Funkhouser forsakes Latino Leadership

When Mark Funkhouser was campaigning he went hat in hand the Latino Community telling them that he understood their issues, saying that he was going to make City Hall just as diverse as Kansas City and that he wasn't going to pursue anti-immigrant legislation that has cost other cities hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even better, Funkhouser promised that he was going to make an increased effort to promote communication between City Hall and the Latino Community . . . No matter how you feel about these issues, whether or not you think every Mexican in KC should be deported - These are the promises that Mayor Mark Funkhouser made to Latinos - Do your own research and check back issues of KC Hispanic News and Dos Mundos if you don't believe me.

Like most things that politicians say, it was nothing but B.S. and now that he's in office not only is he stubbornly standing by this Semler Minuteman lady but also (more importantly) . . .

Mayor Funky recently refused a meeting with the Latino leadership because they wanted to bring too many representatives to the discussion.

Instead, Mayor Funky is putting on some kind of silly town hall where he holds center stage and pretty much runs the press event.

Of course all of this bad news was delivered by the Mayor's favorite little sellout Crispy-whatever-his-token-ass-name-happens-to-be . . . Too bad such a bright kid is falling for the same lie that most Latinos in Kansas City stopped believing months ago. I guess people drop their ideals and loyalty pretty easily when a paycheck is involved:



Anyway, there are two different versions of an e-mail where the Mayor declines to meet with local Latino leaders, so if you know a Latino other than me (unlikely) you may want to check it out for yourself.

Personally, I'd never go to such nonsense (the Guadalupe Center meeting) because it's nothing more than a PR event where the Mayor gets to pat his favorite tokens/sellouts on the head. Also, it's not news anymore . . . Which is really how politics works, the headlines are gone but the real work of civic activism begins and I'd much rather go see Romeo and Juliet at the Heartland Shakespeare Festival.

Anyway, word around the campfire is that La Raza is going to withdraw their support of Funkhouser very early into his administration because he has done nothing but continually slap local Latinos in the face. (Note: please before you start with all the "La Raza = Racist = "The Race" = Mexican Nationalists" garbage . . . La Raza Political Club in Kansas City is run by 80 year-old Lali Garcia who really only wants the neighborhood kids to keep off of her lawn. Additionally, Mayor Funkhouser has rejected meeting with Lali as of late too . . . Which again seems odd because I thought he was moving in to her house as much has hung out there when he wanted in office.)

It's all kind of weird considering that they guy who only had a razor thing margin of 840 votes thinks that he doesn't need the support of Latinos in KC and mistakenly believes that Latino voters from all walks of life won't hold a grudge.

Additionally, I know so many people (talk radio show hosts) like (endorse) these kind of slights and public signs of complete disregard for Latino voters in KC proper recently undertaken by Mayor Funky . . . But it's important to remember that Funkhouser didn't bill himself as an anti-immigration candidate who would stand by hate groups geared toward kicking my Grandma out of the country. In fact, he worked to give the appearance that he would give consideration to Latino issues, he chatted up nearly every Latino in Kansas City (including yours truly) and won their support by a 67% margin . . . By all accounts it looks as if THEY FELL FOR IT.

Now as far as the rest of the City goes . . . The jury is still out as to whether or not Funkhouser will follow through on the promises he made regarding infrastructure, access and whatever . . . But for folks interested in Latino issues like immigration, equal employment (other than token) at City Hall and working with community leaders: LATINO VOTERS IN KANSAS CITY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF VOTING FOR ALVIN BROOKS.

And the only people standing with Mayor Funkhouser now from the Latino Community are either sellouts or others who stand to benefit personally.

In this instance there is no use arguing with me not only because I'm always right but I doubt that white people on the Internet know the Latino Community better than me considering that I've covered the topic in one Community paper after the next for the better part of 10 years and also given the indisputable fact that TKC is the most important Latino in Kansas City.

UPDATED: About an hour after this post was published Mayor Funky's office was on the phone scrambling to every Latino in town about a new meeting with Latino leaders for sometime in July. You're welcome, so called "Latino Leaders" you can thank me some other time. As of yet, I haven't received my invitation but I expect one soon given that:

TKC is the most important Latino in Kansas City!