Baker
Hard to argue that we’re living in an Alice in Wonderland, through-the-looking glass world…
That following the death of George Floyd, the country has climbed through a mirror where – like a reflection – everything is reversed…including logic.
Sound familiar?
No?
You must not be a member of the New York Times or Kansas City Star editorial boards, because that’s sure not the way they see things.
Case in point: Kansas City got off with minimal damage and death during the recent spate of widespread rioting and looting – pardon me, I meant protesting.
That includes the Vietnam War.
Yet, instead of the KC Police Department getting much deserved attaboys for keeping a lid on things, the local newspaper and far left leaning groups are balls-to-the-wall trying to get police chief Rick Smith fired.
Which makes no sense whatsoever to Westport businessman Bill Nigro and others who’ve seen and worked with Smith extensively in KC’s at times volatile entertainment district.
“Rick Smith is the best police chief Kansas City’s ever had in my 42 years down in Westport,” Nigro says. “And Darryl Forté is a close second.”
Forté, the former KCPD chief, is Jackson County’s first ever African American sheriff.
“Now Kansas City’s being overseen by two of the best that KC’s ever produced,” Nigro says. “Both of them have very high moral, christian values. And Rick Smith has the best open-door policy of any police chief I’ve worked with going back to 1978 – and I’ve worked with them all.
“Before he was police chief, Rick was the major over the central zone just a couple years ago and that includes all of the entertainment districts – the Plaza, Westport, Martini Corner, Crossroads, downtown and the city market,” Nigro says. “And Westport meets with police chiefs and majors on a regular basis.”
Unlike the Star editorial board, Nigro points out.
“I’ll bet none of those editorial writers at the Star has ever had a personal interview with Rick Smith one-on-one.”
As for the snarky comments to the newspaper made by Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, “You know what?” Nigro says. “She’s running for political office – that’s her gig. We’ve had some issues in Westport that got kicked out because she didn’t want to pursue them – so she’s not perfect. I heard she wants to run for Jackson County Executive, so what does that tell you?”
And as to why the Star is so down on Smith and the Kansas City Police Department, “I have no idea,” Nigro says. “Maybe it’s because the editor got those DUIs.”
The Kansas City Red Star is run by McClatchy from California! It is bankrupt, financially and morally. Any attempt to combat crime is termed “racism”. We are tops in the nation for murders per capita! And Quinton cannot understand why???
Go figure…
Lucas is in a tough spot; on one hand he desperately wants to be woke, on the other he’s smart enough to recognize that he has a duty to work with the police department to maintain some semblance of law and order.
On top of which he has to contend with whacked out media like the local newspaper editorial board which – while greatly reduced in influence – still has the ability to influence local senior citizens and however many (or few) others.
With Lucas and Jean Peters Baker in charge things are going to get worst then better. If you’re in the real estate and have property in the suburbs your going to be awfully rich awfully quick. People will start moving to them from KC Proper in droves.
My friend is a realtor in Eastern Jackson County. You can’t believe how many calls he’s been getting about homes in Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Oak Grove, Lone Jack and Grain Valley.
All the people calling him are white people in their 30s to 40s with families that are tired of KC proper.
We shall see, but you’re undoubtedly right…
Although there KCPD did a really good job of keeping a lid on things, despite criticism by the Star editorial board and others