Saturday, September 22, 2007

America's Lawmakers On Hallucinogens

Has to be!

Elected officials diss an editorial piece submitted by a political action outfit- apparently without reading/absorbing it- but yet lets the REAL crime continue unfettered and unabashed:

Bush's Folly.

Seems to me that sane folks would be wanting OUT of this country instead trying to sneak in....


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The Last Day Of Summer- 2007 In Vancouver B.C. Canada

From the ever-present- effervescent- KatCam.

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September 22- 2007- Early Saturday Morning News

I'm feeling like I've been run amid-ships by a load of whoop-ass- so here's the significant overnight happenings quick- in raw overnight report form:

0135 - IN207003068 - KC-KS - FIRE- EMS & POLICE-CENTRAL PATROL- "UNKNOWN MEDICAL- 18TH ST. & MINNESOTA." AT 0137C- THIS IS CALLED "A SHOOTING" AND A CAR CRASH- "CAR RAN INTO A BUILDING" HERE. POLICE REPORT 2 VICTIMS HERE- AND "A 3RD VICTIM WHO LEFT THE SCENE." ANOTHER CRIME SCENE RELATED TO THIS IS REPORTED AS "18TH & WASHINGTON BLVD.." AND "A WHITE MONTE CARLO IS INVOLVED" AS WELL. BOTH VICTIMS ARE MALE- ONE "SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD" AND IN CRITICAL CONDITION- THE OTHER MODERATE INJURIES- BOTH TAKEN TO (A LOCAL TRAUMA CENTER).


0151 - IN207003074 - KC-KS - POLICE-CENTRAL- FIRE & EMS - "SHOOTING" VICTIM- "1603 EVERETT." POLICE REPORT VICTIM HERE IS "A MALE- SHOT IN THE LOWER BACK" AND THIS VICTIM "IS RELATED" TO THE 18TH & MINNESOTA SHOOTING. VICTIM TAKEN TO (A LOCAL TRAUMA CENTER).CONDITION UNKNOWN.


0221 - IN207003077 - PLATTE COUNTY (PLCO) MO- SHERIFF- CENTRAL PLCO FIRE & "N-RAD" EMS - "MOTORCYCLE" CRASH- '15800 INTERURBAN RD.." THIS IS REPORTED "AT THE PARTY HOUSE ACROSS FROM BASSWOOD RESORT." EMS TRANSPORTED "A MALE IN HIS 50'S" IN SERIOUS TO CRITICAL CONDITION TO (A LOCAL TRAUMA CENTER).NO OTHER DETAILS.


0516 - IN207003091 - JXCO-MO- PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP- LEE'S SUMMIT & LAKE LOTAWANA FIRE- HOUSE FIRE- 25551 E. MILTON THOMPSON ROAD." THIS IS A WORKING FIRE "IN THE BASEMENT UNDER THE KITCHEN" OF THE UNREPORTED-OCCUPANCY STRUCTURE. THE FLAMES WERE UNDER CONTROL BY AROUND 0610C WITH NO REPORTS OF ANYONE FOUND INSIDE NOR INJURIES.

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Friday, September 21, 2007

Citizen Letter From KC-MO's Mayor: "Notes From Funk's Front Porch" XV

Funk's Front Porch

07 September 2007


Dear Folks,


This week’s city news:

The big news this week is that the Economic Development policy passed 12-0. This is a monumental victory for Kansas Citians for many reasons. There has never been a policy in place before with clear directives concerning economic growth; more importantly, the policy ensures that the economically disadvantaged areas of the city will now get their fair share of the pie.

This was one of the major tenants that Funk campaigned on, getting TIF under control, especially for the benefit of the regular folks of our city. Funk was told many things by various “consultants” about developing this policy. First, the talk was that a diverse group of people would not be able to come to agreement regarding how a policy should be written. Then the talk was that he couldn’t appoint a diverse group of regular folks to come up with a policy that had any teeth to it. Finally, even if he could get a diverse group of people to realize that they had similar values, the Council would never approve the policy. It heartens us to know that if you work towards the good of the whole, good things will happen. Since all of those hurdles have been jumped successfully, we can begin to work on improving the areas of the city that need it the most.

Many thanks go to the Council as a whole for the long hours that they put in on this important project and for supporting the policy as written. Deep appreciation goes to Deb Hermann for her work in ensuring its passage. Your council members put in more hours in a week than you probably realize.

Funk went to Seattle earlier this week on a trip planned by the Chamber of Commerce to learn what makes that city hip and cool. The trip went very well, although I was a little distressed thinking about the plane ride. I’m Italian enough to have had my imagination working overtime about the “what ifs.” Mostly, what would happen to the city if the plane went down, as it was carrying 120 of our top officials? But it didn’t go down. Instead, a lot of reinforcement for Funk’s own beliefs came from the trip. The first being the benefit of light rail, especially regarding the economic boom that occurred in Seattle with the passage of light rail. And second, the role that having a top notch University plays in having a thriving city.

Funk continues to try to find a solution regarding Frances Semler’s appointment to the Parks Board. He’s gone so far as to offer to travel anywhere in the United States to meet with the National head of La Raza, Janet Muguira, and her board to try to resolve this issue. Funk feels that an open and ongoing dialogue is imperative toward finding solutions to problems. So this is what he is continuing to try to do.

On a more personal note:

Our son Andrew is recovering from his bout of mono. He is well enough now that his teenage maleness is getting on my nerves again. I know you Mother’s of teens will know what I speak of. Sadly for all of us though, is that he cannot finish this semester as his advisors say that he’s missed too much class time to be able to catch up. Such is life.

Until next week,

In faith,
Gloria & Mark

You can respond to this newsletter at funksfrontporch@gmail.com.


Please help us by forwarding this email to as many people as you think might want to be more informed about their city government. They can sign up to receive the newsletter at
http://www.blogger.com/www.funksfrontporch.com.

The Mayor’s top ten priorities:

1. Establishing a good working relationship with the Council
2. Getting the City’s finances in order
3. Making downtown work
4. Tending to our neighborhoods
5. Implementing the Housing Policy task force recommendations
6. Improving the perception and the reality of public education in Kansas City
7. Reducing Crime
8. Repairing our sewer systems
9. Establishing an excellent regional transit system, which includes light rail
10. Improving citizen satisfaction with City services.


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NWS-CPC: Continental U.S. 30-Day Temperature And Precipitation Outlook

The forecasts- available HERE- covers the period until late October. Future temp & precip forecasts are also available on the URL.
(Click on all images on this blog for best size/resolution)

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Thursday, September 20, 2007

NBC41's Star: Russ Ptasek

No pun intended considering a recent story of his- but Russ is one of- if not the most- arresting TV news reporters in America's 31st-ranked market I've seen thus far this century.

NBC41's Ptacek has some pretty impressive journalistic credentials- according to his bio on 41's Web site. Here's a guy that not only knows how to talk- but actually seems to know what he's talking about.

Russ Ptacek seems to have that delivery- that on-camera presense- that easily (to me- longtime news junkie anyway) has Top-15 market if not network potential.

No- I've never even met the fellow- having only talked briefly during an information disgorge.

I'd be his agent in a heartbeat. If I was the news director at 41- I'd be asking Russ Ptacek how he likes his coffee and if my chair was comfortable enough....

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Kansas City's Parks Board Flap Makes The National Associated Press Wire

HERE's the story- penned by AP writer "Maria Sudekum Fisher."

Nice to see a local tempest in a teapot go national on what MUST be a slow news day.
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Re-Visit Of 1998 Flash Flood Should Open Somebody's Eyes


I've been looking at and listening to taped news archives the past few days- the latest being the flash-floods on October 4 and 5- 1998.

Here are some hard- indisputable facts I've gleaned from these tapes:


1. If you need immediate police- fire or EMS services during a natural disaster- forget it.
This fact I discovered on the audio scanner tapes from that night: The Fire Department learned of the Prospect tragedy from bystanders who stopped a battalion chief's vehicle out on patrol- NONE OF THE VICTIMS COULD GET INTO 9-1-1.
By the time that chief was notified by the bystanders what had happened- the victims were already washed downstream and drowned.


Also- it took the local news media MORE THAN AN HOUR after it happened to find out 6 people had been washed from the Prospect bridge over Brush Creek (even though I had been on the phone to the newsroom several times over the past 45 minutes TELLING THEM this incident had occurred.

2. Some TV news people know little about Kansas City geography.
In repeated FOX-4 newscasts (I was working for them at the time too)- the news readers/anchors kept referring to Lakes Winnebago and Raintree as being "in the Northland." Unless they've moved from southern Lee's Summit...

3. At least some TV weather people missed the obvious point- until it was too late.
I still shake my head when I hear those audio tapes. I'm on the phone to FOX-4's weather department early on- suggesting THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT IS PARAMOUNT- not so much the tornado watch we were also under.
We'd already had several inches of rain that Sunday- afternoon flash-flooding in Lee's Summit and Blue Springs- and I was pulling a 24-hour news shift following it all. The reason I was pulling that 24-hour shift was because my inner weather-alarm was going off- so sleep was futile. Something told me history was in the making and Mother Nature didn't disappoint.



Well- as long as I'm alive and kicking as this blog remains- the latter won't happen again!
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Sprint Center Ticket Fiasco Turns Me Against Wizard's Bannister Plan


Geez - what's in the water here?

I was almost in somewhat of a frame of mind to encourage the Wizard's stadium & development in the dead Bannister Mall area.

That area's an embarrassing eyesore- but I'm starting to think it's not as BAD an eyesore as the New U.F.O. downtown.

I'm laughing my ass off over the Sprint Center ticket debacle. It's controlled- insane-type laughter you see.

Over and over- time and time again the American Sheep buy into the corporate (or government) propaganda: GIVE US YOUR MONEY- TRUST US.

Ha Ha.

While the Drama Downtown plays itself out (the taxpayer/investors screwed yet again)- I find myself back in the fold of NO TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR PRO SPORTS TEAMS and rapidly building a case for the same with corporate tax subsidies of any kind.

Hell folks- you might as well drive to Midtown and give out cash to crackheads- at least then you KNOW where your money is going.

Heh - imagine we FINALLY build a light rail line and all the ticket brokers buy up all the seats.

Suckers!!!!!!!!!!!
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Missouri Ticket Broker Law No Secret

That issue was reported HERE last month.

Great to see everyone's paying attention and good luck trying to get tix at cost to ANYTHING at The New slightly-bigger Kemper Arena.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Hurricane Forecast Model Forecasts Hurricane Modeling Near New Orleans Friday

I've screen-captured this one- the main hurricane forecast model- the GFDL- showing this tropical system now east of Florida and moving westward into the northern Gulf of Mexico becoming a Category 1 hurricane southeast of New Orleans by 0000 GMT or 7pm Friday evening CDT.

Let's hope this forecast doesn't pan out....
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Missouri's Governor Blunt Realizes Uninsured Poor Vote Too

Are our memories that short? I think not...

In 2005- Governor Blunt cut Medicaid coverage for more than 90000 Missouri residents- reduced benefits for another 17000 and caused around 25000 children to lose what insurance coverage they had.

Having- I assume- balanced whatever budget(s) he needed to balance on the backs of the poor these past 2 years- Blunt now wants to give that insurance back in this pre-re-election year to I assume at least SOME of those who lost said coverage in 2005.

Blunt's plan includes- among other pie-in-the-sky ideas- raising hospital taxes.

Brother (sister- father-mother)!

My Canadian fund awaits seeing who America's Sheep elect/re-elect next year....
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

U.S. Home Foreclosures Double In August

More not-so rosy financial news: home foreclosures were double August of this year what they were in August 2006.

Oil prices continue on their record pace of more than $80 a barrel.

My- it's going to be a lean Christmas....
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KANSAS CITY MetroRegion - CENTRAL STATES WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Risk Today


The Storm Predication Circle of the Weather Service de National has roughly the northwestern half of the Kansas City MetroRegion in an area of possible "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms today through Wednesday morning (see- click on image(s).

Next- the current KC weather radar- showing an area of showers and thunderstorms entering east-central through northeastern Kansas.

Cells inside this area are racing northeast while the area itself is moving very slowly eastward.

No severe weather is occurring.

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Graves Is An Appropriate Name If You Need Cheney To Raise Money

So Veep Cheney flew in to raise a few bucks for Rep. Sam Graves on Monday. You can read the poll numbers on Cheney here- I'll save you a look- they ain't pretty.

As bad as Cheney's numbers are- some could argue the point that if Kay "Country Club" Barnes counters with an appearance by Hilary Clinton- the bad-judgement situation may balance.

CC might consider Barrack Obama- he has much-less negativity numbers- but you and I know we're not gonna see that....
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O.J. Simpson Shenanigans Take News Media Center-Stage

Isn't it odd that when a celebrity story rears up- the electronic news media becomes mesmerized?

It's so idiotic- you'd think O.J. killed 2 more people.

The coup de gras is the radio talk show I'm listening to out of Denver.

The OJS much-ado-about-very-little is the opening topic for Rick Barber's fill-in: offering how we "don't care about O.J. anymore."

The dude is taking 25 minutes of airtime thus far to tell us too.
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Monday, September 17, 2007

KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING NEWS: Barricaded Gunman In KC-KS

There is a developing story in eastern Kansas City-KS (KCK).

At 5:09pm- a shooting was reported at 7th Street & Splitlog with the male suspect "still shooting."


Officers have surrounded an apartment building where this male is shooting- "possibly an assault rifle" from- that being in the 300 block of North Coy.

Officers- firefighters and EMS people responding on the original shooting call have taken cover and police have called a tactical operation at this time.

Updates posted here...

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At 5:37pm- the barricaded gunman in the 300 block of North Coy is in police custody. So far- no gunshot victims have been reported nor any other injuries.

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In RAYTOWN-MO- there has been a serious-injury wreck in about the 10000 block of East M-350 Westbound.

Police there report a "retired KC-MO motorcycle officer" involved in that crash- and westbound M-350 is closed until further notice between Westridge and Raytown Road. -1742CDT

RAYTOWN EMS has transported one serious to critically-injured victim from this accident: "a 53-54-year-old male who was struck by a car while driving his motorcycle at around 50 m.p.h." to a nearby trauma center. The man had a fractured and broken legs and other unknown injuries.

The car's driver reportedly had lesser injuries.

Westbound M-350 east of Raytown Road remains closed. - 1755 CDT.

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CENTRAL STATES - KANSAS CITY MetroRegion WEATHER: Severe Storm Chances Increase Through Tuesday

Finally- our best chance for some organized rains around the MetroRegion for some time! Combinations of low-pressure areas and a frontal system will bring an increase of shower and thunderstorm chances over the Central States for the next 36-48 hours.

Today's severe storm risk will be generally northwest of the MetroRegion- from northwest and north-central Kansas across Nebraska and Iowa into the Upper Mississippi River valley (see/click on map images).

Tomorrow's severe weather risk area moves down over about the northern and northwest half of the Kansas City MetroRegion into the Metro itself- with the most likely time for this weather being mid to late afternoon onward.

Updates will be posted here....
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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...