The “Missouri First” map is “Missouri Last.” And it is being driven by DC, not Missouri. 

Let us be clear: Missouri lawmakers are not simply drawing lines on a map — they are drawing lines through people’s lives, livelihoods, and futures. 

The Northeast Neighborhood Coalition in Kansas City, Missouri, represents eight distinct neighborhoods and approximately 30,000 people that are the tip of the spear. Our communities would be fractured into three separate congressional districts instead of one. 

We shall not appeal to subservient politicians. We appeal to those who matter; we appeal to our fellow Missourians. 

Divided We Fall 

Our neighborhoods, decimated by highways and lack of positive investment, have the highest concentration of public housing and homelessness services in the region. We suffer from high crime, vacant buildings, and arson. 

Blight is not due to poverty. Vacant properties are held hostage by investors and real estate speculators— the wealthy property owners who were just handed a massive tax break from state capital gains. Our “representatives” incentivized exploitation. Ordinary Missourians will be robbed of hundreds of millions of dollars in lost state revenue.  

Like St. Louis — yet unlike any other city in the United States — we do not control our own police force or budget, diverting funds away from crime prevention. This approach endangers police officers and our people. It has a body count. 

Our lives are shaped, every day, by failed policy and bureaucratic indifference. In spite of these challenges, our neighborhoods maintain a vibrant culture with shared events, art and music, small businesses, and well-loved parks. We have not given up on each other or our neighborhoods. This is real life, the side of the city most tourists never see. 

Betrayal 

We may be angry at this latest betrayal, but we are neither surprised nor afraid. How many times have voters spoken only to be overruled and ignored? Too many of our elected officials are acting to reduce our power even further by tightening the rules on the ballot measures making grassroots initiatives next to impossible to achieve. 

New Alliances 

Despite these challenges, Kansas City’s Northeast remains a vibrant, resilient community — home to families, small businesses, cultural traditions, and strong neighborhood pride. We will not be diminished or divided. 

We want the same things: a clean, safe community, good schools, and opportunities. We expect fairness and appreciate compromise. Those values persist, whether we live in an urban, suburban, or rural place. You are our neighbors and we are yours, regardless of political affiliation. A strong Kansas City is not a threat or detriment. 

We want you to succeed, too. 

The neighborhoods of Lykins, Sheffield, Independence Plaza, Indian Mound, Pendleton Heights, Scarritt Renaissance, Paseo West and Columbus Park reject any map or political power play that  increases our burden and silences our voices. We will not be diminished or divided. Our coalition will grow. 

To all of our neighbors: let us work together. We may not always agree, but we will be unified. We want a better life for everyone in Missouri. 

We call on our fellow Missourians — urban, suburban, and rural alike — to recognize this gerrymander for what it is: an attack on fair representation and democratic principles. We urge you to stand with us in demanding accountability and rejecting political power grabs that harm all of Missouri. 

United we thrive. Divided by design, we fall.

Evie Craig, Paseo West Neighborhood Association President