December 28, 2011

Nobody questions the work Chain of Hope does. The group does good work where it’s needed most. What is in question is whether the organization, that clearly operates as a business in a zoned residential area, has the necessary variances and permits to do what it does where it does.

First off, the city’s codes department is not a proactive organization. Claiming harassment, eviction and bullying to whip up a frenzy of sign toting protesters outside City Hall is a smoke and mirrors attempt to obscure the fact that COH doesn’t meet the proper zoning requirements to be where it is, doing what it does. The city responded to a complaint, saw additional violations and wrote them up in accordance with their policy manuals. That’s not “harassment,” that’s a city inspector properly carrying out their sworn duty. No more, no less. Claiming otherwise to the extent that COH was given 15 days to vacate the property is simply an out and out lie.

Additionally, the Missouri Secretary of State lists the organization’s location on Tracy Avenue as the official location of the “Business or Corporate Headquarters” for Chain of Hope.  Filing as a “business,” operating as a “business,” seeking donations and funding as a “business” (albeit non-profit), then conveniently claiming otherwise to garner public sentiment is another lie.

Then, with things clearly not going their way, COH organized a big sign totin’ protest at City Hall in an attempt to sway the court of public opinion and make City Hall the evil bully, evicting the poor, abused family that’s just trying to do the right thing for all the animals. Spare me the whipped up froth of poor, poor, pitiful me. More lies.  

The city has zoning regulations and ordinances in place for a reason. Those zoning ordinances ensure that manufacturing operations aren’t put next to residential areas, or potentially stinky and loud animal “shelters” aren’t plopped down in the middle of a residential area – thriving or not. Pretty basic stuff. Follow the rules and nobody gets their nose out of joint.

Chain of Hope does good work where it’s needed – in Kansas City’s urban core where strays some days run rampant. Nobody disputes that.

However, knowingly locating that operation in a zoned residential area, then deliberately pushing the letter of the law as well as the zoning code, and squalling like a stuck pig when Plan A backfires, is not such a good operations strategy.

Probably won’t look too good either to that big beverage company that just donated $10-Large to your cause. This nosey news-pooch thinks honesty is the best policy – not “grossly exaggerating” your plight in order to sway public opinion and dollars in your favor. Shame, shame, shame.