Talk is running rampant through Kansas City's political circles . . .
THE STAR'S DAVE HELLING IS ABOUT TO DROP A BOMBSHELL IN THE SUNDAY PAPER!!!
The one word tip I got on the story was vague but entertaining: "Session"
Figure it out for yourself d-bags . . .
It could refer to the William T. Session and the whole Port Authority hot mess.
David Martin of The Pitch did an excellent write-up of the disaster that earned a grand total of 4 comments but was exceedingly informative. By contrast, I've posted a NSFW photos of Lucy Pinder's big boobs and earned more reader reaction. Also, let's remember that this blog was first with news of a nasty exchange between Mayor Funky and The Port Authority . . . So this is definitely a politically charged news item.
But what do I know . . . It could have to do with Helling becoming a session musician. That's a career with a lot more promise than journalism.
Still, it's fun that Helling and The Star are doing some heavy hitting investigative work on people who have made millions from taxpayers rather than just trying to annoy me with their new video cameras they're still trying to learn how to operate.
Nevertheless, your EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW was right here on TKC. Natch.
Funny, TKC. bet he doesn't run the video of you taking his pic! You rock!
ReplyDeleteWhere's Mike Burke in this?
ReplyDeleteI luvs me some Fat Man and Little Boy. You rock, Tony.
ReplyDeleteWe are being screwed by the financial houses across the globe, nothing more nothing less.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this blog gets way more comments on boobs than Martin gets on a well-written investigative story kind of says it all about TKC.
ReplyDeleteFact is, Tony is so stupid about blogging he probably thinks this is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI know he does.
You leave my baby alone, 7:25!
ReplyDeleteThis circus continues . . .
ReplyDeleteLets see if FM&LB will fire off or be duds.
ReplyDeleteI'm just sad to see Dave Helling have to stoop to be a one man band in a market this size. Just show's ya what a sad state of affairs journalism has become. Course it's good he's still got work.
Is the Squid getting ready to spew her slime on his camera.
ReplyDeleteJust read the story in the Sunday paper and it's just SOS!
ReplyDeleteThis is how KCMO works 24/7/365. It's just that every now and then somebody gets lazy or sloppy, or some reporter stumbles onto something and then the rest of us find out.
In this election, the residents and voters need to go upstream of all this crap and clear out at least some of the sources.
The Port Authority and most of these other mysterious quasi-public "economic development" agencies are nothing more than opportunities for little groups of insiders to get what they want out of public view.
ReplyDeleteKCK has just a couple agencies and then the decisions are made by the city in full view of the public. It seems that system is much more expeditious, competent, effective, and transparent. The results certainly beat KCMO.
This should be an issue in the mayoral campaign!
Mike Burke is all over this scam!! He should withdraw from the race today!! And while he is at it, disclose how much his law firm has creamed from the Port Authority over the last 10 years. He'll be lucky to stay out of jail.
ReplyDeleteBurke is going down!
ReplyDeleteDo you mean sexually? ... eeuww!
ReplyDeleteMany things are wrong here. Kc Human Relations and WBE-MBE. How they allow minority contracts let is a joke. I would guess there is not a minority escavator in this city that could have participated.What does Sessions know about moving dirt? How many minorities were operating the equipment? The compliance officer tried to do her job. Good for her. Kc continues to beat up on itself and never fixes anything.
ReplyDeleteDeb Herman just became the front runner in the Mayoral race. Mike should step aside for the good of the city.
ReplyDeleteHelling missed the connection between Doc Worley, Sessions and Runnion. Worley knows all about phony minority contractors. And people think the E Tax has any chance of passing with this type of corruption, think again.
ReplyDeleteThese types of contractual arrangements have been happening for years in all EDC
ReplyDeleteagencies and City projects in general. Basically, new or unqualified firms appear out of nowhere and land multi-million dollar contracts. This takes work away from legitimately operating companies. The EDC claims that outside consultants have given their seal of
approval for these contracts and therefore, it's OK. But consider the fact that the outside
reviewer, Sullivan in this case, is being paid by the EDC. How can anyone consider that
to be an independent investigation? It's just a whitewash by the EDC. This is very
similar to the abuses on the H&R Block World Headquarters project, which was similarly
brushed off by the TIF Commission. An “outside” consultant blessed that project as well.
It is time for higher investigative authorities to step in and review all EDC contracts,
including the H&R Block project. Given the frequency of these abuses, what is keeping
the Attorney General or the Justice Department from investigating? It appears that laws
are being broken. This episode raises serious doubts about electing Mike Burke as Mayor
and the continued award of construction projects to repeat offenders.
The problem is there are no minority contractors that can handle the size and scope of these large projects. They cant staff the project with qualified employees, make payroll, get bonded, keep up with the scope or work schedule, etc, etc. Until this is recognized it will continue to be smoke and mirrors to maintain mbe-wbe requirements. Face facts and be honest or change the rules about participation. Training and minority employment should be the focus. The status of the employer shouldnt matter.
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:08, I won't argue the point regarding the ability of minority contractors, that's not the point here. The focus should be on the majority led construction comunity who has condoned these types of arrangements and have used their political pull to try to legitimize sham companies like Session's in order to maximize their profits. Sessions was just a greedy pass through whore here. Also at fault are the Board of Directors of these agencies who know about these bogus contracts but elect to look the other way. There is an age old conspiracy at work. I think Sessions. Kissick, the EDC agencies, and various politicos who are in the know should be held accountable and maybe imprisoned.
ReplyDeleteIt should be clear NOT to elect Mike Burke as Mayor. All of the other candidates for Mayor and Council should be questioned to see if they too would have the same propensities in matters such as these. That has not been part of the discourse to date. This is also a reason not to re-elect a single incumbent for this has happened under their watch and with their full knowledge.
ReplyDeleteNot so fast anon 12:15, Deb Hermann is not out of the woods on this one. She should step aside as well. All city council people set on the advisory committees of the various EDC agencies. As such, they bear some of the blame. I say DO NOT ELECT ANY INCUMBENT. Demand a full investigation and punish, not reward the guilty.
ReplyDeleteIf the process is broken it should be fixed so that it doesnt encourage these pass-through entities.The minority pass throughs are a major part of the problem. I think most of these (GC)companies probably attempt a "best effort" to meet these goals.
ReplyDelete2:10 You are right that there has been a lack of oversight on many levels.Hermann wasnt managing a law firm with direct monetary gain and a fiduciary responsibilty. Thats why there are board appointments and committees. Do you replace everyone in an attempt to meet MBE-WBE unattainable goals at times. Some projects surpass the requirements. They need to be realistic.
ReplyDelete2:40, you do every one a disservice by trying to make this an MBE/WBE issue. A little known fact is that the MBE/WBE program allows for instances when goals are unattainable. This instance has to do with out and out political corruption. This was a blatant attempt to break the law. It involved a white contractor, a minority firm, and a majority controlled City agency. To blame MBE/WBE goals is a false distraction that seems to say the white participants in the ruse were innocents and had no choice. It's analogous to another ridiculous argument that the only villian when an illegal alien is hired is the worker and the employer is without guilt. Whites and minorities should join hands and stamp out corruption like this.
ReplyDeleteDemand accountabity from current office holders. Voters, don't be complacent or this type of behaviour will be perpetuated.
ReplyDeleteCauthen made the call to Human Relations to demand Session's company be certified as MBE, even though they had not been in business for the requisite year. Burke was tight with Cauthen. Interesting how this all works out. Burke made nearly $4 million on Port Authority biz. Burke, you're out!
ReplyDeleteThe words "responsiblity and accountability" cannot possibly appear in the same sentence with "KCMO city hall."
ReplyDeleteNO ONE there is responsible for ANYTHING!
1:08: I'm not so sure there are no MBE/WBE contractors that can handle the work. Since this contract was awarded without soliciting bids/proposals, it's impossible to know what kind of response an IFB or RFP would have generated. My sense is if the agency really thought Sessions was really its only option, the award would have been competitive. The fact that the award was made essentially behind closed doors makes me think the agency and Sessions were afraid someone else would have come in lower. Tliaferro & Bowne, as just one example, is a well-regarded minority contractor who may either have been able to do the work or who could certainly have put a team together to do it.
ReplyDelete1:08. I understood your point and it is well taken. In this case there was no bid process which really stinks and I dought Sessions was qualified to move dirt on the scale of the project.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting thread like it should have been over a few beers in a bar... but while it's nice to know the facts, but without names... it doens't help to get people indicted.
ReplyDeleteOr to steer reporters like Helling in directions to take forever to bring the Nixon regime down. Time to quit playing deep throat in a dark parkinglot, name names. And not on a blog. Will you testify? Who SHOULD testify? lay it out here. Or somewhere on the record.
The problem is that voters don't read here...they read the Star, watch TV and vote by yard signs. The few knew what the GOP is fixing to do but they still won!
So you're all so smart. Now now to FIX this? Is enough information out there for press and prosecutors? Most importantly, DOCUMENTS!
Remember how New Orleans got itself underwater because dikes that should have been in good repair WEREN'T? What do you bet the New Orleans Pacayune, the local paper didn't do its job?
Nobody lost their jobs. Sunlight helps clean up corruption... and so does an agressive law enforcement system. But look how few go to jail for war crimes and graft in places like Chicago. or a little censure in the well. Or worse, US chambers and foreign contributions for US Senators who are screwing us?
What will it take, smart people? Even strangling the city with a threat of voting no on the eTAX won't clean up the city. These arrogant assholes will just do what the GOP did... throw money at the voters on TV to vote yes, and win anyway!
Lots of press would be good. Make city projects stink so bad, they don't get let. Go after the elected decision makers. But TKC won't do it.
The culprits have to be talking about it in the country clubs over lunch... some letters over the AG's signature need to be sent out, and some FBI men in black need to be out asking questions.
Threaten these people with losing their FORTUNES...and they may not be so arrogant.
But now that the media knows WHAT, how to get the HOW to get things fixed. Ya'll so smart, so quit worrying about Rizzos and Glorias feet and who'd do what to which hot looking madeup candidate. Get to work.
I'm not sure Helling is Captain America, Woodward & Burnstein all rolled into one.
Unless woodward & Burnstein is a lawfirm collecting documents on minority contract fraud that could send some people to jail, forcing them to move to Belton! Maybe it'll work if they're afraid their sons will hang themselves in their bedrooms to prevent indictment!
Nother words, these connivers need to be peeing down their pants. And those who would let the contracts as well.
Some big people need to get ruined. Number two? Make it happen.
Radio Man You Are Back In Top Form.
ReplyDeleteRadio Man, you came close but didn't hit the bullseye. Mission HIlls Country Club, that's where Runnion and Worley divide up the spoils of the Kansas City, Missouri Port Authority.
ReplyDeleteCool. MAKE EM STINK. But remember, it's documents that send people to jail. Ya need sources... and to get them to the right people, to press and prosecutors interested.
ReplyDeleteProbably your phone number, too. That's not my line of work... but if you wanna clean up the city, it seems to me that'll take work and some personal risk, or your beloved city will end up underwater after some economic hurricane.
These wonderful consultants TKC's always talking about? They probably know this stuff but won't say because they make their livings off of politicians, and a 'kiss n tell' rep won't win them any clients. None of them look like they want to stand on their feet at Wendys.
"Sessions," with an "s" at the end.
ReplyDeleteall you did, Tony, was say that Dave Helling was about to drop a bombshell and that it might involve a "Session".
ReplyDeleteyou put out a rumor.
that's it.
you didn't "scoop" anyone, dude.
really sad.
pathetic