Who’s the Grinchiest?

Loyal readers of this blog will jump to the conclusion that The Grinch = Chuck Eddy. You can’t get much Grinchier than trying to condemn people’s property during the holidays. But then along comes Councilman Terry Riley. He’s got the condemnation ordinance in committee and as chairman he promises it will come at the top of the agenda, there will be no 60-second time limit on testimony, and there will be a vote at the end. He can do whatever he wants, he said, and that is exactly what he did. When fellow committee member Becky Nace questioned his authority, he said “You just won’t be acknowledged”. Inside sources tell us Mr. Riley has little respect for women. Or for the truth, it seems: The ordinance came last on the agenda, the 60-second time limit was strictly enforced, and instead of taking a vote, he decided to put together an ad-hoc committee to study the matter further.

Still no joy in Whoville.

But the Grinchiest of the Grinches at City Hall has to be none other than Mr. Alvin Brooks himself. Councilman Brooks is being billed as our next Mayor. Everybody likes Alvin and apparently he can do no wrong. So, why is he King of the Grinches? Well, Councilman Eddy can’t back down on the condemnation issue. He needs that land for his legacy of eight years at City Hall: The Chuck Eddy Memorial Bridge. There’s not much else to hang his hat on, I’m afraid. Mr. Brooks could come down from the mountain top to be the savior of south Kansas City. Instead, he just sits up there, looking down upon us while his underlings run amok.