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Mar
26
The Kay Barnes meltdown
March 26, 2007 |
Mark Forsythe has an excellent commentary on The Kansas City Post analyzing how Mayor Barnes’ recent actions are threatening her legacy.
Prior to the current election cycle Mayor Kay Barnes seemed to be establishing a solid legacy as the mayor that finally started to turn around Downtown. Sadly in the last few weeks she seems to have come unhinged at the prospect of Mark Funkhouser succeeding her on the 29th floor of City Hall, culminating in a bizarre meltdown last week when the TIF audit was released after regular citizens filed open records request.
The focus on Downtown was sorely needed and will benefit the entire city in the long run. The Mayor should be applauded for those efforts. But people aren’t happy with the speed at which those benefits are trickling down. Furthermore, the tax incentives used to fuel the redevelopment have been used irresponsibly in many other parts of town. Public sentiment is changing and it’s too bad that a mayor who came into office as an alleged neighborhood advocate seems unable to cope with these changes.
Comments
10 Comments so far
I wonder how she’ll react tomorrow when Funkhouser wins the election? I’m not completely comfortable with Funk, and I hate to say it, but I think Brooks is too old. If Brooks were to win, he’d be almost 80 at the end of his first term. What then? I am suspicious that Barnes is so afraid of Funkhouser becoming mayor…almost like he might uncover something she doesn’t want us to know.
The Funk needs to win so the facts will come out like the housing money that was going to waste and the fees on car rental firms out at the airport to stay in business. No other company would pay so much extra for a business license. It won’t be long till only two rental firms are at the airport,and the prices really go up.
If Funkhouser wins it will be a bigger deal than most realize. This guy truly is running against the establishment. If you doubt that - just look at the venom we see out of those in power. Brooks has too many contributions over the $3,000 limit to count, and the anti-Funk energy from the Mayor and others in the establishment is crazy.
I think he’ll win for two reasons:
1. His argument is a good one and enhanced by the Mayor’s level of opposition - It’s a reward the insider structure that refuses to improve to the benefit of regular people (ex. Mayoral anger over the TIF audit when even the EDC says TIF underperforms by millions).
2. The other candidate is running a horrible campaign. You have to want it more than the other guy and certianly more than your suporters. The Mayor may be working hard - but Brooks is not - he just offers passive support for the status quo and, while aknowledging he has not accomplished much over 8 years, simply says “I wasn’t the Mayor then - I’ll be Mayor and that’s when I can get something done.” A bad campaign with a weak candidate usually is the losing side.
Here’s the main reason I think Funkhouser will win: people who are happy with the status quo are less likely to vote.
I’m glad to read such positivism. The latest poll I’ve seen has them tied at 48%. Funk’s people really need to get out to the polls.
I think they will…it’s just hard to imagine a 75 year-old first term mayor. What would be the point? Is he going to run for re-election when he’s almost 80?
I totally agree, Tim, but his age hasn’t really been an issue in this election.
Not only has she damaged her legacy, she’s hurt her chances at taking Sam Graves’ congressional seat even before she’s even announced her candidacy. Last week’s press conference alone gave Graves a campaign’s worth of video of Barnes looking frustrated and angry. Her temper tantrum certainly raises some interesting questions about her character and personality.
In the end, the Mayor’s legacy will that she abandoned good old tried and true capitalism for a system that invites corruption and inefficiency.
We don’t seem to know how to do TIFs without including eminent domain for private gain and the people are fed up with this terrible abuse of government power. Some have “held their nose” and looked the other way because they thought the economic ‘good” resulting from TIF projects outweighed the injustice of the eminent domain abuse. As we learn more about how poorly TIF project actually perform, though, they will come around to the position of the other 90% of Missourians who are ready to restore traditional property rights.
Missouri Citizens for Property Rights is giving the people the hope that neither the mayor nor the General Assembly has provided, They are now collecting signatures for an amendment to the state constitution that truly protect property rights. See http://www.mo-cpr.org
- Ron
I am disappointed in Barnes, I thought she was a class act before the melt down against Funk. I think she has ended her career. i won’t vote for her, I think she lost the Northland.