You can’t park at the curb anymore at KCI Airport? Tell that to all those stopped cars | Opinion
KCI rule-breakers
Last week, I picked up my sister at Kansas City International Airport, confident that I could wait in the cellphone lot and swoop in to get her, because The Star had assured me there is no parking at the curb at our new terminal. Others did not get that message.
Cars were parked, not moving, two deep all along the Arrivals curb. Parked with drivers standing beside the cars! Not a police officer in sight. I stopped in the third lane as my sister jumped into the car.
If the ban on curbside parking is not enforced, we still have a cowboy airport where anything goes. Sorry, Kansas City — no “big boy” airport for you.
- Jane Gilbreath, Kansas City
Not for the little
I recently saw an online interview with a New Hampshire man who stated that he was voting Republican because of the gas prices under President Joe Biden and that the GOP is “for the little guy.”
Boy, is he misguided, to say the least. In 2022, a bill to prevent price gouging in emergency times narrowly passed the House, with all Democrats voting for it and all but four Republicans voting against it. It failed in the Senate, where every GOP member voted against it. And Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other big oil companies made record profits when gas jumped more than $1.55 a gallon from the previous year.
When avian flu was devastating chickens, egg and poultry producers raised prices and made record profits.
Don’t blame these things on Biden. Put the blame squarely on the Republicans, who are always on the side of Big Business, aka their largest donors.
For the little guys? Get real.
- Suzanne B. Conaway, Kansas City
No need now
As a resident, businessman and property owner in North Kansas City, I am nauseated by the talk of a new stadium in our fair burg.
The proposed site is occupied by numerous commercial properties with high occupancy rates. Conversely, the proposed site in Jackson County consists mainly of parking lots. Razing viable properties within a strong, vibrant neighborhood such as NKC is extremely wasteful. To quote Greta Thunberg, “How dare you?”
Luckily, the stadium project will include an entertainment district. Oh, goody. We need another entertainment district like grocery stores need more variety in their bottled water sections. Not including Kansas venues, we have entertainment districts for every occasion — Westport, the Power & Light District, the River Market, the Plaza, the West Bottoms, the Crossroads, Crown Center and even North Kansas City.
Yes, North Kansas City is a hot market with new, unique retail, apartments and a strong industrial sector. Our town is undergoing the type of resurgence witnessed in the Crossroads area recently, and we’ll continue to prosper through private investments — not tax-subsidized wastefulness.
North Kansas City already blew millions on unused bike lanes and annoying planter boxes. Let’s not go down that road again.
- Tim Basler, North Kansas City
Up to the task
The Star reported in the Sept. 25 front-page story “Traffic plan in the works for Royals-Beyoncé doubleheader” that the last Truman Sports Complex doubleheader was in 2010.
On Sept. 12, 2017, the complex nimbly handled a Kauffman-Arrowhead doubleheader when the Royals beat the White Sox 4-3 before 17,727 in the afternoon and U2 staged its Joshua Tree Tour for 39,593 fans in the evening.
In addition to being more recent, this seems to be a more apt comparison — a Major League Baseball game followed by a concert. There likely are fewer tailgaters for concerts than for Chiefs games, although my wife, friends and I tailgated after baseball and before the concert in 2017. Thank you, Chiefs, for not requiring a separate parking fee.
This happily will be a non-story in a few years when the Royals move downtown or to North Kansas City. Thank you, Royals, for taking the initiative to bring Kansas City stadium event experiences into the 21st century.
- Michael Grimaldi, Kansas City
Editor’s note: The news story has been corrected.
If we build it
It seems the debate over the location of a new Royals stadium ignores two elephants in the room: math and geography. The 14-county Kansas City metropolitan statistical area’s population is about 2.2 million. Fewer than 400,000 of us live north of the Missouri River. That leaves 1.8 million or more living south of the river.
Nearly all Royals fans travel to the stadium by car. When the Buck O’Neil Bridge’s replacement opens, we’ll have three bridges crossing the river. (Perhaps some adventurous folks will discover a route over the Chouteau Bridge — before it falls down.)
Now imagine the traffic flow to a stadium north of the river. The large majority of fans will need to cross one of those bridges to reach the stadium. And for most night games, that trip will occur at the mid- to tail-end of the rush hour. One wreck on one bridge makes an unpleasant trip a nightmare.
How many fans will cross the river on their way home from a game in a Clay County stadium and say, “Never again”?
- Paul Schepers, Kansas City
Delayed payments
An open letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy:
During the past year, I have had to pay in excess of $100 in late fees on credit card bills because the poor quality of mail delivery has delayed checks I’ve sent. It used to be that the USPS was the envy of the world, and while it had its problems, it was generally very good at getting mail from one location to another. First-class mail got to its destination within two to three days. But no more.
Not only are my bills delayed to my mailbox, but my attempts to deliver my payments on time are continually foiled by your inadequate service. Your policies at the post office have also made it easier to learn the names of my neighbors, since I frequently get mail for them, and vice versa. How considerate of you.
I suppose some people a handwritten check — sent by mail — to be an anachronism, but there is no denying that it should still be considered as a fully legitimate way to pay one’s debts in a timely manner.
- Steve Hawks, Kansas City
Higher power
Religion is a big part of society. Religions differ and are diverse in terms of how to live life, the afterlife, right and wrong, their gods and what they have done — the list could go on and on forever. However, the Christian faith is wrongly hated upon. Christians are specifically targeted. According to 501(c)(3) nonprofit Global Christian Relief, formerly known as Open Doors USA, Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.
Persecution happens everywhere — especially in America, although, it’s more verbal than physical.
I was raised atheist. I remember in my childhood asking to go to church and being told no. No access to a Bible. With lack of teaching, I always believed in a higher power but eventually fell into societal beliefs. When I decided to give up all worldly values and commit myself to Christ, life immediately overflowed with peace in spite of the verbal violence.
Lots of what I went through was indescribably hateful. Being grounded from church by my atheist family was depressing. Having verses used against me in repetitive opposing context.
Every new friend who is not religious has asked me: “Are you homophobic?” No, no — I’m not homophobic! I love LGBT people so much. I want the best for them. I bring tolerance, maturity and happiness. What do I get in return?
- Amber Marie Baldwin, Blue Springs
The Star welcomes opinions from people of all faiths in our letters. Submit yours at kansascity.com/letters