Can everybody please calm down about Donald Trump?
Speaking of which, a handful of years back when my dad Stan Glazer ran for mayor of KC. He was basically Trump without the umph – a poor man’s version of the Donald. Stan decided to run when former KC mayor Kay Barnes was going for a second term in the early 2000’s and wanted to rebuild downtown KC with a new, taxpayer funded arena.
Naturally my dad’s campaign slogan was, “No New Arena.”
Stan felt it was a waste of money at a time when our city was nearly broke and needed to fix the schools, roads and upgrade Midtown. He explained that downtown was too far gone to make it our centerpiece.
And his message was well received…at first.
Well enough that Barnes backed off her arena campaign until the election was over.
Like Trump, Stan the Man was a showman extraordinaire.
He’d been in the comedy and restaurant biz for years. And like Trump, Stan was a big guy with strikingly handsome features and a booming voice. He made a great first impression, that’s for sure.
Meanwhile, Barnes was kinda like Hillary Clinton, only far less popular.
She was viewed as someone who’d gotten little done in her first term and didn’t ‘t want to debate Stan because she was no match his overpowering speaking ability and larger than life persona.
And like Trump, Stan believed in Stan.
Similar to Trump, Stan’s advisors – including me – told him he needed more substance in his plans.
“You just can’t do the one liners and expect to win,” I counseled.
Stan, like the Donald, had zero political experience, whereas Barnes had plenty (and the big guys behind her) as well as the Kansas City Star (which still somewhat mattered).
Of course, the powers-that-be, like the mainstream Republicans of today – were afraid that if Glazer won, they’d have trouble controlling him because he shot from the hip too often.
On top of which, Stan had past issues that came back to haunt him.
Like the Donald he had a well known background as a playboy type – flashy, big ego and questionable business successes.
Stan had the infamous hooker stop – that wasn’t even on the public record – that Barnes’ campaign somehow managed to dig up. He’d gotten out of it, but it was still not a good thing to have on his resume for women voters.
Like Trump, Stan had a number of failed business deals over the years and of course the KC Star was all over those.
Stan’s advisors begged him to travel to neighboring cities like Denver – even Las Vegas – to forge partnerships with those city’s mayors on how to get Kansas City growing again and fix its problems. To tell people how to promote KC nationwide.
Stan was asked to visit those mayors and cities along with Omaha and tape the visits. The idea being for him to come home to a media welcome that would show voters his efforts and give them a chance to see a new plan and partnership with cities that had moved the chains forward more than KC.
Unfortunately, Stan refused to go and stuck with his original simple attack on Barnes with the “no new arena” schtick.
Like Trump, Stan was self financed with little outside funding.
Barnes on the other hand was was well to do and had plenty outside money from the establishment to fight Stan with.
All of that said, at one point it looked like Stan might win.
In the end the hooker stop and some other dirty tricks by the powers that be – coupled with Stan’s many shortcomings and lack of substance on the issues – did him in.
Stan had a nice showing, but it was not good enough.
He tried again after Kay was out of office but the bloom was off the rose and he never got off the ground with his second attempt.
Like Trump, Stan made for a fun show and a popular guest on radio and TV.
Barnes on the other hand was totally boring – the safe candidate – sorta like Ted Cruz.
Clearly Stan was the wild card.
In the end playing it safe won the day and Kay won and got her downtown arena and the Power and Light District.
Downtown was never really rebuilt other than cleaning up a few blocks of bars and restaurants along with the arena. It was an improvement.
However downtown’s population is still small and there are precious few retail stores, gas stations or Quick Trips.
Worse yet, Kansas City has never really been properly promoted nationally outside of Royals or Chiefs games on television.
The Sprint Center has no big time sports team and there are none in sight.
Power and Light is a newer version of Westport with business almost exclusively late on weekend nights or after events at Sprint. Kansas City still has major issues with crime and schools.
Did Barnes plan work? In some ways, yes.
However, if Trump doesn’t win, he’ll return to a pretty damn nice life. Whereas Stan is retired, lives in Overland Park and by comparison gets by in a normal middle class fashion.
Meanwhile Johnson County and the Northland have grown by leaps and bounds, but not Kansas City Missouri.
Gosh, I love north of the river and in Kansas City but didn’t realize it wasn’t Kansas City, Missouri. Must be Kansas City, Iowa?
Live. Stupid auto-correct.
Quick edit with spell check mistakes. Sorry
Get out the high waders … it’s getting deep on this site.
Delusions of grandeur.
Well old Jack what are the delusions I am lost on that one. The statements are all true..Stan ran, nearly won, was nominated, on and on…let us in on what is so off base…he did lose and thats clear. Downtown is far from corrected on and on…so not sure what you mean..explain.
FACEPLANT BY GLAZER!
Again no facts…no numbers…no stats…just the regular b.s. (as mentioned
by most of the commentators)….
this article is not about anything real or true.
Outside his delusional writings about one mayors race…where it
was won by over 20% (which is considered a landslide in a 2 person race)…
glaze uses his usual b.s. to describe what is happening in the city.
Glaze knows nothing about Kansas city/Johnson county/..knows nothing
about development or future growth or what is being done in kc and the
burbs….he has no idea where the growth is moving….and really just
regurgitates b.s he knows nothing about.
Please hearne…your daughters know as much as glaze.
They at least could write something real.
Again glaze….please stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I understand it, we are on the hook to the tune of 14 Million a year for the P&L with no relief in sight.
With more subsidizing of the Cordish apartment towers that will require public money.
One thing Stan got right was the Arena.
I don’t why so many people say it’s going gang busters. If it is, then why is the P&L bleeding money? Whether we like it or not, both are joined at the hip and how is it that one is doing great, but the other is going bad?
I remember Kay Barnes said if you build it, a team will come. Well we built it, where is my NHL or NBA team? Oh, I forgot, it’s not about the NBA or NHL. It’s about keeping the Big 12 here. Sure…but what will Kansas City do five years from now when MU is still in the SEC, KU is in the Big 10, K State and Iowa St is in the Mountain West?
the word…..
do you take into account the sales taxes/concessions/jobs/
taxes from the workers/the added economic development
that the weekly shows at sprint entice/the earnings tax
from the acts themselves/plus the peripheral income the
center brings in. Yes, we’d love a sports team there…but we’ll
have to wait as the pro leagues are expanding but there’s only
the nba and nhl left….both of which probably are waiting for
a local owner to show up or we get an underperforming
team from either league. We’ve had shots but one went to
Oklahoma city…another probably to las vegas…or when they
decide for expansion th ey would consider kc.
KC is now being recognized nationally as a great city with
money…just no pioneers willing to put up 800 million to
bring a team here and there aren’t many biz people here
who can do that.
So we’ll wait.
Please provide some numbers of the overall economic
effect of sprint center.
As far as p and l….it reenergized downtown. But we have
that darn state line that has killed development and the
growth of our city. I’d like to see the numbers on downtown
as far as new residents/economic development/new jobs
created/taxes assessed by those additional jobs and development/and see exactly what the numbers are.
Its not just black and white.
I hear word that joco is building a stadium out at 159th street
for hockey which will be huge and take into account the
incredible growth now going on south of 119th street.
I invite you all to come see whats happending….if Kansas city
doesn’t react quickly…they will be the losers.
Here’s my off the cuff devleopement areas in joco….
there may be more that I’m not aware of.
1. Metcalf south: eventually will be developed….kroenke will
make a deal and it will happen…just a matter of time
before it happens.
2. Meadowbrook country club….huge development from
van trust. Reetail/housing with condos and luxury apartments/strip malls.
3. Brookridge: I’m not sure where this stands but its eventually going the way of other golf clubs in propoerty
that’s well located….retail/housing
4. Alt 69 and Switzer: Another town center development
with housing/retail and upscale development.
5. 135th street and south: 151st street in joco is hot…and
eventually housing and retail is stretching out to 159th
and further south. It’s booming!
6. I’ve heard rumors of other areas turning residential including existing country clubs and space.
7. 80th and Metcalf: look at the high rise parking garage
on the east side of meetcalf. They’re building upscale
housing and retail there along with a similar development
going on in downtown op.
It’s happening everywhere as this metro area kicks it up.
We’re not dallas or Denver with their huge expansions but
kc is on the move.
And it takes public and private cooperation to get these things
done.
Guys like glaze and chucklets are locked into the 1980’s and
the old days. They don’t get it. And their abilities as
being able to look to the future is very limited…
So get some numbers to prove that these investments are
long term bad investments before you shoot off a story or
comment that may be wrong.
Really prescient Harley. If I drove by all of those places with my dog, he would be able to come up with the same predictions.
I hear it is going to get warm this summer. My contacts in the area have assured me that it will be over 75 degrees in July, so, get ready everybody.
the dirt is getting to your brain. Just more
b.s. and no facts.
Typical of a hater!
I had my head out of the window and the wind was flapping my ears around, but Chuck drove me to those locations and was able to read to me, off of the signs on the various properties the exact information that you gave us here today Harley.
I am digging in the dirt today, deep, deep into the dirt, looking for your brain. Chuck said to me today, “Hey buddy, if that cretin Harley/JoJo has a journalism degree from MU, than I am sending you to college. There is plenty of room now that Harley’s BLM Butt Buddies have disgraced the place and if you sh*t on the floor, you will fit right in.”
Saying that politics is a blood sport is an understatement. I do not have a great deal of respect for the average voter, and think we have been lucky, electing souls that rose to the challenge. Recently, however, not so much. Of course, I always wanted to watch Kay “Where’s Waldo” Barnes slap the puck around on Thursday night at Sprint. Instead she lost about 5 million, the KC Star TIFF financing, and was generally not what the voters needed. No, KC has not been run well for years. Cities, Counties, states, and even nations have to compete. It’s sometimes complicated, but because Missouri’s AG never went after the looters and arsonists in Ferguson, allowing the protest and destruction to spread to Columbia, Missouri, the University has almost been destroyed, closing two dorms, for lack of students. Faculty layoffs are next. So, will I support the AG for Governor? Only if I move.
Again…..we have a “little glaze” in COWBOY.
1. The dorms in the dobbs group that you mentioned at MU were scheduled
for demolition anyway. MU says they’ll be down 900 students next year out of what 26,000 and as they have over a billion in the bank. But the real
reason is that students at mu more and more are choosing off campus
living. If you knew anything about Columbia (which you don’t but you
choose to b.s. about it based on your limited knowledge) developers
have come in and built some incredible apartments in the city that many
students are choosing over on campus living. Plus the frat and sororities
are at maximum capacity and there’s no more room there. Those dorms
were old/worn out and were going to be torn down.
2. no destruction in Columbia Missouri. Where did you get that cowboy?
3. you know nothing about urban planning cowboy. Maybe too much
sniffing the horse manure and know nothing about business.
4. You have to invest in your city…take chances or youor city goes
no where. At least 6 major developments in joco right now…housing/
retail/commercial developments……
5. idiots and fools: developments are long term investments. Lets not
have built the stadiums years ago. Still play at municipal. it takes
money/negotiations/and both private and public funding and cooperation to makes these
cities grow.
If you need further info contact me at law4life1000@yahoo.com or maybe
do a little research cowboy before you put your horses hoof in your mouth.
Again…more inaccurate information by another “glaze” style writer.
Can you imagine downtown KC with a real working light rail system that runs from the suburbs, and a downtown baseball stadium close to P&L?
chucklets…..haven’t you told your wife not to hang her head out the
window when you drive?
Her head might get torn off by another vehicle (probably a dump truck)…
Some husband you are. I guess the dirt has gotten in your brain
and made you even stupider than you already were since you never
add anything of value to any conversation.
And its not nice to feed your “dog” purina dog chow….maybe give it
some real food! You dumb f*k…..
With you as an advisor I can’t believe he lost…
glaze imagines his father as Donald trump…but hopefully he’s not!
trump is a woman hater/beater.
trump is a liar and cheat
trump is an anti semitic racist white lover
trump is a cheat/scum bag/deadbeat dad/violence initiator
trump is a hater/a loud mouth/a poor business man
trump is a silver spoon loser/a disgusting hater/
trump is a bully/a moron/some who take advantage of others
trump is a liar/low rent/scum sucking loser who appeals to the
racist hatred in people.
trump is a loser and his kids are nothing but hanger ons taking
advantage of daddy’s money and name.
trump is a known con man and having seen how he ran his
campaign I’m surprised he has made it out on his own without daddy.
I hope glaze would not insult his dad by saying he was the trump
of kc. Trump is nothing but trash and he’s a loser (or soon to be).
My dad and I get along great these days, Stan is 84 and looks wonderful. Hey none of us get out alive. He had a nice run in life. Today he relaxes and enjoys the days. Wish I could. As for not being like Trump, well who is…Stan was a fun ride back then and had some of Trumps personality and style thats all…will Trump lose or win, who knows…
I know glaze…..and you’re wrong as always…
TRUMPS GONNA LOST….AND LOSE BAD…VERY
BAD.
whether its at the convention (which I am attending or
the general election)…this guy is the anti Christ and
anti moses!!!!!!!!!!
sorry glaze…I predicted years ago you were worthless
at picking winners….and that still holds true!
I do…
I thought his run for mayor was kinda fun. sure shook up the establishment. thought for a while he could pull it off.
Mikey…anyone who thought this guy was gonna beat the lady mayor
needed a brain….no way he was gonna win.
Just like trump…all talk and no results!
gosh Harley, speaking of needing a brain:
SCARECROW
That’s the trouble. I can’t make up my mind. I haven’t got a brain — only straw.
DOROTHY
How can you talk if you haven’t got a…brain?
SCARECROW
I don’t know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?
DOROTHY
Yes, I guess you’re right.
I guess you could use a brain.
Making up some fantasy crap to make a position and
lie doesn’t make yu have any credibility.
You can’t keep up with Harley…that’s it.
Harley is so far ahead of all you that it’s ijmpossible to
write how wrong you fools are.
Sorry guys….no one proves Harley wrong and using
a child’s story to make your point makes you not
only immature but look like an idiot who just got
his rear kicked by someone who knows a lot about
the real world.
When you have something cerebral to say…say it.
Til then stfu.
make me. nya, nya, nya!
Stan was tons of un back then and would have made an interesting mayor, we’d sure have gotten more national attention. It’s true North KC is doing well, Johnson County is growing, but our downtown and middle of KC has many issues that remain unsolved or worse. Westport has made a nice comeback. So its onward and upward. It always will be huh. Lets face it without Stan or someone like him, there are few, the mayors races have gotten beyond boring.
I will say this about the Glazer family, you’ll never meet another family with so many “holes” in it.