Kansas City Officially Has A New Mayor - Mark Funkhouser

[ShowMeKC]

His first year has been focused on killing downtown development.

You are only proving my original point...

[cdm2p]

You are only proving my original point...

Did you have a point?  I get the feeling that you think people on this forum are beneath you.

Here is my point:  Funkhouser does not understand the dynamics of urban policy and life in the city.  He understands public administration theory.  There's a wide gap between the two. 

You might think that a black woman suing the mayor is a nuissance.  In my mind, that suit is real and it is part of urban life.  Shit happens.  Only the most naive of individuals would wish it away.  A good leader of an urban city would not have found himself in this predicament.

[Highlander]

Did you have a point?  I get the feeling that you think people on this forum are beneath you.

Uh, I think he has stated that very concisely on several occasions. 

[omenapt]

Funk is actually hurting the neighborhoods as he looks to cut services...He wants to slash Bulky Item pick up(big issue in a transient area like mine)  ..reduced mowing on the SW trafficway (thats a whole 'nother story)..it goes on and on..it was just an election ploy! 

Even my neighbors who proudly displayed their  FUNK bumper stickers now have regrets!

[DaveKCMO]

Funk is actually hurting the neighborhoods as he looks to cut services...He wants to slash Bulky Item pick up(big issue in a transient area like mine)  ..reduced mowing on the SW trafficway (thats a whole 'nother story)..it goes on and on..it was just an election ploy! 

Even my neighbors who proudly displayed their  FUNK bumper stickers now have regrets!

and what was your solution to the budget problem?

[beautyfromashes]

Funk is actually hurting the neighborhoods as he looks to cut services...He wants to slash Bulky Item pick up(big issue in a transient area like mine)  ..reduced mowing on the SW trafficway (thats a whole 'nother story)..it goes on and on..it was just an election ploy! 

Even my neighbors who proudly displayed their  FUNK bumper stickers now have regrets!

I guess Funk is hurting development by traditional definitions and his own definition.

[KC-wildcat]

Even my neighbors who proudly displayed their  FUNK bumper stickers now have regrets!

I'm afraid you are wrong.  It is only the KCrag blogger who dislikes Funkhouser.  Just ask, ShowMeKC, he's a man of the people.  The real pulse of KC beats to the tune of the FloGlo Show. 

"Get out of the forum sometime, and take a look at things realistically and not from the isolated and sheltered perspective you get from the forum."  - ShowMeKC proverb.

Life would be so stale without the comedic relief of this forum. 

[loftguy]

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/656633.html

"Mayor Mark Funkhouser is shaking up a key development agency empowered to authorize property tax abatements, notifying seven of the board’s 15 members their appointments have not been renewed.

The letters to the affected commissioners on the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority went out late last week, thanking them for their service but adding they will not be reappointed."

Hmmm.  Do you think this will affect the use of property tax abatement?

[KCMax]

I like Funk's message, but he is one awful messenger.

[kcjak]

Funk is actually hurting the neighborhoods as he looks to cut services...He wants to slash Bulky Item pick up(big issue in a transient area like mine)

I agree - once this goes away from simply being able to put your junk out on the curb to having to call to have it picked up I think it will mean more people dumping their crap in empty lots, back alleys, etc.

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/656633.html

"Mayor Mark Funkhouser is shaking up a key development agency empowered to authorize property tax abatements, notifying seven of the board’s 15 members their appointments have not been renewed.

The letters to the affected commissioners on the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority went out late last week, thanking them for their service but adding they will not be reappointed."

Hmmm.  Do you think this will affect the use of property tax abatement?

Let's hope his new appointments have a little better understanding of how the authority works and affects development at-large...I don't have a lot of confidence in Funk's ability to go from idea to implementation without affecting the bigger picture.

[cdm2p]

From today's Star:

Squitiro’s volunteer status clouds city’s liability in lawsuit

Nepotism was mentioned a few times in that article.

My sense is that Jay Nixon is going to leave that one for the next AG to deal with.  It would be politically costly for him to pursue it now before November.

[LenexatoKCMO]

From today's Star:

Squitiro’s volunteer status clouds city’s liability in lawsuit

If that's the best spin the defense can come up with, this thing doesn't look good.  The city is still responsible maintaining a discrimination free workplace regardless of Gloria's status - plus she had nothing to do with the retaliation. 

[chrizow]

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2008 ... ate.81.pdf

"i bet you'd like a good nine inches in you."

~ gloria squitiro, to ruth bates.

[loftguy]

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2008 ... ate.81.pdf

"i bet you'd like a good nine inches in you."

~ gloria squitiro, to ruth bates.

Yet another pithy quote for the urban t-shirt collection.

[kcjak]

I can't believe the things the plaintiff alledges in the lawsuit - IF they have any merit, it makes the mayor's office look like an f-ing circus.  Will be interesting to see what the defense lawyer comes up with and whether some type of settlement will be reached before going to trial.
The type of behavior laid out in the lawsuit is like an anti-harrassment vid employees have to watch to know what's NOT acceptable.

[chrizow]

the firm representing the plaintiff is an A+ employment discrimination firm in town.  if the case wouldn't have legitimacy in front of a jury, i don't think the firm would have accepted the case, as they can afford to only take the best (worst) cases. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

I can't believe the things the plaintiff alledges in the lawsuit -

You think that's good, check out this week's discrimination suit against NASCAR - talk about over the top!

[chrizow]

You think that's good, check out this week's discrimination suit against NASCAR - talk about over the top!

good lord:  http://tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN110375610.PDF

[Beermo]

good lord:  http://tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN110375610.PDF

geez. if that stuff is true she is gonna clean up. i find it really hard to believe that those guys could be so stupid to say all that crap. where were the nascar lawyers? unbelievable.

[AJoD]

good lord:  http://tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN110375610.PDF

Here's some pretty enlightened commentary.