TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! FORMER KCK MAYOR JOE REARDON STAYS WINNING NEW KANSAS CITY AREA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY CEO GIG!!!
There is a new power in Kansas City transit who will be named later today.
Congrats to UG Dude Joe Reardon.
We won't stand in the way of this post other than to mention that we think this job might have been good for Council Dude Russ Johnson.
No kidding, we don't like to disagree with tipsters and basically we don't . . . But there's no denying that Council Dude Russ was interested in this job and wouldn't have been a choice that would've surprised anyone. More than anything else, this might just be an example that working for Mayor Sly isn't very rewarding.
But you decide . . .
The fact remains . . .
CREDIT TO KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTERS FOR INFORMING OUR BLOG COMMUNITY ABOUT THE NEW KCATA JOB AND THE FUTURE OF KANSAS CITY TRANSIT FIRST AND BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE IN KANSAS CITY!!!
Now check the statement:
KICK-ASS TKC TIPSTER REAX TO REARDON WINNING KCATA GIG
As you read about several weeks ago on this site, and can finally read about for the first time tomorrow in the Falling STAR, today at noon the KCATA (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority) will announce Joe Reardon, the former mayor of Wyandotte County, as its new CEO. The contract, which VERY generously totals roughly $250,000 in salary and benefits for Joe, will be formally and unanimously approved by the 10 member board in a closed meeting at 11:00 am.
All of the above, readers of this BLOG already knew. The real story, which will never appear in the mainstream media, is a tale of palace intrigue and political machinations worthy of an episode of the House of Cards. For now, let's start with an analysis of the biggest losers in this political drama that played out behind the scenes over the last several months:
First and by FAR the biggest loser in this political game: KC's Mayor Sly James. If there were 5 sides to be on in this fight, the mayor said he supported each and every one of them at one time or another. Ultimately, and for the FIRST TIME in KCATA history, someone other than Kansas City picked who will run the agency. This in spite of the fact that KCMO provides almost 80% plus of the funding, and is the entity that controls more votes than anyone else. In short, an absolute epic and historic failure of leadership by turning control of this critical agency over to Kansas politicians. This will be added to a long stream of mounting, very public, and embarrassing losses for him. To name but a few: His KC school takeover fail, his failed attempt to build a downtown hotel, his failed attempt at the KCI relaunch, and the twice failed and voter rejected efforts to expand the gerrymandered street car boundaries. My prediction: Look for Sly to adroitly walk away from this dumpster fire, declaring victory in the face of fairly historic defeat, and claim that the former Kansas mayor was "always his man" (1/5th true), and look for Yael, Horsley and the STAR to ignore the glaring reality of KCMO losing control!
Second loser: Russ "MENSA boy" Johnson. Russ angled desperately for the job as he saw his shelf life as someone that matters soon to expire. He thought he had sealed Sly's support, and thus the job, by publicly carrying the streetcar water for him. What his clearly swollen intellect could never wrap itself around, however, was that nobody ever liked him and his consistently acerbic personality won him no friends when he really needed them.
Third loser: The people of Kansas City. They now have to watch as people from another city, from another state, and not answerable in any way to them, begins to run their buss service. Added kick in the teeth? They also get stuck with the bill, even though they no longer have any direct say or control over what happens with their money. Once again, KCMO provides almost 80% of the revenue for local buss service but will practically exercise 0% of the control. Simply put: An absolute abdication of responsibility by the folks in KCMO to their constituents.
The odd twist to this tale? Arguably the best candidate for the job, local transit expert Steve Klika, was never given serious consideration for the job. Klika is nationally known as a transit guru, often hired to rescue failing transit agencies and return them to service. Oddly, that's exactly what the ATA needed, but did not seem to get. In the end, it was Steve's lack of political connections, and not his resume, that doomed his candidacy. It seems the board, in the end, wanted a reliable political friend rather than a proven CEO or transit expert. The hope is that Steve stays on the board and continues to steer the agency and Joe in the right direction.
Developing.......
Nicely done to the tipster. Like his take much more than yours.
ReplyDeleteWow. KCMO is fucked.
ReplyDeleteNot good.
ReplyDeleteKwame Kilpatrick pulled this same type of shit for years.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Alonzo "zo man" didn't get the job...
ReplyDelete$250K per year for what??? What could this moron possibly do, that would be worth even half that amount?? What a legalized theft!
ReplyDeleteIt could have been worse: Russ "Mensa-Boy" Johnson wanted this job BAD, but he was denied.
ReplyDeleteOne of the primary things that keeps KCMO from moving forward is the patronage that shows up when these key positions are awarded.
ReplyDeleteMark Huffer had the expertise and the credentials to run a transit agency. This guy is an ex Mayor. You think the collective staff at ATA are unaware of this guys resume?
I get the "who you know" game has a place, but not to the degree where basic skills and knowledge and experience are brushed aside. Now it's happening at the EDC as well as the City. I had a top city official tell me that economic development was going to happen in downtown because he could get my permit expedited. WTF?
TKC sucking up to Train Boss Reardon....talk about the proverbial "stabbing in the back" Reardon is about to recieve from the wily spic.
ReplyDeleteYep, TKC is going to break off a 12" butcher in the small of Reardon's back. First time somebody bumps the Taco and spills his coffee on his maiden train traverse from Crossroads to P & L.
Hasn't that job always been a tablescrap politicians give out to someone they owe a favor to? I remember Greg Lever got that job......he's the one that worked for The good Mayor Cleaver and kept him out of the Federal slammer by working his accounting magic when everyone else in that administration was getting locked up.
ReplyDeleteWhat a funny joke Sly just played on us.
ReplyDeleteGreg Lever is a crook and an ass and a Glover boy. Greg Lever is a prime example of why everyone should vote for Katy Shields.
ReplyDelete"What his clearly swollen intellect could never wrap itself around, however, was that nobody ever liked him and his consistently acerbic personality won him no friends when he really needed them."
ReplyDeleteActually Kansas City can deal with acerbic personalities--witness Funky, who would have remained acerbic and in office had his crazy wife stayed home. What Kansas City has problems with is people like Russ who see only one side of an issue, cherry pick facts to fit that one side and deny indisputable facts that don't fit his arguments. (For example he has stated on many occasions that certain cities have streetcars when they do not, that even if they don't currently have streetcars, they're planning to build them when they have no intention of doing so.) Some people would attribute this to laziness, people would call this lying, at any rate it's not a good political move to be so transparently veracity-challenged. To paraphrase Mae West in "My Little Chickadee," a politician who wants to be successful should not show contempt for voters--they should hide it. Russ flaunts it.
Nice there is one post here this morning worthy of attention that isn't aggregated from the internet parrot and copycat factory. Tony's political analysis is another story. Kind of like reading a Hearne Christopher column. We'll give this a B+.
ReplyDeleteA surprising collection of KCMO elected officials put in for that job. A real journalist (not Tony) would submit a public records request and re-print the list of those who applied.
ReplyDeleteIs Joe keeping his lawyer gig-job with McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, which calls itself the largest law firm in Kansas City?
ReplyDeleteWill he put in one hour a week for the $250,000. Or will the demands of his law practice make that 30 minutes a week he'll devote to transit issues.
You missed one more failure on the part of Sly. He created a Blue Ribbon Commission to study and implement local control of the police department. The commission not only did not give the mayor local control they tried to reduce the mayor's role even more. The fat ass is a bully and everyone knows it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Joe is a nice friendly guy and all when not stuffed into the suit and just being a good ol' boy at a family barbecue. What is his experience in transit again?
ReplyDeleteGood choice to put the final touches of mass destruction on a formerly soulful, original, unique, and affordable city. Cerner is no doubt twerking and jerking with joy today. As well as the toy train freaks and google geeks.
ReplyDeleteMensa Boy loses! lol
ReplyDeleteAren't you glad the citizens have a say in matters such as these? Isn't CK's open door government grand?
ReplyDeleteLet me see. First of all he will likely say we need to put sensors in all the streets of CK so we know how we are doing. Then a dedicated toy train line from Google Fiber to a Thousand Cups headquarters. All for the affordable taxpayer price of only $1.2 Billion!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone can convince us this is a great move for CKMO we're all ears.
ReplyDeleteAnnouncement will at Noon today. Chamber board room at Union Station.
ReplyDeleteBullshit deflector earmuff's will not be supplied a the door.
Why am I experiencing nausea and despair instead of hope and excitement on this announcement?
ReplyDeleteBIG MIKECKHENDRICKS BREAKING AND STARCLUSIVE NEWZ EPIC REARDON MEGA PACK!!!
ReplyDeleteTwo years after leaving office, former Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Joe Reardon is returning to public life to head the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in a newly created position.
"Although Reardon, 46, has no previous experience running a bus system, that wasn’t one of the job requirements."
ReplyDeleteOh boy here we go
"That profile of him as a bridge builder grew toward the end of his second term as he and Kansas City Mayor Sly James jointly promoted Google Fiber’s decision to launch its fast internet service here."
ReplyDeleteWell a little lie never hurts. Sly had nothing to do with Googles Kansas City Kansas Launch.
Newly Created Position.
ReplyDeleteThat there alone should be enough to be setting the tornado sirens off.
"Transit is especially important, he said, when it comes to retaining and attracting talented young professionals who would rather not depend on cars"
ReplyDeleteLMAO!
Caleb-Michael Files has left the auditorium Joe.
ReplyDeleteRather not depend on cars but they'll happily hop on board a Boeing Triple 7 for a parentally subsidized playcation where ever the latest trendy hot spot happens to be.
ReplyDeleteInteresting internationally respected transit genius Jarret Walker was here last year and said you need to get your shit together on buses so they choose someone with no experience in buses.
ReplyDeleteNeed to keep pushing density so citizens of CKMO can enjoy all the benefits of retail and entertainment district blight.
ReplyDelete"Although Reardon, 46, has no previous experience running a bus system, that wasn’t one of the job requirements."
ReplyDeleteVery revealing. That one sentence says volumes about the current crew in charge. Historians will no doubt look back someday wondering in puzzlement about how this particular CK Empire of Grift was able to keep itself going.
Thanks KCMO for taking him off our hands. We have some more like him to send your way.
ReplyDelete11:28-11:33: Polish up that resume, Mensa boy.
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard much from Road Rage Johnson. Whats he up to these days, besides running away from Mahoney?
ReplyDeleteAdios to MENSA MAN As they said in "OKLAHOMA" "Poor Russ is dead" -- sing along now -- "Poor Russ is dead"
ReplyDeleteHe's recognizing an emergency. His own this time.
ReplyDeleteI think Russ the Mensa Boy went bonkers and robbed those people in Brookside today.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI, when the cost of a full compensation package for salaries in this range, the base salary is about 80% of the total cost, or $200 K. Not saying he deserves that cost, but at least it's helpful to understand before judgement. The other 20% is usually insurance, leave, deferred comp. I doubt whether they are making him live in KC, or MO, for that matter. Suggest you get a copy of the employment agreement and identify if he can hold a second job. For an exempt/contract position, I would expect to not see him around much if they allow him to draw two salaries.
ReplyDeleteThe suggestion to find out the other candidates would be interesting.
12:49: Oh, he still herf derfs on TKC occasionally.
ReplyDeleteWhen you live in Kansas -- You can be anything you want in Missouri, including Director of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Who said you had to be a resident of Kansas City, Missouri to succeed there.
ReplyDelete@242 OMG, you have turned a noun into a verb numbnutz .
ReplyDeleteDon't try being urban. You are beginning to make the smell farts-self loathing guy sound creative.
North of $200K with benefits? $250K? Not a bad package for a part time job where your not expected to accomplish a whole lot.
ReplyDeleteWOW THANKS TO THIS GREAT BLOG I KNEW WEEKS IN ADVANCE WHO WAS GOING TO RUN THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT WHO RUNS THE BUS COMPANY IN FACT IT'S ALL WE EVER TALK ABOUT, MASS TRANSIT AND BUSES
ReplyDeleteWHAT AN EXCLUSIVE
2:42 & 5:42: 'Zat you, Mensa boy?
ReplyDelete