“The People Took on the Billionaires, The People Won”: Kansas City Rejects Billionaire Stadium Tax in Historic Victory

Visual depiction of what a downtown stadium would have looked like. Photo from the KC Royals KANSAS CITY, MO – In a historic victory and demonstration of collective power, the citizens of Kansas City have rejected a proposal that threatened to exploit the everyday people of Kansas City in favor of billionaires and corporate greed.  The final count revealed a resounding victory for the opposition to the proposed stadium tax, with 30,791 votes cast against the measure and 22,399 in favor within Kansas City itself. The broader Jackson County mirrored this sentiment, with 38,862 votes for ‘No’ against 28,282 for ‘Yes’, based on reports from 81 percent of precincts. “The largest transfer of public funds to private enterprises in our region’s history, $2 billion over 40 years. The people took on the billionaires,” @KCTenants wrote in a victory tweet. “The people won. Nothing is inevitable if we organize.” The aftermath of Kansas City’s resolute “no” to the billionaire-backed stadium tax proposal has prompted reactions from figures like Royals owner John Sherman and Mayor Quinton Lucas, who stand on the less celebrated side of this democratic victory. John Sherman’s response, “We respect the voters of Jackson County and the Democratic process....