"...Um, well, we were speaking on the, the ninety-nine, uh, on, on that analogy, or maybe not analogy, but on that demographic, if you will, and, um, it kind of puts in my mind that we all, we're united whether we realize it or not. We're all in the same boat together. We're all living in this world and we're all trying to make the best of it. And I feel that, uh, you know, the more that we get together and try to understand together that we, you know, we could, we could make something of it, you know..."
If the rest of the ninety-nine percent start thinking the same way...
Occupy Kansas City held a rally and march from Ilus Davis Park in downtown Kansas City on Sunday afternoon.
"It's Not Only Our Right To Protest The Corruption, It's Our Obligation"
Show Me Progress: What did you think of the day?
Ron McLinden: You know, it was interesting. I, I thought there might be a bigger turnout. But, my guess is that were probably about three hundred people and, and that's a good turnout. Uh, the march, I was, uh, surprised to learn that City Hall had okayed it but the police had said no, at least that we couldn't march in the streets. And, uh, we marched in the streets anyway and the police followed along with us for about four blocks and then just left us alone.
Show Me Progress: Uh, uh, what do you think today's event accomplished?
Ron McLinden: You know, what does anything, what does anyone accomplish? I don't know. Well, there, there certainly was a media presence there and maybe part of the accomplishment will be whatever they choose to put on the air this evening. Uh, I think there was a good, um, a good spirit of coming together from people from a lot of different perspectives. Uh, maybe still not as many minority faces as the group would like, but, uh, you know, that, that will come along. Um, you know, it's, it's, it's hard to know, there's so many issues involved in this Occupy movement.
Show Me Progress: But hasn't the, the dialogue, you know, the dialogue has changed since the Occupy movement has started.
Ron McLinden: And somebody retweeted an article just yesterday, I think, some, something on a national blog or in the press that tracks the, the occurrence of words in, in, uh, cable and other news media. And over the past few weeks it has gone from the word debt being the dominant word to the words Wall Street and occupy being dominant words. So, the, the movement has finally gotten the attention of the mainstream media. Uh, to what extent it has gotten the attention of the people that, that, uh, have offices in the capitol building in Washington and the people who are making the decisions in the, in the corporate board rooms, I, I don't know yet.
[....]
Um, I think this movement has gotten some criticism for not having a focus and from my perspective that's okay. I interpret the movement as evidence that there is widespread dissatisfaction among the American people, American people of all stripes, all political stripes, all races and creeds and, and socioeconomic status, that the country is headed in the wrong direction. I think there have been national, there are national polls that track that and the, the percent of the American people that believe we're headed in the wrong direction is, has been trending upward I think.
So, the fact that, uh, people are coming together, albeit in a pretty disorganized factor, fashion, uh, is a good thing and we can only hope that, uh, some positive change will come out of it.
Occupy Kansas City held a rally and march from Ilus Davis Park in downtown Kansas City this afternoon. At its peak there were approximately three hundred to three hundred fifty people participating in the rally and march.
"Stop Legalized Bribery In Politics"
Location, location, location...
"Class War? Hell Yes And We've Been Losing"
The crowd in Ilus Davis Park, in the section overlooked by the federal court building.
Organized labor is part of the ninety-nine percent.
Occupy Kansas City started out the day in Penn Valley Park, across from the Federal Reserve Bank, with music and a few speeches and continued with a march down Broadway to the Plaza. Approximately five hundred people participated in the march.
Approximately five hundred individuals with Occupy Kansas City marched south on Broadway toward the Plaza.
The band set up in front of John Salvest's "temporary public monument" IOU/USA.
The White House released a video of Kansas City Mayor Sly James speaking about the need for the American Jobs Act:
Everyday when we walk outside of our office, we're outside of our office quite a bit, I talk to at least a hand full of people who say to me something along the lines of, Mayor, where can I get a job? Mayor, can you help me get a job? Mayor, can you help my brother or my mother get a job? Jobs are at the forefront of people's minds
There are no more cranes. When there are no more cranes in the city, that's not a good sign, because that means not much is getting done. The ripple effect of not being able to build has a huge impact on all sorts of other subsidiary industries. We have roads that are in need of repair and rebuilding, we have bridges that need work, we have water systems that are in desperate need of reworking. And we need the assistance of the Federal government in order to get those big-ticket items done.
"....What is the commonality? The, uh, the commonality is that whatever your view is, we feel that it's not being heard in Washington...."
This morning we stopped by Occupy Kansas City in Penn Valley Park, across from the Federal Reserve Bank. There will be a march from Penn Valley Park to the the J.C. Nichols fountain at 47th and Main at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 10th.
Occupy Kansas City in Penn Valley Park across from the Federal Reserve Bank.
In the background is John Salvest's "temporary public monument" IOU/USA.
While at Occupy Kansas City we spoke with a few people:
Show Me Progress: ...How long have you been out here?
Michael McConnell: Um, continuously, just since yesterday evening. But I was also here last weekend, uh, Friday through Sunday last weekend.
Show Me Progress: And what kind of response have you been getting?
Michael McConnell: Um, I'd say it, it tends slightly towards positive. We've gotten a lot of people, you know, like, "Get a job, go back to school." Which most of us have jobs or are students, but, anyway, uh, we've had a handful of those, but we've also had a lot of people like honk and wave and give us fist pumps and thumbs up. And so I'd say, I'd say the, uh, positive responses outweigh the negative ones.
Show Me Progress: Yeah, and have, so have you noticed any increase in media, uh, attention?
Michael McConnell: Um, I guess so. I mean, you guys are here. Uh, we did, we did get one report the first day on, uh, Fox four. But, uh, we, we just had an article in the Kansas City Star. I think we had a few other, uh, blogs reporting, so, uh, a slight increase. But, I mean, like I said, since the first day we've had news, media presence.
Show Me Progress: Right, and they're, they're planning sort of a, a larger kind of, uh, a larger set of activities tomorrow, aren't they?
Michael McConnell: Yeah.
Show Me Progress: Do you anticipate a little bigger crowd?
Michael McConnell: Oh, yeah. We did a march yesterday and handed out well over a thousand flyers, talking about the concert we're having tomorrow. and so...
Show Me Progress: And there is a march tomorrow, too, isn't there?
Michael McConnell: Yes, uh, and, uh, so I think because of the concert we're gonna get an influx.
And then also, uh, when this started there were like five people on Twitter that were all like trying to start up their own. Uh, that coalesced into two. And they were, they were disagreeing about dates. So, uh, last Friday until today is what we were calling phase one. And then, uh, phase two starts tomorrow. And that's just the people that, uh, that was occupy Memorial, uh and they wanted to start on October ninth, so that.
Show Me Progress: Yeah, and, uh, so, you're finding that this is sort of a collective decision making for this kind of thing. Where people get together and work it out, sort out [crosstalk], you're gonna do this.
Michael McConnell: Yeah, yeah. Uh, I...
Show Me Progress: So it's very, it's not a top down process.
Michael McConnell: No, not at all. And I keep hearing, uh, reports like from Fox calling us like a Democrat backed, uh, organization or something, but it's not the case at all. I mean, we've got all, we've got all different views being expressed here. I mean, I'm reading [crosstalk]...
Show Me Progress: So, so obviously the Koch brothers aren't funding you.
Michael McConnell: No. It was like five people on Twitter that started this and we've got really diverse views. [....] really, everything is being expressed here.
Show Me Progress: Yeah, and but, what is the commonality though, for people?
Michael McConnell: What is the commonality? The, uh, the commonality is that whatever your view is, we feel that it's not being heard in Washington. Because, um, with corporate personhood and, um, no, no restrictions on campaign finances we think that, uh, it's just corporations being represented in Washington. That whoever you vote for, they aren't going to represent you, they're going to represent whoever funds their election.
Show Me Progress: Uh, so, what's your hopes, uh, what, what are your goals for, for this.
Michael McConnell: Um, I'm not sure. Uh, I've heard talks about a, uh, constitutional amendment about getting the, uh, money out of politics. I've heard talk about ending corporate personhood. Uh, and I think that's what makes this different than a lot of other protests, is that this is an ongoing conversation. Uh, it's the, I mean, we didn't all come here with one mission that we're trying to, to, uh, see achieved. We all came here with one problem that we're trying to find a solution to.
You didn't know that? I didn't know it until the next day. Turns out, nobody knew it....
We're not puzzled by the former half term governor, she's just a grifter pulling a long con.
@RobertaSaidThat Deborah
Redneck-goatee-sporting-whats-his-name-Palin-husband admits his wife quit governorship to make more money, saying she had "bills to pay." 16 hours ago
From Rachel Maddow - Todd Palin and a self-identified Alaska resident at the Iowa State Fair:
Labor's Educational and Political Club Independent (LEPCI) held their annual dinner at Harrah's in Kansas City on Friday night, this year honoring Jim Williams, President of Teamsters Local 955 and Teamsters Joint Council No. 56, as Labor's Representative of the Year. Chere Chaney, of CWA Local 6450, was honored as the Seth Slocum Union Advocate of the Year.
Speakers included Senators Victor Callahan, Kiki Curls, and Jolie Justus; Representative Tim Meadows; State Treasurer Clint Zweifel; Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders; and former Governor Roger Wilson.
Senator Jolie Justus (D) at the podium. From left to right, Senator Victor Callahan, Verna Williams, Jim Williams,
former Governor Roger Wilson, Senator Justus, Senator Kiki Curls.
Senator Victor Callahan (D), like several other of the evening's speakers, addressed the coming challenges to organized labor.
Senator Victor Callahan (D): ....You know, an old politician, and I want to warn you all, an old politician told me once when speaking to an audience you should try to make them happy and tell them what they want to hear. Uh, and so, in keeping with that I would, I wish to extend warm greetings and, uh, the deep regard for the labor movement from the Missouri state legislature. [laughter]
But, term limits, term limits have given you the rarest of all things, a politician who will tell you what you need to hear not necessarily what you want to hear.
Uh, the stark reality is that this, the political map, Wisconsin is not, it's much closer than you think in this state. If unchanged we could be looking at the last decade of labor. If Missouri, within the next year or two, right to work, the loss of prevailing wage, among other things could become an immediate valley.
There are many reasons for this. In too many elections labor could be described this way: a few did much, some did a little, and many did nothing. Too often labor could be likened to a fish in a bowl I believe. And the glass of a fish bowl is distorted, to the point where you can't see out, outside into the big room in which the fish, fish bowl sits. Inside you can't see the big room in which it resides. You can't see the people sawing the legs of the table on which the fish bowl sits. You can't see the cat waiting to eat the fish inside the fish bowl. And of course, you can't see that elephant in the room who's about to stick his trunk in the bowl and drink all the water.
We're at, we all tonight....many in this room dug a well that my generation and the young apprentices and the young members of labor drink from. They drink from a well they did not dig. I'm not sure they always understand that. But we are at a de, a defining and pivotal moment in labor. Our parents and grandparents built a movement that created a middle class in the middle of a great depression and through two world wars. The battle we face now will require more than a rally, a picket or a field trip to the state capitol. It will require the commitment and sacrifice that our parents and grandparents...who faced far worse than us. [applause] This battle will define who we are not who we were. It will require the resources and hard work. It will require that we leave the comfort and security of our fish bowl and act like humans. Thank you very much. [applause]
Former Governor Roger Wilson (D) acted as the master of ceremonies and offered closing remarks:
....It is with a great deal of heartfelt disappointment from those of us on Freedom Jamboree's "grassroots" organizing committee and the Tea Party Founding Father's 501(c)3 that we are now compelled to announce the cancellation of Freedom Jamboree in Kansas City this fall....
....Many have said they just did not have the money to travel this year....
....Our committee has speculated for the last month why registrations from the Tea Parties have been so low, with some emails and phone calls suggesting that the poor economy, national debt, high fuel prices, unemployment, double-dip recession, fear about the future (all the usual suspects), as well as political frustration with elected officials in both parties, and political burnout as principle reasons. Others have said that many groups just don't want to do anything outside of their own states this year, and are in disagreement with other groups about what and who the Tea Party movement should support and represent. There is some disarray in the movement right now as to its next move. The fact is, the spirit intrinsic in 2009 has diminished nationwide, and some lethargy and weariness persists....
....If anyone in the our movement has a plan or direction that can unite the movement again, and reverse the nation's headlong march toward the economic abyss, please take the reins! It appears the Tea Party horse is riderless, and riding off in all directions at once!....
"....Many have said they just did not have the money to travel this year...."
You could ask the Koch brothers to ante up. But, then again, you've already served their purposes and they don't need you anymore.
"...poor economy, national debt, high fuel prices, unemployment, double-dip recession, fear about the future...as principle reasons..."
National debt? This didn't appear to be a worry for these folks from 2001 to 2009 while dubya was racking up big deficits. Worries about the national debt caused people to not sign up for an astroturf convention? That's a convenient and implausible excuse. Unless you happen to be an obsessive worrier and watch the Faux News Channel all of the time. Okay, point well taken.
"...It appears the Tea Party horse is riderless, and riding off in all directions at once!..."
...Since 1978, Highwoods Properties has been providing high-quality service and offering well-designed spaces for office, industrial and retail customers. As a publicly traded (NYSE:HIW) real estate investment trust ("REIT") and a member of S&P MidCap 400 Index, Highwoods has nine local divisions that service 12 markets across the Southeast and Midwest United States, providing leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for our properties and for third parties.
For more than 13 years, Highwoods has had a presence in Kansas City and currently owns, leases and manages more than 2.2 million square feet of office and retail space including the world-renowned Country Club Plaza....
And the Save Our Plaza campaign, the folks that don't like the proposed office building:
CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR - TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION
As of about 11:05 central this morning, Kansas City became a city without peer when Google announced that they were bringing their ultra high-speed fiber-optic broadband service to Kansas City, Missouri. Today's announcement followed the announcement earlier in the spring that Kansas City, Kansas had won the honor of being the very first site selected for the new service, and Google said then that they were just getting started. Today, just two short months later, they followed through on that promise by announcing that they were bringing the service to Kansas City, Missouri as well.
Of course, they had good partners to work with. Once it was known that KCK would be the first place to get ultra high-speed internet, the newly-elected James administration (the new Mayor was sworn in on May first) and City Councilwoman and now Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo joined with KCP&L and started wooing Google into expanding here as well.
And speaking of KCP&L, they are pretty forward-thinking for a utility company. They have embraced the notion of carbon offsets and partnered with the Sierra Club to pioneer an offset program. They have also developed smart grid technologies around a first-of-it's-kind Green Impact Zone in inner-city KC, and they have introduced all-electric vehicles into their fleet.
As part of the agreement, KCP&L offered Google access to their polls and infrastructure, including existing fiber-optic networks. By allowing Google access to existing infrastructure, service can be delivered faster and cheaper than building a network from scratch.
Mayor Sly James, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and Mike Chesser, CEO of KCP&L
Milo Medin of Google and Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo
We have a lot to offer, not just a company like Google but all of the businesses that will be drawn here because of the access to ultra high-speed broadband -- including one of the best community college systems in the country that can train the workers for those high-tech businesses that will follow the fastest internet in the world to Kansas City, where we already perfected Jazz, the Blues and Barbecue.
KANSAS CITY, Missouri - The Friends of the Plaza group says it has enough signatures to start a referendum process....
....Highwoods Properties, the owner of the Country Club Plaza, says it will launch a "Decline to Sign" campaign.
They're already talking with a local political consultant.
"The referendum will be something we will fight. We think the people behind it should accept the decision of two separate city councils," said Spencer Thomson, an attorney and spokesman for Highwoods.
The veto override allows the plaza project to move forward....
Husch Blackwell
4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
5/14/2011
$25,000.00
[emphasis added]
Solidarity?
That's a lot of bucks. But, we know from experience that city referendums can get really expensive.
CAMPAIGN Date Established: 5/10/2011 Date Terminated:
COMMITTEE: MECID: A111104 DECLINE TO SIGN COMMITTEE....
[emphasis added]
The committee filed its organization paperwork with the Missouri Ethics Commission on May 10, 2011, citing [pdf] their raison d'être under "Ballot Measure(s) Supported Or Opposed" as "Referendum on city ordinance" which would take place on November 8, 2011.
A bumper sticker on a car in the hotel parking lot. Yep, we were in the right place.
On Saturday morning Senator Claire McCaskill (D) was the keynote speaker at the Fifth Congressional District Democratic Women's Club Truman Days breakfast in Kansas City.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) working the room during the breakfast before her speech.
The transcript:
Senator Claire McCaskill (D): ...I thought instead I'd try to talk about why we're all here and why we should care so much. Um, 'cause it really isn't about me. It's really about you. And it's about the people that you care about. And it's about our values and our priorities. So I thought I'd try to give everyone a little pep talk this morning about why you should not be discouraged about the Democratic Party. And why this is a moment we should see as an opportunity, because it really is.
We have an election this year that is gonna really define our nation and our state in so many ways. Because, let's be honest, uh, the voters of this country decided last November they wanted to put the brakes on the Democrats. We can't avoid that. We can't avoid acknowledging that. We can try to dress it up and say it's something different, but, truth be known, the independent voters of Missouri, not the Democrats and not the Republicans, the independent voters of Missouri decided to put the brakes on the Democrats. And they did that all over the country. So, what we have to do is check back in, first, for all the things we've gotten done, and secondly, all the reasons that we have to fight next year harder than we fought in two thousand eight when we elected Barack Obama President of the United States in this country. [applause]...
This evening Blue Girl, RBH, and I are attending Truman Days, sponsored by the Jackson County Democratic Committee, at the Holiday Inn Coco Key across from the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City. We're on the fifteenth floor and we have great views of the Kansas City skyline from the Plumbers and Gasfitters hospitality suite. The food and drink is good and plentiful.
In the parking lot. We knew we were at the right place.
American Democracy Alliance
1100 Main Street Suite 2600
Kansas City, MO 64105
4/5/2011
$150,000.00
[emphasis added]
The earnings taxes in Kansas City and St. Louis will continue to fund necessary city services because the voters overwhelmingly approved them in yesterday's elections.
A reporter on one of the Kansas City television stations referred to the earnings tax as "controversial" this morning. You don't get to say that and not sound like an idiot, not with the huge approval margins for the measure in this election.
It's only controversial for old media because an anonymous someone(s) has deep enough pockets to make it so.
The sad thing? Kansas City and St. Louis will have to go through this exercise again in five years. Who profits? Just asking.
Election Summary Report
General Municipal Election
Summary For Presidential, All Counters, All Races
Platte County, MO
Unofficial (All Polls)
05 April 2011
Kansas City - Earnings Tax
Total
Number of Precincts 13
Precincts Reporting 13 100.0 %
Times Counted 7858/28939 27.2 %
Total Votes 7845
YES 5353 68.23% NO 2492 31.77%
[emphasis added]
Cass County and Clay County results aren't in yet.
Update: see comments.
Election Summary Report
General Municipal Election
St. Louis, Missouri
April 5, 2011
Summary For CITY WIDE, All Counters, All Races
Absentee and Partial Results
PROP E
Total
Number of Precincts 203
Precincts Reporting 133 65.5 %
Times Counted 27985/194640 14.4 %
Total Votes 27767
YES 24324 87.60% NO 3443 12.40%
[emphasis added]
All those millions spent by a billionaire to make everyone else jump through hoops. To what end? Increase the bond interest rates for Missouri's two largest cities?
The folks who are opposed to the continuation of the earnings tax on tomorrow's ballot in Kansas City filed their final 24 Hour Expenditure Report with the Missouri Ethics Commission today:
Located in the heart of Westport --
The Original Kansas City
Californo's: Elegant dining in a delightful atmosphere,
located in the heart of Westport
As of about 11:05 central this morning, Kansas City became a city without peer when Google announced that they were bringing their ultra high-speed fiber-optic broadband service to Kansas City, Missouri. Today's announcement followed the announcement earlier in the spring that Kansas City, Kansas had won the honor of being the very first site selected for the new service, and Google said then that they were just getting started. Today, just two short months later, they followed through on that promise by announcing that they were bringing the service to Kansas City, Missouri as well.
