More and more, the idea of building a new, single terminal at KCI seems to be wafting into the clouds. Up, up and away…
After the mayor’s special task force on KCI last year endorsed construction of a single terminal, eliminating the antiquated three-terminal model we have had for more than 40 years, absolutely nothing has happened.
It was clear that public sentiment runs strongly against significant changes at KCI, and, as a result, political advocates of a single terminal — such as Mayor Sly James — found it in their best interests to pipe down.
And on Wednesday the c.e.o. of Southwest Airlines, the biggest user of KCI, probably snuffed out any remaining hopes of Kansas City getting a modern, attractive airport for the next 15 to 20 years.
Gary Kelly, who was in town on unrelated aviation business, suggested that a major redesign of KCI would cause airline fares to increase significantly. Low costs for the airlines, Kelly said, mean low prices for customers.
He didn’t mention, of course, that Southwest has been raising fees so fast that it’s now almost undeserving of the title “low-cost airline.” Two or three years ago, a research firm named Topaz International conducted a survey of 100 routes flown by Southwest. Here’s what it discovered:
When comparing airfare only, competing airlines were lower than Southwest Airlines over 60% of the time, and higher than Southwest Airlines 35% of the time. This result is surprising given the perception in the marketplace, and with many travel managers, that Southwest Airlines is in fact the low-cost carrier in all markets they serve.
Although cost considerations are paramount for Kelly at KCI, it was a different story a few years ago at Dallas’ Love Field, where Kelly was completely behind a $500-million-plus renovation. But that was Dallas, where Kelly resides and Southwest has its headquarters.
…My interpretation, then, of Gary Kelly’s comments is: We want to keep costs down so we can continue raising prices and increasing our profit margin. So, don’t bother us with talk of a modern airport with amenities that most other big cities have.
**
I think it would be a great thing if Academie Lafayette and the Kansas City School District would team up and develop a progressive “early college” school on the Southwest High School campus.
The prospect of such a collaboration fell apart a few months ago, but it has been revived — to some extent — this week, with the Stowers Foundation pledging to pay for $2 million in start-up costs.
In the long run, though, money probably won’t overcome the opposition of several community organizations, some of which are worried about “resegregation.”
Two groups that oppose the partnership are the Urban Summit, an organization spearheaded by the Baptist Ministers Union, and the Metropolitan Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, also known as More Squared.
I find considerable irony in those two groups’ opposition to an invigorated Southwest High.
MORE Squared’s website says the organization was created in 2004 “as an interfaith social justice organization reflecting different cultural backgrounds, faith traditions, skin colors and economic means. We are united in our commitment to transforming our communities by creating a metropolitan area that embraces all people and offers everyone the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential.”
It seems to me that a racially balanced, college prep school in the Brookside area would do a lot to offer more students the opportunity to achieve their greatest potential.
The Urban Summit’s mission sounds similar. It is “to develop initiatives to foster community relations, enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the urban core.”
While a high-achieving Southwest High would not directly enhance the inner-city economy and quality of life, it could certainly go a long way toward fostering closer ties with the white community.
In addition, it would give a lot of African-American students the opportunity to shed the albatross that the KSPS system hangs around their necks. And surely some of those students would be inspired, after graduating from college, to do whatever they could to give other inner-city students a helping hand up.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Hey, Fitz–three topics in one post. Kinda confusing. Should planes land at SW high school? And are E-cigarettes allowed in the Brookside airport lounge? Takes me back to when you were Jimmy Olson, cub reporter, covering Wheeler. And he would famously have Snotty Dotty Hauser doublebook all his appointments. With disparate groups. Like the Boy Scouts. And the FAA. Then he’d leave the room telling them to discuss their issues with one another and come to some concensus. When he would return, they’d all have their heads cocked to the side, like “what just happened?” And THAT is how Charlie Wheeler paradoxed and annoyed so many. But it really cut down on those kinds of ceremonial meetings on the 29th floor.
You had nothing to report, because of course, it was all nonsense. That was back in the day when Melba Curls was one of Wheeler’s secretaries. How times have changed, thank God!
Patty says I’m ADD. I say I’m not…So, here are three more provocative questions:
Why does Dave Helling keep trying to pin Tom Schweich’s suicide on Jeff Roe?
Why can’t Sly James pay his taxes on time?
Aren’t you sorry you moved to Kansas?
Uh, one more thing: I think you’re right, so I’m deleting the section about e-cigarettes. No nicotine report today.
The way I read that statute the Mayor should be disqualified from running at all, akin to Teresa G-R’s faux pas.
Also? I would propose an additional statute applied to every politician statewide. It would work similar to your average perpetrator committing a crime, but with a gun, who then gets slammed with an extra charge for using said weapon.
I propose a Felony Stupid statute. This would be added on to any case where the stupidity was particularly egregious.
Take either Sly or TGR’s cases; if you file for office without a.) reading ALL the qualifications and/or b.) not bother to abide by ALL the qualifications, then in addition to whatever other legal penalties may be imposed, the Felony Stupid statue would automatically obtain.
The penalty for committing Felony Stupid would be a mandatory disqualification from running for any public office within the state for a period not less than 5 years.
Hey, Fitz, at least Patty is not claiming you are AC/DC. (You dress too badly.)
Plaid pants, etc.
Dave Helling knows Roe is a bully. It is widely rumored that Roe once ordered his minions in Clay County to shove Kathy Reinhardt, candidate for Congress against Roe’s guy, Blunt– in a public parade, so a photographer could get a photo of her looking alarmed. And when she returned home, her house had been ransacked.
Nobody knows what pushes a depressed person over the edge. Many say that Steve Roe pushed Commissioner Elaine Beckers Braun to commit suicide, for constantly calling her crazy in the Sun, over suggesting that NE JoCo’s smaller towns should merge into a powerhouse to rival OP.
Others blame Ed Eilert. Nineteen years ago, he was Mayor of OP, ran for Congress, and illegally ordered then Police Chief Myron Scafe to investigate Eilert’s Dem. opponent, Kerry Patrick, and look up any wrongdoing to smear Patrick. Scafe looked, nothing there, but after Eilert lost, Patrick sued the city of OP for violation of his rights. The city paid $100,000 cash as their part of a non-disclosed insurance-subsidized settlement to Kerry Patrick. During the investigation, heavy pressure was put on the 12 OP Council members to cover it up to protect Eilert. The ONLY council member at the time who refused to cover up Eilert’s illegal act was: Elaine Beckers Braun.
She told them no. Went to her hairdresser’s and committed suicide that day.
So I don’t think it was because she was “having a bad hair day.”
As for Sly James: I am the one who broke that story. I gave the screen shots from the revenue dept. to Tony at TonysKansasCity.com and to Micheal Mahoney (yes that is how you spell it.)
There were TWO cars with delinquent taxes, not one. And car dealers don’t pay your property taxes. So why did Sly then lie and claim one car? And why don’t people do their jobs, read the charter, pay their taxes, double check tax filings, like you and I and Jerry Jette did, in the 70’s?
Finally, am I sorry I moved to Kansas? Absolutely not! KCMO is fun to visit, I just wouldn’t want to live or work there. However, I will see Guys and Dolls this Sunday at Musical Theatre Heritage at Crown Center. I am a longtime season ticket holder at the Unicorn, tho I moved my tickets to Sunday matinees because there is less crime then. And I absolutely recommend the current exhibit at the Kemper…about building a collection. Plus the one in the south room, used soap bars inside 208 sardine cans. Awesome. Finally, Coopers Hawk Winery, 4620 Broadway. Happy hour 3-6 M-F. Meritage wine $5 instead of $12 a glass. Best waitress for dinner: Stephanie. Or, downtown, plow your way around the toy train tracks to Affare. (Don’t know how to type an umlaut here. : turn it sideways and smile.)
Like yourself I don’t think the putative cash will overcome the local white exceptionalism perception. If anything the promised money might even exacerbate that (seemingly) widely held misunderstanding. Moreover there are entrenched KCPS administrators who can add 2 = 2 and realize should they allow A.L. a foothold, the sum would be an eventual weakening (if not outright shattering) of their control over where and how the DESE money flows.
“In addition, it would give a lot of African-American students the opportunity to shed the albatross that the KSPS system hangs around their necks.”
A wrong belief, IMO: Academie Lafayette proposes to admit an equal or greater number of KCPS kids (after a qualifying admittance exam) into the proposed high school. The numbers I’ve heard reflect current A.L. total grade sizes: 120. So, assuming 40-65 graduating AL 8th graders attend the new high school’s Freshman class every year, that leaves anywhere from 55-80 slots; in a four year school: 220 – 320 students per school year
Out of KCPS’ total 14K student population, the above numbers can in no way be considered a lot. This should quit being bandied about as it will lead to even more disappointment and dissatisfaction with KCPS/AL when reality hits home.
Maybe I wasn’t clear on that “albatross” point, Will. What I meant was that a revived Southwest would give the African-American, KSPS students who attend the school to shed the albatross that they otherwise would have borne had they continued on in “regular” Kansas City schools.
Think we’re talking Braeburn to Honeycrisp apples, Jimmy.
; ‘ )
Speaking of apples, my daughter has had me on the hunt for a good brand of apple for weeks, and I really haven’t come up with anything satisfactory to her. Where I’m a bit ADD (oh, God, there I’ve gone and admitted it!), she’s very picky…But I do like Jonathons, from north of the river, in the fall.
If I didn’t have daughters myself I’d inquire as to why you’re searching for the perfect fruit from The Fortunate Isle instead of her…
We’re partial to the Fuji variety; very crisp and sweet, but not overly so.
Speaking of musicals (let’s make this really ADD) and Kerry Patrick, if you haven’t see Forever Plaid at the dinner theatre you have missed something. I used to have season tickets at the Rep before the current moron turned every play into a giant fart joke.
As for Patrick, the fun part Tracy left out was when they had the police chief take the fall giving Eilert the out. Shortly there after, police chief and spouse went to work for the Highway Patrol under Bill Graves sleazy regime at a major raise in pay.
And Kansas has become a virtual paradise thank you very much.
Altevogt, great memory. So to continue, since at least one person appreciates history, Myron Scafe took the fall, and decamped to Topeka. As you said, his salary doubled, because they also hired his wife. One job for the price of two. Oh yeah, drive down Antioch and across from OP City Hall, they named the Police Station for Myron Scafe. So then, the assistant Chief of Police, who knew the whole sordid coverup, was John Douglas. He ascended to Chief of Police, and held the job for 19 years. He retired in April, 2014. By this time, Ed Eilert was Chairman of the Johnson County Commission. And Douglas was ready finally for a reward. So Eilert tried to have the county take over the Sheriff’s Department, planning (say some, hey, let’s not get sued) to steal Frank Denning’s job by making Sheriff appointed by the Commission, instead of direct election.
But with the help of a wildly loyal following, and perhaps a warning shot during Eilert’s re-election campaign of a clever postcard campaign, Denning fought it. “Eilert fought the Law and the Law won!”
So John Douglas didn’t get his double pension via Eilert. Instead, he took the job of Security for the Blue Valley Schools.
The difference between KCMO corruption and JoCo corruption is expectation vs utter denial.
Every point spot on, Tracy. I would add that it didn’t hurt Frank that his sister-in-law is Mareal Denning. You would be hard pressed to find a more beloved person in JOCO politics.
I wasn’t aware of naming the station after Myron, but there is precedent for that given that the main building at JCCC is named after Groper Carlsen, it’s disgraced former president, who, along with Dick Bond awarded themselves the less than prestigious Johnson Countian of the Year “Award”.
As for corruption, think King Louie. The crooks in JOCO (closely related to those in KCMO) wouldn’t bend over to pick up the stuff our guys in WYCO steal.
*its* Damned copy editor.
I hate to picky about facts, but if you’re going to present your recollections as true, you might do some double checking.
1-Kerry Patrick was not a Democrat, and probably would be offended that you put that label on him because he was an early prototype of the sanctimonious anti-abortion Republican.
2-Elaine Braun committed suicide when she was a Joco commissioner, so she could not have killed herself the day of or day after casting a vote on the Overland Park City Council.
3-John Douglas did not take a security job with Blue Valley; he went to work for the Shawnee Mission district.
Now, as for the rest of what you’ve written, some of it may be true, but you have to admit you’ve provided plenty of reasons to question whether we should believe you.
that above comment is meant for tracyinkc.
I missed the part about Kerry being a Dem. That is incorrect. Kerry was an early member of the conservative movement in JOCO, not sure about sanctimonius, but pro-life and conservative for sure and the rest of Tracy’s facts about that event with Ed and the OP mafia are accurate.
I just love these columns where Fitz gets ADD.
I was wrong about Kerry, he was an R. And Douglas now works for SM not Blue Valley. As for Elaine Beckers Braun, by the time of the litigation, she had moved on to the Commission. But she HAD been on the OP Council, at the time and was the only one who would not testify and support the coverup of Eilert’s actions.
So Ms. Braun was on the commission AND the city council?
yes, just not at the same time.
And so now you see how this column about the high school and the airport came to be. Oh look, a chicken.
:-)