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

[Ross]

A little more on Project 17

A fancy web site, that in my opinion says absolutely nothing about any progress.
Everything in blue is either my remarks, questions and opinions and nothing more. The rest is from their web site.

Their web site is at: http://twsproject17.org/category/news/

The newspaper said 17 COMMUNITIES; the organization says 17 COUNTIES, big difference Mr. Editor.

Seventeen Southeast Kansas Counties will be served through the project – Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Labette, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.

Project 17 was one of 13 national awardees to receive a Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge grant and will receive a $715,000 grant to help revitalize the manufacturing industry in Southeast Kansas to promote economic opportunities.

Project 17 will receive a $215,000 grant from USDA Rural Development and $500,000 from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help promote job creation, accelerate innovation and provide assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses.

The Kansas Entrepreneurial Communities Initiative (KECI), supported by Fort Hays State University through the Kansas Small Business Development Center, is a collaborative partnership of non-profit organizations that are focused on accelerating quality economic development in regions throughout the state. The initiative received a $151,000 RBEG grant to help existing entrepreneurs expand by developing additional markets for selling their products and supporting aging entrepreneurs with transitioning their businesses to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Counties involved in the KECI initiative are: Allen, Anderson, Cheyenne (Bird City), Chautauqua, Dickinson, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Linn, Marion (Hillsboro), Montgomery, Rawlins, Scott, Stafford, Thomas, and Wichita.

The Southeast Kansas Project 17 Initiative is receiving technical assistance from Kansas State University's Advanced Manufacturing Institute, who will be researching niche opportunities for emerging manufacturing opportunities in southeast Kansas. The initiative received a $95,000 RBEG grant to work with a coalition of regional, state and national partners to develop a strategy that leverages advanced manufacturing technologies, the region's assets, idle facilities, technical workforce and educational institutions to coordinate a network-based approach to identify new opportunities for the region's manufacturing sector.

Monthly Archives: March 2013
Project 17 Proposal Summary
By Adam Setter | Published March 11, 2013
This RJIAC Proposal Summary describes the overall aim, goals, and activities of the 17 county regional economic development project in Southeast Kansas known as Project 17.

Just were or what Is the progress?
What has been accomplished?
Where is the growth?
Where are the manufacturing jobs in Elk County? Where is the Elk County Industrial Park?
Who are the people receiving a large income's from all the OPM/Taxpayers dollars?
My bet is they wouldn't work for less than maybe $120.00 an hour, what do you think?
You do notice they never mention where the dollars originate from do they?
Is the money originating from State Income Tax?
Is the money originating from Federal Income Tax?
Is the money originating from Stimulus Money (which is yet another form of taxation?

Partners
By Adam Setter | Published January 10, 2013
SEK,Inc
SEKRPC-SoutheastKansasRegionalPlanningCommission
SoutheastKansasProsperityFoundation
KansasLeadershipCenter\(KLC)
AdvancedManufacturingInstitute(AMI)
USDA-RuralDevelopment
U.S.EconomicDevelopmentAdministration(EDA)
KansasEntrepreneurialCommunityInitiatives(KECI)
KansasDepartmentofCommerce
GreatPlainsDevelopmentAuthority
ThriveAllenCounty
CityofPittsburgEconomicDevelopment
PittsburgChamberofCommerce
CityofParsonsEconomicDevelopment
MiamiCountyEconomicDevelopment
CoffeyvilleChamberofCommerce
FranklinCountyEconomicDevelopment
CityofFortScott
City of Chanute Economic Development

There just doesn't appear to be anything coming out of this for anybody, especially the unemployed or underemployed, does there?
So how long do they continue to suckle at the teat?
How many more NGO's across the country are doing the same thing?
How long can the taxpayer afford all of this before a major financial collapse occurs because of it?
How much money can they spend and not accomplish anything?
What in the world is really going on?

It reminds me of the story I read today about a lady stealing $3 million from her employer the IRS and getting away with it, until she bragged about it on her Facebook page. Now she is doing 21 years in the lock up.  Who was asleep at the wheel?
Oh wait a minute, they don't micro-manage do they?

How long do we stay asleep at the wheel?

Oh it's just money they would be wasted somewhere else, so it's okay, right?

[Ross]

Something to think about, that's all, nothing more.

It's just taxpayers money, right?

Why can't they operate like any other business? Oh other business operate on taxpayer dollars too, don't they, while making millions in profit from the consumer/taxpayer, right?

Don't donors care about keeping the University running smoothly with their tax deductible donations?
Don't those same donors care about education or is it just about sports and new score boards?
How lame and selfish is that?

In my personal opinion if  the University had any morale's and back bone, I'd think they would say donate and help, but let us use the money where needed or keep your tax deductible dollar and pay tax on it and you can't have our recognition for that donation.

Don't we have some of the same attitude going on right here in Elk County?
Tax, tax, tax the taxpayer!!!
Build, build more buildings when they have a building designed to hold 600 children and only have 300 children.
Build  community STORM SHELTER on school grounds for Howard when Howard has churches and buildings that are already in use as storm shelters in the community and not outside of the city limits. Where is the sense? Where is the critical thinking.

What part does Elk Konnected, LLC and the "old Guard play in all this?

They close grade schools and force children into portable trailers and throw away $19,000 dollars on a contractor for what?
I guess for the purpose of unity within the school board, what do you think?

Did you know the School Board can raise you property taxes 4 mil without asking you, without a vote.

Isn't it I want, I want, I want, but I want to use your money?
What ever happened to need vs. want?

Read the article below:

University fundraising outpaces Kansas budget cuts

By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog

OSAWATOMIE — Since the end of the Kansas legislative session nearly two months ago, much has been said on both sides about the state's reduction in spending at higher education institutions, chief among them being the University of Kansas.

But amid an atmosphere of austerity wherein KU stands to lose $13.5 million in state funds over the next two years, little has been said about the fact that the university's endowment raised 3,100 percent more than that amount in the last three years alone.

And they won an award for it, too.

Standing next to the $432 million the Kansas University Endowment Association has received in donations since 2010, cuts implemented by state lawmakers seem like small potatoes. Yet because of those rollbacks, university officials have said the institution will need to reduce staff and increase tuition – even decrease the number of students admitted to some programs at KU Medical Center.

But Jack Martin, KU's director of strategic communications, said it's not a simple matter of replacing state dollars with private donations. For one, he said, private monies usually come with strings attached.

Funds are often earmarked for a specific purpose, such as replacing athletic equipment or establishing a scholarship fund. In long-term cases the money is invested, and the university uses the resulting interest to fund a given initiative.

Be that as it may, KU still has a thriving endowment operation, and they've got the money and awards to prove it. So why not solicit university benefactors to make up the shortfall in state funding rather than pass the cost – and the cuts – on to students and staff?

Martin says donors want to pay for progress, not upkeep. In other words, it's sexier to sponsor a new scholarship or a scoreboard than to make sure the university's heating and cooling units are up to snuff.

"It's not the case where many donors are going to give to keep the lights on or pave the street. They want to give for scholarships or pay for research projects. It's not the case where they can take donations and replace state funding of the basic operation of the university," Martin said. "I think that's a tough sell. What donors are looking for is to improve the university, not just help it stand still and make up for state cuts."

According to the KU Endowment's 2011 form 990 (the most recent available), the non-profit maintains assets in excess of $1.44 billion, with just over $106 million in liabilities.

Contact Travis Perry at travis@kansaswatchdog.org, or follow him on Twitter at @muckraker62. Like Watchdog.org? Click HERE to get breaking news alerts in YOUR state!

 
Please, feel free to "steal our stuff"! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org.
http://watchdog.org/97182/kansas-budget-cuts-pale-in-comparison-to-university-fundraising/

[Ross]

Todays Newspaper Front Page

Busy Bee to Host open house

At the FORMER SCHOOL in MOLINE.

Tuesday, July 30.
4:30 to 6:30 PM.
Currently accepting applications for new children, it says.
How's this for some free advertisement for them?

No mention of any Konnection, I wonder why?

What has happened to Elk Konnected, LLC anyway?
We never read about them any longer?
Will they be providing an inflatable wet slipper slide or a mechanical bull ride at the Longton Free Fair this year?
Will they be involved in the community?

I can hardly wait to find out.

[Ross]

I wanted to make sure everyone got to see this compliment I just received on another thread so I'm moving it over here along with my response.

You are the DISKONNECTED one, most people I talk to refer to you as Elk DisKonnected. The Forum went downhill when you and Patriot came on.

My response:

I don't know what brought that on from you, but thanks.

What a great compliment it is to be called DisKonnected, I sincerely appreciate that, thank you.

Just what does it mean to you to be Konnected? Konnected to what?
Or are you ashamed to say?

It seems to me that anything Konnected with Konnected has failed.
That is why I accept your compliment of being DisKonnected

Most people you talk two would be who? A couple of your relatives that are perhaps Konnected to the failures?
Who?

Tell them, I said thanks for the compliment and you have a great day, okay.

Sincerely,
DisKonnected Ross

Oh by the way Oldtimer what have you added to the forum?

[Ross]

Well Oldtimer, we are all waiting to hear your response to the questions,

"Just what does it mean to you to be Konnected? Konnected to what?"
  "Or are you ashamed to say?"

Are you left speechless?

Are the questions too hard to answer?
Do they leave your thinking discombuberated?

Let us hear from you with some honesty and no bullying, please?

[Ross]

Oldtimer or  Frank haven't you got anything good to say about being konnected?
Seriously we would like to hear it!
What are the benefits?

[Marcia Moore]

Damn!  This is getting old!  Teresa and/or Kjell, where are you?

[Bullwinkle]

     Well , it seems to be a way of landing a job without having to compete for it.  At least I never saw the job in the city office advertised to the general public. Maybe I missed that notification.

[Bullwinkle]

       Yes , Marcia, it is getting old. And that is what those who want to run things with impunity want. That is what has brought about the apathy those vultures rely on. We have good public servants, some though, are in it for themselves. Same all over the world.

      Ross only provides factual information, if you think not , dispute it. Many people here that don't belong to the chosen, want to know what goes on when nobody is watching.

[Ross]

Bullwinkle they just want to shut up anyone that asks legitimate questions.

They are fearful of being exposed or something, IDK.

No honest answers just shut up, that's all ?

Marcia can you tell us anything at all, perhaps answer what was asked of Oldtimer?

Am I right tis better to be disKonnected as Oldtimer said I am?

And if not why?

Thank you!