Transit activist Clay Chastain is a mild-mannered working professional who has battled criticism and opposition against his plans throughout his career. However, his current struggle to champion light rail in Kansas City has him up against a myriad of opposition and his response reveals not only a bit of frustration but also an informative guide to local media and politicos who have engaged him behind the scenes.
Take a look:
Chastain: Kansas City's elite, and their surrogates, trying to torpedo light rail election
No wonder so many working class Americans are disgusted as they witness America's undoing at the hands of its elite ruling class who continue lining their pockets by manipulating governments and unduly influencing much of the media.
Take Kansas City for instance where its own rich suits, hiding out in their ivory towers, are opposing a citizen-led transit initiative (Light Rail Ballot Question #3) designed to improve the city's pathetic bus system, protect the environment and prosper the city...
#1. Joe Reardon and the Kansas City Chamber brigade have come out unanimously against #3 citing it would hurt the bus system. Apparently they are hoping to keep low-income people and minorities separated on out dated and undesirable buses while they themselves hope to fly out of a brand new single-terminal airport they support!
#2. Steve Kraske and Frank Morris of KCUR Public Radio are opposed to #3 too and refuse to discuss it on a public radio radio station supported by taxpayer dollars. Apparently Steve and Frank are hoping people will think the light rail ballot initiative does not exist, though they have no trouble endlessly reporting to the public on the elite-supported downtown streetcar line!
#3. City Councilman Jermaine Reed, and his boss man Mayor Sly James, is also against #3 and refused to allow me to present the plan (in a public hearing) to the City Council's Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Reed told me it was, " not appropriate at this time!" Apparently Sly and Reed think a novelty streetcar line for tourists more imperative than a citywide light rail system that could help a working black man on the eastside get to a job across town!
#4. Dick Davis, former City Councilman and ATA President, told me at my presentation to the Northland Chamber of Commerce that he was totally against Light Rail Ballot Question #3 and that he and others in the room do not ride buses because, "we are not poor." Apparently Dick, and others of his northland elitist clan, wants to keep poor people separated on buses too and out of the city's lily white cupcake land.
#5. Brian Kaberline, Editor of the Kansas City Business Journal, wrote an editorial telling me to go home even though 2,500 citizens signed a petition mandating a vote on my light rail plan. Apparently Brian, and the paper's editorial board who support him, also wants to please the elite crowd who like to read about themselves in his paper.
#6. Bill Grady (who told me I was "bat crazy and uncooperative") and Scott Parks of KMBZ radio are also opposed to #3 and refuse to even discuss it on radio. Apparently these two journalistic professionals also want to stay on the good side of Kansas City's elite ruling class.
#7. Steve Glorioso, often times a spokesperson for the elite, said on public television that my light rail plan was "irresponsible" and would "totally devastate" the city's totally ineffective, wasteful, and devastated bus system. Apparently, say for pay Steve also knows which side his bread is buttered on.
However, all is not lost. The Kansas City Star, under the refreshing leadership of its new publisher, is now acting more like a "paper for the people" and doing its part to inform voters about Light Rail Ballot Question #3 from both sides perspective. Kansas City's outstanding public television station KCPT, led by Nick Haines, is to be praised as well for fairly covering both supporters and detractors of #3.
Make no mistake. This light rail election is not only about improving the city's public transportation system but also a referendum on the elite and whether or not they will be able to freely continue exploiting and controlling the taxpayers of Kansas City for their own selfish gain.
Clay Chastain...Degreed electrical engineer, KCMO registered voter, and leader of the people's light rail ballot initiative-Question #3.
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What are his views on unsolicited bulk e-mail?
ReplyDeleteGO Home!!!
ReplyDelete^^^^ Pretty much the common sentiment around KC.
ReplyDeleteIf what you say is true, then how did his initiative get on the ballot?
ReplyDeleteMild mannered? Lol
ReplyDeletethe so called city leaders are worried because clay chastians plan is the only ballet to ever get passed. go clay
ReplyDeleteClay Chastain is the guy who caused Union Station to be resurrected from an abandoned derelict that the Killa City Fathers would do nothing about.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Clay for shaking up the status quo.
Go, Clay, go.
Given the fact that Clay is on one side and his list of enemies is on the other, it's really a tough choice of who to hope loses more.
ReplyDeleteNo one with any sense would cheer for either that crew or Clay.
The KCMO circus needs more rings.
ReplyDeleteClay, when will you ever get a clue, NO ONE WANTS YOUR PLAN, we, the citizens are tired of you wasting taxpayer money.....that's the issue!
I agree that we should have had light rail years ago. I don't know if Clay is going about it the right way but I will say that at least he isn't afraid of a city wide vote like the streetcar people.
ReplyDeleteClay is on record for saying that if this initiative fails, he'll quit this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with his plan is the fact that it relies heavily on private and federal funds that he CANNOT guarantee. So if, by some fluke, passes and those funds aren't granted, who has to make up the difference? For a city whose citizens are already taxed through the roof, we cannot afford to have to make up the difference on Clay's flawed and hollow promises.
If Clay had any semblance of guarantees from private donors and federal grants, we'd have a different conversation. But he doesn't. And therein lies the issue.
He is a selfish monomaniac whose ego goes on the ballot annually. Without him we would have enjoyed light rail decades ago.
ReplyDelete