn't make your position any stronger and is very rude.  What in the world does  Biden have to do with anything?  Does that attitude mean you deserve what you are getting?  That's a shame. If all your apples are rotten, there is nothing to compare.
I am genuinely concerned. I have good friends out there...and family in the cemetery. That does give me a claim of sorts as to what is going on.
   So how about saying something positive? Any good comments or praise?

[Patriot]

So how about saying something positive? Any good comments or praise?

Thanks to the uphill efforts of a few, the public is becoming aware and informed of fact.  Knowledge of the root problems is the beginning of the cures, and the voters/taxpayers are becoming informed.  They are seeing beyond the superficial and are not so quick to accept the latest rumor or selectively edited newspaper article as fact.  That's a good thing.