Did you vote?

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. 

Here's hoping you did, folks.

How about that new mayor?

Vote, I tell you!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.

Fortunately for us, we don't have any cannibals.  Go vote, folks!

We're running out of time!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

It doesn't take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause. 

And it takes you and I voting, folks!  Go get 'em!

How many times do I have to tell you?

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.

Still, that said, you gotta' go vote today, folks.

Vote today!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

 

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

Still, we need you to vote today!

Go! Now! Vote!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.

 

Still, we need you to vote today, folks!

Go vote!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

Democracy is only a dream: it should be put in the same category as Arcadia, Santa Claus, and Heaven. 

In spite of that---go vote, folks!

Get out there and vote!

The wit, wisdom and insight of  H. L. Mencken:

 

Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.

 

Get out there and vote, y'all!

Ding, dong, the dork is done

Wow.

It's nice that's finally over.

We're finally going to get rid of the mistake that became Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

Funk, you were too expensive, what with all the lawsuits you and your wife cost us and you didn't get along and work well with others.  Those are two big and costly issues.  We just couldn't go on like that any longer.  It was a sick, twisted relationship that had to end.

Looking forward, the thing is, we're set up as a city in the same position as the last mayoral election with one African-American and one Caucasian and that's fine.  In fact, it's great.

Sly James and Mike Burke are both lawyers and friends of one another.  Both are, apparently, intelligent and well-spoken people who do, in fact, work well with others, know how to lead and can hopefully get things done for the city so either should be good for Kansas Citians.

The ONLY reason I bring up the issue of race here is because, like that last mayoral election when Alvin Brooks and the Funk ran, two things need to be pointed out.   As I recall, the Funk won by a slim margin, first, and second, I also recall the Star running coverage after the election showing voter turnout for African-Americans in the city was low.

If African-Americans have any real interest in this upcoming mayoral election and want to see Sly James get this office, they will need to organize and get out and vote in strong numbers, clearly, as didn't happen last time.

Let the best man win.

Observation

Kansas City, Missouri, if we re-elect Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

Just sayin'.


Keep warm, safe and dry today, folks!

Just the latest Funkhouser lawsuit---and what it's going to the city

I just saw this over at TKC and his link to the Star's Primebuzz site:

Shawn Pierce case v. Funkhouser resolved

by Mike Mansur
A former aide to Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser has “agreed in principle” to settle a lawsuit against the mayor and the city.
Sources familiar with the settlement said the amount was about $125,000.
Shawn Pierce had alleged in a lawsuit filed in January that he was victim of retaliatory termination because he had sided with Ruth Bates.
Bates, of course, is the former mayoral aide who sued Funkhouser, his wife, Gloria Squitiro, and the city for alleged harassment and discrimination. The city ultimately settled that lawsuit for $550,000, while Squitiro’s insurance company settled Bates’ claim against Squitiro for $45,000.

Someone please do the homework--the Star?  Dave Helling?  Steve Kraske?--and total up all the lawsuits and their corresponding dollars and tell us, the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, just exactly how much, to date, these two have cost us.  Will you?  Please?  I know one of them was for $550,000.00, as this post says. 
 
Wasn't there one or two more or was that it? 
 
The fact is, besides the fact that we have gotten virtually zero leadership from this terribly not-dynamic duo (the Funk and his Squirt), they will have also, now, cost us, the citizens of Kansas City, and besides our additional self-respect, a minimum of $675,000.00 and any progress we might have otherwise made in this city.  Progress that could have been in neighborhoods and/or in fighting the shootings and killings in the city and/or fixing the infrastructure, all because we might otherwise have had a mayor--wife or no wife--who DID work with others and cooperated and compromised for the progress of the city.
 
But no, we had to have the Funk for our mayor.

I don't ever, ever remember a mayor who cost his or her city money because they were sued and sued repeatedly.  Do you?
 
The last laugh?
 
He's running for mayor again, as we all know.
 
 
I'd only laugh but he does have an outside chance at it.
 
Yikes.

Here's a terrific idea for the new year:  Mark Funkhouser, Gloria Squitiro and Clay Chastain all have to do the same thing--that is, go away.  Just go away, you three, just please go away.

Here's hoping.
 
 
Try to have a great weekend, y'all.
 
Link:  http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/entries/shawn-pierce-case-v-funkhouser-resolved/

Mayor seeks US Attorney assistance: to eliminate competition?

From the Kansas City Star today:
Mayor asks U.S. attorney to look at Port Authority

By DAVE HELLING and MIKE MANSUR

The Kansas City Star

Mayor Mark Funkhouser has asked U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips to consider assigning an investigator to examine the Kansas City Port Authority.

Funkhouser’s letter Tuesday to federal authorities came in response to an article Sunday in The Kansas City Star examining allegations of a potential conflict of interest involving one of the Authority’s attorneys, William Session.

And that's all well and good, since the Star's story Sunday on possilbe misdeeds by the Port Authority, especially as it involves this one attorney, at minimum, William Session.

But is the Mayor dog-piling so he can eliminate competition for the very office he's running for again, at present?

Is that possibly also true for other members of the City Council who are also running for the job of Mayor?

It certainly seems like a strong possibility and likelihood, folks.

Right or wrong be damned--these people want to clear a path for themselves, it seems.

Stay tuned.   This should get exciting.

Link to origninal story:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/14/2520406/funkhouser-asks-us-attorney-to.html

Two more shootings in town--but not a word from "The Mayors"--or any mayoral candidate?

Last evening a young guy, 24, was on his front porch, downloading movies on his laptop when two morons--at least one with a gun--came along and apparently wanted the laptop.  The young man got up to go inside, sensing trouble, but too late--the idiot with the gun shot him in the back. 

Then there's this:

A Kansas City resident taking a walk this morning found a man shot to death in a grassy area near 44th Street and Myrtle Avenue.

So, once again--we're used to it, unfortunately--some people have been shot in town and there's no one to prosecute for them, so far.

You wouldn't believe we're in the middle of a mayoral race, would you?

I've written here several times before about how these two co-mayors don't say a thing or offer any guidance or leadership on these shootings and killings in town.  No calling for City Hall to get together with civic, church and other community leaders to meet and discuss just what we all can do--nothing.  They don't even reference the shootings, as though they never happen.

Nothing.  Not a word.  Not a peep.

Now, two shootings in about 12 hours time and still, to this moment, not a word.  Five days ago, another teen was found shot dead in a car here in town (see final link, below).

Hopefully one or more of the mayoral candidates will speak up on this, declare it unacceptable and make some very real promise to have these meetings, at least, so we can get to some hopeful solutions to the shootings, drive-by shootings and killings in Kansas City.

Links:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/29/2480895/computer-user-shot-in-back-on.html
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/29/2480820/kc-police-investigating-fatal.html
http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/2010/11/teen-found-dead-in-car-identified.html

Funkhouser for mayor

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Don't!  Stop!  You're killing me!

Man, that's good.

Seriously, that was the funniest thing I've seen all week.

Thanks, Tony, for pointing this out to us.  That's rich.

This, I think, could be the solution to the co-mayor's problems, once they're not returned to office next Spring.

Think about it.  It's a natural--comedy!  They can do stand-up.

If they can continue to write stuff this good, they'll make millions.


Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.