Kansas and Missouri don’t need a Chiefs-Royals border war fought in the dark | Opinion
So, it has happened. Kansas has made a major play for Kansas City’s teams.
We expected it. We all heard about the STAR bonds plan and knew that it would make its way into the special legislative session called when Kansas couldn’t agree on a way to lower taxes.
A lot of us figured it might pass, but maybe not overwhelmingly. The House passed the proposal 84-38, and the Senate with 27-8.
Is it time to be scared yet?
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told The Star Editorial Board a few weeks ago that he wasn’t “freaking out” over it and that negotiations were happening behind the scenes — but of course, this was before the vote.
The day of Kansas’ announcement, he doubled down on what he said:
“Kansas City and the State of Missouri will continue their ongoing negotiations with team leaders to keep the teams in the city and state that have welcomed, funded, and supported the success of both teams since the 1960s. Today’s vote regrettably restarts the Missouri-Kansas incentive border war, creating leverage for the teams, but injecting even greater uncertainty into the regional stadium conversation. The vote provides only a speculative ability to sell bonds untethered to private funding plans, costs, locations, or discussion of the unknown consequences for taxpayers and existing businesses. We remain in the first quarter of the Kansas City stadium discussion.”
“The first quarter.” With the buzz surrounding the Kansas Legislature’s offer, it feels more like the third quarter and Missouri is down by 14.
I want to see the teams stay in Missouri. Sure, like many of us I have a personal connection, but even though I live in Missouri, and I used to live on the East Side within biking distance of the stadiums, I have a nonemotional reason: The teams are good for the state and good for Kansas City.
I agree with Lucas: We’re the city and state that have supported the teams for a long time, and I know we’ll continue to support them into the future.
OK, but you might ask, why didn’t you support the tax bill? True, The Star Editorial Board didn’t endorse Question 1 earlier this year, a proposed 3/8-cent sales tax for stadium construction and improvements. But I’d like to remind you of what the board said:
“We take this position firmly, but with some regret. Like most people in the Kansas City region, we are fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals. We want to see them succeed. We understand and agree that the two professional sports franchises are essential to the Kansas City area. … Still, we are urging a no vote for this reason: They have not earned a yes.”
It was such a specific plan, the move into an area of small businesses in the city center, unlike the Kansas proposal. The editorial talked about the lack of transparency, changing tactics at the last minute and just the general enigma of the overall plan. We didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision, and we encouraged the teams to come back to the table.
Perhaps that is happening, as Lucas hints. We don’t know. Nobody’s talking. And it brings up the same issues in the Kansas plan: Who’s making the decisions? Not the people.
What Kansas offers, in addition to a potentially faster plan, is one of advantage. In Kansas, the teams aren’t beholden to voters – always an unknown. If we in Missouri were concerned about lack of transparency in Question 1, Kansas voters should be doubly concerned.
And what about Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s previous promise to avoid border wars? She claimed neutrality all the way up to the vote, but after, her excitement was evident: “Kansas now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse with the Chiefs and Royals potentially joining Sporting KC as major league attractions, all with robust, revenue-generating entertainment districts surrounding them providing new jobs, new visitors, and new revenues that boost the Kansas economy.”
Apparently, Missouri isn’t calling a special session, and I’m not expecting any big moves until after the August primary. But you know, anything can happen.
It’s a full-on border war, folks. Who wants to be on the winning — or losing — team?
This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 11:19 AM.
