Yael T. Abouhalkah
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Yael T. Abouhalkah writes about Kansas City metropolitan issues and his columns are published on Thursday. To reach him, write in care of the Opinion desk at 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108, call (816) 234-4887 or send e-mail to abouhalkah@kcstar.com. |
RECENT COLUMNS
Kansas City's problems shouldn't obscure real progress on many fronts
Feb 3, 9:24 PMKansas City faces plenty of challenges, but sometimes it pays to dig a little deeper into these stereotypes, to focus on answers to this question: Is Kansas City better off today than it was in 1990 — the year I began writing a weekly political and civic affairs column for The Star?
Far-out arguments for a far-flung subdivision
Jan 27, 10:17 PMWatching the Kansas City Council make political sausage isn’t always appetizing. Consider the recent discussion of the proposed Lake at Tomahawke Ridge subdivision by the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee.
Acting city manager plays the part of budget cutter well
Jan 20, 9:34 PMTroy Schulte is a man on a mission, and Kansas City taxpayers ought to be cheering most of his ideas to balance the city budget.
Pletz's firing still calls for a good explanation
Jan 13, 8:39 PMThe sudden firing of Karen Pletz as CEO and president of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences last month is an important story that still lacks a satisfactory ending.
Time to make predictions for the Kansas City area for 2010
Jan 6, 10:05 PMIt’s prediction time again: What could 2010 bring for the Kansas City area?
Other school districts are crucial to a stronger KC
Dec 23, 8:49 PMThe Kansas City School District is a punching bag for longtime critics, and often deservedly so. But it’s worth emphasizing that the quality of education provided by 14 other school districts serving Kansas City, Mo., residents also is crucial to the city’s future.
Water repair price tag daunting, but necessary
Dec 16, 9:53 PMBernardo Garcia has a plan to create hundreds — possibly thousands — of jobs with a multibillion-dollar economic stimulus project in Kansas City.
Already, they’re lining up for Funkhouser’s job
Dec 9, 11:48 PMThe number of potential candidates eager to knock Mark Funkhouser out of the mayor’s office is growing. The 2011 election could become the most wide-open affair since, well, the wide-open 2007 race that gave us Funkhouser (and wife Gloria Squitiro, but that’s another story).
Libraries hope to end era of booking big tax losses
Dec 2, 6:55 PMToday, at a meeting of the Missouri Public Library Directors, R. Crosby Kemper III, Richard Wilding and others will discuss ways they could change tax incentive programs in the state. Their goals are excellent: To support good economic development but also reasonable public subsidies.
Cauthen's ouster means KC must reunite, push on
Nov 25, 9:32 PMThe City Council’s rushed decision to fire Wayne Cauthen was clumsily done — but it finally ended the stalemate between the city manager and Mayor Mark Funkhouser. So where do we go from here?
