TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY CINCO DE MAYO WESTSIDE CELEBRATION OFFERS TEACHING MOMENT FOR MAYOR SLY'S ECO-DEVO AGENDA!!!
Today we pretend to celebrate the Battle of Puebla wherein Mexicans joined the litany of nations to beat up on the French. But the reality is that this boozy, taco party isn't about history but still holds a valuable lesson for Kansas City.
In a few moments a lunch time crowd will inundate Kansas City's Westside and the drinking and partying won't stop until later tonight. Kansas City denizens don't need much of an excuse to stuff their faces and drink themselves stupid but Cinco De Mayo rituals offer a convenient way to add a bit of spice typical American decadence.
Sure, Northeast and KCK have their fare share of far more authentic foodie offerings but Cinco De Mayo is a Chicano holiday that actually has its roots among Latino Kansas City college students who were part of a nationwide trend to develop an Americanized celebration that's more fun than the often militaristic and dour Mexican Independence Day . . .
And so, Kansas City's Cinco De Mayo Festivities have often ranked among the most bustling in the nation and even the P&L District will attempt to get in on the party tonight . . . Still most of the focus will be on this town's oldest Latino neighborhood . . . And just about every restaurant on the Boulevard will be packed with patrons mistaking cheezy Tex-Mex fare with cultural diversity . . .
So what's the lesson to learn here???
Simple: The Westside Cinco De Mayo Celebration has a far greater cultural and economic impact on this town than the struggling efforts on 18th and Vine which have been subsidized with more than $100 MILLION of taxpayer cash.
Like it or not, residents who know their history realize that even the Crossroads building boom was leveraged on successful biz created and maintained on the Westside.
It seems that the only current dilemma is latecomers and rampant gentrification ruining something uniquely created in Kansas City by small biz and dedicated residents and community activists more than a generation ago.
Westside Vs. East Side
Now, City Hall hopes to spark the same kind of development East of the Crossroads without much grass roots cooperation and with the help of MILLIONS MORE that was never made available to the Westside small biz owners.
The plan is for $27 million more to spark a district that most of Kansas City has consistently ignored.
And while we hope this time around the 3rd District efforts will be more productive than previous attempts . . . Again, the lesson here is that City Hall subsidy has very little to do with success.
Also, fewer instances of rampant gunfire were probably helpful in the process.
ADDITIONALLY . . . Let's not ignore more controversial aspect of the secret to Kansas City Westside winning . . .
While this still mostly Latino enclave didn't get much City Hall help . . . Neighborhoods and merchants were also free from immigration crackdowns.
As zero tolerance efforts to rid cities of illegal immigrants FAILED for the most part . . . Kansas City police did not actively seek to identify and deport undocumented workers.
Like it or not, cheap, illegal labor was one of many factors that helped to create one of the most vibrant parts of Kansas City . . .
And so . . . We hope mayor Sly enjoys this midday Kansas City Westside lesson with his tacos and realizes that the strong arm of government is rarely the solution to many problems or the spark that helps to build communities.
You decide . . .
Too bad we don't have a Chinese food district in Kansas City.
ReplyDeleteRamen doesn't count.
Caption: Mayor James wears many hats as he celebrates Kansas City diversity.
ReplyDeleteCinco de mayo celebrates what? I always thought it was just a holiday invented by Corona beer. Not that it matters.
ReplyDeletethat plane is cool. Don't be a hater.
ReplyDeleteToday we gather to celebrate all the wonderful innovations from our friends south of the border!
ReplyDeleteUmmmm, yeah, let's get drunk anyway!!!
tons of illegals mounting on border. Trump isn't going to do anything about it. Obama has actually deported more than anyone in history.
ReplyDeleteNo more westside vs. east side.
ReplyDeleteDowntown gets all the money.
The Westside used to be a thriving neighborhood that could sustain grocers and barber shops and real neighborhood businesses, now it's over 50% vacant lots and most of its business comes from outside visitors, and thanks to the neighborhood association, it's going to stay that way, because, you know OMG PARKING AND TRAFFIC!!!!!!!!!! MENSOKC
ReplyDeletetony,put some more of CHAR CHAR up, and lets all get along
ReplyDeleteI remember when the east side and west side per say were not bad neighborhoods at all.
ReplyDeleteNow I wonder what the hell screwed that all up?
i think the lesson here is clear: the eastside needs something better than taco john's!
ReplyDeleteThe eats side has had more public money invested in it than downtown. So has the Northland.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that 50% of the metro's tax base comes from the river to Brush Creek, between state line and Troost.
@2:42pm
ReplyDeleteThe area you describe may be 80% of the KCMO tax base, but the metro consists of over 80% of the region's 2.4 million population that doesn't live in KCMO and the tax base is much much larger.
Parochialism really hurts serious opportunities for regional success.
So I guess we are looking at a Mariachi District and a Beaner Baseball Museum or what? I'd much rather see a nice Mexican gentlemen's club where those olive toned, brown eyed babes drive my burrito insane with a good lap dance.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, 2:42, plenty of business and residential rooftops of above average incomes paying property taxes and the Etax. Some of that revenue adds up fast from Ward Parkway all the way to areas south past Red Bridge into very expensive estates (adjacent to Belton's Loch Lloyd). All that is not downtown dense, but the dollars are yuuuuuge.
ReplyDelete@320, is correct. Meant to say city, not "metro".
ReplyDelete@3:25 might have the right idea. We need to think about bringing the strip clubs back!
ReplyDeleteMayor's hat is racist! He should know better! Can't imagine the fallout if people showed up at City Hall in blackface.
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell are yo talking about. 90 percent of those ass holes at city hall are blackfaced.
ReplyDeleteOther than Mo's Italian Eatery and Swope Park to golf, there is literally nothing on the East side. At least the West side provides something I want to go to.
ReplyDeleteexcept gay bathrooms.....
ReplyDeleteHijo de puta. Me cago en la perra que le parió.
ReplyDeleteGround beef in "mexican" food is a gringo thing! The real Latin American fare has roasted, grilled, stir fried or cool acid cooked (lemon or lime juice marinade) proteins. Common BEEF selections are:
ReplyDeleteskirt steak, in very thin strips=stir fried
sirloin or shoulder=slow roasted, then diced or pulled in fine shreds
thick marbled steak cuts=grilled, then cut in small chunks
lean brisket or tenderloin, cut nearly paper thin strips while raw=marinated ten minutes in salted lime juice and quickly warmed.
There's no boxed, hard and crunchy "shells", either. Fillings are loaded into a pan warmed CORN tortilla. They're still pliable and get a little oil on your fingers.
Powdery pre-measured spices in packages is also gringo. Instead, a sort of pico de gallo puts the flavor in with chopped raw onion, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, chiles (one or more varietals) and salt, stirred together and spooned into the tortilla first.
The beef is added next, salted lightly.
Depending on locale, a red chili salsa or thinned adobo, queso blanco and guacamole may be added condiments.
Chicken, lamb, goat, pork and shrimp or vegan are other offerings.
ALL go down great with some cold authentic cerveza...NOT Corona.
^^^ Excellente! You obviously know your stuff. No joke, that's just damn impressive.
ReplyDelete