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Patrick Tuohey

@patricktuohey.bsky.social
148 followers 89 following 131 posts

Dir of Policy Better Cities Project; Sr fellow Show-Me Institute; Columnist Missouri Independent; Regular contributor to The Kansas City Star and The Hill Born in DC, raised in NC, BA from BC, lives in KC

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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Once again, a downtown hotel is receiving public subsidies. And once again, we're being told the results will be fantastic! missouriindependent.com/2026/09/23/t...
missouriindependent.com
The Muehlebach in Kansas City keeps coming back for taxpayer subsidies • Missouri Independent
Kansas City’s Muehlebach Hotel hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. Harry Truman ran much of his political operation from the penthouse suite. It’s where he signed the Trum...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Once again, a downtown hotel is receiving public subsidies. And once again, we're being told the results will be fantastic! missouriindependent.com/2026/09/23/t...
missouriindependent.com
The Muehlebach in Kansas City keeps coming back for taxpayer subsidies • Missouri Independent
Kansas City’s Muehlebach Hotel hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. Harry Truman ran much of his political operation from the penthouse suite. It’s where he signed the Trum...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Kansas City’s $352 million streetcar extension opened years late and cost 55% more than voters were originally told. Yet officials called it “on time and under budget”—and local media let them. www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
kansascity.com
No, KC Streetcar extension was not on time and under budget | Opinion
Former City Manager Brian Platt claimed these projects cost $150 million a mile. That’s wrong, and he should have gotten pushback. | Opinion
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
better-cities.org/clean-open-f...
better-cities.org
When Government Reports Become the Problem - Better Cities Project
States have accumulated more than 47,000 reporting requirements, many of which go unread or unfiled. New research offers a better approach to government transparency.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
better-cities.org/clean-open-f...
better-cities.org
When Government Reports Become the Problem - Better Cities Project
States have accumulated more than 47,000 reporting requirements, many of which go unread or unfiled. New research offers a better approach to government transparency.
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 18/08/2026
This is deeply irresponsible. Government representatives supporting this plan and the rushed process are abandoning their responsibility to their constituents. There is no reasonable policy case for this. None.
kansascity.com
Kansas City advances $600 million funding plan for new Royals stadium in major step
The move sets the stage for the City Council to give final approval for the city’s funding commitment later this week.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
#Datacenters in Quincy, Washington and Loudoun County, Virginia have funded major public investments and cut property taxes — but Kansas City's heavily subsidized deal with Meta and Google shows the model only works when cities don't pay for the privilege. better-cities.org/economic-pro...
better-cities.org
Data Centers Can Fund a City's Future — But Only If Cities Don't Pay for Them Twice - Better Cities Project
Data centers in Quincy, Washington and Loudoun County, Virginia have funded major public investments and cut property taxes — but Kansas City's heavily subsidized deal with Meta and Google shows the m...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Narrator: It was too much to expect.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
London’s #housing crisis is a warning about the power to say no better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
London’s housing crisis is a warning about the power to say no - Better Cities Project
London’s housing crisis shows that zoning is only one barrier to new homes. Discretionary review and repeated veto points can recreate the same housing scarcity even without conventional American zoni...
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 28/07/2026
All public stadium projects should be considered directly by voters. There is no legitimate excuse for not doing so.
royalsreview.com
The public should get a say in the new Royals stadium
In the words of Missouri Worker’s Power: Public need before corporate greed
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Everyone, stop what you're doing and read David Hudnall's scathing piece on Jackson County, Missouri legislator Manny Abarca. It's a banger! www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
#KansasCity has overcome disparities in contacting with minorities and women. That should be good news, right? Right? showmeinstitute.org/article/stat...
showmeinstitute.org
Show-Me Institute Shines Light on Kansas City’s Discrimination Policies
Missouri Attorney General sues KC for violating anti-discrimination laws.
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 18/07/2026
Good summary of KC's World Cup experience from Dave Helling.
open.substack.com
Kansas City's $250 million World Cup comes to an end
Public spending over four years appears to have reached nearly $230 million; when private spending is added, the three-week party likely cost in excess of a quarter of a billion dollars.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
"Despite all this, Bough still claims to not have what she needs to make an educated decision. Yet she makes those decisions anyway." missouriindependent.com/2026/07/15/k...
missouriindependent.com
Kansas City keeps approving subsidies without knowing whether they work • Missouri Independent
Kansas City keeps approving major development subsidies even as a top councilmember says the city lacks enough information to know whether they work.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
No, #KansasCity Cannot Rush #Royals Financing to Beat a Petition Vote showmeinstitute.org/article/corp...
showmeinstitute.org
No, Kansas City Cannot Rush Royals Financing to Beat a Petition Vote
Kansas City Mayor Lucas told KCMO Talk Radio on Thursday morning that, basically, the city is going to ignore the petitions submitted with 4,500 signatures to the city clerk requiring […]
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
missouriindependent.com/2026/06/12/p...
missouriindependent.com
PortKC’s oversight failures are now Missouri lawmakers’ problem • Missouri Independent
In June 2025, I wrote that PortKC, Kansas City’s ubiquitous subsidy-granting agency, was too powerful, too poorly run, and subject to too little oversight. Evidence from the past year has only strengt...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I feel like the answer to the question, "are regional leaders leveling with us?" is always no, regardless of the time or the region or the circumstance.
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 21/05/2026
Reminder
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
thehill.com/opinion/fina...
thehill.com
Zoned out: How today’s homeowners make housing unaffordable for everyone else
Policymakers have unintentionally built a system in which the voices most opposed to new housing have an effective veto. But that veto is based on fears both unsupported and unsupportable.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
"Missouri and its legislators should be proud of what was accomplished in 2012 and 2018, and we should be eager to support those same reforms at the federal level." missouriindependent.com/2026/04/22/o...
missouriindependent.com
On sentencing reform, Missouri can be the Show-Them State • Missouri Independent
Missouri’s moniker as the Show-Me State is said to originate from a Congressman who said that his midwestern roots preferred evidence over eloquence. “I am from Missouri,” he is purported to have said...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
When housing costs push residents out, cities should pay attention - Better Cities Project
New research shows that when housing costs rise too high, residents leave—and often become homeowners elsewhere—offering a clear lesson for city housing policy.
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 15/04/2026
STOP IT! The County contribution for Truist Park was NOT paid for by taxes generated from The Battery development (some of the funding comes from a ~7 sq-mile area that includes the stadium), and the allocation was absolutely not recouped. Cobb runs a $15 million annual deficit.
It’s not final, of course. There’s still the not-so-small matter of paying for the stadium.

The Rays have proposed paying $1.235 billion themselves, which is roughly 55% of the stadium’s $2.3 billion expected cost. And getting the county to contribute $750 million and the city to chip in $251 million — with the expectation that those monies will eventually be recouped in taxes generated from the development, much like the Battery in Atlanta — is far from guaranteed.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
#KansasCity Earnings Tax Defenders Unable to Defend Earnings Tax showmeinstitute.org/article/taxe...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
New York City’s quiet shift away from the neighborhood veto - Better Cities Project
New York City voters approved ballot measures that limit local veto power over housing, offering a model for preserving community input while enabling more development.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Weird endorsement in #KansasCity #KCMO earnings tax campaign
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 25/03/2026
Once again, it turns out that a "privately funded" sports venue project is getting a public subsidy, and it's poised to get more.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
#KansasCity earnings tax is a regressive giveaway to big corporations www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...
kansascity.com
Kansas City’s earnings tax is a regressive giveaway to big corporations | Opinion
Because it isn’t charged on investment income, the burden falls most on wage earners, not wealthy businesses seeking tax incentives. | Opinion
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 12/03/2026
Your reminder: the people we elect to protect our interests are in on the stadium scam. These jock sniffers will give sports team owners pretty much anything they ask for if it means they might watch a game from the owners box, mingle with star athletes, or even get a free jersey.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
#Kansas legislators bow before their new master showmeinstitute.org/article/corp... #ksleg #stadium
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
My piece on crime and deterrence in the @missouriindependent.com missouriindependent.com/2026/03/11/i...
missouriindependent.com
In Missouri crime debate, certainty of punishment matters more than severity • Missouri Independent
Recent murders in Kansas City and St. Louis — one at a nightclub, the other at a coffeeshop — have people asking why the assailants, both with histories of violent crime, were out on the streets in th...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
better-cities.org/community-gr... #housing #zoning
better-cities.org
Illinois tests the limits of local zoning control - Better Cities Project
Illinois’ proposed statewide zoning reform highlights the growing tension between state housing mandates and local land-use authority, offering lessons for municipal leaders nationwide.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
better-cities.org/community-gr... #housing
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
#housing
better-cities.org
Portfolio homes show how pre-approved designs can scale - Better Cities Project
Pre-approved housing design programs remain rare but are gaining traction. Overland Park’s Portfolio Homes initiative shows how cities can use them to reduce delays and lower costs without sweeping ma...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
better-cities.org
The stadium subsidy debate is over and economists have moved on - Better Cities Project
Economists largely agree stadium subsidies fail as public investments. Cities should treat new venues as amenities, not growth strategies, and shift the burden of proof to subsidy proponents.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Before the current wave of criticism, I warned in the KCStar that PortKC’s governance and subsidy model deserved far more scrutiny. The issues haven’t gone away, in fact they've gotten worse. #kcmo www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...
kansascity.com
Port KC has too much power, too little oversight from Kansas City | Opinion
As the port authority’s role in the city’s economic development has grown, so have the risks — financial, operational and political. | Opinion
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
"True stadium deals have never been tried."
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
#Kansas
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 01/02/2026
We've reached the point in the process when the political players backing the stadium proposal fully realize that they didn't do their due diligence on the plan that sounded so good over cocktails in the owners box. They can't admit they were duped, so it's full steam ahead.
kmbc.com
Wyandotte County to hold public hearing on STAR bond financing for proposed Chiefs stadium
Like their counterparts in Olathe, county leaders in Wyandotte County will consider whether to commit future tax revenue for a potential Chiefs stadium on the Kansas side.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...
kansascity.com
Could the World Cup really bring a touted $653 million to KC? Be skeptical | Opinion
One figure promising hundreds of millions of dollars came from an organization whose only purpose is providing flattering numbers to its members. | Opinion
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
"We'll erect a multitude of regulations and swarms of officers to harass our people and drive up the cost of #housing. Then we'll redirect taxpayer money to offset those costs." "Why not just roll back the regulations, sir?" "Nobody knows."
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
Brett Hamil @bretthamil.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Restrictive lot size rules tend to benefit incumbent homeowners while excluding lower-income families and newcomers. #housing better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
Why minimum lot size reform should be on every city’s housing agenda - Better Cities Project
Minimum lot size requirements restrict housing supply and drive up costs. Reforming them is a low-cost, high-impact step cities can take right now.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
better-cities.org/transportati...
better-cities.org
New York’s toll zone cut pollution sharply — here’s what cities should know - Better Cities Project
A new Cornell-led study finds that New York City’s congestion tolling reduced PM₂.₅ pollution 22 percent inside the toll zone—adding new evidence for U.S. cities considering road pricing.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Cities can fast-track infill #housing with pre-approved plans—and they should better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
Cities can fast-track infill housing with pre-approved plans—and they should - Better Cities Project
Pre-approved housing plans can reduce delays, lower costs, and accelerate infill development without subsidies or new mandates.
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
"Big events like the World Cup often amount to a city throwing itself a party. Because such ventures fall outside core functions, officials embrace any claim that prestige and tourism dollars will trickle down to basic services. Too often, they don’t." thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
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Reposted by Patrick Tuohey
Tim Bartik @timbartik.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Useful article by @patricktuohey.bsky.social at @thehill.com regarding Tulsa Remote, in part drawing on my research on Tulsa Remote. thehill.com/opinion/fina.... As article says, part of reason why Tulsa Remote can have success is that it is cheaper per job induced than typical business incentives.
thehill.com
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
An excellent conversation on #housing and #zoning podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
podcasts.apple.com
A Conversation with Nolan Gray
Podcast Episode · The Messy City Podcast · 09/09/2025 · 57m
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
better-cities.org/community-gr...
better-cities.org
How cities can make manufactured housing safer - Better Cities Project
Many mobile homes are vulnerable to floods, fires, and high winds. Municipal policy reforms in zoning, building standards, and retrofitting can make manufactured housing safer without sacrificing affo...
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Patrick Tuohey @patricktuohey.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
What other cities can learn from Kansas City’s failed progressive experiments  thehill.com/opinion/cong...
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