RAYTOWN REPORT

By Greg Walters There have been a number of posts alleging comments by local political leaders voicing complaints about the Raytown Report. Generally speaking, the complaint is that the Raytown Report is “too negative”. Such complaints are an attempt to shift attention away from the topic under discussion. It is a tactic used to control debate by refusing to join this discussion. It is an age old debating trick that is transparent as it is frustrating. Those who use it are fond of saying “I can’t go there” or, “I won’t discuss that.” Such arguments are the last refuge of those in an indefensible position. Their goal is simple. Change the subject as quickly as possible. Complain about the lighting, the shape of the table, complain about your opponent. Talk about anything else to divert attention from the subject at hand. We have heard this “negative” accusation from other sources as well. Mayor David Bower and Ward 1 Alderman Joe Creamer are on record in the Kansas City Star as comp...

by Greg Walters Since the demise of the Raytown Post we have received a number of inquiries of the possibility of increasing the scope of the Raytown Report. In answer to those requests we are working on making changes to the format and content with an eye of moving from an editorial sounding board to a news source for Raytown. As we experiment and work to make these changes some will be kept, some will be tried and abandoned. You can also expect to see us crawl before we walk, and walk before we run, with any new changes. Some things will remain the same. The ability of our readers to share their thoughts with each other will continue to function as before. In other words, the blog portion of the Raytown Report will not change. Other changes will be immediate. For instance, we know there is a lot of interest in high school varsity sports in Raytown. So, we have offered part of our page to representatives from the three high schools in the Raytown area (O'Hara, Raytown and Ray...

by Greg Walters I have been out of town for the last week and a half so I had some catching up to do this weekend on what has happened in Raytown in my absence. Most surprising, at least to this writer, is that the much cussed and discussed smoking ordinance failed to pass muster with the Raytown Board of Aldermen. Failed is a weak term. It was trounced. At the end of all the debate, compromises and political maneuvering, the bill died a quick death by a vote of three “yes” to seven “no” votes. For the record, the "YES" votes were Aldermen Jim Aziere, Jim Hamilton and Pat Ertz. Voting "NO" were Joe Creamer, Shane Pardue, Christine White, Bill Van Buskirk, Charlotte Melson, Michael Lightfoot and Steve Mock. So, what happened? Ordinances banning smoking in public places have been hot items these past few years. Whenever public votes are held on the issue, as was done in Independence and Lee’s Summit, the voters usually show their support with landslide results in...

By Richard Tush I belong to a group of Raytown citizens who takes our responsibility to assist in ensuring our community’s safety seriously. That group of Raytown volunteers is called Raytown Crime Watch. Raytown Crime Watch was founded in 1992 by Marty Taraski. Members of Raytown Crime Watch voluntarily give their time to patrol within the City of Raytown during evening hours and some afternoons for any suspicious activity. On an average week, 50 hours will be logged in by the volunteers. If suspicious activity is found, we radio the information into the police department. We do not intervene in situations, we simply observe and report. Beyond looking for just suspicious activity while patrolling we also look for garage doors that have been left open and unattended. At other times we assist the police with directing traffic at accident sense, which allows the police to get back out on patrol or respond to other calls sooner. If you would like more information please visit the followin...

by the Salamander So, The Raytown Post bit the dust. Or, as they say in the field of journalism, the final “30”. The Salamander is not surprised. The Post’s demise was inevitable. Not one time, during its short life, did the paper assume its mantel of responsibility as a community leader. Not even once. The Post operated like a paper from my youth. It was called “The Grit Gazette.” The “Grit,” at the time had a national circulation. Its premise was that people wanted to hear only good news. Nothing else. The “Grit” adhered to this policy to an extreme. When John Kennedy was assassinated the paper carried no mention of the incident. That head in the sand type of journalism died years ago. It is not coming back. The function of a newspaper should be to print all the news; all the facts; all the varying opinions and then let readers make up their mind. Not the Post. Their policy was to print only one side of any issue. The result of such a misguided thinking is evident. No circ...