KANSAS CITY'S BREAKING NEWS

A homicide by gunshot in KC-MO's Westport District..

The incident occurred around 2:29am at 42nd Street & Pennslyvania. The unknown victim died at the scene.

Police reported the suspects as "2 black males" who left the scene in a "1997 dark blue Jeep Cherokee with Missouri license plates 628 SH3."

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A fatality accident was reported in Leavenworth-KS around 3:16am- reported as a vehicle that ran into a semi-trailer truck.

There was no other information available.

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A house fire in KC-KS early Saturday morning injured an elderly female.

The fire was reported at 2:50am in the 1400 block of North 62nd Place. It took firefighters about 13 minutes after they arrived to control the flames. The female's injuries were not considered life-threatening according to KCKSFD-EMS.

Two other adults were displaced and needed Red Cross assistance.

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Kansas City's Breaking News Leader - NBC41 ACTION NEWS.

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Republicrats Crank Up The Karl Rove Lie Machine

Why not? It got the present occupant of the White House elected.

Why bother with TRUTH when seeking power- riches & favors?

The latest lie is a chain email being sent around- stating that Demublican VP candidate Joe Biden doesn't pay his debts.

According to FactCheck.org- a non-partisan "truth watch" over political candidates' claims- the email is a lie.

Kind of like the almost-8-years of Republicrat rule- which makes my choice for president in November- Barrack Obama- more palatable each day.

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Cordish Consortium Gets Nod For Wyandotte County-KS Casino

BREAKING NEWS: Kansas Entertainment- a consortium of the Kansas Speedway and the Cordish Company of Baltimore-MD (operators of KC-MO's "Power & Light District") has won approval for a Hard Rock Casino and Hotel to be built at the Kansas Speedway.

This is purported to be a more-than $680-million project. Unknown if Cordish will institute a dress code at the casino & hotel.

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America's "Melting-Pot" Philosophy Not Working At Grand Island-NE Meat Packing Plant

Muslim-belief workers at the JBS Swift & Co. plant in this central Nebraska community wanted time off to pray during the holy week of Ramadan.

The company accomodated them until other workers protested. Now- no one is happy- according to this story by the Associated Press.

This isn't the only plant in America where this is happening either- again proving this agnostic's point that organized religion often causes more suffering than it heals.

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COMMENTARY: Honesty - Hard Work No Longer Attains The "American Dream"

That bogus piece of crap was fed to most of us as children.

Then we saw members of our "honest- hard-working" families get laid-off as American jobs fled overseas.

Those who still had jobs have had their hard work and honesty rewarded with pittance pay and/or pay raises and loss of insurance and/or other benefits.

Only the dishonest and greedy are rewarded: we pay higher taxes and prices for nearly everything we have to have to survive.

I'm glad I don't have children today.

I could not- with a straight face- explain to them why the American government is bailing-out greedy corporate interests while we don't have any health insurance to have Mommy's tumor treated.

I could not tell them- and beleive it myself- that honesty and hard work will get you ahead in life- while the retired lady across the street is forced out of her home by high taxes and costs of upkeep (insurance- utilities- etc.) and surviving.

I COULD tell them these things- but in reality that sort of stuff is fool's advice these days.

I always wondered why older folks always spoke fondly of "the good old days" and now I know.

America's "good old days" are numbered- if not already gone.

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Tent Cities Rise With The Homeless In American Cities

The past 7 years of Republicrat spend- borrow and spend have not only taken their toll on America's economy- but also a toll on it's people.

According to this Associated Press story- tent cities are on the rise in America's cities. Some cities have even dedicated parking lots to shelter families living in vehicles.

To quote CHICAGO's Robert Lamm on the Stone of Sisyphus CD tune's "All The Years"- "I spent my life believing- it would not end this way."

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Hurricane Ike- More Before and After Photos Near Galveston

These photos (click on them for full size) are courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and show the path Ike took inland around Galveston as well as the destruction on the Bolivar Peninsula.
Also authorites still don't- and may "never know" the number of those who stayed behind who were washed out to sea.

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Kansas City In The Shopping Center and Hotel Business

I'm all for civic projects- but it seems the only way something of significance gets built anymore is with public dollars.

First- we have the badly-needed- yet heavily city-financed "shopping village" proposed in 1873 (kidding) for the area of 63rd Street & Prospect. Never mind that the retail economy is in some of the worst shape I've seen it during my lifetime.

After a few years of environmental issues and finance-wrangling- it appears that "village" will finally see construction.

Now- yet another "consultant" has been hired to see how to build (publicly-finance) a 1000-room convention hotel in downtown KC-MO..

Convention hotels can be risky business. The City of Overland Park has had to provide taxpayer monies over the past 8 years to cover expenses for their OP-Sheration near 110th Street & Nall- according to this source.

There are other ways to finance such projects- as reported in this Kansas City BUSINESS JOURNAL article. That article also notes how KC-MO has ALREADY subsidized downtown hotels as the Muehlebach Tower and Marriott to the tune of more than $6-million.

The American economy is being squeezed like many of us have never seen in our lifetimes. Municipal budgets everywhere are falling short on income- but long on expenditures.

Very long and very hard looks should be given these days at the financial feasibility of convention hotels or any other public-financed- privately-built/owned projects.

We need reliable infrastructure for life-long residents long before we need 1000 hotel rooms for temporary convention visitors.

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New I-35-W Bridge In Minneapolis-MN Opens Today

In what has to be some sort of record- a new bridge that replaces the one that collapsed in August-2007 opens on I-35 near downtown Minneapolis today.

Thirteen people died that disaster.

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Hurricane Ike: Some Before and After Pictures Of The Destruction

These are areas in and around Galveston Island-TX- before Ike struck and after the hurricane.
Thus far according to the Associated Press- Ike's death toll is 51- 17 of those fatalities in Texas.

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NEWS ITEM: Kansas City STAR's Owner Lays Off Another 1150 People

Who needs reporters?
They can just print "official" police reports on any incident (even though those seem to differ- depending on who was involved- from actual incident transcriptions).

Who needs photographers?
The STAR can rely on (or not) reader photographs of breaking news- like CNN "I" reports.

Why have an editorial staff?
Use us bloggers for editorial comment- we frequently make more sense anyway.

We also wonder- does this mean one morning our late newspaper won't arrive at all?
Imagine- having to rely on the Internet and TV news....

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NEWS BULLETIN: Republicrats Get The American Taxpayers To Bail Out AIG

When MOST of us make incorrect- greedy decisions with our finances- we either get relatives to bail us out or go under.

Not the case with Corporate America.

Bear-Stearns- Freddy Mac & Fanny Mae- and now AIG- enjoy the largess of YOUR Federal tax dollars to bail them out of their greedy decisions.

AIG gladly took $85-BILLION of your hard-earned dollars to avoid bankruptcy- thanks to this most-generous (to his "have" & "have-more" buddies) Bush Republicrat administration.

If your thinking of voting for McBush/Sarahcuda PLEASE remember this generosity to Corporate America- especially as you file for your very-own personal bankruptcy.

(PS: Do NOT expect government help with your Republicrat vote however.)

Cucaracha!

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Kansas City MetroRegion BREAKING NEWS: Child Severely Injured In "Mowing Accident"

At this time (1652 CDT)- a medical helicopter is landing in Polo- a small community in south-central Caldwell county MO- on a call involving a "4-year-old" child.

The information is that "both" child's leg's had been severed in "a mowing accident."

No condition yet- child was to be flown to a Kansas City pediatric hospital.

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UPDATE- 1730 CDT - LIFENET medical helicopter reports their patient is "a 3-year-old male who was run-over by a mower" and he seems in amazingly stable condition.

An amputation of the child's left leg and other wounds were reported- as the boy was being flown to a Kansas City pediatric trauma center.

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It's The EDUCATED Too Who Don't Like The "Sarahcuda"

It's reported some starry-eyed bloggers think that "celebrities and elitists are out of touch" in their criticism of Republicrat VP Nobody Palin.
I tend to disagree- and am of the opinion anyone with greater than a 10th-grade education can see through the Republicrat's shoddily-constructed smoke screen of half-truths and outright lies.

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Bush Flies Above Hurricane Ravaged Areas While People Below Suffer

Tens of thousands of people seek meals and shelter after being made homeless by Hurricane Ike- according to Associated Press articles..

Reminding also of the Katrina fiasco- Bush flies over the victims- unconfirmed if he was waving at them. He wants us- the American people- to contribute money to help them

Why doesn't he go knocking on the door- hat in hand- at the OIL COMPANIES- who are still gouging America with $3.50 PER GALLON gas and barrel of oil prices below $93....

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Mayor Funkhouser's Statement On City Council "Volunteers" Ordinance

I saw it as a total distraction from anything-more-urgent city measures- the Councilperson Jan Marcason-led silly city ordinance regarding municipal "volunteers (Mrs. Funkhouser)."

Regardless of what I think- here is a statement directly from The Mayor himself- just received here at CSW:

15 September 2008

Dear Folks,

Since this newsletter’s sole purpose is to keep our friends and supporters in the loop of the inner happenings in the Mayor’s office, Funk and I want to share with you our view of the events that occurred at City Hall this summer.

Months ago, the Mayor was disappointed when some of his fellow council members did not come to his defense after a former mayoral staffer filed an unfounded lawsuit against him. The allegations were especially disturbing to the Mayor because they were made by 15-year friend of his family who worked in his office for a mere six months before filing her first discrimination complaint against him.

Instead of coming to his defense, councilwoman Jan Marcason chose to exact punishment before the Mayor had a chance to defend himself in court. She did this by authoring a “volunteer” ordinance, which she kept from the Mayor’s eyes until a few minutes before she brought it to legislative session a few weeks back. It was clear to Funk that the real intent of the ordinance was to dictate to him how he runs his office as it only targeted his wife. But when he spoke this truth, he was repeatedly told that the ordinance affected every single one of the thousands of volunteers within the city’s system. At a business session, another councilwoman responded to the Mayor’s concerns by saying that the city council would not “be so small” as to pass a law that targets one individual.

In legislative session last Thursday, Marcason stated that the volunteer ordinance was “good policy, protecting both the city and volunteers from liability and conflicts of interest.” But when questioned by the Mayor, she admitted that the only volunteer that she believed would be affected by the ordinance was his wife.

If the ordinance becomes law, Kansas City will be the only city in the United States to try to ban its First Lady from the Mayor’s Office.

Further, the ordinance states that any elected official who fails to comply with Marcason’s ordinance would be subject to a municipal violation, which could mean a jail sentence of 180 days.

This overreaching action reminds Funk of one of the first lessons taught in kindergarten: keep your hands to yourself and your eyes on your own paper. With this ordinance, the City Council is trying to dictate how the Mayor runs his own office

Just to be clear: I do not “volunteer” for the City of Kansas City. The title of First Lady was handed to me the moment that my husband was elected Mayor. My only role in his office has been to serve my husband as his personal assistant, so that he can better serve the residents of our city.

The hours of the Mayor are long. During the campaign, Funk and I were naïve when we thought that our close-knit family could carry on as usual after Funk was elected Mayor. When the reality of the time required for Funk to do this job well sunk in, we didn’t complain. Instead, we simply looked for ways that Funk could do this new job justice, and still remain true to the family man that he has always been. The way that we found works best for both the City and for our family was to have the two of us roll up our sleeves and put in the needed hours together.

While the Mayor’s hours are long, Funk knows exactly how to get the job done. His Policy Agenda is taken directly from his 18 years of work while serving as the City Auditor. And while my hours are long as well, I too know exactly how to get my job done as I’ve got 30 years of experience being married to him.

Given these facts, when the ordinance was first under consideration the Mayor tried to reassure the council about my specific role in the office by offering them a written description that he wrote that describes my duties as the First Lady. You will find that description below.

This catches you up on the details from this summer. We will keep you informed about what Funk decides to do next regarding this ordinance. In the meantime, Funk wants you to know that he will continue putting in the time that it takes to turn this city around. Even with the added burden of this ordinance, Funk has never stopped working on the real issues that matter to you the most: streets, codes, cops and kids.

He also wants you to know that he is not going to let this situation stop him from making good on the olive branch that he extended to the council last Thursday when he asked them to stand with him and be a unified council.

Funk is aware that this type of turmoil is not only normal, but is to be expected any time great changes are taking place. Because of this knowledge, he is not discouraged and he hopes that you aren’t either. He could choose to sit down and shut up. That might make a little of this ugliness go away. But if he did that, the opportunity for great changes would also go away.

The good news is that Funk has already gotten much accomplished – the foundation has been laid for many of the changes that both you and he want to see come to fruition. Even with the darkness that surrounds the intent of this ordinance, it is an exciting time for Kansas City. Great things are being accomplished rapidly. With the coming together of this council, there will be no end to the things that can move forward in our city.

Thank you for hanging in there with us. Thank you, too, for all the love, prayers and support that you have showered our family with. We couldn’t have gotten by without it. As always, Funk promises to stay true to you.

The Duties of the First Lady

The First Lady does the following things for me so that I can do other duties: •Write special thank you notes and letters on behalf of the Mayor. •Write a weekly newsletter based on activities in the office. •Answer the email generated from the newsletter. •Make phone calls when assigned by the Mayor. •Accompany the Mayor to meetings, functions and social events when requested •Work on special projects such as: the education summit, youth programs, Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, women and children’s issues, and revitalization of the urban core. •Consult with the Communication Team on message and public relations. •Facilitate communication between the Mayor and his staff.

The First Lady does not: •Supervise staff. •Hire staff. •Make decisions on behalf of the office. •Handle confidential materials.

The next Town Hall Meeting:
Marlborough Community Center, 8200 Paseo Host: Marlborough Neighborhood Association Wednesday, September 17, 6 p.m.
Marlborough Community Center, 8200 Paseo
Host: Marlborough Neighborhood Association

In faith,
Mark

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

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More On The American Bank Crisis

"...as many as a thousand bank closures in the coming months."

Those are words uttered by an investment company CEO in an interview on CNBC- according to fellow blogger mikecane 2008.

A reference is made to the savings and loan institution failures of the late-1980's-90's.

Google President Bush's brother- Neil Bush- and see references to a failed Colorado savings & loan (Silverado) involving a member of the Bush ruling class.

(Neil Bush- left ... er... right. Well Hell- he's one of them.)

Then get back to me on any adulation for McBush & Sarahcuda.

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A "Run" On America's Banks

That's a prime topic on news media message boards and chat rooms this morning.

Amazingly- many of the chatters say this subject has been under-reported by American news media.

Surprise? Who OWNS American news media?

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Aerial Views Of Chicagoland Flooding

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Houston Recovers From Hurricane Ike

Here's a screen shot of Downtown Houston this monday morning- a little more than 24 hours after Category-2 Hurricane Ike struck the 4th-largest American city.

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Kansas City Sunrise: A Lovely Last Week of Summer

It's been a cloudy and wet start to September 2008.

This image- looking east-northeast toward KC-MO from near I-435 & Nall in Overland Park minutes ago- tells the weather story this week: mostly clear warm days and cool nights.

Here's hoping for a spectacular- colorful fall and thanking The Great Spirit one is alive.

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Day Of Oneness: We MUST Be Our Brothers' Keepers

It's time to start ratting on the thug element- lest we all cower in fear behind locked doors.

It's time to celebrate the innate goodness in all of us- joing together as Human Beings- and stop the American genocide in our core urban areas.

It's time to celebrate hope- than to despair with dope.

Thank you- for the thousands who marched down Prospect Avenue with these messages yesterday.

Only we- not the government- can make a difference. Only we can stop the hurting.

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K.C. Metro September To-Date Rainfall Totals

Rains from tropical systems Ike and Lowell have finally ended over Metro Kansas City and the skies are clearing.

We missed possible life-threatening and devastating flash-flooding early Saturday (Turkey Creek- Rock & Brusk Creek basins) morning by just one torrential rainshower.

Looks like a decent week to dry us out- as shown (click to enlarge) in this graphic of Johnson county Kansas and KC-MO central to south rain gage month to date totals:

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