TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! RUMOR HAS IT THE MAYOR'S WIFE USED THE M-WORD!!! GLORIA MUST GO IF IT'S TRUE!!!

TKC TIPSTERS STAND UP!

I knew what would happen after I made the previous post regarding the EEOC complaint filed against the Mayor's office.

The info came pouring in . . . Some of it didn't make any sense but a few VERY RELIABLE TKC SOURCES - WHO I WILL PROTECT TILL THE GATES OF HELL . . . Provided some great info. Thank you.

Sadly, I'm not into naming names (no snitching) but the reporters and avid City Hall watchers will know what I'm talking about and the broad strokes are entertaining, enlightening and provocative enough for everyone to enjoy. Here we go:

RUMOR HAS IT THAT THE MAYOR'S CHIEF POLITICAL ADVISER GLORIA SQUITIRO HAS BEEN USING THE TERM "MAMMY" TO REFER TO BLACK FEMALE EMPLOYEES AT CITY HALL!!!

Sadly, DeAnn Smith at The Star previously reported that Ms. Squitiro liked to walk around with no shoes at the office with her big feet. . . .



But I had no idea that it's common knowledge the lady has a big, dumb mouth as well when it comes to cultural logics and what a person can and can't say to Black women in the workplace.

Another tipster wrote to tell me that the insensitive racial remarks didn't stop there . . . The Mayor's wife also refers to an African-American female City Hall employee as "Bernie Mac" with the lame excuse that their names are similar . . .



Sure, Bernie Mac is a talented entertainer (one of my favorites actually) but I don't know any woman who would like to be compared to a caustic, 50 year-old comedian.

Right now, all of the Mayor's spokesmen aren't making any comment. And my only regret is that this story is coming to light on a Friday Afternoon.

Although, I want to note that these allegations and rumors floating around of inappropriate racial language at City Hall don't come out of the blue . . .

Remember that Mayor Funkhouser ended his campaign by referring to the Eastside as "The Black part of town" in an insensitive manner that was derided by his opponent Alvin Brooks.

In an equally insulting gesture, Ms. Squitiro ordered bodyguards for the Mayor SOLELY FOR HIS APPEARANCES IN KANSAS CITY'S MINORITY COMMUNITIES. The Mayor had previously rejected all bodyguards, a bad move, but Ms. Squitiro obviously considered groups of Black and Latinos who attend community meetings as a threat.

And, of course, several people have noted that it was Ms. Squitiro who was friends with Frances Semler and is one of her strongest proponents as a misguided representation of diversity.

Again, EEOC complaints are very closely guarded so it'll be quite awhile before the details and facts are made known to the public and some of the details in this post are not related specifically to the EEOC complaint in question so I'm wonder when the answers will come . . . If ever . . . But the speculation is out there . . . I'm just reporting it . . . It would be wise for the Mayor's Office to confront, deny, answer or refute this kind of talk.

After all, it was Mayor Funkhouser who promised more transparent City Government and not tersely worded PR statements as the weekend approaches.

If it's not true, let them say so . . . And while the code of silence continues, Ms. Squitiro runs the risk of appearing as the Scarlett O'Hara of the 29th floor, casually casting insults at the Black female employees of City Hall.



In the end, this is a serious subject and I don't contend to have all of the answers on this blog.

Again, I'm not accusing the Mayor's wife of being a racist but it's been made abundantly clear that she has neither the qualifications nor the skill to work as The Mayor's Chief Political adviser. In just a few months she has made the leap from a homemaker working part-time as a mid-wife of sorts to one of the most influential positions in City Hall (other than the hotdog vendors who work across from the Courthouse). Clearly, she has had a hard time adapting.

But no matter what Katheryn Shields says, IGNORANCE IS NOT A DEFENSE!!!

If there is merit to these rumors then she needs to step down for the good of Kansas City and as a sign or respect for all of the people of color who work at City Hall. Sadly, I'm afraid that Kansas City has only begun to see the scope and scale of Mayor Funkhouser's stubbornness as earlier concerns regarding Ms. Squitiro from more qualified reporters and (much) smarter people than TKC were ignored by the Mayor.

(Cold Vulcan) Logic dictates that if the Mayor "stuck to his guns" for someone he just met on the campaign trail then I'm sure he will vehemently defend his wife "on principal" while her role as a a self-described unpaid volunteer would otherwise not interfere with the Mayor's interactions with City Hall employees if she weren't his wife . . . Put simply, any other person would be gone in a heartbeat under similar circumstances and without the influence of nepotism.

My only hope is that other REAL reporters in this town have the courage to ask questions and note that the Mayor's relations with the Black Community have been tense and dismissive and his wife's tone, attitudes and influence could be part of the problem.



TKC Postscript: I've always been a fan of Hattie McDaniel's work. Her acting ability solidified the "Mammy" character/caricature in American popular culture. The role proved to be a both a blessing and a curse for her career. She was the first African-American to win an Oscar but her depiction also drew fierce criticism from African-American leaders. She was born on June 10, 1895 in Wichita, Kansas.