By Yael T. Abouhalkah, The Kansas City Star
Pity the poor Funkhouser haters.
It seems Mayor Mark Funkhouser is leading a City Hall that continues to win with the public at the polls.
Specifically:
-- On Tuesday, voters approved a 15-year extension of the three-eighths-cent sales tax for the Area Transportation Authority's buses.
Funkhouser had strongly supported the tax, which will create $25 million a year.
-- Last November, voters endorsed a 10-year extension of the city's 1-cent sales tax.
Funkhouser had been the primary mover and shaker behind the tax, which will generate about $68 million annually.
-- The City Council last year approved a Funkhouser initiative on economic development.
It establishes stricter guidelines for awarding tens of millions in public subsidies.
Sure the rules aren't strong enough; the mayor could have provided stronger leadership on the issue.
And Funkhouser has had plenty of stumbles, too. On Tuesday, for instance, KC voters rejected a weak smoking ordinance that the mayor had backed, following City Council member Ed Ford's absurd lead.
Still, it's enjoyable to see the Funkhouser critics casting about for something to whine about. Meanwhile, the people of Kansas City continue to endorse issues on which the mayor has provided the right kind of leadership.
Delicious
Digg
What Planet Are We On ...?
Yael: I would encourage a little fact checking or seeking an appointment with your eye doctor on your view that Funkhouser provided "strong" leadership on the various ballot issues that won on Tuesday, in particular the bus tax. Yes, he was present and voiced his support, but provided no significant leadership or push on these issues. His staff was even more MIA and non-responsive as well as not being consistent in their attendance at various meetings. Much effort was made during the campaigns to craft strategies that minimized the Mayor's role in order NOT to adversely impact the vote. This guy and co-mayor negatives are VERY high! I will say that what happened on Tuesday was one of the first times that I have seen a full court push from individual City Council Members on various ballot issues, which made more of an impact than Mr. Mayor and Co-mayor. This was true for last year's renewal of the sales tax - its success was due to leadership from Russ Johnson, Cindy Circo and other Council Members. Yes, the Mayor was "present" once again and voiced support, but was not a strong factor in the renewal - he played is figure head role and was largely irrelevant as well as doing more to divide our community rather than unite it.
BTW - Precision Optics is having a sale on eyewear and I hear the eye doctor is very good at changing one's perspective.
the pitch
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2008/04/daily_briefs_life_gives_lemons.php
Apparently I am not the only citizen inafunkaboutyaeltabouhalkah.
thanks midtown
If need be, I will research further. But the link you posted covered the item fairly and succinctly.
Attention: Mark Zeiman or Zieman (spelling)
Is this the kind of reporting or commentary you want from your staff? And just how long do you expect your readers to put up with this horse-crap?
Just a thought... I'm in for my time and I think $200/year or whatever you charge. So maybe my voice need not be heard at all.
Link
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/9897
What say ye, Abouhalkah?
Funkhouser disses the ATA, which isn't good news for bus tax
================
I've found a new ally in my battle against the Area Transportation Authority's request for a $375 million sales tax for buses in April.
Thank you, Mark Funkhouser.
The mayor said at a recent light-rail forum that suburbanites are "not going to invest in regional transit led by the ATA." That prompted ATA leader Mark Huffer to say he's disappointed by that comment.
Sure, I know Funkhouser technically was saying many suburban residents won't trust the ATA to correctly spend hundreds of millions of dollars for light rail.
But in evaluating the mayor's comments, I think it's fair to question whether Kansas City residents at this point should trust the ATA to correctly spend hundreds of millions for buses, either.
The ATA plan on the April ballot asks voters to renew the current three-eighths-cent transit tax for 15 more years. (It was endorsed in 2003 for only five years first time around.)
But the 15-year length is far too long, given the fact that absolutely no one knows now what the ATA's light-rail plan will look like.
Yes, light rail is an important part of the bus-tax vote.
That's because the ATA and City Council say they hope to place a light-rail starter line before voters in November. And that's going to take a tax increase of either one-quarter or three-eighths-cent.
However, Funkhouser has now raised questions about just how involved the ATA will be in making sure light-rail is done on a regional basis.
Bottom line: Voters at this time do not have good reasons to approve a 15-year renewal of the bus-tax. Fear not. That would not be the end of good bus service in Kansas City.
Instead, the defeat would force the ATA to come back to voters in November with a more comprehensive proposal. It should show Kansas Citians exactly what they would be spending to build high-quality bus service plus a new light-rail system.
That kind of approach is far better than voters plunging ahead with the ATA's $375 million tax and then hoping that a reasonable light-rail proposal emerges later in 2008.
midtown guy
Have a link to back up your post? Let's see if we can post hard evidence of Yael's B/S and see how people react (including his bosses) and what he does. Go for it!
You're nothing if not inconsistent
And here I was just hoping to see Yael sit down with a big helping of well-deserved crow. He was completely wrong on KU and even more so on the bus tax extension.
Instead, Yael desperately tries to revise the record so it isn't quite so embarrassing.
In Prime Buzz days, Yael lauded Funk for "dissing" the ATA and predicted it would hamper passage of the bus tax extension.
Now, Yael lauds Funk for being critical in the bus tax campaign. Which is funny because Funk excused himself from campaigning for both tax extensions now. Funk is, however, a master at taking credit for others' hard work.
We're all not so gullible as to believe that everyday is a chance to wipe the slate clean, Yael.
An honest mayor
What will Kansas City do with such a beast?
Farewell Light Rail
For those of you who support Light Rail, they got ya. Now you must pass a new tax and that won't be easy in the future.
Let the tax enthusiasts unite and celebrate
I always wonder why a leader celebrates a tax increase instead of offering their regrets it was necessary albeit needed? I hate it when they act like we are all happy about all the taxes we pay.
Humor us and at least show some regret.
another losing item
You forgot to mention Funk's now defeated initiative to make himself a super delegate. I have posted this tidbit on your blog but nary a word from you.
And I don't think you have visited the issue of street repair funding which, when adjusted for inflation, turns out to be less than last year even though this was Funkhouser's #1 initiative. His skill and gravitas wasn't able to carry the day on this piece either. I don't think you mentioned this factoid either. We will see if anyone in City Government is still doing Citizen Satisfaction Surveys and what the citizens think about the street repair issue when even less money is spent on the same. I am sure we won't be hearing about this from you though.
All the news that fit to print... the NY Times you obviously are not :)
Your new career as a sportswriter seems to moving ahead crisply though.