COMMENTARY

Latest move proves Funkhouser is no longer a political klutz

The mayor who couldn’t think straight finally hit his mark Thursday.

Say what you will about the guy and whether he made the right move in ousting City Manager Wayne Cauthen, but two-plus years in office, numerous humiliations and, finally, some outside political help have proved to be of some benefit to Kansas City’s klutzy mayor.

A klutz no more.

Thursday’s move to suspend, then can Cauthen — he actually lined up the votes in advance, for a change — shows Funkhouser finally has a grasp of this mayor thing.

I was there two years ago on the 26th floor at City Hall when the Funk got dunked. His failed attempt then to dump Cauthen — a city manager he didn’t respect and couldn’t work with — was more than an unmet goal.

It was an utter rebuke. Not only did the council reject Funkhouser’s plan, it used the occasion to approve an illogical 3½-year extension to Cauthen’s contract.

All because the mayor by then had frittered away much of his political capital by his stubbornness to remove a park board appointee who was a member of an anti-illegal-immigration group, and growing concerns about “the Gloria issue.”

Funkhouser’s stature only diminished in the months that followed until he was a political midget.

And now?

Well, things have changed, haven’t they? Major efforts with which Cauthen is identified, particularly the Power & Light District, have proved to be problematic and very, very expensive.

All that Kay Barnes-era deficit spending is taking a multimillion-dollar toll on the budget and city services. This week, the Citizens Association called the lot of them — the mayor, the council and Cauthen — a gang of irresponsible fools.

But on top of that, there’s the trial-by-error education of Mark Funkhouser. He’s finally figured some of it out.

He once eschewed political consultants. Now he’s getting expert advice. Hard telling what role that played Thursday. But another column of mine today suggests Funkhouser is becoming more like the shrewd, cynical pol he used to not want to be.

It’s clear the former auditor has finally benefited from his on-the-job training as the city’s chief executive.

Which means, in short, that he might not be as dead on arrival come re-election in 2011.

Who would have thunk it?

To reach Mike Hendricks, call 816-234-7708 or send e-mail to mhendricks@kcstar.com.