New KCMO Parks Board

[KCTigerFan]

I like the thought of replacing the "cultured elite" on the Board, but it will be interesting to see if the "elite" take the millions they have invested in upgrading parks elsewhere.  If you question the benefits of private support, look at parts of Swope Park, Oppenheimer Park and most notably Loose Park.  Loose was getting very rundown with lots of deffered maintenance until the private support came rolling in.  The same is true of the other parks.   


Funkhouser signals change of direction in naming new park board
Mayor Mark Funkhouser today took a slap at the parks department for decades of “elitism and cultural divisiveness” in naming his appointments to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.

“The commissioners have often been chosen from among the city’s wealthiest,” Funkhouser said, pointedly making his announcement in Troost Park in the city’s poorest council district. “In fact, the reason the parks board is separate from the city management structure at City Hall is because the city’s elites wanted it to be free from the influence of regular folks. With the appointment of this board, I am signaling a change.”

The only park commissioner Funkhouser retained was John Fierro, executive director of the Mattie Rhodes Center. He will be president of the five-member board.

The other appointments:

• Tyrone Aiken, executive director of the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey.

•Frances Semler, a Northland neighborhood activist.

• Aggie Stackhaus, a former City Council member and former chairwoman of the Land Trust of Jackson County.

• Ajamu Webster, a founding member of the Kansas City chapter of the National Black United Front.


| Matt Campbell, mcampbell@kcstar.com

[knucklehead]

Ya got to give Funk credit - he sure can hurl insults and conspiracy theories.

Basically, he just insulted the entire prior board, along with the Halls and Kempers (who else would the elite be?) calling them elistists and accusing them of fostering cultural divisiveness as well as acting in concert against the interests of the public.

Man that Funk sure works well with other people.

Just exactly what purposes does rethoric like that serve other than aggrandizing Funk's own ego. The rethoric looks like another rookie mistake.

Changing out an entire board at one time usually isn't a good idea either. You lose instituational memory giving the management employees an upper hand because they can characterise past decisions to their favor without fear of contradiction since the newbies on the board weren't there when the decision was made.

[KCTigerFan]

It would tell me that my time and money are no longer needed or wanted.  I would be taking my checkbook and good will elsewhere. 

[DaveKCMO]

i applaud the tone of his remarks... because it's obvious AND true. why chastise that? fear is what keeps politicians from igniting real change. people sent money to loose park probably because they live nearby (or have friends who do)... i don't see that changing their minds. and if loose park has to crumble a little so that gillham park gets some love, so be it.

i think we can expect the same kinds of selections for the remaining boards (i'm looking at you, ATA).

[knucklehead]

Dave as I get older I have come to understand that there a lot of things I could say that are "true" that, if said, would make achieving my objectives more difficult. For example, I could say a lot of true things at family reunions that would hurt the feeling of the person the comment was directed at. Thankfully most people have enough sense to keep their mouths shut.

Even if true, it is usually a bad idea to go around insulting people. You never know when you may need their help.

Also, raising the general level of incivility is not a good idea. Even if true, once the insults start, they tend to spin out of control.

[shinatoo]

This was a good move by Funk, but it was poorly handled by his comments. He could have sent enough of a message with just the appointments and maybe a positive comment about how the new board will "strive to improve some of the more neglected parts of the park system". If he starts alienating people he will become entirely ineffective.

[DaveKCMO]

Dave as I get older I have come to understand that there a lot of things I could say that are "true" that, if said, would make achieving my objectives more difficult. For example, I could say a lot of true things at family reunions that would hurt the feeling of the person the comment was directed at. Thankfully most people have enough sense to keep their mouths shut.

Even if true, it is usually a bad idea to go around insulting people. You never know when you may need their help.

Also, raising the general level of incivility is not a good idea. Even if true, once the insults start, they tend to spin out of control.

weighing a bit of incivility against decades of entrenched social/racial injustice... i choose the former.

[passerby]

weighing a bit of incivility against decades of entrenched social/racial injustice... i choose the latter.

Do you mean "the former"?

Or are you actually in favor of "decades of entrenched social/racial injustice"?

Puzzled.

[DaveKCMO]

Do you mean "the former"?

Or are you actually in favor of "decades of entrenched social/racial injustice"?

Puzzled.

uh, yeah. my bad. 

[Moniker]

i applaud the tone of his remarks... because it's obvious AND true. why chastise that? fear is what keeps politicians from igniting real change. people sent money to loose park probably because they live nearby (or have friends who do)... i don't see that changing their minds. and if loose park has to crumble a little so that gillham park gets some love, so be it.

i think we can expect the same kinds of selections for the remaining boards (i'm looking at you, ATA).

Mark Funkhouser may be Kansas City's first politician who can cut through the bullshit, call it as it is and be forthcoming in his opinions.

Kudoes for tha' Funk!

[beautyfromashes]

I've never met such a divider, especially someone supposed to be a leader.  I've never seen someone so bitter and vindictive.  Why is he so, 'me against the world'?  Bad childhood?  Not enough sex?  Come on, Funk.  You can't make things personal.  If your goal coming in was to turn yourself into the evil villian and alienate yourself from everyone, then you are doing a heck of a job. 

[chingon]

I didn't back or vote for Funkhouser, largely because of his disdain for organized labor
(which strikes me as ironic, since he's a sort of half-assed populist, with some right-wing tendencies), and the start of his tenure is giving me cause to worry, but I can't see a thing in the world wrong with a politician honestly commenting on the classism and racism that permeates KC's public sphere. No one would blink if Alonzo Washington said this shit. Maybe its time someone in power addressed the issues that those outside of the sphere of power have been hollering about for the last 50 years.

[Steve52]

Bout time the feeding trough for the " KC Establishment" was closed.

What a revolutionary idea. Imagine, people who actually want to work to make things better will have a shot at it.

[midtown guy]

I've never met such a divider, especially someone supposed to be a leader.  I've never seen someone so bitter and vindictive.  Why is he so, 'me against the world'?  Bad childhood?  Not enough sex?  Come on, Funk.  You can't make things personal.  If your goal coming in was to turn yourself into the evil villian and alienate yourself from everyone, then you are doing a heck of a job. 

I will say that for every 1 person that he offended with those remarks, another 30 probably applauded them...and those 30 were the 30 that DIDN'T vote for "yet another white guy" to run our city.  What he's doing is trying to include people whose opinions have mattered very little over the past 150 years of this city...and he's trying to do so in a grand way to let them know he's serious.  I don't think the Kemper's money is going away any time soon...they have been good to the community, true.  But he community has been VERY good to the Kempers.  They are smart enough to get that....

Funk could continue to cater to others' egos.  Heck, he could have made the announcement from Loose Park (or Mill Creek Park) where mostly white people hang out where KMBC chose to do their story about people being scared to go to parks...but he chose a park in a real neighborhood that has been neglected for a very long time...if he calls out the people who are at least partially responsible for that neglect, so be it.  JMO.

[Steve52]

Next job for The Funk is to clean up the Kansas City School Districts.

What a freakin' mess that is. Giant black hole $$$$$$$$$$$

[knucklehead]

Funk hasn't actually "cleaned up" anything yet.

He has just spouted ill advised cheap rethoric.

[beautyfromashes]

Heck, he could have made the announcement from Loose Park (or Mill Creek Park) where mostly white people hang out...

You haven't been to either of those parks recently have you?  They are not even close to being mostly white.  Go to Loose Park on a Saturday afternoon and you will see a wide variety of people having BBQ's and family runions, etc. and most are NOT white!

[beautyfromashes]

Funk hasn't actually "cleaned up" anything yet.

He has just spouted ill advised cheap rethoric.

He's just starting to position himself for his reelection run.  That is what politicians do now, they win then they start to run again.  He's wanting the east side vote.  That and he wants to stick it to the people who didn't support him in his election.  He came right out and said just that if you watch the kcstar.com piece.  What a bunch of lame duck politics.  Put your big fat ego in your size 19 shoes and get something done for the city.  Your head has become almost as big as your Converse.

[Steve52]

I kind of like the in your face kick ass approach he's taking.

Refreshing change from photo ops and the pc spin.

[kcmetro]

Put your big fat ego in your size 19 shoes and get something done for the city.  Your head has become almost as big as your Converse.

I had to chime in here. He has size 19 shoes?