TKC EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!!! KANSAS CITY PROTESTER: STAND UP KC 'FIGHT FOR $15' MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE DEMONSTRATION WAS THE 'BIGGEST ACT OF LOCAL CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE' IN A GENERATION!!!
An EPIC protest on Kansas City streets last night dominated mainstream media coverage but ultimately represents more FAIL to really understand this organized labor movement from a LOCAL grassroots and historical perspective.
Accordingly and with a great deal of appreciation . . .
RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE LEAD PROTESTERS OFFERING INSIDE INFO ON THE RALLY AND ARREST AFTERMATH!!!
Here are the important quotes that offer some insight into the march and subsequent sit-in from the Kansas City street level . . .
"This is the biggest event of civil disobedience arrest that I can think of in all of my twenty years here. We, KC, are boasting the largest arrested number yesterday for any city in the nation."
This historical significance of this protest goes back further than that actually . . . MSM reports more than 100 arrests and that's far more incarcerations than any social justice cause has ever garnered in Kansas City history since the long ago Civil Rights Era. There have been a few house parties gone wrong that might have come close to that number but no protests attempting to push forward a cause.
More description . . .
"We were probably in the street for 2 hours. I was among the last few arrested. I think they were slow to arrest us, maybe thinking that a few of us would tire and get up and leave. People were still getting out at 4AM. So, essentially that intersection was shut down for a couple of hours. It happens to be in front of McDonald's and Wendy's... So they were also essentially shut down."
And that leads us to another fun fact . . .
TKC EXCLUSIVE: ALL OF THE KANSAS CITY PROTESTERS WERE BAILED OUT BY ORGANIZED LABOR LEADERS!!!
Last time around there was a crowd funding effort in the midst of police charges and fines. This EPIC protest seemed much more precisely organized supported by local union leaders.
"They paid for everyone and went to each station with attorneys and bonds agents."
About the protesters and the unique cross-section of Kansas City residents willing to march and sit-in on local streets:
"There were people who were in their twenties to their seventies/ eighties... Black, brown, white and Asian. Let's just say that the jail demographics have never been as diverse as they were last night."
Finally, a mention of the national connection to this protest movement and nicer local gear that all of the sports fanboys claiming KC . . .
"Terrence Wise was among the first in the nation to be arrested yesterday. Representing a small delegation of workers from all over the nation who started the civil disobedience at 6AM. Terrence Wise is the face of the movement internationally, he met with Obama, he's represented us overseas and all over the nation but he's not getting enough local attention. We think he's a rock star."
Post script . . . Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp was also part of the law enforcement crew dealing with protesters. Just to show the real nature of the demonstration beyond partisan rhetoric. A source says:
"He was working the crowd like he was campaigning. Unions get guys like Sharp elected. Lots of people who got arrested are big union folks, UAW, SEIU, ETC."
As with everything, the political perspective from insiders helps to shed more light on what really happened along with the Kansas City consequences for the future.
More links on the topic . . .
KCUR: At Least 100 Arrested In Kansas City's 'Fight For $15' Rally
Fox4KC: Police arrest dozens during Kansas City protest to increase fast food workers’ minimum wage to $15
KMBC: Police arrest dozens at peaceful protest for higher minimum wage
You decide . . .
More than 100 arrests is a lot.
ReplyDeleteIt was cold last night as well and I noticed all of the protesters were wearing the same red fluffy hat.
Booking must have been a nightmare.
Well, at least with so many union guys protests, you can't yell at these folks that they should get a job. The top end leaders probably have better jobs than most working stiffs.
ReplyDeleteWaste of time. They'd be better off protesting by attending college classes so that they qualify for better paying jobs.
ReplyDeleteI stand with my Negro brothers and sistahs in this time if trouble. That's why I did not show up last night. That's why I will be at a fundraiser for a special interest Jeff City lobbyist from St. Louis tonight. I am glad that Tony never got a copy of the invite.
ReplyDeleteI love lobbyists, because I love free food and drink. Fuck the old neighborhood and the poor folks who stayed there working for whatever they work for.
Hillary won the election by more than 2 million votes.
ReplyDeleteThis is what the future looks like, this is what Democracy looks like.
How many were illegals? All the cheating and media assistance couldn't help Hillary win. She lost. Learn about how elections work.
DeleteArrested. One or two, dozens, hundreds, which is it?
ReplyDeleteKCUR reported more than 100. I saw the link on TKC, which actually has more relevant news to KCMO than the paper nowadays. You seen today's issue 28 pages. No j/k.
ReplyDeleteBuild the wall higher.
ReplyDeleteThose jobs will probably pay well.
Was this protest an inside job?
ReplyDeleteAre these the same paid protesters who "organized" against Trump's victory at City Hall?
ReplyDeleteI guess when fast food does pay enough, you can always supplement your income with protesting. The hours seems pretty bad though.
Just wait until these fools try to get another job and potential employers do a background check and see that they have been arrested. I would never hire one of these clowns.
ReplyDeleteThousands of helpless and innocent citizens unfairly arrested at KCMO fair wage protest!
ReplyDeleteSo, are we having the grilled Southwest Chicken Salad today for lunch or just wrap with a medium order of fries thrown in just to cheat a little bit?
ReplyDeleteHopefully we can use our phone to put in our order so that we can avoid any more protests.
I'm not going to let these folks ruin a good meal.
Why not demand $250 an hour? Start high and settle for $11.99 after negotiations.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that how UAW killed the American auto industry?
DeleteTime to take down the faded Obama posters kids.
ReplyDeleteThe smart ones aren't protesting they are getting training and getting decent paying jobs building the robots that are going to replace them.
ReplyDeleteWhat about blogging. Doesn't that pay $2000 an hour?
ReplyDelete@8:49. Take a Civics class, fascist.
ReplyDeleteAND NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.....
ReplyDelete"This is the biggest event of civil disobedience arrest that I can think of in all of my twenty years here. We, KC, are boasting the largest arrested number yesterday for any city in the nation."
So....your goal was to get arrested and make the news? It's not really all about the minimum wage is it?
"We were probably in the street for 2 hours. So, essentially that intersection was shut down for a couple of hours."
So....your silly narcissistic protest was more important than the general public's right to access the public thoroughfares? You're an asshole!
"ALL OF THE KANSAS CITY PROTESTERS WERE BAILED OUT BY ORGANIZED LABOR LEADERS!!!"
So.....this isn't about minimum wage, it's more about organized labor groups trying to hang onto their last vestiges of power. Most of the protesters are likely stupid pawns in a political power game.
"Terrence Wise was among the first in the nation to be arrested yesterday. Terrence Wise is the face of the movement internationally, he met with Obama, he's represented us overseas and all over the nation but he's not getting enough local attention. We think he's a rock star."
I think Mr. Wise is likely a well-meaning but wholly ignorant young man who is being manipulated for the benefit of others. A puppet on strings. For all the time and effort that Wise has put into these protests, what has he personally gained? Isn't he still working at McDonald's? If he had worked to improve his skills instead of protesting, by this time he could be working in construction, auto mechanics, sales, or at a minimum a warehouse making $15.00/hour. I actually think he likes working at McDonald's as a career.
"Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp was also part of the law enforcement crew dealing with protesters. He was working the crowd like he was campaigning. Unions get guys like Sharp elected. Lots of people who got arrested are big union folks, UAW, SEIU, ETC."
And as we just saw the other day with KCMO Councilman Scott Taylor's campaign contributors, organized labor typically always backs Democrats, and Democrats pander to these types of dispossessed people who can be easily manipulated.
California to start regulating cow farts...
ReplyDeleteBest headline of the week.
LOL Democrat greedy union slobs scamming the workers they profess to care about
ReplyDelete==========
This brings me to my last correct prediction, which is that the Fight for $15 was always more a creation of the left-wing Service Employees International Union (SEIU) rather than a legitimate grassroots effort. Reuters reported last year that, based on federal filings, the SEIU had spent anywhere from $24 million to $50 million on the its Fight for $15 campaign, and the number has surely increased since then.
This money has bought the union a lot of protesters and media coverage. You can expect more of it on November 29. But the real faces of the Fight for $15 are the young people and small business owners who have had their futures compromised. Those faces are not happy ones.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/29/thanks-to-fight-for-15-minimum-wage-mcdonalds-unveils-job-replacing-self-service-kiosks-nationwide/#1a5e11ad762e
These $15/hr protesters are being (quite easily) manipulated by the same people who are setting fires, wearing their safety pins, and screaming constantly to anyone who will listen that the world is ending with Trump's election. They have about two months left for their argument to get any traction. Once January comes, and the world doesn't end, people will no longer listen.
ReplyDeleteFace it, Trump's election won't end the world. I'm no Trump fan, and I find it hilarious that a populist wave rebelling against globalism and lack of concern for the working class elected a GLOBAL ORIENTED BILLIONAIRE (a testament to his salesmanship skills, I guess), but things won't drastically change either way with his administration. A few small wins (better Obamacare, a few more companies staying in the US, no TPP) and no end of the world (no concentration camps, no collapsed economy) will show the majority of the populace that the dire wailings of the protesters was unfounded, and people will move on to the next "cause de jour" that makes them feel like they're special and part of the "hip" crowd.
Kansas City star had an expose on the boilermakers corruption.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats just don't care about attacking and stealing from the working people. They only care about getting more power.
That's why they organize mass arrests instead of changing anything.
When this crowd get to the point where having the biggest turnout for a protest and, even though it accomplishes absolutely NOTHING for either their cause or themselves personally, that's their great accomplishment, we've crossed the line from reality to fantasy.
ReplyDeleteFirst as tragedy; then as farce.
They'd be much better advised to try to work with their Missouri legislators who will shortly be passing right to work and the governor has already announced he will sign the law.
This crowd will find that the unions will have much less money to waste subsidizing their adolescent games and, not only will the time spent on this be wasted, but their future employment prospects badly damaged.
Tip: The labor pool of low-skill low-education applicants is very very large. And more than enough are happy to have jobs and aren't DEMANDING anything other than asking for a chance.
Giving the future just a little thought might be advisable.
Stop going to fast food places and stop tipping. Also replace these fools with robots. And who do we bill for all the police resources wasted to arrest 100 idiots? Resources that were needed elsewhere in the city last night.
ReplyDeleteWhen you represent government employees where profit is not an issue then employees can be paid any amount. But in the private sector the laws of economics still apply. And the laws of economics surely mean that if $15 is mandated a few of these workers will get the $15 but most will be unemployed.
ReplyDelete11:22 well said but it is wasted on these idiots. But they'll know soon enough when their jobs evaporate.
ReplyDeleteTKC EXCLUSIVE: ALL OF THE KANSAS CITY PROTESTERS WERE BAILED OUT BY ORGANIZED LABOR LEADERS!!!
ReplyDeleteProof? Since we know from experience your "exclusives" are mostly bullshit.
If they were white and armed, the police would have left them alone.
ReplyDeleteRuns block are streets every weekend. When are the police going to start arresting the runners?
ReplyDeleteAnyone know of any reliable sources of media left on the planet?
ReplyDeleteI want to know what Super Dave has to say?
ReplyDeleteYup..this is all about the fucking unions. Fucking lazy McDonalds workers..you dont like it, get a new fucking job...
ReplyDeleteAttention protesters!
ReplyDeleteYes, I do want fries with that.
Thanks! Get on that.
Are they out of jail yet?
ReplyDeleteWas it in Portland where the wage was raised to $15 and now these burger flippers don't want to work a 40 hour week because they'll lose their housing vouchers because they earn too much! Why not use the raise to improve your situation and get off government assistance? WTF???
ReplyDeleteYou people are getting upset about a protest that was miles away from your shitty 1.5 story houses in Olathe? I bet everyone in this thread makes no more than a measly 60K a year. I bet all of you are sitting on your collective asses in a cubicle located in some nondescript office park. You losers can't even hope for a middle management position because you spend your time making racist comments on a blog instead of doing actual work. I guarantee you that fast food employees work harder than most, if not all, of you mooks. Talk about entitlement...you all lack ambition and work ethic and yet you complain about others getting "free rides" or "hand outs" or whatever dog whistle buzzword is en vogue with you dummies. You all are on a fast track to no where and you have the audacity to complain about other people who at least have the courage to try and make a positive change in their life? Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Oh, right. Yeah, that's Dr. Pepper on that second order.
Delete151
DeleteI don't look down at them
But I do wonder why they think a minimum wage job is all there is?
I'm a truck driver. You can start out at 45 grand a year and you don't need a college degree
Maybe if people looked around and realized that there is more for them in life than the neighborhood they grew up in then maybe they have a better outlook on life
Good for these folks getting out there and trying to improve their lives. If more people in more industries would stand up and fight for themselves, we might be able to break the now decades-long trend of stagnant wages. It's really shocking and disheartening to read all of the hate spewed in these comments at people who are simply trying to earn a decent living. Again, these folks are working folks, and should not be scorned for wanting their piece of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteTo all of you damning these people for protesting, please ask yourselves who "the sheep" really are.
Sheep are groomed to expect handouts, and cannot function without them.
DeleteYou don't raise a family while working at McDonald's
Deleteyes, it's too easy to be cruel to low wage earners.
ReplyDeleteit's great that they have jobs and the initiative to be employed and they deserve credit for that. and a fair break.
when the illegal workers holding down wages across the board are gone, these folks will benefit from a scarcity of labor and hourly wages will go up significantly.
moreover, corporations wil step up their recruiting and training programs.
Most cities aren't so stupid to go out and get arrested for no damn reason.
ReplyDelete"Most cities aren't so stupid to go out and get arrested for no damn reason."
ReplyDeleteUh, what?
Join the glorious march of the Free Shit Army! Massive sense of aggrieved entitlement required. Drive, determination optional. Fundamental knowledge of economics absolutely prohibited.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the protest it took me 45 seconds longer to get my Big Mac. I went to Walmart and had to wait an extra 15 seconds for the back up door greeter. Gloom and doom yesterday.
ReplyDeleteToday?
Found out they elected Pelosi again confirming Einstein's definition of Insanity.
...And heard Barb, Yael and Mary were as pissed off as a midget with a yo-yo. Me? I am going to the store and buy up all the safety pins and mark them up so I can sell them all again in 4 years!
You gotta love America !
One thing's for sure. These diverse eatbeasts definitely aren't starving to death. Yikes! Keep marching or at least walking!
ReplyDelete"This is what Democracy looks like." Yes it is and why we don't live in one. We have a Representative Republic to prevent mob rule. Should have learned that one in school. Of course if you paid attention in school and made something of your life then you would not be on the streets looking to make $15 an hour to flip burgers.
ReplyDelete^^^^^^ nice
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhh! I am so impressed. KC finally attracted a convention. The morons convention. So I guess none of these poor folks even went to work??? Sounds like they are starving to death. If some of these folks were lying to the state in order to get food stamps I don't know what the world would do.
ReplyDeletethe protesters have more guns than all of these idiot commenters.
ReplyDeleteThe same "leaders" getting arrested here sold their OWN membership out this last contract (UAW). They only want the membership dues..that is all the Union leaders Cate about. Lining the Union's coffers to pay for their trips to Vegas and Palm Springs on the workers dime. These same "leaders" won't tip the same people that they are using like fodder. Just another fine example of the Democratic and Union Labor mantra! Symbolism over substance..fyi I am a 20+ year Union worker that doesn't drink the KoolAid..
ReplyDelete4:57 You are a bigger idiot than protesters who have guns.
ReplyDeleteI meant guts! That was my bad comment @4:57.
ReplyDeleteI think these protesters have a lot of GUTS for getting out there and standing up for change in a peaceful manner.
1:27 those idiots you saw protesting are not working a 40 hour week now. They want 15 an hour so they can work even less than they do now.
ReplyDelete5:08 You are the biggest idiot and I bet you neither have a gun or protested.
ReplyDeleteI think Toneeeee is a big idiot for posting anonymously in his own blog and thinking no one picks up on it.
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced that idiots are idiotic as hell.
ReplyDeleteIt is spelled Idgit dipshit!
ReplyDeleteI support these protesters. They are trying to change the system. Good for them!
ReplyDeleteAs long as SEIU has 70,000 prison guards as union members you can't expect SEIU to care about fast food workers. SEIU is not interested in a broad based coalition to give equality to all Americans. They never have and never will care.
ReplyDeleteThis entire push from the left to increase the minimum wage is destructive.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it so that niggers, if they do not like their jobs, or the associated compensation package cannot simply look for alternate employment with compensation more to their liking?
In short, if you don't like what you are paid, increase your skill set, become more valuable to employers.
Niggers want employers to be forced to pay them much more than they are worth, and care nothing for any consequences to the business or the nation as a whole.
Niggers should never be hired for anything other than menial, unskilled labor under heavy supervision. The minimum wage law should not apply to niggers, and they should be paid, or not, at the discretion of their overseer/supervisor.
This entire experiment of treating niggers as people has failed miserably; it is long past time to end it.
2 people dressed all in red and identifying themselves as " paid fundraisers" for the Southern Poverty Law Center were stopping people outside the Brookside post office on Tuesday, asking for money to fight for their causes, specifically to fight their "hate crimes". My thoughts are that if the Southern Poverty Law Center is getting involved in Kansas City political protests, then our fair city is in for some ugly riots in the coming months. It will be sad for us if Kansas City has been selected as the next Furgeson.
ReplyDelete^^^ Wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteAlso bullshit.
Nobody gives a damn about KC!