(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Itzl Alert Network: Tuesday, 4th of June, 2024: Building More Sidewalks [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-03 I have had this on my mind, the need for more sidewalks in my neighborhood, I have had this on my mind for months. Let’s get into it: As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at, to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off Daily Kos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on Daily Kos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care! IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news! This is our current schedule of regular IAN diary writers: Monday: Youffraita Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac Wednesday: Pam from Calif Thursday: art ah zen Friday: FloridaSNMOM Saturday: FloridaSNDad Sunday: loggersbrat The little dog is named Itzl. Okay, let us start with the ADA: en.wikipedia.org/… In case you are not aware, any and all concrete that is laid, whether streets or curbs or sidewalks, are stamped with the date they were poured. (Just the year.) The street where I live, here in Wichita, Kansas, just one block of it, was poured in May of 2021. When Tonia and I moved in here, in August of 2021, we noticed that date, meaning the street was less than a year old. (Just yesterday, chatting with a neighbor, I found out it was poured in May.) In contrast to that new block, as I take my walks, I have seen dates from before I was born, in many stretches of sidewalks. 1952 1953 (I was born in 1955.) However, when I look at any of the wheelchair ramps leading from the sidewalk to the street level, the dates are always after 1990. After George Herbert Walker Bush signed the ADA into law. (My last name is Herbert, so I like to spell out all four of the man’s names.) However, as I take my walks, nearly every day, I can see that most of the less busy side streets simply have no sidewalks. No wheelchair ramps, no sidewalks. Just grass. So, I end up walking in the street. I stay to my left, facing traffic. I wear a reflective vest I bought at Walmart dot com. I wear white overalls with reflective stripes added to the ankles. I am agile enough that I can step up into the grass if a car is going past me, especially if parked cars make the roadway narrow for the driver. But my life would be noticeably better if every street simply had sidewalks on both sides of that street. A month or so ago, I saw a little girl, who looked to be about 4 years old, walking barefoot down the middle of a nearby street, dragging a red wagon behind her, with her little brother in the wagon. He looked to be about 2 years old. I escorted them to their destination, which was the nearby store, where their older sister and brother were shopping. Two factors put those children in danger: 1. Whoever was supposed to be in charge of that family, made the big mistake of leaving those two small children home unattended. 2. There are no sidewalks on either side of their street where they live. So, seems to me, less danger for old men, and less danger for young children, if we had sidewalks on every street in my area of Wichita, Kansas. I have been daydreaming for months about this need for more sidewalks, and how I might contact someone, and asking myself who I should contact, and how would they get the sidewalks built. George Herbert Walker Bush died in 2018, so I cannot contact him. But what about George Walker Bush? He is still alive. I recall, back in the early part of this century, that sometimes George Herbert Walker Bush would work with Bill Clinton, on some project or another. en.wikipedia.org/... In his retirement, Bush used the public spotlight to support various charities.[296] Despite earlier political differences with Bill Clinton, the two former presidents eventually became friends.[297] They appeared together in television ads, encouraging aid for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.[298 Okay, those two former Presidents, Bill Clinton and George Walker Bush, are the same age. They are both 77 years old. They are both still alive. And with that history of Bill Clinton working with George Herbert Walker Bush to help those in need, it seems to me that George Walker Bush might be willing to work with Bill Clinton, to carry on the ways of his father. Especially with regard to the ADA, which was signed by his father, and upgraded during his administration. So. Maybe I should contact those two former Presidents! (Not saying I actually will do so.) (I am just some guy writing at a political blog.) (We will see if I do anything more.) Now for the nuts and bolts: How do we pay for the sidewalks? en.wikipedia.org/… The United States federal excise tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.[1][2] Proceeds from the tax partly support the Highway Trust Fund. The federal tax was last raised on October 1, 1993, and is not indexed to inflation, which increased 111% from Oct. 1993 until Dec. 2023. On average, as of April 2019, state and local taxes and fees add 34.24 cents to gasoline and 35.89 cents to diesel, for a total US volume-weighted average fuel tax of 52.64 cents per gallon for gas and 60.29 cents per gallon for diesel.[3] Each of the states adds more tax to the fuel. Here in Kansas, we add a state tax of 24.03 cents tax per gallon of gasoline to the federal 18.4 cents tax, for a total of 42.43 cents per gallon in taxes on Gasoline. The numbers for diesel fuel are 26.03 state tax added to the federal tax of 24.4, adding up to 50.43 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. Okay. If I understand correctly, that money is to repair and replace streets, roads, highways, and bridges. So, we can use some of that money for sidewalks. I am willing to pay a little bit more money to fill the tank on my sister-in-law’s minivan, if both the federal and state governments would raise those taxes, maybe just a penny each, and use the extra money for sidewalks. If I pay 45 cents a gallon in taxes, two cents more than I pay now, then I would pay, to fill her 16-gallon tank, 16 times 2 cents more. 32 cents more I would pay. I would love to pay 32 cents to build sidewalks in my neighborhood. A homeowner recently told me that her home is all paid for, but she still has to pay well over $1,000 per year in property tax. (Of course you pay property tax!) What if we raise the property tax here in Wichita, Kansas, by just 5 or ten dollars. That could mean that my rent would go up, since part of my rent, I presume, pays the property tax on this apartment complex. I am willing to pay $5 more each month, if the money goes to build sidewalks. This complex is 100 units, so that would be $500 per month, times 12, is $6,000 per year that the owners would get, to pay any extra property tax. That should help build the new sidewalks. Here in downtown Wichita, Kansas, we have a big arena, called The Intrust Bank Arena. It was paid for by a city sales tax, years ago. So, we here in Wichita could have a city sales tax to pay for sidewalks. www.ksrevenue.gov/… LOCAL SALES TAX In addition to the state sales tax, counties and cities in Kansas have the option of imposing a local sales tax. Before imposing a local sales tax, the governing body of the city or county must receive the approval of a majority of its voters. Cities may levy a local sales tax in five-hundredth percent increments (0.05%). Counties may levy a local sales tax in one-fourth percent increments (0.25%, 0.50%, etc.). Cities are authorized to impose a maximum sales tax rate of 3% (2% general and 1% special). Counties are authorized to impose a maximum 1% general sales tax rate. Legislative action is required for more than 1%. So, we can levy a 1% sales tax, and use the money to build sidewalks. Sidewalks are more important than a big downtown arena. Seems to me. Once again, any time I buy anything at the nearby store, I would pay a little bit more in sales tax. I am willing to pay that, to get my sidewalks. So, let’s review our tax options: Federal tax on fuel. State tax on fuel. Property tax. Sales tax. And we could get the following folks to come to Wichita, Kansas, to promote these taxes, and promote these sidewalks: George Walker Bush. Bill Clinton. Pete Buttigieg. Ha! Infrastructure! The Francis Scott Key Bridge is not the only infrastructure project we need to work on. Anyway. Hugs to all of you, my Itzl friends. Hugs. 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