A long time ago when the influence of this town was still important, Kansas City set the world on fire with our jazz culture and style.
Unfortunately, nowadays the Midwest doesn’t have much relevance in creating pop culture trends and the flyover states are pretty much a dumping ground for whatever schlock big media and other corporate interests send our way. This is all part of the reason that stupid Sonic ads and the heart clogging fare they offer are granted the same kind of pop-culture respect as the legendary Kansas City BBQ pits that helped to build this place.
But I digress. The point of this post is actually hopeful, in a way. It seems that Kansas City Proper still has some influence when it comes to self-destructive urban planning.
Here’s what some rather dedicated community activists who I’m lucky enough to talk to are saying on the subject of KC spreading our culture:
Apparently, some people in law enforcement call it “Spillover.” It’s a situation that occurs when when one city’s crime problems start affecting neighboring cities.
And here’s the money quote that a very well-informed local anti-violence advocate offered to explain the situation:
“KCK appears to now be suffering ‘spillover’ from the crime problems that KCMO has been having for the past 18 months. In all of 2007 there were 25 homicides in KCK, in all of 2008 there were 33, so far in 2009 there have been 30–compared to 24 at this time in 2008. Trend lines do not look good.”
To make matters worse, KCK is in the midst of a budget crisis and
Jayhawk Tony
What the hell??? Spillover? You’ve got to be kidding me. Anything east of 38th Street in KCK is just as dangerous, if not worse, than anything in “KC Proper.”
Whoever your “local anti-violence advocate” is, you might want to think about getting a different source–someone who actually has a clue.
smh
Tony: Your posts are terrible.
Rainbow Man
Dennis Hays, the Wyandotte County Administrator, is mismanaging law enforcement and the county at-large and the results are scary.. They have furloughed all of the non-emergency county employees for 12 days a year and now it looks like Hays may oversee police layoffs. He needs to be removed from office.
JAM
KCK has always been a hot-bed of crime — where the fuck have you been?
KCK is not broke — they and Kansas were giving Cerner and the Kansas Wizards 1/2 billion bucks to move to Wyandotte County. HAHA
I agree with smh – “your posts are terrible.”
jojo
as much as i hate tony…this time he’s right.
But this is not just in kc or kck but allover
the nation.
Crime is out of hand and its getting worse.
And citys don’t know what to do because their
revenue is shrinking at a record pace.
But its not up to the police to stop it.
Its got to be the parents and families who stop
it. I am part of the big brother program in
kc and I see it happening quicker and sooner
than ever before.
The terrorists in america are not muslim
or arab…they are our own people. Take a drive
thru some of the areas tony is talking about and
you’ll see the future of this nation.
Tony may be the biggest jackoff to write here
but he is right. As hard as it is to agree with
this p.o.s. on this subject he’s correct.
Our nation is on a suicide march. We are headed
toward massive problems. The biggest one we have
is how to handle the millions of criminals we
have. We can’t afford to build more prisons and
jails. Money’s not there. The people have to
do something and do it quick.
smartman
Shitty schools and no good jobs is what KCK and KCMO have in common. Once Government Motors in Fairfax gets closed, and it will, KCK is gone daddy gone. Minimum wage jobs at The Legends don’t pay the bills. The Cerner jobs will be great but those people won’t live in The Dotte. The ethnic enclaves that gave KCK it’s charm have all gone Latino. English is the second language in the eastern third of the city. Blame Carol Marinovich. She closed all the strip joints and rub and tugs that accounted for most of KCK’s tourism and gave us Nebraska Furniture Mart and a racetrack that hosts maybe a dozen events a year. All things being equal I still feel safer at 18th and Quindaro than I do at 18th and Vine. At least the Latinos that are moving in to KCK take pride in Home ownership and maintenance. Their culture and Catholic spirituality do have some influence. At some point there will a full blown war between the Black and Latino gangs that will spillover from KCK to KCMO. May the best gang win!
Jan M.
I fail to see how this post generates income for Hearne. What is Tony selling here?
MandDshagger
Tony is selling his own unique brand of pure unadulterated organic journalism. It really pisses some people off. Kinda like a cross between Al Franken, Crispin Glover and Andy Kauffman.
craig glazer
Tony glad they are spending it at the Legends, yeah crime is a big problem in KCK,not out here thank god….love the photo of the girl, she is hot….very….like your writing….keep up the interetsting work
MandDshagger
You’ll appreciate this jojo. A friend’s kid just got out of jail on a low level drug beef. He wouldn’t rat out the guys upstream cause he knew they’d kill him. He had a very interesting comment. Can’t pray or talk about God or religion in public school but when you get into jail or prison, God is EVERYWHERE. They also talk alot about morals, manners, discipline, honor, code and integrity. Ya’ think if they taught that stuff in school things might be a little different?
harleyrider-rrrr
I’m going to have to agree with Tony here. I am a retired police officer and it is what it is — spillover. It takes money to fix things and there is no money. For you guys who like to bash Tony, he sure seems to keep you interested. Wonder what kind of a job you would do with your own column.
to SMARTMAN and ALL
smartman, you brought up Cerner and so I thought I would pull this email out of the archives that we all received when I USED to work there. Good for a laugh but actually it is not funny and Patterson’s attitude prevails. The rich get richer and the little man does all the work. Re-damn-diculous.
From: Patterson,Neal
To: DL_ALL_MANAGERS;
Subject:ANAGEMENT DIRECTIVE: Week #10_01: Fix it or changes will be made
Importance: High
To the KC_based managers:
I have gone over the top. I have been making this point for over one year.
We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large number of our KC-based EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely used at 8AM; likewise at 5PM. As managers — you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing; or YOU do not CARE. You have created expectations on the work effort which allowed this to happen inside Cerner, creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you.
NEVER in my career have I allowed a team which worked for me to think they had a 40 hour job. I have allowed YOU to create a culture which is permitting this. NO LONGER.
At the end of next week, I am plan to implement the following:
Closing of Associate Center to EMPLOYEES from 7:30AM to 6:30PM.
Implementing a hiring freeze for all KC based positions. It will require Cabinet approval to hire someone into a KC based team. I chair our Cabinet.
Implementing a time clock system, requiring EMPLOYEES to ‘punch in’ and ‘punch out’ to work. Any unapproved absences will be charged to the EMPLOYEES vacation.
We passed a Stock Purchase Program, allowing for the EMPLOYEE to purchase Cerner stock at a 15% discount, at Friday’s BOD meeting. Hell will freeze over before this CEO implements ANOTHER EMPLOYEE benefit in this Culture.
Implement a 5% reduction of staff in KC.
I am tabling the promotions until I am convinced that the ones being promoted are the solution, not the problem. If you are the problem, pack you bags.
I think this parental type action SUCKS. However, what you are doing, as managers, with this company makes me SICK. It makes sick to have to write this directive.
I know I am painting with a broad brush and the majority of the KC based associates are hard working, committed to Cerner success and committed to transforming health care. I know the parking lot is not a great measurement for ‘effort’. I know that ‘results’ is what counts, not ‘effort’. But I am through with the debate.
We have a big vision. It will require a big effort. Too many in KC are not making the effort.
I want to hear from you. If you think I am wrong with any of this, please state your case. If you have some ideas on how to fix this problem, let me hear those. I am very curious how you think we got here. If you know team members who are the problem, let me know. Please include (copy) Kynda in all of your replies.
I STRONGLY suggest that you call some 7AM, 6PM and Saturday AM team meetings with the EMPLOYEES who work directly for you. Discuss this serious issue with your team. I suggest that you call your first meeting — tonight. Something is going to change.
I am giving you two weeks to fix this. My measurement will be the parking lot: it should be substantially full at 7:30 AM and 6:30 PM. The pizza man should show up at 7:30 PM to feed the starving teams working late. The lot should be half full on Saturday mornings. We have a lot of work to do. If you do not have enough to keep your teams busy, let me know immediately.
Folks this is a management problem, not an EMPLOYEE problem. Congratulations, you are management. You have the responsibility for our EMPLOYEES. I will hold you accountable. You have allowed this to get to this state. You have two weeks. Tick, tock.
Neal …..
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Cerner Corporation http://www.cerner.com
2800 Rockcreek Parkway; Kansas City, Missouri 64117
“We Make Health Care Smarter”
——————————————————————————–
Ks Kid
Patterson is an ass.