The Citizens Association is putting on a mainstream media forum this evening with a nice turnout of at least 200 or more people.
Here's CA honcho Dan Cofran and former Mayor Richard Berkley.
The crowd is giving itself a round of applause followed-up by a bit of a chest-thumping intro from Library Dude Crosby Kemper III. It was fun to watch/her him slam The Star for not covering fun facts like the pricey toy train (the most expensive in the nation) or the tragic TIF audit.
Another fun fact . . . They brought in somebody from Dos Mundos who doesn't cover politics (but was still pretty good) and our pal Mary is smiling for the crowd.
Jesus Lopez-Gomez is a rising star reporter who freelances for The Star.
I got a pretty gully corner seat . . . Here we go . . .
Lynn Horsley: "The Council isn't a rubber stamp . . . People feel better about the city. We are on a lot of national measures that people might think are stupid or silly but we're getting national attention."
Eric Wesson: "The mentoring of young people has decreased. Young people aren't being engaged because some of these old people won't get out of the way. The Mayor has been good. His wife stays at home . . . When you drive through the urban core, it's like a ghost town. Nobody understands that . . "
Mary Sanchez: "Ditto. I almost feel like the city is on a ledge. We could be moving up but we could also be going down. Cities move forward incrementally and if this new council won't play ball, like Congress, we could go off track. "
Dave Helling: "Kansas City came through the greatest recession in the history of the nation reasonably. Kansas City turns the corner in reasonably good financial health. Here's hoping that these council elections in the Spring can present the community with the question: "What will this community be in the next 25 years?" Once we come to that conclusion we might be able to make an agreement on specific issues like the airport or the streetcar.
The conversation really starts with infrastructure talk and Mr. Wesson reminds the crowd of big candidate promises from politicos until they get elected. He reiterates the East Side ghost town analogy.
A downbeat note or something the crowd didn't seem to like . . .
Mary Sanchez says: "Kansas City's problem in addressing racial issues dominates every local decision."
Lynn Horsley notes downtown progress (again) and name checks Brad Pitt, "It's not fast enough... But there are signs of hope."
Eric Wesson: We're comparing Citadel with P&L but not focusing on the $12MILLION+ every year that could have been spent on the urban core . . . They just gave Cordish another apt. building and they haven't paid for the P&L District."
Jésus from Dos Mundos gets hit with the topic of education . . . He notes swath of young people not empowered or allowed to contribute.
Ms. Horsley accurately notes that KC Mayor and Council don't have any money or any power to contribute to the old and busted school system.
Dave Helling . . . "Kansas City schools are never off the agenda . . . There's not much the Council can do but talk about it. The declining employment base in Kansas City should be addressed . . . You don't sense in KC that there's an overarching strategy to create those good jobs that families can depend on . . . Kansas City lacks a corporate employment strategy. The community isn't thinking about creating good jobs."
Helling: "People should be asking council candidates: What are you going to do in order to create high paying jobs?"
Kraske: "What's realistic for citizens to expect going forward?"
Ms. Horsley: "Will you have a Mayor and Council who fight with one another OR can work with one another?"
Eric Wesson: "You have to have council members who are willing to drive throughout Kansas City. Our readers ask us to focus on basic of services. We must have people who understand the big picture."
Dave Helling: "Kansas City's (political) structure lends itself to parochialism" He then goes on to talk about his column about changing up PIAC funds . . .
Questions from the crowd . . . Mini-speeches . . . Star defends its coverage when it's really editorial that's being attacked.
Newsie quote of the night . . .
Lynn Horsley: "The media is in a crisis. Just like government. We'll try to step our game up in this next campaign. We have 1/4th of the reporters than we did last election. There isn't anything replacing that. There's never been more news options but maybe that's why there's such a poisonous political environment just like Washington D.C. "
More questions from the crowd about tech and hotels . . . Mr. Wesson goes back to education and Dave Helling attacks politicos for the border war and government paying biz to move 50 feet across the State Line.
Good crowd question about public policy advocating gun control and cigarettes . . . Panel bad mouths Jeff City and there's a mention of an old column that notes a Missouri Red State culture war.
Kraske: "Conservative rural voters outnumber urban core voters and those interests are crushing their opposition."
Crowd dude says there's a lack of leadership . . . "People don't trust City Hall. Somebody needs to push an audit of the water department. Any good business would encourage an audit. But we don't."
A few council contender faces from the crowd . . .
Here's 5th District Contender Lance Conley with 4th District hopeful Jared Campbell . . .
Looking good in rather sharp threads Terrence Nash remains one of the few fiscal conservatives running for council . . .
The 5th District might be the key to Kansas City . . . Take a look @ legacy Becky Nace chatting with Alissia Canady
Back to the conversation . . .
Crosby III notes Water Dept. employee dumping along with a great many City Hall financial misdeeds that have put the city in decline overall . . . "The cost of living that used to be lower than other places is now rising."
Eric Wesson punchline for the night: If you really follow TIF and EDC, you'll become an alcoholic."
Developing . . .