TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO LATINO LEADERS WHO AVOIDED MAKING THE GARCIA SUSPENSION INTO YET ANOTHER KANSAS CITY ETHNIC DEBATE!!!
There is just a tiny bit of good news at City Hall.
Another Latino controversy has been avoided.
TKC was the first local news outlet reporting the suspension of Water Services Director Bernardo Garcia. And now much of the subsequent reporting has been mostly flavored by petty City Hall politics.
WHAT IS DISAPPOINTING TO ME IS THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS PLAYED UP AS AN ETHNIC CONFLICT INVOLVING LOCAL LATINOS WHEN IT SEEMS TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A PERSONNEL ISSUE!!!
What local media doesn't understand is that just because somebody says they're a "Latino Leader" doesn't make it so . . . As one of this town's most powerful Latinos, TKC knows as much . . Accordingly, the loose collection of Latinos arguing on Garcia's behalf went mostly ignored. I hear Parks Board Director John Fierro halfheartedly threw his support behind Garcia but that might have just been to pay back a favor.
Here's a checklist that should dispel any contention that the Gracia suspension was racially or ethnically motivated:
Everyone acknowledges that Garcia has a rep for being hard to work with . . .
The dude doesn't have a presence at all in the local Latino Community and hasn't done much on the behalf of Kansas City Latinos.
Among anybody but a small cadre of Latino politicos, the local water dude is unknown.
Having reported on the local Latino Community for about 10 years, I know a bit about the concerns that face this town like: Education, housing, crime, immigration and healthcare . . . The fate of some guy's career simply because of his surname don't rank high on this list.
WHAT'S WORSE IS THAT SEVERAL FOLKS WHO AREN'T LATINO AND HAVE LITTLE INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY WERE PLAYING UP THE RACIAL ANGLE OF THE SUSPENSION!!!
It was a cynical move that, thankfully, didn't work.
The Garcia suspension is a City Hall struggle that involves former fans of ousted City Manager Wayne Cauthen vs. current fans of Acting City Manager Troy Schulte. It's politics and a power play and the lame effort to incite Latino rage on the subject simply represents a lack of understanding not only of this town's diverse communities but also some real ignorance regarding the forces that inspire this town's fastest growing ethic group.
Good job T.
ReplyDeleteright on the money tony.
ReplyDeleteWho are the Latino leaders in Kansas City? Last I checked, there is a few that are bought by Rizzo and company to keep their mouth shut.
ReplyDeleteCity Hall is vicious racist place to work, there's so much in fighting it's comic.
ReplyDeleteYEAH, RIGHT! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen you write.
ReplyDeleteYour mother makes a career out of race shake downs. If the "establishment" Latino community wanted to make it an issue - you'd be on the front lines screaming.
"Congratulations on avoiding an ethnic debate?!?" Ha! That's the only reason anyone even reads this blog - your constant ethnic fire stoking.
Payback in city hall keeps the upper management types amused. Garcia is the highest ranking Latino, but that is not the reason he should be kept. He is a pain in the ass. That is why he should be kept! He wasn't going along with big business in his department. That made him VERY unpopular with those outside-contractors. Thus he is characterized as mean spirited, aggressive and hard to get along with. Plus he has the specter of Wayne Cauthen hanging over his head. Bullshit.
ReplyDeleteHere's the real issue, just why is Garcia the only Latino with any authority in City Hall? So much for our Latino Leadership.
Great post tony.
ReplyDeleteLet the racist white man continue their rants to keep minorities down.
cocanut..see what kissing Darla J has taken you.
ReplyDeleteplease learn how to spell.
ReplyDeleteAnd thin margin has the best comment on this issue.
This is a good post, Tony. It's great to see reasonable attitudes prevail and faux racist garbage not play a role. Bernardo should leave because he is not just a pain in the ass... he is an abusive ass He abused employees and worked with Terry Riley to give sweetheart deals to his pals at Tetra Tech. He got caught. That's why he should be gone. Congrats to the Latino community for recognizing how worthless Bernardo is and not taking the bait.
ReplyDeleteInteresting discussion. One says people don't like him because he doesn't give away city money to contractors... and another says he's an ass.
ReplyDeleteWere I a KC taxpayer, and I sort of AM since my wife works in the hellhole patching up the local justice after the shootings, I'd say lets keep the asshole if he lets out contract bids fairly.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
Garcia wants city employees to work a full day what an idea.
ReplyDeleteIt's really too bad most of you (FEW) shitty hall posters don't establish a GMAIL account and so then post under a handle.
ReplyDeleteI love posting under a handle rather than ANONYMOUSE so i can be a persona.
There's a risk to that, for people might figure out who you are if you use a single handle. And may try to get you FIRED!
But on the other hand, that alter ego becomes YOU and you eventually establish street cred with that handle. People start giving you cred because of past posts under your pseudonym.
I encourage all of you to establish a nom'd plume and use it in all cases except when you wish to hide your identity behind 'anonymouse'.
My view about anonymous postings in TKC is that you're backstabbing bureaucrats afraid of being fired for your disloyalty.
Do you notice how unabashedly brave I am for posting my my internet handle? It's cuz I don't give a shit... you can't hurt me.
Too bad for you who can't afford to be fired at will!
The Latino Leadership in KC is fractured
ReplyDeleteI don't have a "handle" and I don't work for the City. But I can tell you that Bernardo was bad news. Sure, he might have wanted the water employees to work a full day... he just wanted to kick them while they were doing it. And as for bids being fairly done? Forget it. A specific councilman was directing that bit of business for him. It's a shame the Latino community is fractured, if it is; I don't know. But it's no shame that Bernardo was suspended.
ReplyDeleteAmen 2:11/ There were GOOD reasons why Garcia was suspended and it had nothing to do with being "fair" in contracts or "efforts" to make employees earn their pay.
ReplyDeleteANONYMOUSE
ReplyDeleteHMMMM ANONYMOUSE? That's one of funk'd's contributors listed in his first campaign finance filings. The one squit did herself, the one that she did not let the real Campaign Treasurers see. ANONYMOUSE?
"radioman"?, you blew it squit!