Puck Thinks A Kansas City Ordinance Will Thwart Acting City Manager Troy Schulte!!!

TKC NOTE: From what I hear, the City Council folks who oppose this one are meeting all over town today and plan on getting some support to fight a plan that just might cut off Acting City Manager Troy Schulte at the legs according to one valuable TKC Contributor.

Six Council Members Sell Out… Will Carry Weight for the Heavies!

Puck is not in his usual good humor today, readers, and you’ll understand why after reading this analysis on Ordinance 100177. Council members Sharp, Riley, Jolly, Ford and Curls are floating this piece of legislative waste. It was thrown out at the last minute this Thursday last, and, if it passes, will do serious damage to our city.

Puck is keeping it simple today, because the facts, though mired down in the lengthy ordinance, are clear. This ordinance does two things: it re-establishes a new Capital Projects Department (or CIMO 2.0). All projects over $50k, (virtually every project) will be subjected to the same mismanagement and unnecessary extraneous expenses of the past CIMO department, although #100177 takes micromanagement to a new level. The City won’t be able to install even petite playgrounds, let alone complete larger projects, without a new level of bureaucracy (and probably incompetence). It is an ordinance for the Heavy Constructors, most likely written in conjunction with Steve Glorioso (now on the Heavies payroll), and needs to be read by you, dear readers.

So if it is so awful, and opposed by rational council members, why does the Brain Trust of Sharp and Co. want this passed so badly?

Here is the explanation:

SHARP: REVENGE. It's payback for those who voted to oust Wayne and replace him with Troy Schulte. Bonus for Not-So-Sharp… his pal Bridgette Williams, formerly of the AFL-CIO (which feeds Sharp), now works for the Heavies. It’s patronage plus!

RILEY. POWER: All contracts, including $500 MILLION in Water Services projects and now Aviation, will go through his powerful T&I committee. (Teresa Loar is probably salivating at this very thought.)

JOLLY: SUBMISSION. This ordinance does exactly what Steve Glorioso wants, which is help the Heavies (and keep Steve relevant). Every time Jolly emits a squeak, it is to parrot Glorioso. She does not think for herself; a pure Glorioso puppet. Or maybe it’s more of a slave/master relationship? Puck apologizes for the visual that might have given you, readers.

FORD: MONEY. He now has a worthy opponent for re-election in Allen Dillingham, and his rocky record will put his election at risk. The Heavies have promised him BIG BUCKS for his support of 100177. Ford STATED SO IN PUBLIC! Ford is for sale, and has been sold. Simple enough.

CURLS: FOLLOWER. Too simple to make up her own mind, she follows the crowd led by Terry and John.

How does the rest of the Council lean? Well, Brooks will vote with the council members of color, so she is a lock to support 100177. The remaining Sensible Seven (including the mayor) are said to be strongly opposed. Say what you will about them, readers, and you know Puck pulls no punches, but Skaggs, Hermann, Johnson, Gottstein, Marcason, Circo, and Funkhouser are on the right path with their opposition to this ordinance. They refuse to do the Heavies’ bidding. And they refuse to create a department that is in direct conflict with the City Manager’s own ideas. Troy Schulte is there to do his job. He is doing it well, especially given what he has to work with. Council members should let him continue without letting their own ties to special interests interfere. And the mayor should wonder why his pal Terry, who the mayor placed as chairman of the T&I Committee, is trying to screw the mayor’s manager, the same manager the mayor praises regularly.

There’s more! The second thing the ordinance does is just as damaging. This little piece of the pie was tucked down at the end of 100177. The Sold-Out Six want to REMOVE the manager’s AUTHORITY over the Human Relations Department. Sec. 2-141, (c)(3) says it all… Puck implores you to look at this ordinance, dear readers, and see it for the unprecedented piece of patronage it is. It possibly even violates the City Charter (but who’s minding THAT store). Call the Sold-Out Six. Ford, Jolly and Curls run at-large and the entire citizenry should be up in arms about this. Tell them you don't want Glorioso and the Heavies running your city government. Tell them to vote "no” to hobbling our City Manager. Readers, you have the power, now use it!

Related: Inside the "Bring Back the Nonsense!" Campaign