Jackson County Legislator Megan Smith Argues Against Recall

An ally of the Jackson County Executive Frank White and a KCMO political rising star in her own right has garnered traction with a recent note to constituents. 

What we like purely out of self-interest: It's always nice when the public pays attention to long-form political column writing. 

However, here's our question: 

WHAT'S THE MATH ON MEGAN SMITH FAVORING EXEC FRANK WHITE?!?

Consider . . . 

Word is she's going to run for the KCMO 5th District At-large Council position . . . So she's taking a risk. If she's on the losing side . . . She'll seem hopelessly out of touch. And if the Exec prevails . . . There's not much he can do to help her, because he'll remain unpopular and damaged by this recall. 

Any help on this equation would be appreciated because insiders question her angle as well. Or they assume she's just showing loyalty . . . Which is silly in politics and most other things.

In the meantime . . . 

Here's a quote an link to her important opinion . . .  

"Yes, his failure to show empathy during skyrocketing property tax assessments fueled public frustration. But this recall is driven primarily by dark money—anonymous spending designed to influence elections and policy.

"Dark money often flows through 501(c)(4) organizations, which can accept unlimited donations from corporations, unions, or individuals -- local or out-of-state. Imagine a wealthy donor from Chicago or Washington, D.C., deciding who represents Jackson County. That’s exactly what’s happening here. Unlike federal elections, this is the first time in Jackson County that hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent to remove a politician not through local support, but by paying outsiders to collect signatures with no transparency about the funding.

"While some signatures were collected by grassroots organizers, the majority of the 43,000+ signatures came after the 501(c)(4) Democracy in Action injected $400,000 into the effort. Its lead organizer has close ties to the Heavy Construction Association. Bridgette Williams, president of the Heavies, publicly acknowledged that last spring’s stadium vote -- which would have handed $2 billion in taxpayer money to the Chiefs and Royals -- was defeated because White opposed it.

"That vote failed because taxpayers saw no benefit: it lacked a binding lease, included no community benefits agreement, and was essentially a blank check. Ironically, the same forces behind that effort are now driving this recall."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Jackson County Legislator Megan Smith: "On September 30, a small number of voters will decide whether County Executive Frank White Jr. is recalled. While this vote is framed as a referendum on White’s job performance, it’s about far more than him."

Developing . . .