Letters: Readers discuss a new KCI, useless bicycle lanes and bashing St. Teresa’s
Yes to a new KCI
The employee-owners of Kansas City-headquartered HNTB Corp. support city leaders’ plans for building a new, single terminal at KCI and ask for a “yes” vote on Nov. 7.
Our design and construction professionals appreciate the convenience of the current layout. However, our national aviation experience tells us this configuration isn’t sustainable. A new, single terminal would remain convenient while modernizing the facility to meet current security requirements, provide adequate parking and separate levels for arrivals and departures.
Travel from KCI has nearly tripled since it opened, and the current post-security area — just 36 feet deep — doesn’t allow for essential passenger amenities such as food, shopping, entertainment and larger restrooms. An improved passenger experience expressing our city’s personality is desperately needed.
The benefit for taxpayers is that only users of the airport would pay for these updates. If you don’t fly, you won’t pay.
As a firm with more than 100 years in Kansas City, we understand it is critical that our community remain competitive regionally and nationally. Providing a 21st-century “front door” would cement our status as a destination of choice for businesses, visitors and residents.
Chris Migneron
Vice President
HNTB Corp.
Kansas City
A Grand hassle
After impeding vehicular traffic on Main Street with the free electrified snails, the city now is reducing moving traffic lanes on Grand Boulevard from three in each direction to one for the benefit of a group of seasonal bicyclists.
This slowing of traffic is being touted as a good thing. Another way to describe it is as creating congestion. Bicycle lanes on Southwest Boulevard? Get real.
The vast majority of Kansas City residents would prefer the funds wasted on these projects be spent repairing the streets that continually damage their cars and jar out their fillings.
John Savella
Overland Park
Show of respect
I am a Boy Scout, so respect for the flag means a lot to me. I was taught at a young age to stand and put your hand over your heart during the national anthem. I strongly believe the way people are protesting is disrespectful to the flag and our country. I agree with College of the Ozarks’ position on this issue. (Sept. 30, 1A, “No pledge, no play: Stand for anthem or our team leaves, says Missouri college”)
Being an athlete for a school or a team is a privilege not an entitlement. If people cannot show respect for the anthem or flag, they should not be able to play. As I have personally known, if you do not show respect to others, you should not be able to play the sport.
At the school level, children should learn to respect our nation, our flag and others. Athletes are role models, and if they are teaching disrespect, we are growing a disrespectful generation.
Jakob Hein
Kansas City
NFL players kneeling during the national anthem is an ineffective form of protest that disgraces American soldiers while bringing little attention to the issues players are supposedly protesting. Although racial injustice and police corruption are valid concerns, there are better platforms to express opinions that don’t require the disrespect of veterans.
If players truly want to have an open conversation about the problems plaguing our country, a better course of action would be to take a middle ground rather than going to an extreme that triggers a gut reaction.
Henry Cooper
Lee’s Summit
Blame game
On Sunday, I opened my Kansas City Star and saw another negative piece about St. Teresa’s Academy. (14A, “For this student, swastika is one piece of unrelenting racism at KC Catholic school”)
I don’t understand how a school is completely responsible for its students’ actions. Because the girls who were playing beer pong in the shape of a swastika attend St. Teresa’s, that somehow makes the school responsible for their actions? How can that be?
Do we blame the school when a dad and student come to the school and beat up another student? Or when a student commits suicide in the bathroom of a school?
Or why do we insist on placing blame at all? It is purely personal opinion and speculation by the media.
This entire incident is out of control because of media attention. This was nothing more than a drinking game played with no racist intent.
St. Teresa’s is a wonderful high school that our city has been proud of for years. Please stop blaming St. Teresa’s for something it had no involvement with.
Jan Howard
Overland Park
This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss a new KCI, useless bicycle lanes and bashing St. Teresa’s."