TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PERPETUATES KANSAS CITY AREA REGIONALISM MYTH WITH UPCOMING TOP 5 LIST!!!
The Greater Kansas City Chamber Of Commerce is coming off a big E-Tax win and looking to create a bit of goodwill throughout the metro.
To wit, last week I was lucky enough to talk to Gregory M. Graves, the new Chairman of the Board @ The Chamber and he revealed something he's working on . . .
THE CHAMBER IS SOON TO DEVELOP A LIST OF TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA AND WORK WITH A BUNCH OF POLITICOS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE TO HELP CREATE AN OVER ALL VISION FOR THE METRO AREA!!!
"It has been far too long since there has been a concentrated effort to sit down and examine where ALL of Kansas City, the big KC, is going," Graves said. "We think that something like this will help us identify our priorities and maybe even set goals."
It all sounds so nice until we all we're confronted with the everyday reality which reveals Kansas City is nearly as divided as The Balkans.
For better or worse, Chamber President and CEO James A. Heeter and Mr. Graves aren't as pessimistic as the rest of the folks who hang here at TKC.
Obviously, we're gonna need to do some convincing . . .
To wit . . .
CHECK THE TKC TOP 5 CHALLENGES TO THE IDEA OF KANSAS CITY REGIONALISM!!!
1. MWWS - Still Makes TKC Miffed - When the media starts covering homicides, violence and all other crime a bit more equitably then I'll be convinced that we're moving closer to "One KC" . . . However, I'm fairly certain that if this year's violence in KCMO took place in JoCo they would have called out the National Guard by now.
2. Clay Chastain - All of his great idea should be directed to The Golden Ghetto for no less than 5 years. It's time we share a bit more than infrastructure.
3. KC Proper is running low on our supply of chubby, blonde hotties . . . I feel like there's some kind of suburban exchange program we can get going. In return, I'm sure we could put some of our tattooed broads on loan.
4. We're all going to need to agree that The Royals are nothing more than a glorified farm team - Until the day when we can come to terms with Kansas City baseball reality . . . We're all just lying to ourselves.
5. STL is still more "culturally significant" than Kansas City. Sorry. - Kansas City aspires to be a big, important International City . . . STL already is one. Again, this more has more to do with coming to terms with reality in this Cowtown. Until we can start on the same page there's no hope of progress.
So, until the TKC list is given proper credence . . . I'm afraid The Chamber's efforts are all in vain. Still, look for this Kansas City Top 5 project to take hold soon and set the agenda for far more easily influenced locals.
Developing . . .
Luckily, none of those cost any federal dollars...because it's pretty clear, there won't be any federal dollars coming this way.
ReplyDeleteDid you get that Clay? But you might be able to get a TOY TRAIN down at Hobby Lobby if you save your pennies and Speaker Boehner doesn't realize you have actual MONEY in your pocket! With all this budget cutting in DC, I think we've finally heard the end of Clay Chastain!
agree
ReplyDeleteChubby Blondes and Greg Graves, definitely not a match.
ReplyDeleteNobody pays any attention to what the Chamber swells have to say, because they're not really interested in anything that doesn't directly affect them financially.
ReplyDeleteThe e-tax was big because now there'll be plenty of money to disappear on consulting contracts, deveopmnet attorneys, TIFs, and subsidized buildings.
Last year, one of their priorities was crime and of course the Chamber did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help curb crime and violence in the city at all.
And after the sleazy campaign that the Chamber's selected consultants pulled on the e-tax, emphasizing the notion that nasty JoCo was on the line for its "fair share", coming back now and talking regionalism is a real joke.
The swells need get back to the business of making money and leave public policy to Mayor James and the new administration.
At least they have a chance to turn things around without these self-important clueless backslappers screwing things up.
The Chamber talks and no one listens. Their actions are meaningless, in the political, business and civic fields.
ReplyDeleteThe Chamber's last figure head made half a million dollars a year. The new one is probably pulling in at least that. How much good are these six figure fat cats doing for the city?
ReplyDeleteI quit my Chamber membership years ago, and can't see every joining again.
Suggestion #1 -- NO more TIFs.
ReplyDelete