Kansas City is awesome, I love it here. But I think we have a serious self-esteem problem. When it was announced that KCK and KCMO had been chosen for Google fiber, the reaction from residents was "Really? They picked us?" If they had picked Denver or Portland or Minneapolis, do you think those people would have been shocked they were chosen? Other cities have an amazing amount of pride in themselves. Kansas City, we need to adjust our self perception. Get excited and be a booster for your hometown.

So, what can the City do to aid in this? There is a large amount of cynicism, much of it completely justified, when it come to City Hall. If you want to gain the people's trust, you must be open, honest, and transparent about everything, good and bad.

Look for ways to say "yes." If someone comes to you with a reasonable request but the City can't afford it, look for ways to make it work. Forge a partnership between the City, non-profits, the business community, the philanthropic community and neighborhood groups. All these entities should be working together because we all have the same goal: To make Kansas City the best!