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Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James shares insights into grappling with 'CAVE people'
Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James shares insights into grappling with ‘CAVE people’
James says social media harms political discourse by fomenting public anger
By:
Tim Carpenter
September 11, 2025
8:38 amLAWRENCE — Former Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Syl James said he was convinced “CAVE people” were the greatest obstacle to solid leadership in municipal government.
James, a Democrat who led the city from 2011 to 2019, said Wednesday at the Dole Institute of Politics that successful leaders needed vision, discipline, data and community backing. The most challenging piece of the puzzle was that some people evaluated city projects based on how they might benefit personally as opposed to the city as a whole, he said.
“They’re called CAVE people — C-A-V-E. It stands for Citizens Against Virtually Everything,” James said. “Dealing with skeptics and CAVE people was always difficult.”
He said coalition building was integral to advancing initiatives in Kansas City, including a commitment to demolish the old Kansas City International Airport’s three-terminal complex and build a single-terminal airport. The same could be said for developing a streetcar line or launching North America’s first technology-enabled “Smart City.”
Snip...
https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/11/former-kansas-city-mayor-sly-james-shares-insights-into-grappling-with-cave-people/
James says social media harms political discourse by fomenting public anger
By:
Tim Carpenter
September 11, 2025
8:38 amLAWRENCE — Former Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Syl James said he was convinced “CAVE people” were the greatest obstacle to solid leadership in municipal government.
James, a Democrat who led the city from 2011 to 2019, said Wednesday at the Dole Institute of Politics that successful leaders needed vision, discipline, data and community backing. The most challenging piece of the puzzle was that some people evaluated city projects based on how they might benefit personally as opposed to the city as a whole, he said.
“They’re called CAVE people — C-A-V-E. It stands for Citizens Against Virtually Everything,” James said. “Dealing with skeptics and CAVE people was always difficult.”
He said coalition building was integral to advancing initiatives in Kansas City, including a commitment to demolish the old Kansas City International Airport’s three-terminal complex and build a single-terminal airport. The same could be said for developing a streetcar line or launching North America’s first technology-enabled “Smart City.”
Snip...
https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/11/former-kansas-city-mayor-sly-james-shares-insights-into-grappling-with-cave-people/