Jackson County Prosecutor On Violence And Blight, And Economics Of Income Inequality

By Steve Kraske,

Published April 20, 2017 at 1:21 PM CDT

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker spoke on Thursday with Steve Kraske at KCUR studios. "Blight equals crime," she says, "it's a direct link."

Jean Peters Baker's work doesn't end when she steps out of the Jackson County Courthouse. In fact, the county's top prosecutor recently hosted a cleanup event on the 2300 block of Denver Avenue in Kansas City to reduce blight and fight crime. She speaks about that, and about the work of Mayor Sly James' Citizens Task Force on Violence. Then, the only business school professor ever named a MacArthur Fellow tells us why he thinks fixing income inequality in America requires increasing the number of college graduates.

Economist Kevin Murphy discusses and offers solutions to the rise in income inequality at the Kansas City Public Library's Plaza Branch on Thursday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, visit KCLibrary.org.

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Luke X. Martin

As culture editor, I help you embrace what makes Kansas City fun and vibrant, whether it’s a championship sports franchise or a little-known wonder. I work with reporters to ensure KCUR stories on art, culture, and race fully reflect our diverse home so readers and listeners can take full advantage of what the metro has to offer. Email me at luke@kcur.org.

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