http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-904608.mp3
Kansas City, Mo. – Five Kansas City Councilwomen took the floor Thursday to take Mayor Mark Funkhouser to task for stripping away all of their colleague Jan Marcason's committee positions.
The women added their comments to scheduled debate on a shoo-in ordinance taking the next step toward a computer based traffic ticket and municipal court case management system.
Finance committee chair Deb Hermann briefly endorsed the ordinance, then turned the discussion to lavish praise for Marcason's ability, hard work and excellent performance.
Councilwomen Gottstein, Circo, Jolly and Curls followed. Cathy Jolly was most direct in addressing the mayor.
"If the point was to somehow remove Jan's voice from what is going on, whether it be on Finance and Audit issues or Transportation and Infrastructure issues, that just is not going to happen," Jolly said.
Funkhouser removed Jan Marcason from both of those committees in a surprise move yesterday, leaving her a voice mail message saying she shared "no element of common agenda" with him.