Voters have approved seven special revenue sales taxes for things like transit, public safety and infrastructure. But taxes collected on online purchases from out-of-state retailers bypass those uses in the city budget.
Thomas White
Thomas White covers workforce and economic impact for The Beacon, reporting on policies, programs, and systems that help or hinder everyday people's pursuit of the American Dream. White is an emerging reporter with previous experience at The Community Voice and The Pitch Magazine. The KC-area native spent over a decade in hospitality before earning his journalism degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City as a first-generation college graduate from a working-class family.
Posted inHousing
Working homelessness: When ‘getting a job’ isn’t enough in KC
Increasing numbers of sheltered families have jobs while a growing population is caught in the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing. It’s a formula for rising homelessness.
Posted inEconomics
Proposed Wyandotte data centers require a lot of power: Will that increase your bill?
Data centers could triple Wyandotte County’s power demand. BPU says it can serve data centers without higher utility bills for other ratepayers, but that hasn’t been the case in other markets.
Posted inHousing
Boarded buildings, displaced families: KC’s Olive Park Village residents forced out
Olive Park Village residents confront displacement as Kansas City cracks down on federally debarred Millennia Housing Management over deteriorating conditions.
Posted inEconomics
Port KC punts Country Club Plaza tax break vote to 2026 after fierce pushback
The Port Authority of Kansas City backed off Monday from a vote on a sweeping tax incentive package for developers of the Country Club Plaza. Port KC’s special virtual meeting was attended by about 160 participants but was delayed for more than 17 minutes by a remote hack. The hack set a tone for a […]
Posted inEconomics
Canary in the corner booth: What restaurant closures reveal about the KC economy
Some legacy restaurants close ahead of World Cup opportunity while others report strong sales. Who can afford a night out reveals a split economy.
Posted inEconomics
‘We can’t keep food on the shelf’: KC food pantries struggle to keep up ahead of holidays
The November SNAP disruption sent families to Kansas City food pantries in droves. Now, with supply low and demand high, uncertainty looms over hunger relief.
Posted inEconomics
Close to the bone: KC’s workers struggle with inflation amid affordability crisis
While workers produce more than ever, rising costs for food, housing, child care, and health care outpace wage growth, forcing Kansas City families into tough choices.
Posted inEconomics
AI disruption is here: Kansas City workers navigate new reality
New data center jobs pay $23/hour, but 40,000 workers face automation risk from AI. Local leaders ponder AI jobs transition ahead.
Posted inEconomics
Across state line and following historic redlines: Kansas City food deserts expand as grocery stores close
Residents deal with mile-long walks, corner store diets and poorer health as grocers are forced to close unprofitable locations on both sides of the state line.