Kansas City power brokers aren't nearly as influential as fitness babe Tonya Olson and they probably don't look as good in a bikini but they still try to make an impact. . . To wit: Here's the weekly list of locals who stayed winning this week.
POLITICOS
1. Kansas City Public School Interim Superintendent Dr. Stephen Green - He's taking away control of The ACE Campus in surprising move that breaks with almost a generation of tradition. Like it or not (and many IMPORTANT PEOPLE don't) . . . The KCPS effort to take back The ACE Collegium Campus is a strong move.
2. Mayor Sly James - After one year in office his approval rating is still generally high. He has made some mistakes and I'm not a fan of his inability to create compromise but there's no denying his charisma and power to dominate City Hall remains intact after a year in office.
3. MO State Rep. Ryan Silvey - This Northland GOP Politico is prepared to take away newspaper tax credits in Missouri and that's a strong move in acknowledging the current Digital era.
4. MO State Rep. John Rizzo - He's building a strong reputation for Public Safety with a consistent concern for helping Kansas City fight crime in Northeast.
5. KC School Board Member Airick L. West - Don't call it a comeback.
NEWSIES
Eric Wesson - One of the most talented journalists working in Kansas City who also serves as an advocate for Kansas City's urban core.
DeAnn Smith - A digital guru in the making. DeAnn brings her investigative reporting skill to KCTV5 along with a flare for creating captivating content that drives traffic and inspires readers/viewers to return.
Tess K - Tess consistently proves herself to be one of Kansas City's most gifted storytellers. She always brings the subjects of her news reports to life.
Micheal Mahoney - A Kansas City News Legend and still one of the most tenacious voices in the local press corps.
Steve Vockrodt - A rising star at KC's Biz Journal and basically his byline is where I see most of the important local biz headlines first.
DENIZENS OF TKC!!!
Forgive the seemingly self-congratulatory category title . . . This section is just a way for me to express a bit of appreciation and offer a shout out to some of the rather AWESOME people who I know, have met or interacted with through this blog.
Lynne Bratcher - Without Lynne there is no TKC. It's as simple as that. Lynne is standing up for Free Speech, freedom of expression and blogging in Kansas City. She also has her own blog that's rather AWESOME as well. Behind the scenes there are a lot of people who have helped to keep Kansas City information and opinion flowing freely. . . But Lynne has very publicly and graciously taken center-stage to stand up for Kansas City's online discourse as just one of the many AWESOME things she does as a lawyer. As always, I really can't thank Lynne enough for all of her work.
Hey Cameraman - I'm a fan of this blogger and Kansas City Podcaster. He is consistently one of the smartest people I've ever seen working in digital media and news-gathering in Kansas City.
AWESOME & KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTERS - The people in the know who aren't afraid to put important information on blast.
Kansas City PR Hacks - I always give these folks a hard time but the very best of this bunch don't take anything personally, don't mind sending me a message twice and always roll with the punches.
TKC Commenters and Inafunk, Miss Sweetie Pie, SOS, Chuck, Radioman, Another Midtown Mom, TKC=Sad Clown, etc. - I don't always agree with most of you guys and a lot of your opinions are misinformed, intentionally misleading, angry, stupid and almost always consistently self-righteous. But every once in awhile (more often for Inafunk & Miss Sweetie Pie) there are a few gems that make it all worthwhile. Believe it or not, sometimes TKC comments include a great joke, vital information, the perfect quip or an important perspective/info that adds to a paltry blog post. Thank you for participating, d-bags.
As always, this list has been compiled according to scientific TKC polling and market research data and it's a weekly comprehensive guide to local powerful people.
How much for a listing, d-bag?
ReplyDeleteWhat no Craig Glazer????
ReplyDeleteHe is the most important person in Kansas City! Just ask him.
His comedy club Stanfords is number 2 in the nation! Just ask him.
He does everything better than anyone else! Just ask him.
He has more women that anyone in KC! Just ask him.
He is the Sports Scribe of KC and you will kneel down to him! Just ask him.
Tony, I read your blog several times a week. I read the comments. I don't generally comment myself but am amused and strangely relieved people have the freedom to be as smart or as stupid as they want.
ReplyDeleteBut I fail to understand your admiration of Eric Wesson! I see him on tv and he seems like an ok guy. But I've read The Call, too. It's so horribly done, it's embarrassing. The guy demonstrates know knowledge of the rules of journalism. He also apparently doesn't have a word processing program with spell check. His sentence structure is non-existent, his reporting is rife with personal opinion, and generally his language, spelling, grammar, and overall writing skills are poor. I've seen 4th grade papers written better (albeit by strong students).
Eric has interesting commentary on Week in Review. Perhaps he should explore a career in radio or television. But his reporting and writing are so sub-standard, he really needs to take some classes to improve his writing skills. The ones he possesses now are simply not good enough to call him a "journalist" of any sort.
I am gonna sell my paper's endorsement to politicos in the form of "advertising" so I cans get me some more snazzy suits!
ReplyDeleteI APPROVE this blog!!!
ReplyDeleteMichael Mahoney rides a lot on his laurels these days. Perhaps KMBC would be better off to offer up a retirement package and send him packing.
ReplyDeleteMr. Tony,
ReplyDeleteI am surely floored to be mentioned. I am flat out relieved that you are not opposed to me taking your hand and trying to set you on a higher path.
I do thank you for the Micheal Mahoney mention. He is a fine Irishman and a noble newshound. The wind is always at his back.
As for Miss Bratcher, she does alleviate the all too true picture of a self serving attorney. I respect her adherence to her convictions coupled with a (pardon me) kick butt knowledge and application of law.
Blushing ferociously,
Miss Sweetie Pie
Tony I don't agree with you often, but your blog is an important and crucial vehicle for free speech in this city.
ReplyDeleteI admire your willingness to let ANYONE state thier opinions and rant and rave at the moon, including me.
Over in Europe, more specifically, in England, you can be arrested and incarcerated for the things that I say on this blog.
Our First Amendment rights are being threatened here at home, by the very same PC Police that have silenced those in England, and of course have ALWAYS silened those voices in totalitarian countries for ages.
The freedom of speech permitted on this blog is anathema to many, who I read here, calling for curtailment and a more civil discourse.
While I respect Radioman and others who want you to censor this blog, you would do a disservice to us all by screening out offensive remarks.
No matter how nasty the disocourse, how threatening and unciveil, it is, at the end of the day, discourse.
We are forced to see how our philisophical enemies see the world. Those we think we hate, could, in the end be those we come to understand, only through that same discourse, no matter how vile.
In my opinion, you do great work here, for you, the city and certainly my fuckin blood pressure.
God Bless.
Yeah, the lies and the slander will keep flowing....for this summer, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what I advocate as censorship....I see it as setting minimum standards for discourse. To delete people who just use the N word for effect, and who make sexual references towards women mentioned in Tony's posts forces people to raise the level of their discourse if they hope to stay published.
ReplyDeleteWho loses out? The room just smells more inhabitable.
12:17 Must be a long day at the firehouse with minimal calls for service. I hope if the city cuts firefighter jobs that you are on that list.
ReplyDeleteBy the way go find a mirror and wipe the spittle off your chin, and don't forget to dust off your knees from being on the floor with Local 42 "leadership".
Ok.
ReplyDeleteFree speech is a good thing. Thanks tkc for taking the heat for us to fire back at fire union thugs.
ReplyDeleteToo much of anything can be bad, including freedom and free speech. In order for the concept of freedom to ring true it must be tempered with discipline. That being said what's wrong with me saying I'd bang Cindy Circo. It's a compliment.
ReplyDeleteL-O-FUCKING-L.
ReplyDeletetony if that's u, I will kick ur ass.
8:47- That's what they all do.
ReplyDeleteDid Rizzo buy a yearly or quarterly membership for your list? The guy takes a 4 inch shit and he makes the list. hahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteYour Rizzo text is copy paste 4 weeks in a row. Anything new?
This is exactly how suppression of free speech began in Britain.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theblaze.com/stories/los-angeles-passes-resolution-againt-intolerable-radio-speech/
The person who calls me a pussy & says 'shut up, pussy'... Is he exercising his free speech, or is he trying to suppress mine? Such comments aren't about exercising free speech, but bullying down others' speech. Is this a free forum or a school yard run by bullies?
ReplyDeleteByron. Don't be sensitive. Nobody can jump through your screen and get you.
ReplyDeleteSteve Vockrodt; the counter-culture, soccer hooligan, cyclist, journalist who keeps tabs on Kansas City's top capitalists!
ReplyDeleteAmong my favorites!