Post Problems

Nothing new on TheKansasCityPost.com today. My provider is having FTP problems on their end so I can't post!

Dirtbags For Beth Gottstein

I don't like liars. I don't like deception. I really don't like negative campaign flyers like the one that just arrived in my mailbox. On one side it shows a roll away suitcase with money busting out of the seams. Mistake #1. It's obviously not real money, it's been photocopied which I believe is a federal offense. Perhaps the Secret Service needs to be alerted? I may just forward my copy to the authorities so they can trace the origin of that picture. Learn the law dirtbags. On the back side of the flyer it has an obvious PhotoShop hack job of Doug Gamble's picture making him look much older. Mistake #2. This tactic is strangely familiar. Using altered images on the last day of the campaign to defame an opponent. Get some new tactics dirtbags. The flyer goes on to imply that Doug Gamble received millions of dollars in TIF, a distortion of the facts which he has repeatedly addressed. Mistake #3. This is the same rhetoric that Beth Gottstein has been blurting out at forums. If you're going to deceive, don't parrot the message of your candidate dirtbags. Thanks to campaign laws, we do get to see at least the name of the soft-money front that sent this poorly done hit piece. Mistake #4. If you're going to go on the attack in Kansas City politics, at least use a Kansas City address, not some well-to-do enclave like Lake Tapawingo, dirtbags. A quick check of the MO Ethics Website reveals that the Missouri Values Committee is a front for the unions. This time around it's Taxpayers Unlimited, Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades, Asbestos Workers and Pipefitters. Unless you've been living in a cave you know that Taxpayers Unlimited is the deceptively named PAC for the firefighters union. In the past contributors to Missouri Values Committee have been just about every other union you can name including my late father's beloved Sheet Metal Workers Local 2. This alone sickens me to the core. I expect better from a reputable trade union like Local 2. Mistake #5. It's ironic that the very organizations that have benefited from this town's TIF-induced artificial building boom are now attacking a candidate for his connection to a TIF plan. Are these unions so self-righteous that they will refuse to work on any job site involving TIF? I doubt it. Don't be a bunch of hypocritics, dirtbags. It's probably too late for Doug Gamble. Last minute hit pieces like this are extremely effective. I guess there's nothing left to do but congratulate Beth Gottstein. Hiring Pat Gray, NorthStar and its hitmen is still the way to go. Maybe she is the smart one after all...

Jolie Justus is trying to make my head explode

People rarely notice our state government. Our representatives head off to Jefferson City and we really don't hear much except for an occasional partisan dust up over health care or highway funding. That is changing, at least for me, with a daily read of Senator Jolie Justus' blog, Fresh Meat. In the process of some interesting debate over an editorial on The Kansas City Post, I found myself paying more attention to Fresh Meat. I even offered Senator Justus the opportunity to contribute to The Kansas City Post herself. An offer she graciously accepted by the way, as soon as she gets done with all this pesky legislation crap they expect elected officials to contend with. You know how it is. There is a lot going on down at Jefferson City that we all should take notice of. Her blog, Fresh Meat provides a ton of information about what's going on in the hallowed halls of our state capitol. Whether it be MOHELA, fetal anesthesia, the plan B pill or just parliamentary procedure. If you try and keep up with everything (which an informed voter should) you'll find yourself struggling, but it's a good struggle. Maybe your head won't explode (I'm not making any guarantees) but if more people started paying attention... Oh well, that's the subject of another post.

Walt's still got it

I can't believe I got cornered by Walt Bodine. Yesterday on his show, I was interviewed via telephone about how I used the internet for my recent council campaign. At one point I actually found myself talking in circles as Walt attempted to get me to commit to the possibility of running again. I guess I should have known. I've read his books. I used to listen to 'Night Beat' years and years ago on WHB. Walt loves politicians and he loves to get them to give direct answers. He found something I was being wishy washy about and went straight for it. It was fun. I felt like I could have chatted with Walt all day. Probably would have too but not for Kelly Weiss reigning us in. Give it a listen. Then hear Yael Abouhalkah's snarky little comments about my(?) campaign blog. Something about blogs "angering" people? Gee, sorry Yael. Next time I'll just put some bullet points on a static website and mail bomb the crap out of everybody. Oh yeah, and I'll wait twenty more years to run again. Yeah, that's the ticket! As a Kansas City history nut I feel like I've become part of an exclusive fraternity. I can now talk about "that time I was interviewed by Walt Bodine." Pretty cool!

Listen in while I describe how I lost

I'll be on the Walt Bodine show tomorrow for a couple of minutes. They want to get my views on the internet and campaigning. If I talk about everything I know I'll be on for about thirty seconds! Tune in. 10AM Thursday. 89.3FM That is all. As you were.

Me, My Life + Infrastructure busts out the TIF audit!

KC ex-pat Heidi runs the popular blog Me, My Life + Infrastructure. It was the first blog I ever started reading on a regular basis. Last Friday, she started a mini-revolution of sorts by calling on people to use RSMo 610, aka The Sunshine Law to demand release of the TIF Audit. Being very cynical about civic affairs as of late I commented on her blog that she would get the runaround from the City's legal department. When I'm wrong I say I'm wrong and in this case I'm pretty darn happy about it. Through Heidi's tenacity the audits and EDC response have been released. I doubt any of the commercial blogs (cough kc buzz blog cough) will give her any credit, but I will. Thanks for caring Heidi.

And yet even more tough love

Last week I received another phone call from a supporter encouraging me to stay involved. Mark is a long-time midtown activist, and he wanted to find out what my plans are for the next few years. I've discovered my base seems to be the no-nonsense, pull-no-punches type of person. The kind of person to whom "diplomacy" is a word best reserved for people with names like Kissinger or Albright. After the initial pleasantries were exchanged, he got right to the point. "I just wanted to find out if you're going to be a chickenshit like the rest of them." If you know the crowd I run with you'll know I didn't even bat an eyelash at such a remark. I replied that first of all I am not, and second of all even if I was, that would be Mr. Chickenshit to him. It's all about respect and decorum with me. He replied that I don't even merit a "Mr" if I'm going to fade away like most failed politicians he's known. He went on to explain that if I'm going to give up after one failure than I'm a chickenshit and he's totally misjudged me. We agreed to meet for coffee so he could advise me on where I screwed up in this campaign, and how to avoid those mistakes the next time. Will there be a next time? I really don't know yet. I hope so. I guess there has to be someday. I don't want to have to get new business cards with "Mr. Chickenshit" on them.

Welcoming Bethanie Lundy to The Kansas City Post

The first in what I hope will be a long list of contributors, Beth Lundy throws down with Jolie Justus today on The Kansas City Post. Never one to mince words (especially with me) Beth cuts through the crap and calls out our freshman senator over what she feels is unnecessary legislation. Give it a read.

You had me at "Duh!"

Press conferences are funny affairs. Today I arrived at St. John and Cypress to watch Mark Funkhouser take questions from the press about TIF or other incentives for small business. All told I'd say there were about ten people there and that was including the reporters. Mark fielded some tough questions from Mike Mahoney. Jeffrey Spivak asked for a couple of clarifications as he jotted in his notepad. It seems fairly obvious from the aside remarks of the reporters that Alvin Brooks is running a campaign of fear and innuendo. It may be playing with the uninformed, but the educated voters are turned off by it. At one point the press was interviewing Bill Nigro about why so many small business owners are supporting the Funk, I found myself standing next to the man himself. It's not like we're strangers. Mark lives two blocks over from me. I took the opportunity to ask our future mayor my question. I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Mark, before you get too big and forget about us little people, just tell me one thing. You know TIF-funded parking structures are not public infrastructure right?" He chortled a bit and sarcastically said "Well DUHH!!!" That's all I needed to hear.

Housecleaning

No editorial on The Kansas City Post today. Too much going on. My real job has been super busy lately (which is a good sign for the economy) and I'm going to sneak off to Mark Funkhouser's micro TIF press conference this afternoon. Any excuse to dig out my motorcycle! Not to mention it's March Madness and I'm a college basketball junkie so I've got that playing in the background. Kind of makes it hard to bang out an editorial about Bridgezilla or the rising costs of the Power & Light District. Note to doinkman, my rss feed should be available at http://thekansascitypost.com/rss.xml I just don't have an icon for it yet. So to recap: Job = busy College Basketball = good Press Conference = Chance to ride motorcycle That is all. As you were.

New Look. Same Bad Attitude

As I get my bearings over at The Kansas City Post I thought I'd go ahead and keep this blog running. Here is where I'll publish tirades, theories, what's on my MP3 player... Basically anything that doesn't really fall in the Op-Ed category. Believe it or not, I actually have some fan(s?) who don't want to see me get all stuffy. So here is where I'll lay it all out. I'll be fussing with the layout, so bear with me. Don't like it? Don't read it. How's that for attitude?

I may have to keep this blog

Hopefully The Kansas City Post will become the place to go for Op-Ed pieces. That being said I think I still need a creative outlet for little snarky pieces that don't qualify for KCP's more serious content. I haven't decided what to rename this blog yet. I own the domain and hosting for another year so I might as well do something with it. Look for some changes coming to "Notes From The Campaign Trail." I'll be taking it out of campaign mode very soon.

The Kansas City Post

Today I've launched my new blog. The Kansas City Post. As I've said before, I'm no graphic artist so give me a break on the critiques! It's a work in progress. I'll get the RSS feeds up and going soon. I'm still goofing with the tracking counters and other such things. Give it a look and let me know what you think of the concept.

Enough with the tough love!

Okay dirtbags. I know you think I've been off in a corner crying and feeling sorry for myself. Well maybe I was but that was only after I saw my bar tab from Tuesday night. (ba dump bump). You've called me a "little girl", the "B" word and my own brother hinted that I may have had a penchant for cross-dressing as a child. Allow me to retort. Step off! I'm fine! Granted I'm a little sick of local politics right now, but I'm still in the game. I'm going to keep doing what I've always done. Work for my neighbors, figure out ways to get things done, and just be myself in general. Look for major changes coming to the format of this blog. I'll be changing the name, the URL and the look and feel. I've reserved the domain, but since I suck at web design it will be a few days before the debut. Happy Friday everybody. Except for those of you who didn't vote for me. (I kid, I kid!)

Now what?

Yesterday I had a nice quiet day with Nicole. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We came home and took a nice long walk together. Talked to a few neighbors and played with Stella, the neighbor's Golden Doodle. I turned my cell phone off and didn't bother with email. Dinner was nice too. Falafel at the Jerusalem Bakery. I always feel so "international" when I'm there. Al Jazeera on the TV and listening to the staff chatter back and forth in Arabic/English/Spanish. All the red pepper hummus you can eat! How can you go wrong? Driving home to beat the storm I swerved several times to miss potholes. "Not my problem!" I laughed out loud. Then I corrected myself. "My problem, but not my responsibility." I'm toying with what direction I want to take this blog. "Don't blog angry" was my advice to a couple of my supporters as they left the watch party. I'm trying to heed my own advice so I'm taking a few days to get my bearings. After that? Who knows. I'll probably start throwing rocks and hoping my house isn't made of glass.