Enough of what ticks ole Groucho off - what pisses YOU off ????????
Click COMMENTS below this post and share with us - let's ALL get indignant!
(Try to keep it 500,000 words or less HAHa)
Friday, June 02, 2006
UMKC-us
Back in the late 1990's, the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), with just over $7 million taxpayer dollars and eminent domain powers, obtained the Twin Oaks apartment buildings on Oak Street across from their ever-sprawling campus.
At that time, UMKC promised to "rehabilitate" the very well-built twin, 11-story structures for student housing and the residents that lived there could stay.
Then, UMKC was blinded by dollar signs.
In January 2005 UMKC reneged on that promise and served eviction notices on the nearly 600 students and residents, claiming it was "not economically feasible" to keep Twin Oaks.
The university would spend $5 million to tear down the still quite-servicable buildings and spend another $25 million to build a 500-unit apartment complex there.
UMKC would then "lease" the land to a private developer. The new apartment complex would supposively be bought by the developer, "paid for" by rents from what one can only assume to be affluent students (since tuitions keep rising faster than gas prices after a Gulf hurricane and the Governmint keeps cutting student assistance programs).
All in all- this scheme involves more than $37 million dollars of taxpayer money.
Residents and students had until this past Wednesday to vacate the buildings and, with alleged threats from UMKC, most did.
Two did not and apparently will not anytime soon.
Twin Oaks resident and True American Maverick Paula Fesenmeyer filed a Federal lawsuit against UMKC the very day the eviction notices went out. She contends UMKC didn't maintain the buildings, allowing them to become blighted (sound inner-city familiar?). She wants Twin Oaks returned to the residents, most of whom have already moved out.
Since the court case is still pending, Fesenmeyer claims that if she and her blind son who lives across the hall from her leaves, UMKC will tear down "the evidence" in her suit - the Twin Oaks buildings themselves.
Fesenmeyer has filed a court motion seeking an injunction to halt her and her son's eviction and also asks UMKC to stop their "harassment, threats ... and intimidation." Defendants named in the motion the UMKC curators and Govenor A-Reason-To-Vote-For-Anybody-BUT Matt Blunt.
It's a classic 'David versus Golliath' story here - and I'll keep you posted on it's developments.
At that time, UMKC promised to "rehabilitate" the very well-built twin, 11-story structures for student housing and the residents that lived there could stay.
Then, UMKC was blinded by dollar signs.
In January 2005 UMKC reneged on that promise and served eviction notices on the nearly 600 students and residents, claiming it was "not economically feasible" to keep Twin Oaks.
The university would spend $5 million to tear down the still quite-servicable buildings and spend another $25 million to build a 500-unit apartment complex there.
UMKC would then "lease" the land to a private developer. The new apartment complex would supposively be bought by the developer, "paid for" by rents from what one can only assume to be affluent students (since tuitions keep rising faster than gas prices after a Gulf hurricane and the Governmint keeps cutting student assistance programs).
All in all- this scheme involves more than $37 million dollars of taxpayer money.
Residents and students had until this past Wednesday to vacate the buildings and, with alleged threats from UMKC, most did.
Two did not and apparently will not anytime soon.
Twin Oaks resident and True American Maverick Paula Fesenmeyer filed a Federal lawsuit against UMKC the very day the eviction notices went out. She contends UMKC didn't maintain the buildings, allowing them to become blighted (sound inner-city familiar?). She wants Twin Oaks returned to the residents, most of whom have already moved out.
Since the court case is still pending, Fesenmeyer claims that if she and her blind son who lives across the hall from her leaves, UMKC will tear down "the evidence" in her suit - the Twin Oaks buildings themselves.
Fesenmeyer has filed a court motion seeking an injunction to halt her and her son's eviction and also asks UMKC to stop their "harassment, threats ... and intimidation." Defendants named in the motion the UMKC curators and Govenor A-Reason-To-Vote-For-Anybody-BUT Matt Blunt.
It's a classic 'David versus Golliath' story here - and I'll keep you posted on it's developments.
American Justice - Part 6, 439, 788
My news-tipper in MASSACHUSETTS tells me a dump truck ran over and killed a 52-year-old woman at a construction site near her. The truck driver was not charged. (www.wggb.com)
The news-tipper also told me that at a different location - a construction truck backed into a state trooper's vehicle. The trooper was NOT injured- but charges WERE filed against that dump-truck driver.
Unconfirmed reports also state that O.J. Simpson continues to search Florida golf courses for the killer of his wife and her friend.
Also unconfirmed is that Ken Lay will get the Congressional Medal of Honor (or at very least a pardon when President Shrub leaves office).
Justice is blind alright - especially if your wealthy or are connected to the Government either by employ or contribution.
The news-tipper also told me that at a different location - a construction truck backed into a state trooper's vehicle. The trooper was NOT injured- but charges WERE filed against that dump-truck driver.
Unconfirmed reports also state that O.J. Simpson continues to search Florida golf courses for the killer of his wife and her friend.
Also unconfirmed is that Ken Lay will get the Congressional Medal of Honor (or at very least a pardon when President Shrub leaves office).
Justice is blind alright - especially if your wealthy or are connected to the Government either by employ or contribution.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
David Glass Uses A Crowbar
American Major League baseball has the Kansas City Royals.
The KC Royals have an owner - David Glass, former WalMart CEO - that makes Scrooge look like Andrew Carnegie.
Well folks, Herr Glass has pried open his change purse and reportedly spent at least a million a year until 2010 on a new member of the formerly-proud, 1985 World Champion KC Royals organization.
Dayton Moore does not pitch, does not hit, and the only fielding he does that I know of is questions from the KC news/sports media. Moore is the Royals' new general manager.
His job? To TRY and find people who can pitch, hit and field on WalMart-like wages (which are still considerable higher than ACTUAL WalMart employees).
I wish the best of luck to Dayton Moore - he's going to need it.
The KC Royals have an owner - David Glass, former WalMart CEO - that makes Scrooge look like Andrew Carnegie.
Well folks, Herr Glass has pried open his change purse and reportedly spent at least a million a year until 2010 on a new member of the formerly-proud, 1985 World Champion KC Royals organization.
Dayton Moore does not pitch, does not hit, and the only fielding he does that I know of is questions from the KC news/sports media. Moore is the Royals' new general manager.
His job? To TRY and find people who can pitch, hit and field on WalMart-like wages (which are still considerable higher than ACTUAL WalMart employees).
I wish the best of luck to Dayton Moore - he's going to need it.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
American Troops Make More Friends In Iraq
This time, an Iraqi woman about to give birth is killed by American troop gunfire.
It seems, according to the AP story (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060601/D8HV5I8G0.html), the car carrying the pregnant woman had sped though a military checkpoint to a "restricted area" and "shots were fired to disable the vehicle" the woman was in.
"The loss of life is regrettable and coalition forces go to great lengths to prevent them," said some military mouthpiece.
This incident comes on the heels of another military public relations extravaganza where it was revealed that U.S. Marines murdered unarmed civilians in the Iraq city of Haditha last November.
Somewhat related to our "war" in Iraq, it is still reported that 1) Social Security will go broke within the next 20 years, 2) there remains no universal health care for Americans and 3) the Bush Administration has no clue how to do much of anything right.
It seems, according to the AP story (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060601/D8HV5I8G0.html), the car carrying the pregnant woman had sped though a military checkpoint to a "restricted area" and "shots were fired to disable the vehicle" the woman was in.
"The loss of life is regrettable and coalition forces go to great lengths to prevent them," said some military mouthpiece.
This incident comes on the heels of another military public relations extravaganza where it was revealed that U.S. Marines murdered unarmed civilians in the Iraq city of Haditha last November.
Somewhat related to our "war" in Iraq, it is still reported that 1) Social Security will go broke within the next 20 years, 2) there remains no universal health care for Americans and 3) the Bush Administration has no clue how to do much of anything right.
A Bizarre Story of Mistaken Identity
According to the Associated Press (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060601/D8HV5HV80.html), the VanRyn family from MICHIGAN thought their daughter had survived a deadly road crash in INDIANA and was recovering nicely after being in a coma.
It turns out however that who the VanRyns THOUGHT was their daughter Laura was actually one of their daughter's friends - Whitney Cerak.
The Ceraks had already buried who they THOUGHT was Whitney but who was actually Laura.
The INDIANA authorities naturally gave their OMG & Gee-Whizz statements for the AP story. Not stated in the dispatch was the possibility authorities had been confused because both women were Angelo-Saxon blondes.
It turns out however that who the VanRyns THOUGHT was their daughter Laura was actually one of their daughter's friends - Whitney Cerak.
The Ceraks had already buried who they THOUGHT was Whitney but who was actually Laura.
The INDIANA authorities naturally gave their OMG & Gee-Whizz statements for the AP story. Not stated in the dispatch was the possibility authorities had been confused because both women were Angelo-Saxon blondes.
The Tedium of the TV News Medium
Just love those TV "newscast" teasers ...
"Tune in at (some other time) to see the full story" or "Will it rain in (name that town)?"
Why the hell don't you report the "full story" or TELL US if it's gonna rain right NOW?
I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.
Check here later for "the rest of the story."
"Tune in at (some other time) to see the full story" or "Will it rain in (name that town)?"
Why the hell don't you report the "full story" or TELL US if it's gonna rain right NOW?
I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.
Check here later for "the rest of the story."
Hello - I Must Be Going
It's said everybody has their 15 minutes of fame.
Screw fame, I'd rather have 5 minutes in an open, unattended bank vault.
I'll post here as time permits, my views, which have probably no relevance nor will change a damn thing.
Kind of like the present Administration.
-Groucho Karl Marx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Tornado Strikes Monroe LA With Confirmed Injuries
The tornado struck around noon on Easter Sunday. There is considerable damage repo rted in that northeastern Louisiana city of around 5000...
-
Today is the 40th anniversary of the (E) F-3 tornado that struck the Kansas City suburb of Pleasant Hill MO.. The following is a re-post o... -
... The Tornado Outbreak Of MAY 4, 1977 ... A tornado outbreak in the Kansas City Metro area not experienced for a dozen years prior an...