On our next mayor

Well, here we are, on the cusp of finally being able to get and have a new mayor.

What a relief.

And it seems as though, no matter who we get--"Sly" James or Mike Burke--that they'll, either one, be good for the city.

Of course that's what we all thought when Alvin Brooks was running against Mark Funkhouser, last go-round, too, right?

Anyway, all these years later, thank goodness it's finally here.  Hopefully we will now start getting good, solid, positive, forward-thinking, cooperative leadership from downtown and City Hall and the mayor's office, once they're installed.

And no more lawsuits.   No more bickering between the City Council and the too-weak, "doesn't get along with others" mayor.

Or his wife/assistant.

Good riddance.

But along with this new mayor and the good leadership we hope to and should attain with this election, we get  the "fresh start" we need and frankly have wanted for so long.

And the next mayor is somewhat fortunate for a few reasons.

To begin, the new mayor will be welcomed with open, very-receptive arms by virtually everyone in town--the business community, the newspaper, the Joe and Jane on the street--everyone.  That's a lot to have in your corner and to start a mayorship with.

Second, we have problems but they aren't insurmountable, horrible, horrific ones he has to deal with.  Sure he'll have to figure out if we can afford and truly do a 1,000 room convention hotel downtown but that's not a big, earth-shaking problem.  (Surely the electorate isn't stupid enough to vote away their e-tax, right?)

Third, come November, this new mayor and the whole city is going to get a huge boost by the opening of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.  Locally, regionally and nationally, this city is going to get a great deal of good press and that next mayor should be able to preside over a bit of a love-fest with this city and a lot of free and very positive media coverage.

All that said, this next new mayor, either Mr. Burke or James, needs to do the one thing that last mayor never did and that is, convene a press conference very shortly into his new term and call for his office, the City Council and all the local, city, community and church leaders to address the issues of the shootings and killings in this city that happen again and again, month after month and year after year.

That's leadership no other person in this city can offer like the mayor and his office but that we desperately need, especially with the warm weather and increased shootings and killings nearly upon us.

We can't afford to be the Chicago or Detroit of the plains.

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/

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.

Who's going to speak up for shooting victims in this town?

Watching the news the other evening, which is rare for me, I saw the story of the older couple who were in their house when all of a sudden, some idiots started shooting into the house.  From the Star today:


Kansas City police were looking for someone who fired at least eight shots early today into a home occupied by a 62-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman.

The shooting occurred about 12:30 a.m. in the 9700 block of Elm Avenue. The victims were not hurt and did not know why anyone would be shooting into their house, police said.

Police found eight shell casings in the front yard, about 15 yards from the house, apparently marking the spot where the shooter stood while firing.

The male victim said he was sleeping when he awoke to the sound of gunfire. He crawled out of bed and lay on the floor as gunshots whizzed by him, according to police reports.

The female victim was in the basement on the computer when she heard the gunshots. She found several holes in her bedroom walls and windows. Police also found a bullet lodged into the wood door frame to a bathroom.

My reaction to this is the same as it is for any shootings and/or drive-by shootings in this city, too.  That is, church and community leaders, including Mayor Funkhouser, should come out with a very public stance with media coverage, etc., and ask for both someone to rat out whoever did this and for solutions from the community so this kind of thing never happens again.

I'm surprised someone running for mayor or City Council doesn't come out and grandstand on this issue, with this circumstance.

Can you imagine how frightened nearly out of their minds the people must have been who had this happen to them?

And then, for there to be silence from the community and community leaders and especially at City Hall, it's maddening.  

And this is election season.

What will it take to get someone and/or some group to stand up and make clear we cannot and will not live like this and that we won't tolerate this kind of behavior?  

Clearly it isn't going to be either one of the co-mayors.

Hello?  Anyone out there?

Link to original story:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/25/2351223/bullets-riddle-kc-house-occupants.html

The Funky announcement

Okay, when I heard the Funks were going to have an announcement yesterday, naturally I hoped it was to say they quit, they were throwing in the towel and they knew there was no way they could either a) raise enough money to wage a campaign or b) get enough people to vote for them.


No such luck.


Imagine my surprise (because I really was surprised) when the co-mayors came out at their news conference yesterday and said they were, in fact, officially launching their campaign to win the mayor's office again.  Sheesh.


And check out that campaign slogan:  “Your money, your voice, your mayor.”  


"Our money"??


If it were truly our money, we wouldn't have lost hundreds of thousands of it in lawsuits because of "her honor's" (Gloria's) mouth, with her racism in the office.  Remember that?


I can't even count the number of times--or the amount of total dollars--those two cost us because of the way they ran that office these last several years.


So here it is--I'm not voting for these two, one more time, because they cost us all that money but more, I'm not voting for these two because THEY DON'T GET ALONG WITH ANYONE.  Hizzhonner, in particular.  I've said it before, if there were awards for getting along with others, he'd never get one.   Finally, as said on the Star's page today, these two haven't given us leadership at all these last several years.  They need to now get out of the way and let a true leader get in there.  I don't know who that is but it surely isn't either of them.


Link:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/19/2332665/funkhouser-kicks-off-re-election.html

Is this city getting collectively more stupid?

I don't mean to be alarmist or to over-react but really, that's the question I come up with today.

Of course, we have our stupid and irresponsible mayor and his wife, supposedly to lead us and they've proven themselves, time and again but now all this.

Something called a "Tomahawke Ridge" subdivision to add 316 more acres and more than 600 homes, eventually, to the city is being considered today at 1:30 pm by the City Council's Planning and Zoning Commission.

(I ask again, too--since when does the Native American Indian word "tomahawk" get a British "e" on the end? Answer: when you want it to sound expensive or special. And you're a developer).

It doesn't look good.

It looks as though this council wants to pass and accept this bone-headed boondoggle.

Forget that we can't take care of our streets and sewers already, with what we've got. Forget that there aren't enough fire stations up that way already and that the Fire Chief thinks it's likely not a good idea. Forget that they city planners think it's misguided sprawl we shouldn't do or have. And forget that it further weakens the city's core.

Forget all that.

Some developer wants to make money--and likely give some to Council members, in the meantime.

Hell, yeah!

So what should happen won't and it looks as though we'll get this thing.

Dammit.

(And when did our local paper cover this locally important story? Yesterday. Once. At the last minute. Way to go, Kansas City Star. Way to not report.)

One silver lining to this expansionist crowd is that the Star has come out with an editorial agin' it. In fact, they've had a few. Here's another.

Thank goodness for that, anyway.

In it, they also support my idea that the "e" on the end is--there's that word again--stupid.

Then, for more local, home-grown ignorance and, yes, stupidity, look no further than the Star (at least they reported this), reporting that a committee has been formed, for pity's sake, to look into repealing the earnings tax in the city.

Check it out:

"Opponents of the earnings tax in St. Louis and Kansas City have established a campaign committee and will begin to gather petition signatures within the next weeks to put repeal on the statewide ballot."

"The group is called Let Voters Decide. According to attorney Marc Ellinger, the commitee will circulate a petition that would allow local voters a chance to decide if the E-tax should be phased out in Kansas City and St. Louis."

"(UPDATE, 9:25: Businessman Rex Sinquefield has given the committee $500,000 to get started, records show.)"

Yahoo!

How, exactly, are we going to pay for anything if this goes through?

We'd lose two hundred million dollars a year in operating fees if we do away with this.

We can barely keep sewers running and streets operable now. How can we do it if we're broke?

And some people, including people downtown at City Hall, including, in this case, the Mayor, think this is a good idea.

Note that this wealthy chucklehead Sinquefeld is financing this nightmare. Apparently he benefits from this going through, while at our collective expense. He's been pushing it in St. Louis and now here, both.


So there you go, Kansas City, to repeat, stupidity reigns.

How soon can we quit this?

More of us need to call for the Funk's resignation

I see from over at Tony's KC Blog that the KC Tribune has an article just now by Daniel Starling calling for Mayor Funkhouser to resign.

Here, here!

Attaboy!

Good for him!

It won't happen but, really, more of us--out here on blogs, and everyone across the city--should call for this clown to call it a day on his Mayorship.

What a mess.

We've had it.

We have decidedly not become "The City That Works" he promised. Far from it.

Streets unrepaired in good weather--unplowed in bad.

Steel plates on holes.

Bad morale downtown.

Lawsuits left and right.

Heck, he's bad to have just because of the expense of his rule.

Let it be said again: Mayor Mark Funkhouser--and his wife--need to go.

And they should do the honorable, intelligent thing and resign.

They won't but that's what should happen.

To the Kansas City Star: Don't do us any favors

The headline on the front page of The Kansas City Star today is "When might Squitiro return?"

The Star shouldn't even pose the question.

The answer is, hopefully, bloody never.

I mean, really, if you're Mayor Mark Funkhouser or his wife, Gloria Squitiro, evntually common sense should hit and the conclusion should be that a) you've cost the city you're supposed to run enough money (one-half million dollars in settling the lawsuit against her and her big mouth, was just one example) and b) for pity's sake, you can give him advice from home all you want.

Give it up.

The follow-up section of the same, continued article, back on page A20 had the following headline for it, too: "Her advising of Funkhouser continues away from City Hall".

And that's as it should be.

Hopefully, we'll leave this little arrangement just as it is, for the benefit of the all involved, but most particularly, the city and citizens of Kansas City, Missouri.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1599158.html

It can't be

The Kansas City Star reports this morning that the Funk is hinting on running for Mayor again.

From the Star:

Funkhouser lists what he hopes to achieve for KC — and all but commits to seeking second term as mayor

Excerpts from the article:

"Among his proposals: Economic help for the inner city. Safer streets and more police. Better basic services in neighborhoods."

Really? So what has he done up to now, as Mayor, to see that this was happening? How did that 30 year old man and the child he was holding last week get shot in their front yard at that party, if he was working on that?

I'm not saying he could singlehandedly keep that from happening. My point is, I'm not aware of anything the Funk has done publicly to keep the streets--all the streets--of Kansas City any safer.

Here's the scary part of the article, to me:

"Funkhouser told The Star he had made mistakes but believes voters still share his vision — all but committing to running for a second term."

Yikes. This sounds like a really bad joke.

He cost us over one-half million dollars, because he has to have his wife in office and she has a big mouth, he's sued us, the citizens of Kansas City once and has threatened in the last week to do it again--and he still wants to be our Mayor?

And lead us?

Really?

Then, check this out:

"'You always wish you’d been smarter sooner,' he said. 'To me the voters are going to say, ‘Is he focused on the things that matter to me?’ ”

"To prove that focus, Funkhouser said, next month he’ll roll out details of implementing his New Tools initiative, a program to provide economic incentives for investment in lower-income neighborhoods."

Next month?

Are you freaking kidding me?

What's wrong with this month?

Shoot, for that matter, what's wrong with right now?

You're way overdue, Mayor. Better get it going.

Please.

Link to story:
http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1374982.html

Addendum to original post:

Now that I think of it, though, there are two issues here. The first is that, while the Funk is Mayor, he should just be doing things for the City, period, of course. He should be doing all he can to make this a better place to live. Like we didn't know that, right?

Second, though, is the sheer entertainment of this guy running, again, for Mayor.

That'll be a hoot.

He'll go down in flames, this time 'round.