Saturday, February 14, 2009

Siettmann, Roe, Cashill - Stuck in the Middle with Funk

In the comments to my posting of the Funkhouser budget letter, I've been questioned about our Mayor's recent hiring of Mark Siettmann, a man who formerly worked for Jeff Roe's company, Axiom Strategies, as well as Jack Cashill's attempts to portray himself as an influential member of Funkhouser's inner circle. One of the joys of blogging is that I always get to pick and choose what I write about, and it's easy to avoid issues I don't want to talk about. But the questions raised are fair questions with (I think) interesting answers, so here goes.

First off, I don't think Cashill has any influence on the Mayor outside of his own mind. If Mark let the guy look at some of his speeches and make suggestions that he didn't accept, well, that's just an example of Mark's kindness to a guy who not many people will give the time of day to. Cashill is loudly irrelevant and has been for years, and I admire Mark for treating him gently.

Jeff Roe is a different matter, though. It bothers me that Mark talks to the guy. (The advocate in me wants to point out some of the other Dems who have done the same thing, but that's advocacy, not logic.) While I understand that it's smart to get a diverse set of perspectives on issues, I have a problem with a lot of Jeff Roe's tactics. I've conveyed my displeasure at the idea, but I'm not the one who got elected Mayor, so that's not really my decision.

So, honestly, no, I don't like the whole consultant deal, but I'm not naive enough to be shocked. There's a limited pool of high-level talent out there, and most of them are entrenched to the same pro-developer, chattering class crowd that Mark ran against, and defeated. He kind of had to go outside the usual crowd, and he did.

Now, moving forward, here's where I stand. If Siettmann is shown to have written homophobic material, just get rid of him right away. I was wrong when I argued that Semler's appointment could be justified, and I learned from it. This case would be even easier - Mark should tell him to clean out his desk the day he gets the proof.

Assuming that doesn't happen, then I hope the guy does a super job. Remember, his job is to do communications, not policy. Those of us who know Mark know that the public persona of Mark Funkhouser is nothing like the real man. If someone can help the real man appear more clearly to Kansas Citians, that would be a fantastic thing. If someone can help show how foolish the City Council is when it makes outrageous mistakes in defiance of Mark (like when they gave Wayne "Lie on the Resume" Cauthen a fat 3 year contract), that would be a fantastic thing, too. Mark needs to shake up his public image if he is going to accomplish what is best for the city, so good luck, Mr. Seittmann.

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23 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those of us who know Mark know that the public persona of Mark Funkhouser is nothing like the real man.
----

There you go again, Dan. I know the Funk personally. He is even worse than what the public has come to think of him.

As to Jeff Roe and Company... sinking to the bottom of the barrel is nothing new for the Gruesome Twosome.

And by the way, your boy Funk campaigned on his now discredited Smart With The Money theme and was more than happy to lead us to believe that after 19 years as Kansas City Auditor of the Century he new exactly how to put together a budget that trimmed waste and other excesses as well as making sure that the citizens needs were taken care of properly and efficiently... let's forget last years Funk budget no show, tell me what the Funk has offered in the way of a budget, ideas to balance the budget and anything else to meet the needs of the citizens???? It seems, unless you can show us anything to the contrary, that the Funk has been nowhere to be found on this!

2/14/2009 10:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Which Councilperson besides Mayor is your favorite?

2/14/2009 10:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dan why is it that Funkhouser seems gravitate to right-wing kooks and other bigots? He has Semler, Cashill, Skaggs, Roe, Siettmann, Gloria and others?

2/14/2009 11:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you are better off beating up on the scumbags on the county legislature.

2/14/2009 11:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dan why is it that Funkhouser seems gravitate to right-wing kooks and other bigots?
======================

At some point during the Semler Debacle, Mayor Nanook of the Northland observed something to the effect that he had to stick with Semler because his bigoted Northland supporters demanded it and he didn't want to lose that constiuency.

Does this answer your question?

There was a lot of blogging on this issue... if you really want to know more, maybe Dan can steer you to it? Or I can...

2/14/2009 11:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Funkhouser could not have won without the "anybody but the black guy" vote.

2/14/2009 2:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think his favorite is Beth.

2/15/2009 7:58 AM  
Blogger Dan said...

Choosing a favorite councilperson would be like choosing a favorite child.

As for Funkhouser not winning without the "anybody but the black guy vote", you are sadly correct, just as Brooks would not have come close without the "Brooks because he's the black guy" vote.

I like to think TIF support probably played a larger role in the election, though, for those who paid attention to the issues..

2/15/2009 9:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it's easy to avoid issues I don't want to talk about.

Speaking of avoiding issues, what is your opinion of Gloria for threatening police over her parking ticket?

You talk tough about the county legislature, but here you had the mayor's wife using her position of power to try and get preferential treatment.

2/15/2009 2:45 PM  
Blogger Dan said...

The story, if true as reported, would be an example of bad behavior.

2/15/2009 3:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Dan, Just a little nudge... you don't have any doubt that Gloria acted as reported and later shown on videotape, do you? The nuanced that yo gave leaves open that she might not have behaved badly or that there might be a doubt how she behaved.

I repeat... you have no doubt that Gloria behaved badly (the airport incident debacle), RIGHT :) ???

2/15/2009 5:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Would you support Beth for Mayor after Funkhouser's second term?

2/15/2009 7:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was the video tape ever shown?

And if true as reported, would that be bad behavior or illegal behavior?

2/15/2009 8:03 PM  
Blogger Kanga said...

Hey, Dan. Kanga here. On Siettmann: We have dealt with the guy a lot out here in Raytown. All I know is that he was a really bad actor on the Kraus side in the '06 campaign for the 48th. I've got a bad feeling about this...

2/15/2009 11:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dan you really have to open your eyes sometime. This guy has a record, and Funkhouser knows that record. This is Semler to the 1000power.

2/16/2009 7:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what happened to day 69? I was really looking forward to the picture.

2/16/2009 8:05 AM  
Blogger Joe Miller said...

When I left, Cashill was part of Mark's core political advisory team and was meeting with him weekly. I like Jack. I thought he had good advice. If I recall correctly, he was the one who initially had the idea that would become the financial panel you serve on.

2/16/2009 12:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Uh oh, Joe contradicts Dan. How long until Dan starts to bash Joe?

2/16/2009 8:15 PM  
Blogger Dan said...

No bashing from me. Joe and I just disagree on this one.

2/16/2009 8:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jack Cashill, FOF.

Anybody need an explanation of that acronym?

2/16/2009 10:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

From the horse's mouth, in a manner of speaking.

No offense to the horse.

2/16/2009 10:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Funk is not "stuck in the middle" of anything. In truth, he has surrounded himself with bigots like Siettmann, Roe, Cashill, Semler and Gloria. His cult of personality which is dominated by bigotry is measure of the Mayor.

2/17/2009 3:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let us not forget his appeasing his bigoted constituents in the Northland around the time of the Semler debacle. As to hiring anyone and hiring someone from Jeff Roe's shop... the Funk has already sunk to the bottom so what is surprising about this?

Love live the Orange Revolution. The Orange Revolution is dead.

P.S. Not all Nprthlanders are bigoted.

2/17/2009 7:38 AM  

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