KC Activists Demand 'Reparations' After City Manager Suspended

Here's the thing . . .

Kansas City has ALREADY achieved "historic progress" by hiring a Black city manager.

Insiders remember James Threatt who was an old school assistant city manager who basically did the big job for 20 years behind the scenes . . . He was a local leader who was ACTUALLY pretty impressive.

And then . . . 

Kansas City's first "official" Black city manager Wayne Cauthen was an absolute disaster. His tenure ended in a very fun crisis that was called a "palace coup" by some insiders as Northland leaders devised a clever quick vote to conclude his tenure and got him escorted out of the building. 

And now . . . 

Here's the new narrative . . . 

Longstanding complaints from a litany of ousted Black female KCMO bureaucrats might require de facto "reparations" from Mayor & Council and that would most likely come in the form of an unspoken requirement that the new city manager is a Black female -- Which would be a first for Kansas City.

It's kinda like DEI but silent, unwritten but COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD by everyone in Kansas City politics. 

The fun part . . . Despite a vote of "no confidence" along with years of complaints and so many locals telling the guy to "go back to Jersey" at some point. The case to finally get Brian Platt suspended was from a Latino LGBT dude. So, as of this writing, the argument about a pattern of discrimination is mostly political rhetoric BUT with more legal complaints in the works that might help to support criticism and, unfortunately, undermine the credibility of whoever gets the jorb.

Nevertheless . . .

Right now interim City Manager Kimiko Gilmore is probably the front runner to replace Platt.

Read this passage closely for a quick hint at the future . . . 

Councilwoman Melissa Robinson pointed to a presentation at Tuesday’s Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee meeting. The finance director showed the city’s paid judgements or settlements in lawsuits between $9 and $23 million each year under Platt.

“I think that is of major importance to the taxpayers because those are taxpayer dollars we’re using,” she said. “It’s not just a line on the budget, there are real stories behind those settlements and costs.”

Leaders said the city will continue to fulfill all its duties under interim manager Kimiko Gilmore.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KSHB: What’s next after Kansas City, Missouri, suspended City Manager Brian Platt?

Developing . . .