Some things can't be undone, like stretch marks or the embarrassment of eating at a vegan restaurant.
And pointless political bickering is a great excuse to lose millions in revenue for Kansas City during a recession, right?
Whatever.
Anyhoo, here's yet another postscript to all of the pointless Semler debate: It's too late for La Raza to reconsider moving their convention back to Kansas City.
Here's apress release from the group. Also, it's nice to see a national political leader slam Kansas City's Mayor:
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. , said it regrets that the mayor did not act sooner to accept the resignation of Frances Semler from the Kansas City Parks Board. “Unfortunately because of the mayor’s lack of leadership and sensitivity to the Hispanic community, it is now too late for NCLR to bring its Conference to Kansas City in 2009,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. At the request of its Kansas City Affiliates, NCLR removed its 2009 Annual Conference from Kansas City after Mayor Mark Funkhouser appointed Semler, an active member of the extremist Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, and refused to accept her resignation when she first offered it.Again, I'd like to note that this is a classic "Kansas City Compromise" which deserves to be noted. In this KC Compromise everybody lost: This town lost convention business, was labeled as racist, suffered through needless controversy all to benefit of some old broad who backed down in the end. Everybody lost out and it's impossible to see this sad series of events as a desired outcome. Welcome to Kansas City!
The Minuteman, a self-avowed vigilante group, is listed as a “nativist-extremist” organization by the Anti-Defamation League. Chris Simcox, one of the Minuteman’s founders, was convicted in 2003 of carrying a weapon into a national park while searching for undocumented immigrants.
“The Minutemen advocate division and intolerance, and their members openly harass and intimidate Hispanics solely based on their appearance. The Kansas City Hispanic community did not accept the mayor’s tacit endorsement of such policies, and we supported their views,” said Murguía.
“From the beginning, the mayor has consistently refused to act on this issue and failed to take direct action,” added Murguía. “We thank the community partners in Kansas City who stood with us, including our Affiliates, the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the religious community.
I'd give that a push.
ReplyDeleteDon't care about any of the politics but I want that lady to back that thing up on my face.
ReplyDeleteTwo of Kansas City's biggest employers are laying off hundreds if not thousands of employees and you are worried about a convention that is a one time shot. The mayor knows it, conventions don't mean shit to KC's economy. Just a big waste of taxpayer dollars funding convention centers and hotels.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for the Majority people, giving out grants, La Raza, minority people, would of never been the largest national Hispanic civil rights group.
ReplyDeleteAgain Tony..............your welcome.
Who really cares? It i slike saying if you don't buy this car now, I am leaving! You never had it to begin with, so you don't miss it. The only people that would attend the convention, if thier was ever to be one, would be those of hispanic decent, and even then, most in thos town would not go. INS would have the place staked out.
ReplyDeleteYou are the only person who cries about it. Can't miss money you never had.
Plus the post above is right. 1 Convention does not an economy make.
Actually it was 2 conventions valued at Millions. I don't know why people in this city don't understand simple economics. Must be why Kansas City keeps on supporting all of these Super TIFs.
ReplyDeleteAnd it still would not fix a single sewage or education problem...
ReplyDeleteSome people do understand simple economics. Tourism and conventions now have to be subsidized to such a huge extent that they are unprofitable for cities. Meantime you tax profitable business to pay for them and they head to the burbs.
ReplyDeleteMost US cities are trying to become a NY or SF where trust fund babies live and tourists visit. Some cities simply have to be business centers.
anon 12:37 doesn't understand is that cities tax the hell out of tourist..bed tax, sales tax, car rental tax, airport tax, liquor if someone comes to Kansas City and spend money it is profitable to the city and the economy. And the we get rid of the taxable tourist in about a week.
ReplyDelete