Pamela Anderson is going old school quite gracefully and she's our inspiration for this observation about another aspect of the often discriminatory discourse in Kansas City.
To wit . . .
OPPONENTS OF THE STREETCAR BLAST AGEISM OF TOY TRAIN SUPPORTERS!!!
In this society, ageism is casually accepted even though discrimination based on this demographic information is strictly against the law. Moreover, talking point of toy train supporters using age-based divisiveness seem quizical given that most of the advocates are well into their 30s and Council Dude Russ Johnson is vibrant but not exactly a spring chicken.
And all of this started with an astute observation from KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTER. Check it:
"I've noticed the facebook pages of some of the streetcar proponents that young people who want it are becoming very ageist in their comments about the opponents. Have you noticed the same? Ageism is just as bad as sexism and racism, but some people don't see it that way."
This insider continued with very informative insight on the toy train streetcar . . .
KANSAS CITY TRANSIT TO CREATE JOBS RATHER THAN ECO-DEVO AND TOURISM SCHEMES
I live in Brookside and am happy to take the Max bus when I need it. Cheap and efficient. And it comes and go and leaves no train tracks behind. Brookside and Waldo moms aren't going to use a streetcar to shop for groceries or pick up their kids from schools. Many of the people work from home. Others work in Overland Park and surrounding locations. The number of people in Brookside and Waldo that would actually use a streetcar outside of a possible morning or afternoon rush hour are very minimal. And for them, they have the Max bus on Main St.
The truth that no one wants to admit is that in Kansas City, people don't want to ride a bus with blacks and Mexicans. So somehow they think a billion dollar streetcar will homogenize mass transit for them.
In Chicago, San Francisco, D.C., New York, and other cities - all classes of people ride the subways and mass transit, regardless of income.
People in Kansas City don't need mass transit. So that's why I think the Streetcar outside of some possible tourism benefits is not great. Only if it helps with jobs would I really approve it.
Mike Sanders has it right in trying to get use of existing train tracks to bring people from Independence, Blue Springs and other locations to and from the city. When I was a Director at a big company in Overland Park, many of our entry level employees for customer service, clerical and other "non-college degree" type jobs lived in mid-town or the more rural areas. They weren't making enough money to have brand new cars and we were hoping there would be trains from Union Station or Lee Summit into one or two centralized locations in Overland Park. These employees told us they would have gladly used mass transit to get to their jobs in the suburbs.
##########
Something to think about while we celebrate the term MILF making into the lexicon.
More later . . .
I hear there is better treatment for Hep C now. Pam is back in play.
ReplyDeleteFrom Lynn Horsley's story in today's Star:
ReplyDelete"Caleb-Michael Files, a University of Missouri-Kansas City student, said he and many members of his generation strongly support better transit, including streetcars.
'Cars are a hassle,' he said, adding that he and many of his peers have jettisoned their cars and the expense that goes with them."
Exactly how much money is a student at UMKC likely to contribute to the streetcar? And yes, cars are a hassle, but much of life is a hassle. Are taxpayers somehow obligated to alleviate every hassle for these ageist hipsters?
Bryan Stadler has the mental age of a four year old but he's against it. Sort of defeats this argument, because one opinion equals a raft of data.
ReplyDeleteAlso who cares, Jesus.
I'm in my mid 40's, live in Brookside, and lots of my neighbors are in their mid 40's. None of us want this streetcar, it is a stupid idea used to aggrandize the select few, and the proposed TDD puts an onerous burden on those who would pay for it. Same reason we rejected the Medical Research tax - bad idea, meant to benefit the very few, and regressive.
ReplyDeleteOpposing bad ideas is not something that only comes with age and wisdom - it's something that intelligent people of ANY age do.
I am 64 and am in no way offended by comments that insult my IQ with a straight line refence to my age.
ReplyDeleteNo big deal.
What are the facts?
Are the arguments valid?
What is the history of this experiment in other cities?
What are the negatives with regard to expenditures that already are, or should be in place, with regard to basic city services.
Fuck the discrimination shit, some times it is valid. Who cares? What are the facts, the history, the projections based on same?
At this point, it seems to me, that discrimination with regard to age is superfluous. Stick to the facts as we know them.
This project is a loser.
While driving around Westport and the Plaza today I remembered the decade or more that I lived in Mid-town. Seldom did I ever drive, day or night, and I owned 3 gas guzzlers. Traffic and parking in both areas suck. Therefore I hoofed. Day or nigh. Always, always with my trusty pack and Mr.Glock and a few extra clips. Nobody knew, but I was very secure, day or nigh.
ReplyDeleteToday, while driving by Tonys favorite coffee shop, I turned in behind the building. Check it out some day. Vehicles are parked so close you would have to exit thru the trunk lid. No, if I was a hipster, or a mid/plaza local I would want me some Toy Train. But if I lived in Waldo/Brookside or North of the River I would say fuck the Toy Train and it's billion dollar price tag. Don't kid yourself for one moment. If they say it will cost 300 million you can bet on a billion. Get the King on the line, he claims to be the God of Book in KC. Ask him while your doing another stupid ass video. No the Toy Train is just that. A toy for hipster deadbeats that don't pay for shit, and think they know everything because they have the latest I-Pad that their parents paid for. That's the Toy Train crowd.
Damn, I am getting soft. I don't think I mentioned negros, mexicans or chinks, and I only used the f-word once. I'm trying, I'm trying real hard. Now let me have a bite of the Big Kuhuna burger.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it. The streetcar story, not unlike the airport terminal story, has changed rationales almost daily from the time it was first announced.
ReplyDeleteTransportation; economic development; "we can't be left behind"; and on and on.
It's a terribly expensive fad that rolled into town in an urban futurist's suitcase and was easily poured into the empty heads of the KCMO mayor and council, and since they don't bother with things like public safety, fixing streets, or other responsiblities, gave them something really neat to do.
It's been one falsehood after another and no honest estimates of the actual cost and the original line is so desperately in need of money that now every stop is being pulled out and every questioner badmouthed in the effort to greatly expand the taxing district to come up with the cash.
It's hard to imagine a more arrogant way to hold the taxpayers of the city in utter contempt by the elected people being run all over the map by a kiddie corps of transit enthusiasts, most of who are unable to contribute much of anythinbg financially to this fiasco, attorneys who continue to bill hundreds of thousands, and the companies, contractors, planners, and others who continue to cash in as the council flounders around in search of even more money.
Age notwithstanding, the folks at the top of this disaster just don't know what they're doing and haven't even tried to be straight with the taxpayers.
The house of cards is falling down.
At least some of the age comments and criticism make sense. What doesn't make any sense is how our mayor defers to the tallest white woman in the room.
ReplyDeleteAgree, 7:00, but a lot of the streetcar supporters are in their 20s and think 40 is really old. The BNIM guy is 32, and Russ appears to be 47 or so, so one is pushing the hipster envelope, and one is clearly a hipster wannabe. The wannabe represents a district not affected by the TDD. Kind of makes you wonder doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI lived in Westport when I was in my 20's. Cars were a hassle. But them of course, I had a shitty apt, a shitty job and didn't have a wife and kid.
ReplyDeleteThen I grew up and having a shitty apt, shitty job and not having a car were the bigger hassle.
The hipster students ,artists ,lean forward idealists should enjoy this time of their life. Soon reality is going to come calling.
ReplyDeleteOld people are racists.
ReplyDeleteAnd pay the bills 8:05.
ReplyDeleteAbout the time the first round of $10-15 million/year streetcar bonds are paid, Caleb will be just entering his 15th year of graduate school and still putting off having the hassle of owning a car.
ReplyDeleteOf course, his world will continue to be very small.
And common sense and adult responsiblities may be a bit down the road as well.
The rest of the millenial crowd, though, will be raising their kids, mowing their lawns, living in safe neighborhoods, enjoying the benefits of excellent public schools, and participating in their suburban communities.
The streetcars will have become a part of the Arabia Museum.
8:16 Very well done.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone. Excellent use of verbs, nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.
No gutter mouth! What a huge improvement. Appreciated.
nigger PLEASE!!!! this is fuking TKC!!!
ReplyDeleteSo nice Russ took PICA money from the Northland and used it South of the river,guess he works for the downtown Chamber instead the Northland. So what $200,000 when we need sidewalks and flood control.
ReplyDeleteRun the train to Waldo Tony. You do not have to ride it if you are scared. You can stay home and do whatever the hell it is you do other than worry about taxes that you do not in all likelihood have to pay.
ReplyDeleteRide the MAX, 5:40. Don't be afraid of people of color. They're just trying to get to their jobs, too.
ReplyDeleteThe anti desperation reaches new heights with this one. You guys have really jumped the shark. I'm starting to feel sorry for you, especially after that public hearing the other day. Having 20 people read the same made up cue-cards (that had nothing to do with TDD legality, but were rather "arguments" against voting for such a TDD) and then stooping to the level of proporting to speak for the working class, the poor and people of color in this city is low. But this ageism talking point you guys are working on is just funny. The people who have run a campaign based on calling their opposition hipsters, libtards, coffee shop employess, millenials, renters, etc. maybe shouldn't cry fowl when someone points out that all of them fall into the same demographic, which is coincidentally the same 35% of those neighborhoods that have always voted against ALL transit improvements in this city, including the sales taxes that fund the buses they think are so swell now.
ReplyDeleteIf we left it up to you guys, this city would have the transit of Overland Park. If that's what you want, Brookside real estate is moving quickly right now, and selling for higher than its ever sold before, perhaps you should look at a nice reverse 1 1/2 story ranch in the Falls at the Lakes at Lionsfiregate of Quail Run Hollow Creek in Overland Park. You can spend your "fixed income" at one of the "low tax" (11%) lifestyle centers out there.
8:26 let me help you out.... Fuck, fuck it, fuck you, what a fuck up, I'll fuck you up, oh fuck, what the fuck, fuck me running, fucking loser,
ReplyDeletesomeone pick me up....
8:55: Thanks for your unbiased input, Mensa boy. Do you have anything lined up after your term expires next year?
ReplyDeleteI understand why some of the older conservative crowd around here would get defensive about young progressive people. But, to the dude who said "just wait for reality, fuckers" (paraphrasing) I'd argue that we have a much wider knowledge of the real world than you do, what with our educations and all. Sure, you work and pay taxes and all, and thats great, in that sense students are totally needy clingers or whatever you want to characterize us as. but you are also really dont care about advancing opportunities for minorities, probably because it creates more competition for your kid, who youre totally sure we get to your income level and move to the burbs, despite increasing odds our generation will actually not be nearly as financially successful as our parents. not to mention the rather obvious fact than in saying that the next generation will reproduce exactly the same society as their parents, you deny that a free market exists. I don't support the toy train, but I had to say something about the gross mischaracterization of young folk you guys are getting from limbaugh or breitbart or whoevers shit you eat.
ReplyDelete@ 11:44 You tout your "education" and then follow it up with this gem-"...but you are also really dont care about advancing opportunities for minorities...who youre totally sure we get to your income level and move to the burbs, despite increasing odds our generation will actually not be nearly as financially successful as our parents." Yikes.
ReplyDeleteIt is kind of a stream of consciousness post. I hope freshman English classes still teach writing basics. And the generation you're dissing is the one who helped end segregation and open opportunities for minorities. Isn't history still required at least on some basic level?
ReplyDelete