Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas picked a losing fight that will garner headlines for the next few weeks and ultimately distract from this cowtown's worsening problems.
Another quick preview . . .
- The ongoing KCMO murder spike will continue to worsen but this time around we can blame Republicans in Nowheresville for the carnage. TKC readers remind us that this argument is actually a cynical repeat of a gun control debate started by former Mayor Sly James in which he also lost against the Missouri GOP super majority.
- Already partisan slap fighters blame their opposition for engaging in "culture war" that offers a convenient path to earn face time on national TV networks.
- Meanwhile, strident progressives who actually want police reform, hope for real "local control" and structural change for law enforcement will ultimately be disappointed when they find out this gambit is mostly geared toward creating a political slush fund to reward activists who dutifully follow 12th & Oak marching orders.
Don't get it twisted, TKC isn't a GOP fanboi, it's also worth noting that this issue will also help Republicans distract from their betrayal of voters on Medicaid expansion and draw attention away from the ongoing Show-Me State opioid crisis amid working-class desperation in rural areas that can't really be blamed on the completely unlikeable Veep Kamala Harris.
And so . . .
This politically charged debate will dominate the "slutty Summer of 2021" and provide a convincing substitute for any real effort to improve life for taxpayers, residents and denizens of the urban core.
As always, here are more news items to inform any subsequent discussion . . .
Kansas City police budget reallocation leads Republicans to call for special session: A look at the changes
Missouri Republicans are hoping for a special session or the ability to allocate emergency funding after Kansas City leaders reallocated a portion of its police department 's budget Thursday. Billing it as a reallocation of funds to increase accountability, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas unveiled his plan Thursday to amend the Kansas City Police Department budget to the minimum 20 percent of the city's general revenue as required under state statute.
Mayor Q Remains Defiant
On radio to tout new KC police budget change, mayor says to the opposition, "Bring it on," shares his struggles as a black mayor
KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Two days after Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a bold and controversial proposal to make some of the police department's funds first flow through the city, it remains a topic being debated regardless of background, ethnicity or even geography.
Local Control Examined
In-Depth: A look at the history of state, local control of KCPD funding
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some leaders are trying to figure out how to move onward with the overhaul of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department budget, while others are looking at how to undo it. Two ordinances passed Thursday after heated debate in the KCMO City Council, clearing a path to change part of the funding for KCPD.
Social Justice Context Exposed
A Year After George Floyd's Murder, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Champions 'Bold' Police Reform
After a couple of days of criticism, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas today defended his recent plan for police reform which reallocates part of the Kansas City Police Department's annual budget to social services. "Well, I still feel very proud about our decision," Lucas said when asked about the plan.
Cash Perspective Revealed
A decade of dollars: Taking a look at KCPD's budget
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department has seen a steady increase in the amount of funding it receives throughout the past decade. A former official said they're thoughtful about how they allocate that money in the first place.
Newspaper Works Diligently To Dispute Effective Criticism Of Mayor Q
No, Kansas City did not defund the police. But mayor and council are on the hook now
The police reform plan offered by Mayor Quinton Lucas immediately set off the wails of anguish that we predicted. "Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer-style coastal liberalism has now invaded the Midwest with @KCMO city council's vote to defund @kcpolice," tweeted Missouri state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer.
JOURNALIST HARRIS FAULKNER COMPLETELY STUMPS KANSAS CITY HONCHO!!!
Kansas City mayor calls police funding proposal 'responsible' on FOX News
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mayor Quinton Lucas appeared on FOX News today, May 21, defending a recent proposal passed by City Council that changes funding for the Kansas City Police Department. Harris Faulkner grilled Lucas, suggesting the mayor is slashing funding to the police department.
You decide . . .
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