Mayor Mayans on leadership

Mayor Carlos Mayans says he’s getting undeserved heat for floating proposals in support of the Museum of World Treasures, Wichita State University football and other projects.
He told The Eagle editorial board that he sees his role as starting a “community dialogue” on important topics, and that he doesn’t consider his ideas the final word.
He also faulted his fellow City Council members for their unwillingness to venture ideas. “Not doing anything is a decision,” he said, “and silence is not an idea.”
So why is the mayor being unusually silent about how to keep the Wranglers baseball team in Wichita?
He said he’s deliberately staying quiet on this issue, forcing his fellow council members to come up with ideas — to “teach them a little lesson about leadership.”
No doubt they appreciate it.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

14 Comments

  1. Posted June 28, 2006 at 4:42 am | Permalink

    Mr. Mayans feels a little beaten up lately? ;) Awww! It’s all good Mr. Mayor. When you’re all alone on certain things, you’re bound to get some heat. Although I do think you’re a good Mayor, but teaching the council on leadership by staying quite on some issues and not others is a bit confusing. As our fearless leader you will always start a “community dialogue”. You’re the mayor. :)

    A new building for the MOWT and re-starting WSU football is hardly what I call venturing new ideas for our community. It would be great to do both of those and it would be great to keep (and I’m sure we will with no buyouts) the Wranglers.

    If you want a bold new idea, how about the Peerless Tower Project (shamelss plug ;P )? No tax dollars needed, just need permission to build on city owned property.

    It would be great if the community got behind the Peerless Tower and we builted it with no tax dollars and had it complete and open before the downtown arena. Just to show that the community can build something faster and cheaper than through government projects. :)

  2. raptor
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 7:11 am | Permalink

    Undeserved? When a huge majority of the voters are against something, it is not undeserved. It seems this mayor is just out of touch..or is just preoccupied with being in front of cameras and grandstanding.

    Has anyone forgotten the BTK embarassment called a ‘news conference’? It was a politician love fest with cameras. Compare that one with the announcement of the DC area snipers being caught.. that was the chief of police and some investigators. It wasn’t the entire city hall, all emceed by a mayor who constantly seeks the spotlight.

    Dennis Rader brutally killed several people, and this glory hound mayor used it as an opportunity to get on national television. What a disgrace.

    I believe he deserves all the ‘heat’ that he gets.

  3. Tim amulb
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 7:45 am | Permalink

    He said he’s deliberately staying quiet on this issue, forcing his fellow council members to come up with ideas — to “teach them a little lesson about leadership.”

    This almost certainly sounds like a joke, that you are treating as serious…

    And raptor, the mayor was not in charge of the press conference, the police department was… and I don’t remember him being there very long compared to all of the other “guests”.

  4. kelly
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    Leader of the community? What a joke. Mayans is woefully inadequate as a leader. Ask the members of the City Council who the de facto leader is . . . it won’t be the mayor.

  5. sotheysaid
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 11:27 am | Permalink

    Let’s see the de facto leader would be who? George (I am the manager and because it has always been done this way we will continue) Kolb? Or perhaps Kathy (I am part of the ways things have always been done and change will only happen when I want it to and not until then) Holdeman? Or is it the rest of the George Kolb team that still wants to do business as usual?

    We need a Mayor and a City Council that will actually take some action and not worry about how they appear on TV. They should have their discussions in the public eye instead of behind closed doors. Have the backbone to do what is right not what’s popular. Things are never going to change as long as we have the City Manager Team that we have and a City Council that is afraid to take on the tough issues.

  6. Dingus
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 12:19 pm | Permalink

    maybe the mayor is getting beat up because all his schemes involve using taxpayer money to fund them. I would venture that most people don’t want their property taxes going up to pay for a WSU football team 10 million for the wranglers what tax will be raised to do that? and will the city sell the team for 400 thousand? Lets face the city hasn’t been the most resposnible stewards of are taxmoney.

  7. Posted June 28, 2006 at 1:39 pm | Permalink

    STS, you’re on a roll!Let’s not forget Gary (we’re not going to do anything because then I’d have to actually do something) Rebenstorf.

  8. Tim
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 1:44 pm | Permalink

    I’m confused on this whole “starting dialogue” approach.

    Do other schools use tax dollars for their athletic departments? The answer to that is generally “no”.

    O.K., so the money would go to scholarships? Why would we want to give a bunch of football playing kids from Texas our city tax dollars?

    If leading new dialogue is the goal, at least be smart about it — maybe talk to the people over at WSU who do this for a living before wasting our time.

    p.s. I thought Cubans liked baseball?

  9. Julie
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 1:47 pm | Permalink

    I’m sorry Tim left this wide open and I’m not strong enough to resist”p.s. I thought Cubans liked baseball?”

    I thought they preferred swimming or boating

  10. Shocker'07
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 3:07 pm | Permalink

    Hate to nitpick but WSU used to be funded by the city of Wichita. Our tax money has been used once before to help send “kids from Texas” to college.

    Anyway, using tax money to assist the future of our country get a college degree so they can make something out of themselves? What a waste. As a typical Wichitan, I abhor such a thought. That money should be given to me in the form of lower taxes so I can spend it on worthwhile things such as bassboats, Elvis collector plates and anything else I can buy on QVC.**(Sarcasm alert!)**

  11. Ryan Sarkot
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 4:25 pm | Permalink

    You’re right Julie - there’s nothing funnier than people risking death to flee oppression! I can see why you felt the need to add that.

  12. Steve
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 6:29 pm | Permalink

    Mayans’ idea of leadership is to come up with as many ways as possible to spend other people’s money. Using that standard, the city council should be comprised of a team of trophy wives led by Mayor Paris Hilton.

  13. Posted June 28, 2006 at 7:43 pm | Permalink

    You’re right Shocker! WSU used to be a city college until the 60’s. They fought long and hard to be a state university, but the elites in the N.E. didn’t want Wichita to have one, but they caved in. So long as Wichita doesn’t pursue a law or medical school.

  14. sotheysaid
    Posted June 28, 2006 at 10:42 pm | Permalink

    MC – You are correct about mm missing him. If they would make some major changes then things could start happening.

    What’s next with all of this agreement? LOL