TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! SURVEYING THE DEVASTATION OF THE KANSAS CITY STAR FRONT PAGE PORT AUTHORITY STORY!!!
Allow me to remind you d-bags that TKC broke Kansas City Star journalist Dave Helling's story before he did.
Still, I won't downplay the importance of the informative Port Authority story accompanied by all the best coupons in Kansas City.
The Star story on the Port Authority has implications for the upcoming Mayoral Race.
Thankfully, TKC Tipsters are here to help us decipher what all this means AND offer a preview into what's coming next.
Check it:
"That story is why Funkhouser has been saying for months that if he can squeeze into the General Election, his dream opponent is Mike Burke and today's story is another reason why. That deal is scandalous and Mike had an ethical obligation to blow the whistle. And now he is hiding behind client-attorney privilege.
"It will all look like a massive cover-up to the public and tees up the Mayor and his campaign team to make this only the latest example of insider dealings by Burke at the Port Authority. Plus as quoted in today's story Funkhouser was already screaming about a mess at the Port Authority and The Council now looks like it is blocking him from cleaning it up to protect insiders like Sessions and Burke.
"Word is the Mayor's review of Burke's legal bills to this city agency exceeds $7 million since 2000.
"What to expect next is for Hermann using Skaggs as the flame thrower rightfully asking for a public hearing and release of more documents.
"This is one of those turning points in a high visibility race. There will be more but comes at a really bad time for Burke. It's going to be hard for him to be the favorite son of The Citizens Association, a supposedly good government club, with involvement in a story like this . . . "
Even better . . .
WORD IS THAT THE STAR IS ALREADY WORKING ON A FOLLOWUP THAT MIGHT ASK MORE ABOUT MIKE BURKE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS WHOLE HOT MESS!!!
TKC Perspective . . .
This isn't 2007 and Kansas City elections aren't going to be decided by good government posturing . . . Especially when Mayor Funky is striking that pose. It's important to note that The Star barely had any user reaction to this front page story and it's not going to be on the tip of any voter's tongue because stories about high finance are boring unless they involve somebody hanging themselves years later when bills come due . . .
Put simply, Kansas City politics is mostly about image and voting blocs . . . Details have NEVER been important and most people don't want or care to understand the complexities of the Port Authority, The EDC or any of the alphabet soup organizations that are bleeding Kansas City dry.
This sad state of affairs is why The KC-Run-And-Funded Downtown Hotel is an inevitability AND it's also why this town currently funds The P&L District.
Developing . . .
Wrong. It will be a big deal.
ReplyDelete"This sad state of affairs is why The KC-Run-And-Funded Downtown Hotel is an inevitability AND it's also this town currently funds The P&L District"
ReplyDeleteIf you elect Mike Burke you will be giving Kim Carlos the keys to the city treasury.
Where is the U.S. Department of Justice?
The CVA appointment controversy, the Port Authority scandal and the Hotel play perfectly into Funks anti-establishment message.
ReplyDeleteActually, TKC reported the story that David Martin from the "Pitch" originally investigated and uncovered.
ReplyDeleteYou've been spending too much time with Alonzo. T.
Wake up Tony....you wouldn't know shit unless the Star was reporting it.
ReplyDeleteQuit with the Kim Carlos attack Bull Shit! She has had nothing to do with Mike Burke's campaign for more than a year.
ReplyDeleteMike Burkes campaign is being run by a young African American man, which is why most of you really do not like the campaign. Let's just say it, most of the readers of this blog hate strong women and African-Americans. You are nothing more than a collection of haters and you should be ashamed of yourself.
You are the type of scum that will post nasty comments about people or feed lies to Dave Helling just because you are bigots.
Just another reason to VOTE no to the E-Tax. No more wasted tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteHelling wrote an interestign article and TKC is doing a good job keeping fuel on the fire.
ReplyDeleteThe Co-mayors can stir the pot all they want but they are gone. The Co-mayors are an embarrassment to this city.
ReplyDelete12/13/10 7:24 AM
ReplyDeletehi Kim
The co-mayors SHOULD be gone.
ReplyDeleteThat notwithstanding, this story is rife with insider local political malfeasance, if not categorically illegal, ethicly and morally illegal.
This is prima facie re last weeks comments about bloggers being journalists.
The Star's impetus in past decades, to keep a story like this alive, is tinctured with hidden agendas.
My guess, is TKC won't let this die, and if (I'm not saying there would be an "if" in this particular story.) at some point, the Star feels its add revenues, or its best interest is NOT served by pushing harder on the facts of this story, too bad. Bloggers like TKC force them to continue to pursue it.
JMO
If Helling and The Star put Burke in their gun sites he's done.
ReplyDeleteCitizen's Association, do you want to revise your picks?
ReplyDelete7:24 (aka Free and Proud): Ummmm. What does who runs Mike Burke's campaign have to do with Mike Burke's possible complicity in this story? Mike Burke is presumably white and male, so trying to turn this into a racist and gender issue is going to be a stretch.
ReplyDeleteIs that a picture of Westport - Valentine Center? It was an eyesore anyway.
ReplyDeleteSounds like some one hit a nerve near the Burke Camp.
ReplyDeleteThe party's over for Trey Runnion, Bill Session AND Mike Burke!
ReplyDeleteIt's been an expensive one, but it's over.
Citizens Association: you've got some emergency repair work to do to rebuild YOUR reputation as well.
"Same old, same old" really HAS GOTTEN OLD with the voters. Your slate as it now stands is going to fair poorly at the polls. We may now be looking at the demise of Citizens itself.
This issues backs up what I've heard before. Bill Sessions is the "go to" minority guy if you want to get something done at City Hall. This deal and Riley/Circo's $1M park out in the 5th have deep implications.
ReplyDeleteBurke's legal bills to this city agency exceeds $7 million ......
ReplyDeleteAnd people wonder why they need to vote NO E-TAX ???????
Stop City Hall Corruption!
FYI: Local FBI office:
ReplyDelete(816) 512-8200
kansas.city@ic.fbi.gov
Thanks 10:13, but the local office hasn't done anything about this yet. That is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteHere's the national contact (funny, they do not have an email address....go figure):
FBI Headquarters
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
(202) 324-3000
If you want swift justice, here's who to contact:
ReplyDeleteSpecial Agent Bernard Fife
Sheriff's Office
Mayberry, North Carolina
Don't leave a message if Otis answers.
10:26: What's the Zip code?
ReplyDelete"This issues backs up what I've heard before. Bill Sessions is the "go to" minority guy if you want to get something done at City Hall." What a dumb comment. He's the go to guy if you want to get into unethical areas of conduct.
ReplyDeleteSMART comment in the context of this and MANY current issues.
ReplyDeleteThe central location for "unethical areas of conduct" is every square inch of City Hall. It's time to do a clean sweep of the entire mess. Get rid of the culture of corruption that has dominated City government for years. I hope the law enforcement agencies are on this. There is no excuse if they are not.
ReplyDeleteWhy is EVERYONE in City Hall tainted with unethical conduct? With criminal conduct? I hear this a lot, but it always strikes me as a huge overreaction.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, 11:36 this shouldn't apply to everyone at City Hall. However, many in the City see what is going on yet they say nothing. Reform shouldn't be just the responsibility of the outsiders.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why the sixth needs Terrence Nash. No more career politicians. Let's elect people who care about neighborhoods than big projects that make money for the people involved.
ReplyDeleteMilley bong and Giants spend night in KC seem to get more eyeballs these days.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder there's no money for regular bulky item pick up or to get our water mains fixed. No wonder nobody at city hall seems to care what shape our neighborhoods are in.
ReplyDeleteIt's time to clean up Kansas City and it will be up to the voters to do it. Wipe the slate clean in City Hall. Write your state reps calling for a federal / state investigation. Time to act people.
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely pathetic that the FBI has become such a joke around here because they fail to investigate operators like Burke and Kim Carlos.
ReplyDeleteCorruption breeds corruption and at City Hall the residents are the ones who truly get hurt. We need to kick ALL establishment out, even those who aren't "elected".
ReplyDeleteThe question is, how many candidates which are running are NOT establishment candidates?
Never fear the Internet-Social Media Economy will save us.
ReplyDeleteBwahahahahaha!
Kansas City Taxpayers are being ripped off by the City.
ReplyDeleteKansas City Taxpayers are being ripped off by the City. 12:48 PM
ReplyDeleteRight how bout property taxes for example. Why are we paying Bush Housing Bubble fees when our homes are now worth 1995 prices again?
Brazen ripoff.
I need an $11,000 a month apartment.
ReplyDeleteThink it's time to run for political office!
Vote no on the Earnings tax. The E tax seems to have been used to fund these illegal deals.
ReplyDeleteWhere's Tony he sleeping? He's missing all the important stuff.
ReplyDeleteMost likely much of the E-Tax is used to pay for "private boxes" at Arrowhead and Sprint Center.
ReplyDelete1:08
ReplyDeleteBe against the E-Tax if you want to. You are nuts, but its your right.
But you DON"T get to just make up stuff. This has NOTHING to do with the E-Tax (and you probably know that).
Burke and Session are partners. Burke is still getting money for King Hershey through Session from the Port Authority. I guess that information is protected by lawyer/client privilege too.
ReplyDeleteYour nuts for giving these fools your tax dollars so they can turn around and give it to their contractor friends.
ReplyDeleteIf there was any justice in this world, by now we would have heard about people resigning in shame from their positions and from the political races. What's the count so far? Oh wait, this involves lawyers and politicians....a world where there is no shame. My bad.
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to have heard the sound of handcuffs snapping shut!
ReplyDeleteThe Problem is not the E-Tax the problem is the people who are laundering the money "for us".
ReplyDeleteDon't give them anymore money vote no E=Tax.
ReplyDeleteTrue if we don't have an E-Tax we can pay off our level pay heating bills we've been carrying for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteI want to know can any of these candidates other than Tracy Ward take a facial?
ReplyDelete1:45: You don't understand. Not only do these people have no shame, this is the way they do business. They honestly have trouble understanding why people are so upset. It's like we're speaking English and they're speaking some other language. It simply does not register with them that (1) they've done anything out of the ordinary or (2) that anyone would object to business as usual.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting rid of the insiders--it doesn't take outsiders all that long to become insiders. Perhaps it's time to erect a guillotine at 12th & Oak.
I agree it's called being amoral or a psychopath.
ReplyDeleteThis obviously does not bode well for Burke. Herman and Rowland may get touched too since they've had integral roles on the Finance Committee. It's in the Star's court. Will they represent what's right or continue to roll with the political elite?
ReplyDeleteMy $ is on the elite.
My money is with the FED UP Kansas City Voters.
ReplyDeleteYou can't count on uninformed KC voters. Fact is this may hand the election to Funkhouser (if he's bright enough to play it). Also an opening for Sly as the outsider with the Eastside block.
ReplyDeleteIf Gloria hadn't been in the equation Funk would be a lock after all of the recent shit going on.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if there are fundraisers or candidate screenings this week? If so who, where and when. If you know post it here. It's time the politicos responded to this matter.
ReplyDelete3:15: James may be an outsider (not really, because outsiders don't appear in Jamie Metzl commercials), but he sure as hell doesn't have an East side block. Wishes he did, but doesn't. Look through his disclosure reports, and you're not likely to see a whole lot of Black folks on there.
ReplyDeleteThey'll be there...especially after Burke disintegrates.
ReplyDeletewhere are Burk's people in all this?
ReplyDeletePeople on the east side haven't really had anyone to vote for who looks out for them in a very long time, so not many folks have been voting in recent elections.
ReplyDeleteThis time it's a whole new game, with some bright serious candidates with good ideas which will benefit the whole city.
Register and vote. It's a chance to make a real difference!!
Burke had the PA Counsel job. He set Sessions up in it prior to running for Mayor. Had to resign due to conflict when running for Mayor.
ReplyDeleteTony.
ReplyDeleteHoly sh*t.
Shame on you.
You didn't break Dave Helling's story before he did. Not by a long shot.
You said, in your story, that Dave Helling had a big story coming out in the paper Sunday and that it might have something to do with "Session" (your word).
You hinted. You rumored.
You blogged.
You didn't break any damn story.
You do some good things, man, but you're way out of line with this claim.
To really earn your salt, Tony, keep on this story and ride it all the way to charges filed in court.
ReplyDeleteWe'll do what we can, on this end, contacting the FBI, as noted above, and/or bringing this up at mayoral candidate's gatherings, etc.
Why doesn't anybody care about this story at The Star?
ReplyDelete7:09: Uh, did you read yesterday's Star? It was on the front page.
ReplyDeleteBut there were only 10 comments.
ReplyDeleteIf you elect James you are electing Diana Kander to play Gloria's role. I still lean to Burke, but he will have a hard time shaking off the stink from this story.
ReplyDeleteAt least Gloria will wear shoes. Expensive ones.
ReplyDeleteNobody is as bad as Gloria.
Get rid of the slush fund E-tax.
ReplyDeleteTo bring it back to the story, it appears that the Funk is correct about his misgivings about Trey Runnion. The problem is that relations have gotten so bad at city hall that if the Mayor said the sun came up in the East, the council would pass a resolution saying it comes up in the West. Runnion it appears was ok with Sessions getting an exclusive no-bid contract at Richards Gebauer. That's the issue; not the e-tax.
ReplyDelete