Add the Kansas governor to the list of people who believe that Louis Klemp’s Nazi-tinged “master race” comments to a black city planner were line-crossingly racist, not a bizarre, orthodontically-themed joke that somehow landed wrong.
The comment in question was made at a county commissioners meeting on Tuesday in Leavenworth, just outside Kansas City. Klemp apparently had taken issue with a development project presented by a planning consultant, who also happened to be the only black person in the video frame.
“I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you because we’re part of the master race. You know you got a gap in your teeth, you’re the masters. Don’t ever forget that,” Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp, who is white, told Triveece Penelton.
Since that meeting, several city and county officials have called for Klemp to resign.
And Saturday, Gov. Jeff Colyer joined the chorus. “Racial and discriminative language have no place in our society, and most especially when spoken by someone holding a public office,” Colyer, R, said in a statement. “The inappropriate remarks made by Leavenworth County Commissioner Louis Klemp are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of the county which he represents. As such, I call on him to step down as County Commissioner.”
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade, officials said.
A statement was to be issued instead by the meeting’s chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
“The entire world is worried” about tensions between China and the U.S., O’Neill told a mob of reporters that surrounded him after he confirmed there was no communique from leaders.
It was the first time leaders had failed to agree on a declaration in 29 years of the Pacific Rim summits that involve countries representing 60 percent of the world economy.
Draft versions of the communique seen by The Associated Press showed the U.S wanted strong language against unfair trade practices that it accuses China of.
China, meanwhile, wanted a reaffirmation of opposition to protectionism and unilateralism that it says the U.S. is en
Washington
JPMorgan Mid-Atlantic Region Chairman Peter Scher said his company wants to do better than the District’s $13.25 minimum wage so it can attract the right people at all levels of the company. The company has also made a commitment that 40 percent of its entry-level workers should later move up within the firm, he said.
“We think it’s important to pay people fairly,” Scher said, “and we think that will allow us to attract top talent and retain top talent.”
The bank is in the early phases of a national expansion that will bring its bricks-and-mortar locations to the greater Washington region for the first time, eventually creating up to an estimated 700 positions at 70 Washington-area bank branches.gaging in.
— Wire reports