By now, most Kansas Citians have grown numb. What’s actually unconscionable, is the condition of the roads in Kansas City. The water department that can't deliver clean water without killing backyard plants. The police force that’s chronically understaffed and demoralized. The crime that continues to rise while the mayor busies himself with panel appearances and MSNBC sound bites.
Our local politicians treats their office like a springboard to national relevance, rather than a command post for fixing potholes, balancing budgets, and ensuring basic city services function as they should. And let’s be honest—it’s not working. Kansas City is not better off for all the national pandering that some member of the city council engage in.
Residents north of the river joke that we have to squint and wave to get attention. Meanwhile, those on the east side, west side and south KC that little changes are made after the cameras are turned off. The city council seems more interested in hashtags than housing policy that help people make rent. More interested in DEI rhetoric than in actually delivering transportation systems for the diverse communities they claim to serve.
Yes, representation matters. But so does performance. And what many are now waking up to the fact that Kansas City often ends up with a marketing brand in charge, not leadership. It is time for that to change.