What’s happening? A lot. Check it out…
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:: From both a humanistic and community-image standpoint, the killing of UMKC student Sharath Koppu was the worst crime that has occurred in the Kansas City area since the February 2017 killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe.
Not only were both men from India, they were, apparently, very smart, and at least one of them, Kuchibhotla, a Garmin engineeer, was further enriching our area by having chosen to live here.
Koppu
Kuchibhotla and his wife
On the other end of the guns, in both cases, were total losers — one a narrow-minded bigot, the other a 25-year-old import from Tulsa who seemingly had dedicated his life to violent crime. At least that turd is now dead.
To look at the contented and peaceful photos of those two victims breaks the heart. On the other hand, the photos of cold-eyed Marlin Mack, who killed Koppu, and vacant-eyed Adam Purinton, who killed Kuchibhotla, turns the stomach.
Mack
Purinton
What terrible losses we have incurred with those two deaths, not even counting the other innocents who have been gunned down on our mean streets between those murders.
And then there’s the image part. The headline on a Kansas City Star editorial last week told that part of the story in a few plain words: “Fatal shooting of UMKC student from India tells the world KC is dangerous”
What a reputation to try to live down…And there’s not much hope on the horizon, considering the level of violent crime we have lived with for decades.
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The centerpiece story in today’s paper was about the hours’ long wait Johnson County residents have been enduring to get or renew drivers’ licenses.
The irony, to me, is this sort of thing isn’t supposed to be happening in La-La-Land. It’s supposed to be happening across the state line in Missouri, a state that a lot of those now having trouble getting licenses abandoned because they were either afraid they’d be killed over here (see preceding segment) or because they were looking for good public schooling for their children (understood).
The thing that most amazed me was that according to the story, written by the very talented and experienced Lynn Horsley, Johnson County has only two license bureaus — one in Mission and one in Olathe. I would have guessed there’d be several. Among them, Jackson, Clay and Platte counties have at least 15 motor vehicle and license offices. I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait more than an hour.
One of Kansas government’s main problems is that it seems to continuously change systems at many levels in the sole interest of saving money. My sister-in-law, a Kansas resident until recently, said the Revenue Department used to have an online check-in and text-alert system that was very efficient and allowed customers to go about their business until they got an alert that their time in line was approaching. Then, they could return to the license bureau or request more time.
Horsley addressed that issue in her story…She quoted Department of Revenue spokesperson Rachel Whitten as saying that system is no longer available. To quote Horsley: “She (Whitten) said a new wait management system was selected in February 2017, but the person who made that decision is no longer with the agency. No one currently with the agency knows why that change was made.”
Holy shit…Talk about paving paradise and putting up a parking lot!
My advice, then, to Johnson County residents whose children have completed their matriculation (like my sister-in-law) is: Move back to Missouri. It’s a better state, even with stain left by former Gov. Eric Greitens and the limited abilities of the current governor, “Farmer Mike” Parson.
If I were living in Kansas, Kris Kobach would be reason enough for me to pick up and leave. But to have to wait four hours to get your driver’s license renewed? That’s a deal breaker.
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And now, sliding into my cape and donning my turban…here’s a “Carnac the Magnificent” nugget.
Answer: It loses big.
Question: What’s your prediction on the outcome of Missouri Proposition A on the Aug. 7 Missouri election ballot?
Oftentimes, you can tell from the number and placement of political yard signs if a candidate is going to win or lose, or if a ballot issue is going to pass or fail.
Proposition 7, the so-called “Right-to-Work” issue, is headed for defeat. Like me, I’m sure you’ve seen those black, red and white “Vote No on Prop A” signs.
What most impresses me is that there are large numbers of those signs in both the city and outlying areas. That tells me not only will almost all Democrats vote “No” but so will many conservatives who voted for Trump.
…I learned a lesson about yard signs in the Trump-Clinton election. Before I got tired of the drive, I used to go down to Pleasant Hill three or four days a week to play golf, and when on Missouri 291, I would see one Trump sign after another. At the time, I waved it off as mostly an aberration. But then, on election night, I saw bright red splashing across most of the United States and realized that what I’d seen on 291 was representative of rural areas throughout the country.
On Aug. 7, in Missouri, urban and rural voters will be going to the polls — maybe not arm in arm — to smack down Prop 7.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
I actually had quite a surprising day on the Missouri side of State Line Road at the NKC revenue and license office. After fist walking a few blocks to the Downtown office only to find a CLOSED sign — not reopening until the 20th — I had to decide what next. On their door was posted the address of the Raytown office, and I thought there had to be a better location than that. And sure enough there was — three miles north on Locust St. And I was in and out of their with new license plates and a title for my oldest daughter’s first car in less than five minutes. Staff was friendly and professional. I kid you not.
I didn’t know about the downtown office being temporarily closed, Richard…I’m glad you mentioned that, for the sake of anyone who was planning to go down there. (It’s where I usually go.)
I think you’re off on the address of the North Kansas City office, however. It’s at 2421 Burlington…That used to be a horrible office when it was located in the rear of a Pets Mart, located on the other side of Burlington. That office had no windows and a very low ceiling. I always had the feeling the walls were closing in on me. I haven’t been to the one on Burlington, but, like you say, it’s almost as convenient as downtown, and probably has a more welcoming environment.
Thanks for writing as you have about Sharath Koppu and Srinivas Kuchibhotla and our loss.
As always, I appreciate your readership, Vern.
I actually had a good experience recently at the DMV office in Independence. I was getting the registration for my son’s car. There was lady there in the front to check and make sure you had all the necessary paper work. Sure enough, my wife whose name was on the bill of sale did not write her name on the title. I had to come back the next day but, thanks to that helpful and very informed woman, I didn’t leave there mad. That was a far cry from the 1980s when you would stand in line for a couple of hours even as the employees took their breaks.
Regarding Prop A, I saw last week the results of a rare poll on the issue. The poll showed Prop A going down 56% to 36%. I think there was an article in the Southeast Missourian about it, but I can’t find it right now.
The question will be is this is just another proposition that the Missouri Legislature ignores because the money folks funding them want it.
You hit the nail on the head, Bill…The source is the toadies to Big Biz in the General Assembly — even though they know it’s bad for the vast majority of their constituents. Hell, the GA might pass the same bill next year, have it signed by “Farmer Mike” and make the unions take the initiative petition route again! It’s so important to the unions, however, that I think they’ll do whatever it takes to knock it down, regardless of how many times Big Biz comes a knockin’.