Kansas City towed my car for the St. Pat’s parade. Now I can’t afford to get it back | Opinion
I had no idea
My vehicle was lawfully parked on a street in Westport in March. I was out of town for a few days, and when I returned, I discovered my vehicle gone. I assumed it had been stolen.
Within a few days, I learned it had been towed because of the St Patrick’s Day parade. There was no notification posted when I parked that the city would be towing vehicles parked in the area. It has now been two months since Kansas City took my vehicle, and the towing and storage bill has grown to more than $1,000.
When I spoke to city representatives, they told me, “The city put out flyers” to alert people about the towing ordinance. But if owners are out of town, there is no way for them to foresee what will happen to their vehicles because of a parade.
I have only one vehicle — the one now being held in an impound yard. The city will not release it without payment. I cannot afford the exorbitant fees that keep growing daily.
There should be exceptions to Kansas City’s towing rules.
- Robert Thorpe, Kansas City
Thanks, lawmakers
The 501(c)(6) trade association Missourians for Transportation Investment and its allies applaud the Missouri General Assembly for making transformational investments in Interstate 70 through the appropriation of $2.8 billion to expand and rehabilitate the corridor across the state. Expanding I-70 across Missouri has been a top legislative priority of MFTI.
Interstate 70 is an economic engine for the state, connecting our largest urban centers, moving our products to market and linking Missouri to the world. Relieving congestion on the highway lowers costs for Missouri businesses and residents. It decreases the likelihood of accidents. It improves safety and reduces vehicle maintenance costs.
Rehabilitating and expanding this vital corridor will create jobs and increase tourism. The people of Missouri who live along the corridor, and even those who don’t, will reap generational benefits from the actions taken by the General Assembly.
MFTI and its partners would especially like to thank Gov. Mike Parson, Senate Appropriations Chairman Lincoln Hough and House Budget Chairman Cody Smith for their leadership in addressing the problem that Interstate 70 has become. Their efforts pave the way for a brighter future for Missouri and its residents.
- Jeff Glenn, Executive director, Missourians for Transportation Investment, Cape Girardeau
Minority attacked
Missouri Republicans are trying to pass a bill they call the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act. Although it didn’t pass in the recently ended legislative session, many have commented that this legislation is a more extreme version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law because it states that LGBTQ issues cannot be mentioned by teachers unless they have parental permission and are licensed in mental health. Opponents consider this bill an attack on LGBTQ students and families.
Defenders of the law say it would stop so-called “mature” content from being taught to students, although a sex education law could certainly do the same without so much backlash. This bill would take away trusted staff members as a resource for students, which certainly does not show vulnerable children compassion or protection.
When learning about slavery and the Holocaust, students are taught the importance of accepting other religions, cultures and races. Why aren’t students taught about LGBTQ issues and that it is not right to look down on people because of who they love or their gender identity?
If you think this is something to be taken seriously, tell your state representatives and senators. Contact information can be found at mo.gov/government/elected-officials
- Tess Nicolosi, Macomb, Missouri
Borrowed time
Remove the ability of lawmakers such as Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert to write bills that recommend taking certain animals off the endangered list. We are on our own endangered list because we’ve managed the resources of our world so poorly.
- Margaret Fish, Overland Park