Kraske Seeking Answers: Freedom Inc. - What is the Point?

I tend to be fairly hard on Steve Kraske - for someone who works a 40 hour week focusing on local politics, and who has access to the resources and tipsters of the Star, his level of insight ranks just below the drunk guy at the end of the bar, and far below most amateur blogs. If the Star hired a clever and attentive beagle to write the local political analysis, they could probably get similar columns, and Gusewelle would enjoy coming to work more.

But, on in his Sunday column, Kraske takes a new tack. It appears that he has recognized his limitations, and will, from now on, simply ask questions that other, wiser, more perceptive people can answer for him. He writes:

What’s up with Freedom Inc., the African-American political club in Kansas City?

First, the group signals that it will oppose the 1-cent sales-tax renewal for capital improvements. Then it reverses course.

Now, the group has yet to take a stand on the big question of whether public schools in Independence can pull out of the Kansas City School District.

At some point, the question for Freedom becomes: What is the point?

Good question, Steve, and one which requires a little knowledge of history and current events, so it is wise of you to leave the question of what is up with Freedom, Inc. to others.

Freedom, Inc., was formed back in 1962 - only 45 years ago according to the calendar, but centuries ago in terms of societal change regarding the role of blacks in government. When it started, it served the purpose of helping get black people to the polls and voting for supportive politicians. They would screen candidates, and those candidates would make donations to the organization to support their get-out-the-vote and other functions. Great leaders like Leon Jordan, Alan Wheat and Emanuel Cleaver received crucial support from Freedom, Inc., and Kansas City has benefited from the leadership that Freedom, Inc. has fostered.

Over the past several years, though, the organization has lost its way. It is unable to attract young leadership, and its ability to deliver the votes is acknowledged to be a thing of the past. The busloads of voters clutching their Freedom sample ballots are an icon of a bygone era.

The tradition of seeking donations from candidates has continued, though, and the suspicion that Freedom's endorsement is for sale has undermined the reputation of the organization and the impact of its support. Perhaps the nadir was reached in 2006, when Freedom threw its weight behind Charlie Wheeler and Jason Klumb in two hotly contested races. Both endorsements were suspiciously pro-establishment, and both resulted in stinging defeats. In a prior era, the Freedom, Inc. endorsement would have been the deciding factor in both elections, but, in 2006, it was at best irrelevant, and possibly even a negative.

In 2006, Freedom, Inc. suffered a further embarrassment when it was fined by the FEC for failure to register as a PAC and comply with contribution limits and other provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

So, Steve, you ask what is up with Freedom, Inc., and the answer is a simple one. An organization formed to support social change has changed its focus to money. When Freedom, Inc. came out against the sales tax, it had nothing to do with what was good for the community. When it came out in favor of the sales tax, it had nothing to do with what was good for the community. The change in position was due to a change in how it perceived the money would flow.

As for the School District issue, the reason that they've remained silent is simple. Nobody has written them and told them how they should feel about it. As soon as someone writes to them in their preferred form, they will have a position. Their preferred form being, of course, in the memo section of a large check . . .