More than any other politico in Kansas City, I feel that current Kansas City Council Dude and Jackson County Legislature hopeful Terry Riley has not been treated fairly.
Neither the mainstream media nor Kansas City's political elite have acknowledged his hard work and connection with the communities that he represents.
This weekend he has been all over Kansas City talking to people throughout Jackson County in an effort to build real grassroots support. Meanwhile, his opponent has shied away from speaking for himself.
TKC supports Terry Riley because he represents a real and significant change from the 38 year tenure of Fred Arbanas.
For the record, I've met with Arbanas and I think he's a nice guy along with the people in his immediate circle . . . However, there has been an underground effort in opposition to Riley that has been truly mean-spirited unwilling to debate issues and deceptive in their defense of a 38 year tenure that's much too long according to nearly everybody in local politics. Fred is a nice guy but he has had time enough to accomplish all of his goals in Jackson County. Real talk: Most people simply recognize the name from his days on the last Chiefs Superbowl Team and don't know much else about his politics.
While I'm disappointed that Riley has helped to turn this Jackson County campaign so decidedly negative, he's done no worse than any other politico out there. In that same respect, TKC has paid far too much credence to talk of impending investigations of Riley given that nothing has materialized so far. Put simply, Perfect Output is small potatoes and Riley never profited personally . . . And it's unfair to this politico to judge him for indictments and accusations that have so far only materialized in anonymous comments.
So, now that I've addressed some of the arguments against Riley, here's why I think he would be good for the Jackson County Legislature:
* He has a record of listening to his constituents, accessibility and direct contact with voters.
* The Heavies have supported Riley in the past and that association might be important as The County will need to foster increased development in order to spark job growth.
* Riley has been a constant advocate of diversity and for people of color, this perspective is desperately needed in Jackson County government where the plight for social justice is often ignored.
In these categories, incumbent Fred Arbanas simply doesn't measure up and has mostly kept his seat due to name recognition and not any new ideas. Also, in this campaign Riley has taken to the street and the Internet . . . TERRY RILEY HAS SIMPLY OUTWORKED FRED ARBANAS!!!
And for all these reasons along with TKC Fact Checking with totally debunked the lame shamrock rhetoric embraced by big media . . .
THE FIRST POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF TKC GOES TO TERRY RILEY IN THE JACKSON COUNTY 3RD DISTRICT AT-LARGE RACE!!!
To celebrate this historic occasion, tonight's playlist is dedicated to Scottish singers, bands and pop music in order to offset so much political Irish-y mudslinging against Riley centered around a shamrock and not real Jackson County issues.
As always, thank you for reading this week. Have a safe and fun weekend!!!
Good for you Tony.
ReplyDelete"goes to Terry Riley......and Henry Rizzo's sausage."
ReplyDeleteTerry's is probably popping the cork on this endorsement. Oh what an honor. NOT!!!
ReplyDeleteIs Tony more powerful than Chirs Moreno? We will see on election day?
ReplyDeleteBut I don't care about either.
Terry deserves the nod. he's a good guy who cares and who will work hard
ReplyDeleteWhy do you idiots who support Terry "Show Me What's in Your Other Hand First" Riley? He's a "good guy"? He's a pimp and a thug and a bully and a racist. He plays the race card because he is too stupid to have any other ammo in his arsenal.
ReplyDeleteHe "will work hard"? What makes you think so? He's been on council for 10 years and hasn't done a damn thing except line his pal's pockets with cash and no-bid contracts, backstab, lie, threaten... yeah that's REAL hard work for a brutish pig like Terry.
Tony you might think the Perfect Output is small potatoes, but the Perfect Output folks don't seem to agree, since that little mess of Riley's is STILL working its way through the courts system.
Last but not least, the chemical dumping ground known quaintly as "The Citadel." They have already popped two heads on that federal mess, and once Mr. Threatt gets all nice and comfortable, he start singing in 8 octaves about Terry's hand in that mess. IF there is really nothing to it, Tony, why does Terry stomp around screaming at folks in council chambers about how the Feds are looking at his banking books and at his friends banking books? For this federal investigation to be so meaningless, it doesn't appear to rub Terry that way.
Be a fool and vote for this bully. But you'd better watch him carefully. His salary as a legislator is a lot less than as a councilman and he has to make house payments on his big diggs he recently bought And you can't hide in City Hall's parking garage when you see the Repo Man coming. Terry's going to have to find some extra cash some where. Heavies beware... it will most likely come from you.
you forgot "Because he is a corrupt minority of color, like me! But More Corrupt and More Color!"
ReplyDeleteIf Riley has the Heavies support, you have to ask yourself, what did he do to get it? And since the Heavies were such great friends with Wayne Cauthen and Terry made such a marvelous mess out of things with Wayne, you sure this leprechaun or whatever he is makes the best choice.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what color he is. The guy sounds corrupt. Period.
7:39 You ROCK and right on!! The city, county, democrat committee no longer needs this face punching SOB thug! He needs to get as out of Kansas City. The End!!
ReplyDeleteReally, you Arbanas thugs are the most incredible lying, racist pigs in Kansas City. Your inuendo and outright lies are not going to work this time. Fred Arbanas has presided (yes, presided) over the most corrupt level of government in this area for the past 38 years. During his tenure, we have seen FBI investiagions of county government, time and again, legislators going to jail, taxes fixed by the current county executive's father-in-law, former county executives in trouble for arranging 'pay for play' contracts, etc., etc., etc. All of this under FRED'S watchful eye. Fred is either the biggest crook in our county's 38 year history, or a complete idiot who doesn't have a clue what is going on. Either way, it's time for him to go.
ReplyDeleteI think Fred means well, it's just that he is more interested in his retirement (wish he would) and HIS parks. How self-absorbed can a politician be than naming a golf course after himself, when he is the Chair of the Land Use Committee over the parks? Wow, how big can the ego get?
ReplyDeleteMe personally, I think its time we quit electing a bunch of Irish thugs.
ReplyDeleteI just got thru readin about that Kwame Kilpatrick guy,...jeeze.
Westport Westies for RILEY!!
If you don't think Arbanas himself is a thug, just ask him why he only has one eye. It wasn't because of something on the football field. Ask him how he treats citizens who go to the legislature with a complaint. Has the Sheriff physically throw them out, threatens them with lawsuits and calling the FBI on THEM. He's an arrogant asshole of the first order who needs to go.
ReplyDeleteHey, don't forget Fred's legislative aide who gets paid nearly $60,000 a year for doing nothing but campaigning for Fred on county time. Fred and his aide break the state ethics law routinely and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteFred used video footage from the county's TV commercial for the parks in his campaign commercial. Bet he didn't pay the county for use of that footage. While Yael attacks Rizzo, he ignores these little ethical lapses on the part of the others. I think Tony is getting it right on all the candidates.
ReplyDeleteDid O'Neill produce the park commercial for the county? If so, that explains the use of the park video in fred's commercial.
ReplyDeleteNext up, Charlie Rangel! Followed by Maxine Waters, and then William Jefferson!
ReplyDeleteTKC loves corrupt minorities!
I never heard of this guy Arbanas. What has he done for 38 years.
ReplyDeletethe property tax fixers are alive and well in jackson county. some county legislators do very well in this business. then there are the bonds. who is watching that? nothing has changed in jackson county. it's as corrupt as ever, maybe even more so.
ReplyDeleteArbanas has been there from the beginning, since Harry Truman?
ReplyDeleteYou forgot - you've been endorsing Beth Gottstein for over a year. Anyway, looks like you and Yael have something in common - an overinflated ego and idea of self-importance. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteHere's a cheer for Fred Arbanas:
ReplyDeleteGO, GO, GO, GOING, GONE!!
Why does Tony ignore all other counties but JXCO, and all other cities but KCMO? "Despise" the dead tree press as he does, he has to admit that the Star's new website, the Midwest Democracy Project - has the resources and editorial desire to serve the larger community.
ReplyDeletehttp://midwestdemocracyproject.org/
Salary for a Jackcson County Legislator is $25,938.
ReplyDeleteTerry Riley currently makes $61,998 as a City Council Member.
If he were to win, thats quite a pay cut. How's he going to be able to afford that $311,000 home he owns?
Tony has lost it. Too bad. I had high hopes. Endorsing Riley, the kind of ick who will search through your sofa cushions looking for loose change, is just what we don't need in JXCO.
ReplyDelete8:46 am. Fred Arbanas Legislative Aide makes $50,253 per year. Not "nearly $60,000" like you claim.
ReplyDeleteA legislative aide makes $50,253 per year?? The county works one day per week!I don't know either of these two but if someone's "aide" makes more than a Missouri senator then I say that elected official needs to go.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:39 has the story right.!!! Tony, I have a case of snake oil I need to sell. How many bottles do you need?
ReplyDeleteGuess we need to verify what other aides receive. Last time I looked they all received about the same amount including Garza, Rizzo, Waits.
ReplyDelete10:09 and 10:50.
ReplyDeleteAll 9 Jackson County Legislators make a salary of $25,938.
Here is the salaries of their Legislative Aides:
Scott Burnett's aide-$36,587
Henry Rizzo's aide-$36,192
Theresa Ruiz's aide-$40,560
Fred Arbanas' aide-$50,253
James Tindall Jr.'s aide-$67,517
Dennis Waits' aide-$50,253
Dan Tarwater III's aide-$57,782
Gregory Grounds' aide-$40,456
Bob Spence's aide-$46,134
Fred Arbanas. 38 years of crime, corruption and collution on the Jackson County Legislature.
ReplyDeleteTerry Riley makes $61,198 per year as a City Council Member.
ReplyDeleteHis office "assistant" makes $48,828 per year.
Fred's assistant went part time at part time pay early into the campaign - he did the right thing. This demonstrates how loyal she is not only to him but his re-election efforts. I applaud them both
ReplyDeleteYes, you should be applauded, but I just can't bring myself to do it.
ReplyDeleteShit, Tony "endorsed" before me!!!!
ReplyDeleteMove aside hijo, toadstool_watcher endorses Terry Riley. Why? Mainly because Arbanas has been there too long not to be known except for the golf course.
Good guys do not let their campaigns go fucking wild and hate filled. (The exception to this rule is if the target is funk'd, then, hell cut loose!!) Good guys do not let themselves be used for "inside baseball" political pay backs that have NOTHING to do with how the county is run. Sometimes nothing to do with other politicians either, just the political consultants who suck the ethics out of governments.
I noticed Terry Riley was quoted in the newspaper this morning about his "back to school" program that he does every year, helping kids prepare for the school year. Thousands of kids and parents were there. How come I never, ever read anything about what Fred Arbanas is doing along these lines? Good choice, Tony.
ReplyDelete8:37 am wrote "If you don't think Arbanas himself is a thug, just ask him why he only has one eye. It wasn't because of something on the football field"
ReplyDeleteHe lost sight in that eye in 1964when he was 25. He was assaulted. Geesh.
I got one for you. Do the math on Terry Riley's oldest daughter and her mother's age, can we say Roman LeBlanc and Terry Riley have more in common than they were both State Represwentatives. They are both child molesters! So Tony is endorsing a child molester. What has Terry Riley done in 14 years of service as an elected official.
ReplyDeleteThis really is the best "joke blog" on the interwebs!! Tony, sometimes I think you don't mean that seriously but now I do!
ReplyDeleteLoyal reader and fellow jokester,
Deon
Which of those legislative aides is Sylvia Rizzo? How much does she make at the county considering her husband decides the budget as Chairman of the County Legislature. How much did his daughter-in-law Lindsey make? She only worked there for a period of time before people found out her real last name.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Fred Arbanas. He could be Satan for all I know. Even imagining that, JXCO voters should not vote for Terry Riley.
ReplyDeleteEver watched the clips from a certain Finance and Audit Committtee, pertaining to Perfect Output? You should. You'll see Terry before the committee, trying hard not to be a bully... trying very hard, because is in in the hot seat. How do you know? Because he PUT himself there. He was rushing to testify to let everyone know that the "council person" mentioned in the audit of Perfect Output, the one who used improper and undue influence on the Perfect Output contract, was not him. Funny because no other council member felt compelled to jump up and say "No, it's not me, that unnamed person the audits are talking about!" Terry knew he was guilty, and if you read the audit and watch the testimony (they're online), you'll see how guilty Terry is. It's not "lies" and "innuendo" from Arbanas. It's printed and video taped.
Want something else to look up? Look up Terry's mortgage and downpayment, and so some maths...you'll see that someone who put less than 5% down on a very pricey house must have one heck of a house payment, not easily made when you make about $61k a year (despite your wife having a decent job).
More? Why did Terry Riley's water bill go 90+ days overdue, causing the city to shut of his water? Truth. This happened. Just a few months ago. Tony even mentioned it, although he brushed it off.
So here is the real question... with everything that has been said about Riley, with the back-up documentation and eye witness accounts, with the federal investigation pending... why would Tony endorse this guy, especially in lieu of endorsing anyone else?
Terry is a bad choice for JXCO. Arbanas might not be a good choice, I don't know. But I know Riley is not the answer.
5:39 pm. There is a "Sylvia A Rizzo" listed as an administrative assistant in the County Clerks Office. Her salary is $41,184. She is not a legislative aide.
ReplyDeleteto anon 6:22 (like we don't know who you are). Does Fred get you overtime for doing his dirty work on a Sunday?
ReplyDeleteI love Tony how you said Irish-y mudslinging. Have you seen Riley's mailouts. Nothing about him. All trash about Fred. His disclosures are all companies doing business with his City Hall Committee. Poor Terry. He complained about five seconds of Fred in a commercial yet moved his back to school rally up to weeks to this weekend. Sponsored by school district so he could get publicity for campaign. Double standard.
ReplyDeleteTony, your on-going endorsement is for the bat-shit crazy city council person Gottstein to use your own words. Riley is your second endorsement.
ReplyDeleteFUN-OUch!
ReplyDeleteLook at this, Tony. 46 people talking.. other threads up to 70.
ReplyDeleteSo is this really about YOU or are you just providing the software for self-expression that has NOTHING to do with TKC and you're endorsements?
Shit. What if nobody cares what you think but they just use your blog to satisfy their own ends, despite you, ignore you?
that would SOO suck!
Thanks for posting the salaries. How is it that Theresa's aide is bilingual and is the only aide that actually works but makes less than almost every other? And why does James Tindall's aide make 67,000 dollars? Just send him back to jail already people.
ReplyDeleteNo Irish need apply.
ReplyDeleteYou love peckerwood music.
ReplyDeletestill looks like the Waldo rapist!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRiley got what he deserved ..... a BIG LOSE!! Now hes wagging his tail going whoa-whoa pity me!! Like it was said early on "Run Terry Run for the hills" !!
ReplyDeleteAll of your blatant a** lies came back to bite you in your black a**