Kansas City Doesn’t Need a Class War, It Needs a Pothole Plan

Kansas City Doesn’t Need a Class War, It Needs a Pothole Plan

If you’ve glanced through the recent fireworks display in the comment section of local news, you’d think Kansas City was on the verge of revolution—not repair. And that’s precisely the problem.

One city council member’s recent rhetoric has ignited a digital melee of Marxist accusations, class warfare poetry slams, and more than a few reminders that, while the struggle against billionaires may sound noble, most residents would prefer someone just fix the damn potholes.

This editorial isn’t about identity politics—it’s about focus. Kansas Citians, whether white, Black, Latino, gay, straight, rich, poor, or somewhere in between, want city government to function. They want trash picked up, streets lit and safe, water clean, and 911 calls answered. But instead, they're getting ideological theater.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—many of the criticisms flooding the comment threads are harsh, even caustic. But embedded in the sarcasm, mockery, and snark is a very real civic frustration: the sense that City Hall has become more concerned with tweets than tasks, more energized by revolution than results.

When citizens see headlines about class warfare and redistribution while streetlights go unrepaired and police response times climb, they rightly wonder: who’s actually managing the city?

Here’s the thing: everyone already knows billionaires have too much influence. But what does that have to do with the water main bursting on 39th Street?

Kansas City is not a revolutionary commune. It’s a working-class city with aging infrastructure, struggling schools, and rising crime. Its residents need competent governance, not ideological crusades.

If the councilmembers or Mayor wants to stage a class war, perhaps they should run for Congress. But until then, how about fighting for bus service in underserved areas, clean parks, and timely emergency services?

The people of Kansas City don’t need slogans. They need service. And they need leaders who remember their job is to fix what’s broken—not to reimagine the world order from behind a podium.