Who are these guys? Part II

Have you ever heard of the Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority? What about MODESA, the Missouri Downtown and Rural Economic Stimulus Act? I'm very familiar with both, but then again considering the job I want, I should be. I wouldn't expect the average citizen to know the intimate details but you should be able to find out if you want to. I actually helped lobby for MODESA down in Jeff City back when we were trying to get State buy-in for Kansas City's downtown revitalization. Even after the St. Louis delegation got through gutting it to try and prevent Kansas City from building an arena, the act still manages to provide funding for major projects which revitalize urban cores. Part of the MODESA act requires the establishment of an Authority to review projects that seek MODESA incentives and then make recommendations to the City Council and the Missouri Development Finance Board. The members of this Authority are appointed by the mayor. Once again, this is an extremely powerful organization recommending policy that affects tax dollars and economic development. Additionally, the Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority has the power to own and transfer property, borrow money and issue debt, and renovate, own, operate and construct public improvements and parking garages. That's a LOT of power for a group of people who have never stood for election. Not surprisingly the list of commissioners reads like a who's who among political insiders. And their qualifications for directing the redevelopment of our downtown? Well that's up to you to find out. There's no easy web page to go to with detailed resumes and biographies explaining why these people were selected to this important Authority. I have my own theories...