Kansas City News Headlines: Funk's Running and MAST Pension Issue Back in Committee

Back to commitee for the MAST/KCFD pension issue--Chris Hernandez has a good report on KSHB. New questions have come up about what exactly was promised to MAST staffers concerning the pensions. Different stories are being told. Looming over all this is the potential law suit from IAFF Local 42. Some are speculating this may just hang fire until after the November election. My guess is that the City Council members wouldn't mind passing this political hot potato around until after the city elections in March 2011. I understand Local 42 President Louie Wright was there at this meeting. I would have liked to have seen His Oiliest in person.

Mayor Funkhouser announced today that he and Gloria are running for reelection for sure. I think his chances for reelection are fair. His record is not good. Most people do not want co mayors
and many are dismayed at how the city has been run and the direction things are going. However, the field has become very crowded, which is a help to Funkhouser, and he has the incumbent's advantage of name recognition. One thing is for sure, with at least four viable candidates (Funk, Burke, James, Hermann), the mayor's race will be very intense through the primary in February 2011.

Photos: top, The Observer. Bottom, The Pitch.