All Things Considered - Council's the Source of the Embarrassment, and Yael Expects No Gatekeeper
I winced when I heard that NPR's All Things Considered was going to be doing a story on the saga of the Volunteer Ordinance. I feared that they, like the local media, would mischaracterize the story as being about something other than the a power grab by the City Council in a misguided attempt to decide how the Mayor should run his office.
NPR got it right, but I'm still wincing. Our City Council was shown to be the source of the problem, interfering with a Mayor's decision to work with his spouse. NPR even went further and gave Yael Abouhalkah enough rope to hang himself, quoting him as "a columnist with The Kansas City Star, [who] says city residents don't need a gatekeeper in the mayor's office."
Really, Yael? You, in your infinite wisdom, have decided that Mark doesn't need a gatekeeper? Even though every Mayor since Henry Kumpf has had a gatekeeper of some sort? (Confession - I really don't know if Henry Kumpf had a gatekeeper - I just looked back at some historical KC Mayors and picked one with a funny name.) It takes guts for a columnist at the Star to issue such an opinion, sitting in an office shielded by more plexiglass and paranoid guards than a payday loan shop at two in the morning.
In the big picture, though, NPR saw that the City Council is at fault here. Mark clearly states that he just wants to be left alone to run his office and focus on the real city issues. The City Council, though, wants to play around with staffing decisions that aren't theirs to make. The KC Star is annoyed that Mark doesn't maintain an open-door policy that they themselves don't emulate.
Meanwhile, we had 21 murders in August, and the City Council wants to play games.
Last Thursday, I saw Alvin Brooks talk about a local murder, and he challenged each of us to think about how the blood of a hopeless young man is on our own hands. 5 or 6 Council members were there, fresh from their override of the Mayor's veto. Sadly, I doubt that any of them even thought about how their silly, unconstitutional game-playing was a part of the problem.
Instead of being on the national media for innovative crime solutions, we're on NPR because our City Council doesn't like the Mayor's wife. Our Council has chosen to focus its attention on the feisty Italian in a cubicle rather than the poor kids shooting each other, and that's what NPR found worthy of broadcasting.
How embarrassing.
Labels: city council, Gloria Squitiro, kansas city, KC Star, Mayor Funkhouser
posted by Dan at 9/30/2008 05:38:00 AM
14 Comments:
not that I care either way, as long as they don't increase the earnings tax,but I'd like to know if you think the mayor should be the sole decider of how to run his office or there should be some limitations? what if he decided that he needs a hooker (volunteer of course) to be present at his office at all times to be successful. and speaking of precedents.
Stop picking on Beth.
I remember Alvin Brooks, he is the guy who should have been mayor if not for the white bigot vote which claimed to know that a black man would not be able to govern in a mature manner.
OOPS!
Get over it. Move on and quit distracting the city.
The mayor now cannot have his wife working with him 8-5, every day.
The city council is not going to rescind it and it will not be overturned by a court.
The city council has moved on - they are working on city issue.
It's the mayor who drawing this issue out.
Note to Funk and Gloria apologists: follow the example set by city council, move on and focus on legitimate city issues.
Frankly, after the council approved the Citadel project, I would prefer they confine themselves to harassing the Mayor's wife.
Help me out here, Dan:
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/14722
How low does he have to go before you recognize he's not your knight in shining armor?
"a power grab by the City Council in a misguided attempt to decide how the Mayor should run his office"
No matter how many times you say this, it doesn't make it true...
"we're on NPR because our City Council doesn't like the Mayor's wife"
Uh, the Council isn't the only one...
"How embarrassing."
I agree, the way the co-Mayors have handled this is very embarrassing.
Especially since the Mayor can't be bothered to answer tough questions in a press conference he called....
Sophie
I am sure that Dan will now change his mind and say how he loves ole Jeff Roe.
You can rile against the council all you want. The fact of the matter is that Funkee is leaving town chasing the almighty dollar while the rest of the council remains to take care of the issues Funkee claims to care about.
And he lost the appeal on Cauthen's contract. He and you are losers.
Funk would not deny the fact that Jeff Roe is his political advisor. Which means Funk is working with Jeff Roe.
I'll bet anyone here Dan will be mute on this subject.
I cannot wait to hear the Funk and Gloria apologists weigh in on this. (The Democratic ones, that is.)
Btw is Dan a Democrat? I'm not sure, he has never issued, throughout what is the most incredible Presidential campaign in recent memory, any post that supports Obama.
None.
And this is a political blog.
It will be interesting to hear Dan spin out Jeff Roe. Here are few Dan quotes on Jeff:
Funk Slimed - Do I Smell a Roe? Or Not?
the obvious suspect is Jeff Roe, who is well-known to resort to lies and innuendo in sliming opponents. He's also known for being ineffective
this is a guy who honestly thinks that Roe's tactics are okay, and is willing to pay Jeff Roe to work on his behalf. Does that sound like anyone you want to be associated with? Does that sound like a Democrat you can support?
Most damning for Koster, though, is that he has hired Jeff Roe.
a sneaky attempt by the right wing to give political hacks like Jeff Roe
Jeff Roe happens to be one of those disgusting political operatives
And the list goes on and on and on.
Any bets if Dan will support Funk on this one?
Right now, I don't believe that Roe is joining the Funkhouser team. If I'm wrong - and I acknowledge I could be - I'll either jump ship or I'll provide a thorough explanation of how I've changed my mind so completely. Stay tuned.
It would be the end of his hopes of working with the council, any reconciliation whatsoever. It would be the end of hope and aspirations for a better community for the regular guy. He ran on the principles that we thought would make a difference, because he was not the usual politician. He can still do it without the likes of Roe. Everyone, yes everyone, in my circle voted for him because he said he was the real thing and would not stoop to the tricks that some of these types use to accomplish their agenda. I hope that he can re-find his inner compass because right now my hope for a better future by his example of what could be, is contemplating a very foolish move out of sheer desperation. And that makes me sad because I think he is making some very unwise choices based totally on fear and emotions. He needs to go back to where he started almost 2 years ago when he had the courage and vision to begin this journey. Please Mayor, don't make another mistake. This would be a huge error in judgment. You and the first lady can get back to where you started without selling us out. Right now you are becoming a stranger to us.
The fact that he is even talking to these people is an afront to us who supported him in the first place. Glorioso too?
It is a statement to where he is evolving. Into a political hack. To be seen in public on even one occasion with Roe was a slap in the face. There were a couple of things like this that got us to wondering six months ago about his personality changes. This is the kind of thinking that has changed our world. Whatever it takes I guess.
If Dan leaves the ship then it is doomed like the Titanic and any hopes of keeping it afloat will be over.
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