The Town Car No One Wants

Seems not everyone wants a Lincoln Town Car, the epitome of luxury and spacious old fashioned style. Kansas City's newly elected mayor Mark Funkhouser is reportedly not amused that outgoing mayor Barnes agreed to lease a brand new 2007 Lincoln Town Car. Since 1969, the city has leased a Town Car and provided a driver for the mayor. Since an attack on former mayor Clever a few years ago, a security detail went along as well.

Funkhouser, who won on an outsider, clean up and make the city more frugal platform, has decided his older model Toyota Corolla with slipping clutch is fine with him.

Some say he is just trying to make a political gesture, a "see I really mean it" symbolic act. Some say he is just being ignorant and setting himself up for problems. A driver can get him to functions faster and more effectively, and what if some nut case tries to knock him off? Besides, some said, the car allowance he is getting will amount to about $100 less a month than the cost of leasing the car. Security and driver extra. Union leaders and some made in the USA advocates told him to ditch the Toyota and at least get a American car. Of course, that distinction is blurred these days, the Town Car will soon be built in Canada and the Toyota he drives was made in California. More to the point, some suggested he drive a Ford, Pontiac or Saturn built here in Kansas City.

The race to replace popular outgoing mayor Kay Barnes was tough. Everyone wanted the job and it came down to two good candidates, Funkhouser and Alvin Brooks. Both had good credentials but in the end Funkhouser's "let's be frugal" approach won the day. Although popular, Barnes was criticized for over spending and giving tax breaks to any new development that asked. Some of these breaks were dubious, such as Briarcliff, a tony development just north of downtown. Funkhouser wants to rein that in and take some time and money for neighborhood development.

I think he would be happier on our bumpy streets in a Town Car, but having a Town Car myself (albeit an old one) I am prejudiced.

Anyone want a new silver birch metallic Town Car, slightly used??