Our Mayoral Race-- A Prediction

So yes, we're coming down to voting day next week in the Kansas City, Missouri Mayoral race. As we well know, it's between Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas.

I think it's widely believed it's anyone's race to call. It looks to be very close, a toss up, if you will.

I saw the two candidates this week in their final debate at the Kansas City Public Library on the Country Club Plaza.

Before this debate, I'd only read and heard about them both and I thought they seemed close on all the local topics.

After seeing the debate, I'm still convinced that's true.

Having said all that, I do think I can make a prediction on this race, crazy or brave, one or both, as that may be.

Having heard and seen the two candidates, I believe this race will come down to who, exactly, people think looks "Mayorly", like it or not, agree or not. And sure, I'll say up front even after my prediction, it could still go either way but I'm still willing to put this out there.

I think Quinton Lucas will be Kansas City, Missouri's next Mayor.

And it will be because a good deal of the voters think he more looks the role, again, like it or not.

Let the best person win.

We can't do any worse than the Funk.

God willing, we never will again.

Link:

Here’s your guide to Kansas City’s election: The candidates, the issues and more

Mark Funkhouser - Wikipedia

The Big Takeaway From Yesterday's Election

Okay so we got that election out of the way, for better or worse.

Thankfully, we are now down to only two candidates for mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. That trying to weed through a dozen was a bit crazy but hey, this is America. We love choice.

No surprise, I don't think, the vote to possibly help pre-kindergarten with daycare died. Between the fact that even the school district didn't support it and that it was "just one more tax", I can't say I'm surprised it died.

And now we have 2 choices for mayor. The differences couldn't be more stark, could they? Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas? Yet more of us will have to go out and do some more homework, for those not fully familiar with both.

But here's the big takeaway, the big blessing, for me, anyway, and maybe for a lot of us--the entire city?--after this election.

We likely--hopefully?--don't have to hear from or about Clay Chastain any longer.

Understand, this is not a post to mock, ridicule or otherwise make fun of Mr. Chastain. Not at all.

But come on.

We have seen and read and heard so much from and about him over the last several years and it seems he doesn't even really live here.

I get the sense he was sincere and well-meaning, good intentioned with his hopes and plans and dreams and ideas for our city. I'll give him that.

But you ought to live here. And you ought to live here full time.

And you shouldn't have what seem to be kooky--or worse--ideas. 

As mayor, you would have to lead all of the city. Everyone would have to come along with you. That means being with and behind you on your ideas.

Too often, it seemed Mr. Chastain had his own, very headstrong ideas but that much of the metropolis wasn't with him on them. I could be wrong on this but I don't think so.

So with this, Mr. Chastain, I think it's safe to say, again, for most of the area, maybe thank you for your thoughts and ideas and efforts. Thank you for those intentions. We wish you well.

Now, go, enjoy retirement.

Wherever you live.

Another Plea to All Local Media--On This Mayoral Race

The topic is Kansas City Mayor.

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:

Mayoral election in Kansas City, Missouri (2019) - Ballotpedia

According to that link, above, there are officially 11 candidates in the race. Six of those candidates are currently on the City Council. Three are on the Council for their first terms--Alissia Canady, Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas. Two are second-term candidates--Jermaine Reed and Scott Taylor while Scott Wagner is currently Mayor Pro Tem.

2019 Kansas City mayoral election - Wikipedia

The Star did run this piece:

Newcomers to 2019 KC mayoral race most active fundraisers

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.

What You Need to Know About KC's Mayoral Election

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.

As Newspapers Close, Role of Government Watchdog Disappears

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!

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!

Two notes on KCMO news today

First note:  The Star and Steve Kraske report that, reputedly, mayoral candidate Deb Herman "used off-color nicknames years ago"?  Supposedly, she called a Hispanic officer "Captain Taco"?

Okay, I don't know Deb Hermann and I don't know if she did or did not say such a thing and I'm certainly not condoning that kind of speech but I can tell you this, if this makes it impossible for people to run for public political office, the list of people who will be able to run for office is going to be incredibly short, even before you get to the ones who even want to run.

Second and final note:  That the City Planning Commission would vote down, by a vote of 3 to 2, the Polsinelli Shughart Law Firm building, proposed to be built on the Plaza is fairly stunning.  Those people reworked their plan what?  2 or 3 times, in order to get it at least better if not "right"?

The last thing I thought anyone downtown would do is vote against business interests.

The last thing this city needs to be seen as is "anti-business".

I also thought that's the last thing anyone on that commission would want to be seen as, too.

Links:  http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/15/2658636/former-officers-say-candidate.html
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/15/2658901/high-rise-office-plan-for-plaza.html

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

The next mayoral race right now, in money (wanna' good laugh?)

Again, according to The Kansas City Star today , the next mayoral race is heating up.

This was pretty staggering to me--it was a real eye-opener: Attorney Sly James "continues to have the biggest war chest. He has raised $370,760 to date, including $37,508 in the first quarter of this year. He had $194,987 cash on hand, and he has lent his campaign $23,000."

Wowzer. That's a heap.

And the person who's next in line, in terms of raising money for this race, is former city councilman Jim Rowland with $41,045.

Not even close.

So it looks like it might be Sly James race to lose, at this point, if money is any indicator. And, of course, in American political campaigns, it absolutely is.

And sure, I mention this because it's pretty big news, as far as the race goes, and it's good to know, as a citizen of the city.

But here's the real reason I write this entry today--here's the real kicker, since we can always use a good laugh: Mayor Mark Funkhouser's campaign to retake his office?

"Mayor Mark Funkhouser listed $3,000 in contributions since the first of the year."

Wait. It gets better.

"Funkhouser had $1,948 cash on hand, andhis campaign committee still owes him $1,000."

Looks like we won't have the ol' Funk to "kick around anymore", as Dick Nixon said, so many years ago.

Man, it's a beautiful weekend, isn't it?