Government Stories

gig economy

Etsy exec: Tax reform leaves out entrepreneurs of the gig economy

Editor’s note: Althea Erickson, head of advocacy and impact at Etsy, wrote this opinion piece in response to tax reform bills being considered in the U.S. House and Senate. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. For all the talk of tax reform that’s swirling around Washington, D.C., there’s one group that’s…

Pioneering KCI airport vote should help land top talent, startup leaders say

Capping a six-year journey fraught with turbulence, delays and political drama, voters overwhelmingly ratified plans to build a new $1.3 billion airport terminal, which would replace the existing Kansas City International Airport (KCI). “Kansas City has never been about being just mediocre,” said Michael Wilson, founder of luxury watch brand Niall and a frequent traveler…

Confused about Tuesday’s KCI airport vote? Here’s the breakdown

Update: The votes are in! And turnout was high for a mid-term election! Check out Startland’s coverage of Tuesday’s KCI airport vote by clicking here.  After more than five years of deal-making and debate, the time has come for Kansas City, Missouri, voters to decide the fate of the city’s current 45-year-old airport. On the…

Amazon HQ2 New Century Gardner

Primed for HQ2? Gardner area was made for Amazon, Kansas legislator says

Plans for bringing Amazon’s HQ2 to Southwestern Johnson County were laid in the 1800s, Bill Sutton said. “As soon as the (Santa Fe, Oregon, and California) trails divided here, all of this was in the cards,” said Sutton, a Kansas state representative whose district encompasses Gardner and Edgerton. “If the trails divided here, then guess…

Olathe mayor touts startup community in pitch for Amazon HQ2

With a workforce rich in entrepreneurial spirit, Amazon would be wise to tap Kansas City for its second headquarters, Michael Copeland said. “The climate has cultivated world-class start-up businesses and nurtured corporate giants, and it’s been a source of support and stability for everything in between,” said Copeland, mayor of Olathe. “It fosters risk-taking and…