jimmycsays | Is Quinton Lucas up to this challenge? Does he have the intestinal
fortitude to stand up to the two most important unions that supported
him? In his letter to police officers, is he sticking a finger up to see
how the wind is blowing, or is he laying the groundwork for the most
important initiative he could take as long as he is mayor?
Those are open and nagging questions. I think he is certainly the
best person to have in the mayor’s office now, with race relations and
racial injustice at the hands of law enforcement having thrust itself
head, shoulders and chest above all other issues.
Yet Lucas has a lot to prove, and not just to me.
Another skeptic is my friend Clinton Adams Jr., perhaps the shrewdest and most unblinking City Hall analyst around.
In a series of text exchanges yesterday, Adams called Lucas
“feckless” and “duplicitous” and said that while he was “a better option
than Jolie (Justus), he’s no Kay Barnes or Emanuel Cleaver.”
Adams, former attorney for Freedom Inc., went on to say…
Some people find the pandering to police offensive. He’s waffling
on local control. The F.O.P. supported him because privately he is
opposed or will not fight for it…He can’t be in both camps. Rank and
file officers (who comprise the largest of two police unions) are the
ones who abuse and brutalize; who harass and stop for driving while
black; who use excessive force. It’s generally not commanders.
Now, there’s a tough and clear-eyed assessment; there’s a challenge laid down.
On June 2, in the wake of Lucas’ role as a peacemaker in the protests, a Kansas City Star editorial was headlined, “KC Mayor Quinton Lucas has met this moment. Will Police Chief Rick Smith join him there?”
I think a bigger question by far is, “Does Quinton Lucas have the heart to lead an all-out battle against the General Assembly and the governor over control the Kansas City Police Department?”
This is his best opportunity to take a stand on behalf of the public at the risk of losing the support of the F.O.P. and maybe Local 42. He’s less than a year into his first term. If he fails, all could be forgiven by 2023. If he wins, he never loses an election in Kansas City or Jackson County, and he could even go on to compete for a statewide office.
Now, there’s a tough and clear-eyed assessment; there’s a challenge laid down.
On June 2, in the wake of Lucas’ role as a peacemaker in the protests, a Kansas City Star editorial was headlined, “KC Mayor Quinton Lucas has met this moment. Will Police Chief Rick Smith join him there?”
I think a bigger question by far is, “Does Quinton Lucas have the heart to lead an all-out battle against the General Assembly and the governor over control the Kansas City Police Department?”
This is his best opportunity to take a stand on behalf of the public at the risk of losing the support of the F.O.P. and maybe Local 42. He’s less than a year into his first term. If he fails, all could be forgiven by 2023. If he wins, he never loses an election in Kansas City or Jackson County, and he could even go on to compete for a statewide office.
0 comments:
Post a Comment