Regional Transit Needs A Regional Leader
| By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post  A few weeks ago I attended a Mayor's Town Hall meeting in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The Mayor made some opening remarks during which he talked about his campaign rhetoric that "the first TIF plan that comes across my desk better be for the East side." He then went on to admit that he now realizes it was foolish to make such proclamations without being fully educated on the minutia of economic development in Kansas City. He explained that he did not realize that current economic development tools do not lend themselves to small-scale development. Was Mark Funkhouser actually admitting he was wrong? Perhaps there was hope after all. Of course within a few minutes he turned to the topic of light rail and made the definitive statement "any light rail plan has to go down Troost." So much for learning from your mistakes. Despite my skepticism about the Mayor's specific plan, a regional transit plan may actually be a possibility. With gasoline prices continuing their upward climb, people are starting to feel the pinch of commuting across our sprawling metro. Commuter bus routes are becoming overwhelmed with new riders and suburban municipalities are left scrambling to find funding to add capacity. Perhaps the concept of a true regional transit authority and funding mechanism finally makes sense to even the most obstinate of metro suburbanites. All things considered (my apologies to NPR) Mark Funkhouser is not the right leader for this initiative. Sometimes in order to lead you have to know when to step aside and I believe with all his troubles; a pending civil lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation, a pending lawsuit against the City Council regarding the City Manager contract, an openly hostile relationship with certain City Councilpersons and a growing number of Kansas City voters with buyer's remorse the mayor of Kansas City is not the leader we need for a regional cooperative. Steel plates still appear throughout the city improperly installed in direct defiance of the Mayor's own ordinance. It's impossible to put faith in someone to construct a multi-billion dollar transit system when he can't even oversee a simple street maintenance policy. A regional transit plan needs a regional leader. I believe the Jackson County Executive to be a far more logical choice to promote solutions to our transit woes. Two of the most transit hungry suburban municipalities (Blue Springs and Lee's Summit) lie within Jackson County. Mike Sanders may not want to step in and garner the appearance that he's trying to steal the Mayor's thunder, but I think now is the time to put the welfare of our citizenry above the possible hurt feelings of one (or two) individual(s) who most likely will be a private citizen by May of 2011. What say ye Mike Sanders? Your county needs you. |
posted by Mark at 7:35 AM
Comments on "Regional Transit Needs A Regional Leader"
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"The D" said ... (3:47 PM) :
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Dan said ... (7:31 AM) :
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full metal jacket said ... (11:13 AM) :
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MichelleD said ... (12:08 PM) :
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the wife said ... (2:10 PM) :
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Dan said ... (6:30 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (11:03 PM) :
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the wife said ... (9:09 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (6:03 PM) :
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Dan said ... (7:29 AM) :
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inafunkaboutthefunk said ... (6:04 PM) :
post a commentFunkhouser couldn't lead himself out of a wet paper bag.
Sanders isn't right for the job either. Keep looking
Mark -
With the greatest of respect, I think you're almost as wrong as you could be here.
First off, the regional plan needs Platte and Clay involved. Sanders' leadership of the initiative would convert this into a 1 county region, and endanger the broader scope.
Secondly, the success of this plan hinges on the involvement of all the communities. Right now, all the Mayors are Mayors, participating fully for their communities. Funkhouser is engaging them as equals, not as a top-down commander. Bringing in someone with a higher rank changes that dynamic for the worse.
Third, Sanders doesn't really have the name recognition or political capital to add anything. Insiders know him, but the average resident doesn't know him from the Royals' latest draft pick.
Fourth, the association with the Jackson County government does not exactly add credibility. I don't want to bash the current crop of legislators (there are a few good ones) but I don't think the institution is widely thought of as a model of good government.
"the d" recommends that you keep looking for a leader. I think you're looking for the wrong thing. No person is going to be able to pull this thing off. Can't be done by any performance of traditional leadership.
No general is going to command these troops and lead them to victory. This battle will be won by a cooperative approach and multiple voices.
Funkhouser's approach is the correct one.
If Funkee apologist Dan Ryan disagrees with you then you know your on the right track.
How many lawsuits is Mike Sanders currently involved in? How much do we know about any recent medical exams Mike has had? People actually like Georgia Sanders and guess what? She doesn't follow Mike to work and talk about raunchy things.
I think your on to something Mark.
dan -
You are starting to sound like a Bush supporter. Different facts, same distorted rhetoric.
I guess it is admirable that you are willing to go down with the ship. You are a good soldier for an empty cause. Gloria was smart to bring you on board.
Hey, what about that Chastain guy?
Kinda OT, but if Gloria really loved her husband she would step down. I didn't have a problem with her working in his office in the beginning - behind every successful, intelligent person is usually a successful, intelligent spouse (not wanting to debate those qualities here ;-). But her presence is hurting his career and our city. Even if everything said about her is unfair, and honestly its Funk's leadership that's letting everything spin further OOC, IT IS TIME TO GO!
I digress...my only hope for getting a comprehensive public transit plan in place and GOING is sustained high gas prices - regardless of the leader.
Actually, Dan Ryan is as wrong as HE could be. I know Dan and his law firm are close with Funk, but let's face reality here. Mike Sanders is the ONLY current political leader with the relationships and political support to pull this off. lso, for Dan to pretend that Sanders is some newby rummy that nobody knows shows his clear Funk bias. Problem is, why would he step into this mess at this time?
Why dan is wrong:
1. Inclusion of all regional mayors is inefficient.
The more parties you bring to the table the more difficult it is to reach an agreement - esp. when those parties have so many different interests. Too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil this soup.
2. Funk has name recognition but NO POLITICAL CAPITAL.
Mike Sanders is well-known for his leadership as Jackson County Prosecutor - one of the most important jobs in local government. Funk is well-known for his inability to manage campaign finances, the inappropriate behavior of his wife and gross disregard of federal statutes (which prohibit firing employees for making discrimination allegations).
3. Both Jackson County and Kansas City governments lack integrity.
However, there is a clear org chart in Jackson County - Sanders is in charge. Nobody knows who is in charge at City Hall. Is it Cauthen? Is it the Council? Is it Funk? If he could reach an agreement with regional mayors could he reach agreement with the Council or Cauthen?
4. Someone has to take the lead and set a model for the rest of the region.
The "we all need to do this together or it won't work" is a stall tactic - not a move toward a viable transit plan. Would the US have gotten to the moon if NASA spent all their time and resources trying to get all developed nations on board for an international space station? We need to move ahead with a view to future regional cooperation.
You know, it never crossed my mind, but Sanders makes sense to me.
Anonymous 2:05 - it's kind of intimidating to have someone out there who knows so much about me. You certainly are a savvy insider, aren't you?
The wife -
First off, good response - I appreciate the thought you put into it instead of just attacking me or Funk. I'll respond according to your numbering system -
1. Democracy is inefficient - but it beats the heck out of a dictatorship. We'll have to see whether we can get enough people on board to achieve the goal, but I think that's the way it is going to have to be. We're not going to pass anything if the other municipalities oppose it.
2. We disagree on Funk's chances in the courts, but it's basically irrelevant. He's not going to win based on political capital. Neither is Sanders. The issue will be won by building a plan that people can support, and bringing them along. It's going to be like the budget - at the end of it, we'll be happy with what we got, and Funk will be simply one of the team, not the victorious imposer of his will. But, strangely enough, his plan will substantially be in place.
3. Good point - and I don't have a snappy answer. Ultimately, the vote will be in the hands of the public, and I don't think anyone but Ed Ford is crazy enough to get in the way of a plan that has consensus behind it. Regardless, the plan still has to get past the same city hurdles, whether Sanders is involved or not.
4. We do have a plan to move forward with - the moon shot was the result of hundreds of scientists having input and improving the original plans. If we really want to carry this analogy forward, Clay Chastain was our JFK, and now we have a team of scientists to work out the details. I think we'll get there, but I don't see how making this Mike Sanders' project makes it any more likely.
We should all stand behind Funk. I mean look how good a job he has done on getting rid of the metal plates. He is awesome!
Like, no one knows Mike Sanders. I mean Funk won election in a landslide and Mike Sanders only won by like 900 votes.
On another note, there is nothing like a bunch of people that refuse to use mass transit arguing about how mass transit projects should be lead/marketed to the people.
dan -
We'll just have to agree to disagree.
Agree?
OK, I assume 11:03 is being sarcstic, but Sanders won his race agaisnt Wheeler (a sitting state senator that almost ALL the major media poundits picked to win), by the largest landlside in perhaps county history. I'm assuming you were just pimping Dan Ryan for his out-of-touch comments.
However, I don't see why Sanders would spend his own political capital bailing out a "plan" that Funk has made into a disaster. On this I agree with Dan, it can't be saved. This will take a whole new approach from a new leader (which I think is Mark's point).
Is Sanders the guy? If not him, who else?
Look at the numbers and a transit plan for Platte County is day dreaming. With 800 daily bus riders in Clay County it is laughable that any money be spent by either county to "buy into" funky's plan. Mike Saunders is very ambitious and not dumb enough to piss off the other county leaders by pushing a county plan that is not egalitarian. He wants to move up and does not have enough power to con other counties into following a "regional" plan. You guys are smoking something funny. Look at county transit across the country and you'll see that here it is all smoke and mirrors.
The wife -
Of course I agree to disagree - I'll even go so far as to acknowledge you and Mark may be right. From where I see it, it doesn't look like it, but I've never claimed infallibility.
And I certainly appreciate the conversation and the forum.
The right leader will be the leader who puts a stop to all this nonsense. Light rail can't be paid for so any discussion and planning is a waste of time and money. And since the City seems to be short money and is at a loss for good ideas, maybe this "leader" can re-focuse everyone on things that are more doable and not as farfetched. You know, someone who can help the City "do more with less." Alas, that won't be Mayor Smart With Nothinghouser... he and the "orange revolution" turned out to be nothing but an illusion, s dream and a bust. Albeit, an expensive bust at that... in many ways.