Showing posts with label KCUR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KCUR. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2021
The Kansas Legislature is Broken
What you don't and won't hear from more mainstream media in the area like the Kansas City Star, KCUR, KCPT or certainly not from the local TV news stations.
This is from Davis Hammet @Davis_Hammet of the organization Loud Light today including the headline above:
--Legislators are hiding who actually wrote bills.
--Public hearings are being scheduled with less than 24 hrs notice or entirely skipped.
--The day waiting period between debate and the final vote is constantly being suspended.
#ksleg
Monday, March 15, 2021
Kansans! Do You Know What Your (Republican) Representatives Did Last Week in Topeka?
Seriously, Kansans, do you know what your state government representatives did last week in Topeka? Especially the Republican Party Represntatives? Davis Hammet, once again, gives an exellent, factual recap of just what went on over there.
I personally cannot recommend enough that Kansns at least follow Mr. Hammet and his organization, Loud Light, if not also support him and the group (please). He's doing great work and giving great information on Kansas Statehouse business that literally no other source is, Kansas City Star and all local TV news stations combined and included. If you could and would support him, howver large or small, it would be money extremely well spent, I assure you.He gives these excellent, concise summaries weekly, as this suggests. For me, it's a "don't miss" video each week---and I don't eeen live in the state. Now if Steve Kraske at KCUR would have him on his program and Nick Haines at KCPT on his. If only.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Claire McCaskill Asks a Great Question This Morning
Yes, now former Senator Claire McCaskill asks an excellent question and makes a great challenge to local, regional and state media.
Claire McCaskill @clairecmc
"Let me say it again. 24 MASS VACCINATION SITES OVER THE NEXT WEEK. ONLY 1!!!! in Jackson County, St Louis County, St Louis City and Boone County. COMBINED! This is a scandal. Where are our journalists? Where are our elected officials?
@GovParsonMO"
This was her response to this post on Twitter.
Mo Health & Sr Srvcs @HealthyLivingMo
· Feb 23
Mass vaccination events for this week have been announced.
Find more at: https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/events/
#MOStopsCOVID | #ShowMeStrong
Again, excellent question.
We, here in Jackson County, Kansas City, only just came off Phase 1B, tier 1 in the last few days for these vaccinations which are for 1st responders, emergency services and public heath infastructure citizens only. Now, we're finally but only on high risk individuals 18-64 and individuals, citizens 65 and over. We only just got there very recently, in the last few days.
So... Local news stations? KCPT? KCUR? KCTV5? KMBC? WDAF? Fox 4? We have a story for you. And we need to hear about this and badly.For that matter, Governor Parson? Do you have answers for us? Information? Solutions? Any good news? Anything encouraging?
Friday, November 6, 2020
Kansas City Needs a Philanthropist Savior Just Now
I've been thinking of this for the last week since I heard this report.
Pandemic prompts Nelson-Atkins Museum layoffs
From the article.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art plans to lay off 36 employees because of fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The museum announced the layoffs in a Wednesday news release. It also said it planned to cut its budget by 25% to about $26 million, KCUR reports.
“Today’s decision comes after analyzing, trying to fundraise,” CEO and Director Julián Zugazagoitia told KCUR, “and also seeing that this pandemic is going to be lasting for many, many months to come.”
So that, last week, led to this, now.
In 2005, Keith Davis brought the Hallmark Photographic Collection to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and founded the museum's photography department. Now, he's leaving after another curator lost her job.Last month, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announced it was cutting its budget by 25 percent and laying off 36 staffers to cope with financial challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"It does cut across all (of) the museum," said CEO and director Julián Zugazagoitia at the time, and suggested that "recalibrating and restructuring" was ahead.
National arts writer Tyler Green reported on Wednesday that the departures include two of three curators in the museum's photography department. These curators oversaw the internationally recognized Hallmark Photographic Collection with works from 1839 to the present.
According to Green, an author, critic and host of The Modern Art Notes Podcast, senior curator Keith Davis resigned in protest of the termination of curator Jane L. Aspinwall.
So this is where it made me think that we need one of our local, very wealthy philanthropist families, or someone, anyone, to come up with--who knows how much? a million?--or whatever and make yet another donation to the Nelson-Atkins so they can stay afloat. Not only stay afloat but keep it's national standing and it's fantastic exhibits all going.
Blochs? Kempers? Halls? Someone? Anyone? Maybe get together and make a donation together? Please?
Because we'll beg.
Honestly we will.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Hoping All Kansans Watch This Video
There is a young man, one Davis Hammet, who moved to, of all places, Kansas, from Florida. He's a bit of an activist and by "a bit", I mean a full-on, nearly fire breathing activist, at that.
He started a group on Facebook called "Loud Light." He's doing fantastic work, following the Kansas State legislators and what, exactly they do and what they work on.
He's pretty incredible. I've written about him out here before.
And the thing is, all he's doing is educating Kansans.
He's not doing threatening protests or, God forbid, threatening anyone, nothing like that. He's simply trying to make his now fellow Kansans aware of what's going on in Topeka at the Capitol.
He makes videos detailing the week by week work at the Capitol then puts it on YouTube and again, Facebook. I've personally followed him to learn what's going on there and then, this week, he released a really excellent piece on the overall Kansas State budget, what's been going on with it at least through the Brownback years and what's taking place now. It's excellent. You'll find it here.
I've said before, Missouri and each and every state, really, needs someone doing this very work. Heck, I live in Missouri and I'm following this guy. It's very simple, complete, excellent, informative work about what state legislators are doing in their state capitol. The local evening news isn't this informative, helpful or downright important. He puts local news reporters to shame, honestly and literally. (Hear that, Fox4? WDAF? KCTV5? KCPT? KCUR? Kansas City Star?).
It is, as I wrote in the title, my hope that all or at least nearly all adult, voting age Kansans watch this video. They all need to know what has taken place, what's happening now and where that puts them and their state's budget.
Link:
Loud Light
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Another Plea to All Local Media--On This Mayoral Race
The election for a new one, after Sly James terms, is coming up, of course, April 2. Weeks away.
All I personally know is that there are at least several people running for the position. This is most of them, I understand
I've seen a few names. I've gotten some mail from a few but really, I've no idea who's running, who they are, what they stand for or what they say they will stand and work for.
I know Clay Chastain threw his proverbial hat in the ring. That's all I need to know about him.
And Jolie Justus. I know she's running and from where she's coming, mostly, since she's been around the area for some time.
I did a cursory Google search today and found this, thankfully, from our local NPR station, KCUR:
Here's Who's Running For Mayor Of Kansas City, Missouri
But if you go there, you'll see they are extremely brief descriptions of the candidates, of one small paragraph. That's it. It is also, brief as it is, the most complete description of these candidates I've been able to find. That's sad.
I don't think our Star newspaper has run articles on all the candidates yet. I don't see every daily paper but I do check in regularly.
There are a couple more links on the interwebs, from national sources:
The Star did run this piece:
This is helpful, of course, but it more tells of their fundraising than anything, of course. It's important, sure, but still doesn't tell what they stand for and say they're going to work for in the office. It is also an extremely brief article. If that tells us anything, it's that the one candidate, City Council member and candidate Scott Taylor has the most money behind him and by a long shot. (This may make him the defacto winner. We'll see, of course). Another interesting thing coming from that article is that it doesn't even mention Clay Chastain.
Finally, Flatland KC ran this online article.
It gives the most perfunctory information, with links to the candidates own websites so again, it's up to you, the reader and voter to chase down any and all information.
So my question. Is any news media out there--KCUR, KCPT, the Star, Mike Shanin and his program "Ruckus", Steve Kraske and his, anyone, anyone doing any in-depth interviews and research on these people and who they are and where they come from and what they stand for and what they say they'll work for as mayor?
I surely hope there is. If someone's seen or heard something, please let me know. I want and need to know, before the election, just as we all do here in the area.
It's coming down to election time. We need to know.
With the Star having famously/infamously and recently slashed its staff, it seems unlikely we'll now get this kind of article and coverage, however important.
Seems like the perfect program for KCPT, doesn't it? "Meet the Candidates"?
KCPT? Thoughts?
Link:
Meanwhilere's the scary part. The honestly, deeply scary part.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Heads Up, Kansas City!!
Don't look now, folks, but guess who was back in town---and says he's running for political office?
First this--I apologize for the blurry photos but that, ladies and gentlemen of Kansas City, is one Clay Chastain.
You remember Clay, right?
The guy who has all the answers for our fair city?
Even though he lives, most of the time in--where is it? Virginia?
Anyway, seems he was not only back in town this weekend, this is him outside the Brookside Price Chopper grocery, and he was saying he's running for political office, yessiree, Bob.
So don't think we have, you have seen or heard the last of Mr. Clay "I Know What This City Needs" Chastain.
It's my hope that, if he's actually serious about running for city political office for us again, that someone in the media like Steve Kraske on KCUR or someone down at the the Star or the Pitch or Mike Shanin at KCPT's "Ruckus" or someone, somewhere interviews the man. We need to know just what he's planning. Or working on.
If he's serious about running for office, and I'm sure he is, he needs to get the word out and we need to hear it.
However misguided and/or foolhardy.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Aren't Republican Party Officeholders Wonderful?
The latest on Missouri's sitting Governor, Eric Greitens:
This is to take place next Monday.
At the same time our Republican Party President is being investigated three ways to Sunday for colluding with Russians--our sworn, well-known enemy--in order to get elected to the highest office in the natioi, among other things, our own state of Missouri's very Republican Party Governor is being investigated for extramarital sexual blackmail.
Aren't Republicans wonderful?
Monday, May 21, 2018
MLK International Airport: Yeah, That's Not Happening
I just saw this report online at KCUR's site:
NAME GAME
After weeks of discussing which street to name after Martin Luther King, Jr., an advisory group is recommending not renaming a street — but the new terminal at KCI Airport. Mayor Sly James appointed the committee last month to gather public input and make an official recommendation after a group of local activists began a push to rename Paseo Boulevard after King. Kansas City remains one of the biggest cities in America without a street named after the civil rights icon. In a vote yesterday, committee members selected renaming the new airport terminal with 63rd Street as a second choice. KCUR's Andrea Tudhope reports supporters of renaming The Paseo say they aren't finished.
Right.
I have news for anybody who wants this and who thinks it might happen, that they might somehow let our new, grossly expensive airport be named after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
It's not.
This city and area are both far, far too filled with racists and racist sympathizers for them to let this happen. This city loves its segregation far too much to do anything remotely like this. It's the last thing they want our airport--their airport--named after or known for.
You can put money on that.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
We Should Have This National Conversation For and About Women, Equality and Our Nation
I proposed/asked this earlier tonight out on Facebonkers:
Can you imagine how different, how likely radically different our country would be, our legislation, our laws, if 50 percent of our government legislators were women?
Honestly, we should have this conversation. A national conversation.
I'd love to hear it, first of all, and then I'd like to hear it at least locally and then go nationally.
On the issues of health care and child care and schools and, heck, war and our war machine?
And then there's equal pay for equal work, along with really an untold list of what would be different and changed.
Can you imagine how different even the legislative conversations would be, let alone the results of their legislation
I'm no fool on this. I don't for a minute think we'd hit some Nirvana.
I just think we would be a radically different society and nation. Our government would be radically different and so, our nation would, as well.
Scotland is ahead of us on this. They even have an organized group, pushing for 50% of their representatives to be female.
Women 50:50
There are more people out there in the world, proposing this idea, this framework and working on and for and toward it than I knew, before today. Here's another example.
Can We Create Planet 50-50 by 2030?
The UN is in on it, too.
Get involved: Step It Up for gender equality:
About Step It Up
Think about it.
How insane is it that we're still so horribly unequal, that there is still so much gross inequality, not just in the world but here in the US in the 21st Century? We agreed the part about "All men...created equal" meant men and women long ago, I think most of us agree.
Imagine.
I'd love to hear at least one show, one full hour out on KCUR, maybe on Steve Kraske's show.
It would be perfect for that station, him and his program.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Vote, Kansas City! And Vote NO! On Question 1!
So today is the day, Kansas City! Get out there and vote! And make sure, on Question 1, calling for the more-than-one-billion-dollar-boondoggle, MAKE SURE you VOTE NO! Thank you, in advance!
And just as a reminder, here are lots of reasons why we should all VOTE NO!
The 500 Million Dollar Lie About the Airport We Keep Hearing
A Less Convenient, More Congested, Extremely Expensive and Completely Unnecessary Single Terminal Airport
Every Day Now, Some New Lie About a New Airport
Why We Should VOTE NO on Question 1 Tomorrow On A New Single-Terminal Airport
Suddenly, A New Airport Is "Fiscally Responsible"
The New KCI People Are Getting Desperate
Full Court Press From the "New KCI" Folks
Now the New KCI People Are Trying to Threaten US
KCI/MCI: Still Convenient, Still Beautiful
And don't forget all these facts and statistics, folks. Our airport keeps getting MORE and yet MORE traffic, month over month, year over year, AS IT IS. As badly maintained and managed as our airport is now, by our Airport Authority, we STILL KEEP GETTING MORE PEOPLE GOING THROUGH IT. Face it, they're coming here, to Kansas City. They're not coming here for a new, gleaming airport.
KCI Passenger Growth Continued
in November
KCI Airport Passenger Traffic Up
for 13th Straight Month
Kansas City International Airport
Reports 37th Consecutive Month of
PASSENGER GROWTH
Saturday, November 4, 2017
A Less Convenient, More Congested, Extremely Expensive and Completely Unnecessary Single Terminal Airport
A friend--an architect, no less--made this very clear, intelligent, fair observation this past week out on Facebook. (See link and credit below).
Mayor Sly James and The Kansas City Star and all kinds of people and organizations have come out for this new, single terminal, more-than-one-billion-dollar-boondoggle of an airport, saying, now it's "fiscally responsible" (it's anything but) and the right thing to do and the way to go forward with progress and the city. They also claim it will be just as convenient as our current airport and terminals.
To which I and a lot of us out here promptly say "bunk."
Think about this.
If, God forbid, the "New KCI" people and vote wins this coming week, we would get, yes, a single terminal airport. Sure, it will blow through more than 1 billion dollars that we don't need to and shouldn't spend and it will make flying in and out of Kansas City far more expensive and it's grossly, fiscally and environmentally irresponsible but there's one more thing.
We would get that one, single security check in.
Think how that works at other airports.
Think of the lines, the long, long lines just to get to security, that one security check in at all those other airports. Then think of waiting to get through that security.
We don't have that now. With our current terminals, we don't have those abominable long lines and long, long waits.
And Mayor James and the Star and others are going to tell us it will be just as convenient?
That there won't be long lines?
Really?
And people are going to fall for that?
Vote NO Tuesday, November 7 on Question 1.
Save KCI! | Better Solutions Come From Better Discussions
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Full Court Press From the "New KCI" Folks
Yes sir, there's a virtual "full court press" going on just now, this week, from the people and groups pushing for the more than one billion dollar boondoggle that is the "new KCI" campaign.
On KCUR, 89.3 FM this morning, Steve Kraske is going to throw out his one sided support for it on his program "Up to Date" at 11 am. It is our local NPR station and you wish they'd be impartial and non-partisan, since they're a news site, mostly but Mr. Kraske has gone along with the newspaper, the Star, and so many other local celebrities and supports it. I'm hoping for some good, probing questions today on the show, so it isn't just a fully, one-sided prop job for this nonsense.
Then, tomorrow night, our own Kansas City Star is hosting a town hall on KCI. Even the name of it shows they're not being a non-partisan news site: "Why we need a new KCI." They aren't even pretending to be reporting news and not taking sides. That is tomorrow night, again, at 7 pm at Union Station. From the sounds of it, they're to be in what is not a terribly large room because when you register for it online, it says seating is limited. I fear and expect they don't want too large a crowd lest they get too many opposing views from the audience. Here's hoping.
So for all the more rational and fiscally and environmentally responsible people out there who see and know this "new KCI" for the absurd, again, boondoggle that it is, by all means, please phone in today to Mr. Kraske's show. Let's hold the supporters "feet to the fire", so to speak. Let's point out what an outrageous, expensive, ridiculous and yes, again, irresponsible move this would be.
Then, let's do it again, this time, in person, by going to the Star's town hall tomorrow evening. Come loaded with good, hard, fair, researched questions for them, too.
Links:
New KCI terminal may mean more flights,
but not necessarily
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Even Jolie Justus Gets In On the Lies About a New Airport
On our local NPR station today, the national program "Here and Now" reported from out of this station and our city. It was great to hear.
On it, even our own local representative and councilwoman, Jolie Justus was on it, who I usually always like to hear and, up to now, always support and agree with.
For this first time in disagreement, however, she came down squarely for this billion dollar boondoggle of a new, single terminal airport.
Not a surprise but a disappointment, nonetheless.
One of the things she said is that our huge Cerner Company, with all that business and all those employees, is a huge, one of the biggest, users of the airport and that, if we don't update it, we run the risk of that company leaving.
To which I say
What utter nonsense.
Who of us has trouble leaving our city byt the current airport, with its configuration? Just who, exactly?
I've never heard of anyone having that issue, Cerner employee or no.
Then, she claimed that, with all the architects in town, and she said we have a lot, per capita, they might have difficulty getting a flight and getting out of town, too. She went as far as to suggest they might have to take as long as two days to get out of town if we don't update the airport.
What undisguised, ridiculous, ludicrous assertions.
I point out again, our current airport, even as poorly managed as it is by our Airport Authority, we still, month over month and year over year, both, have nothing but increased in the numbers of people flying out of our airport, KCI, MCI.
That doesn't sound like too horrible or difficult a situation or airport, does it to you?
Side note: Do keep in mind that the law firm she works for, Shook, Hardy and Bacon, had for a client Burns & McDonnell, who had been fighting for the work at the airport, too. It was found that, legally, in a courtroom, that Ms. Justus had no conflict of interest but but the relationship is there, like it or not, see link below.
Anyway, the lies about the airport and getting a new one, continue, virtually unabated, sadly.
Link:
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Kudos and Great Thanks to Steve Kraske
In the last couple of months, at least, if not longer, it seems reporter/interviewer and "man about town" Steve Kraske, of the Kansas City Star and KCUR 89.3 FM radio, has posted and posed more good questions and issues and history of our area than just about anyone.
I think what really first turned my head, so to speak, in his reporting, was when he brought up the issue of whether or not the name of our one very prominent fountain in town, on the Country Club Plaza, the JC Nichols fountain, should keep its name or not, given Mr. Nichols deepset, historical, proven, public racism.
Kansas City should confront racist past and rename J.C. Nichols fountain
The fact is, it's Mr. Nichols racism that was a huge factor in making us the very divided, very segregated city and metropolitan area that we still are, today. That impacted where people live, where they work, where they go to school and so, obviously, the education they get, the jobs that are possible and finally, how much they earn. Those are huge, huge ramifications and they've reverberated through people's lives and so, through the city, and for decades. It's what has made what and who we are today, personally and as a city and metropolitan area. We know it goes all the way out, across the state line, ito Kansas.
Then, he didn't just ask it once but twice in the Star:
I’m still talking about J.C. Nichols, racism and renaming the fountain
With Yael Abouhalkah off the staff of our local paper, who else is covering the State of Kansas fiscal debacle like this?
Massive Kansas tax cuts were the result of Gov. Sam Brownback’s lie
Not to be done there, this week, just a couple days ago, he had this one in the Star:
We’re taking down lots of monuments these days. But here’s one we should add
Then, on KCUR, the local NPR station, he followed up that article with this interview and topic:
He has singlehandedly done some pretty fantastic writing and interviews and is touching on stories that need to be covered no one else is, I think. He's really having us and helping us examine our history and by doing so, showing us where we are today.
With these examples alone, I can't think of one other person in the metropolitan area, or the region or state, for that matter, that is posing such provocative issues and questions for all the rest of us.
So kudos, Mr. Kraske. Good on you. Thank you, deeply and sincerely, for getting and keeping the rest of us out here thinking and questioning what we might otherwise not question or think about. And please, do keep up this good and even important work. The only other challenges we seem to get are from the Right Wing and Republicans who seem to want us to be or get or remain selfish and stingy and even racist, lately.
To other reporters and writers and people in the media, you would do well to copy this example.
Please.
Now if only he could get KCPT to include minorities, "people of color" on their "Ruckus" and weekly news programs. And every week, at that. Seems they don't think, down there at our local PBS station, that black and Hispanic people live here or that they have anything to contribute to our city and any possible solutions to issues and problems of the day.
Here's hoping.
The Kansas City Star, KCUR and we all are lucky, very lucky to have him in our midst and reporting and interviewing.
So again, Mr. Kraske. Thank you sincerely. Please don't stop now.
Links:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
