Council Dude John Sharp set this in motion last week when he thought nobody would notice a rather bold move to undercut public opposition to City Hall taking over an important aspect of local healthcare.
The pushback starts this morning . . . Here's a TKC EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW TO THE UPCOMING FIGHT along with the latest press release and some of what KC news watchers will see tonight at 5 in the PM.
4 PM. Monday August 31, 2009And here's some of the chatter that's going round among the MAST folks that I've corrected just a bit:
At MAST headquarters, 6750 Eastwood Trfwy, Kansas City, MO.
Citizens to Save MAST are VERY CONCERNED about the new city ordinance submitted by former ousted MAST director and now city council member John Sharp.
The Ordinance would shove MAST into the city structure without due diligence and planning.
Ordinance will be on Wednesday's Public Safety Committee docket.
THIS IDEA TO MOVE MAST IS ALL POLITICAL. We do not want ambulance service to be a pawn.
"A resolution (It's actually an ordinance) is coming out of committee on Wednesday that would make MAST a city dept. NOW. This would clarify what MAST is so that confusion of who negotiates with who, and who's money is who's money. (TKC: ???) Who has legal authority etc etc. Would end. This should be the final step to becoming true city employees. This needs our biggest and loudest support to date. So two days this week for just a few hours your union needs you to be at City Hall. Wednesday 9-02-09 at 10:00 and Thursday 09-03-09 at 13:30."For the most part, the overwhelming majority of MAST employees have been too scared to speak up . . . But the fact that often goes unreported is simple:
MOST RESIDENTS OF KANSAS CITY DON'T WANT CITY HALL RUNNING HEALTHCARE!!!
Putting Mayor Funky and Co-Mayor Squitiro in charge of ambulance service is a disaster waiting to happen. The entire City Council should expect some serious backlash from voters who aren't Local 42 affiliated if they move ahead and ram this one through . . . Already a petition to stop the MAST hostile takeover is nearly complete . . .
And just to prove even more Kansas City hypocrisy correct . . .
THIS ORDINANCE IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE LOCAL 42 AND FIREFIGHTERS OUT OF THE MAST DISCUSSION BUT LOOK FOR KCFD TO THUG OUT LOCAL MEETINGS THIS WEEK THEREBY PROVING THAT THIS MAST DEAL IS UNION BOSS LOUIE WRIGHT'S BIGGEST SCHEME TO DATE!!!
Seriously . . . City Hall taking over ambulance service is probably the best reason to move out of KC Proper that Mayor Funky and crew have ever provided. Union Bosses dictating their terms to local politicos is a close second. By the end of this week we'll see if the standard of healthcare and life in general is degraded by shady politics and union backroom deals.