Another KCI Airport Scheme That Won't Fly

As the 4th District copes with increasing crime, infrastructure repaid stalled AND irrational exuberance for corporate welfare tax breaks . . . Our in-district Council Lady is doing most of her work on the airport. Here's the latest example:

Kansas City Council introduces KCI ballot option for November election

The Kansas City Council is debating a Kansas City International Airport public financing ballot proposal for the Nov. 7 election. On Thursday, Councilwoman Jolie Justus, chair of the council's Airport Committee, introduced a private financing alternative for consideration.

Comments

  1. I realize that it low interest rate environment brings the spread between municipal bonds and private financing together but this is still an obligation that the taxpayers of Kansas City will pay for one way or another.

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  2. public financing at lower rates using revenue bonds should be the default.

    the private route will have lots of snares and traps.

    an independent expert should sort it out.

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  3. I agree with 8:56.

    And how crazy is it to skate around the language, as Jolie Justus is doing, to write a ballot issue that does not say the words, "private financing".

    Jolie Justus reminds me of Presidents and candidates who refused to utter the words, "Islamic terrorists".

    Maybe we need a new phrase to use as an identifier of who is behind all this?
    Burns & Mac and Merriman/Americo Life pimps??!

    The 4th District councilwomen represent two sides of this--and clearly, Katie/Kathryn Shields is on the correct side of the public financing at lower interest rates.

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  4. I thought JoCo was going to build the new international airport? WTF?

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  5. Jolie has always been about Jolie. She does not represent her constituents. She represents her high dollar law partners and local corporations. She is a gay libtard fraud who should not be reelected. Think about the fact that this bright builb is on the selection committee to decide who gets the airport contract. What a farse, she's been in Burns & Mac's pocket from day one, just like Sly. WAKE UP KC... ALLTHIS IS ABOUT FORCING A SINGLE TERMINAL DOWN OUR THROATS! Shouldn't we be able to see a plan before we give city hall a blank check?. Until they put the plan on the table the vote should be NO-vember! That goes for the Shields ordinance also!

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  6. So there could be three different proposals on the November ballot? Good. All 3 will go down in flames then.
    When people don't have details or enough information on an issue they just vote no.

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  7. 9:51--so far, only Southwest Airlines has any interest or the courage or leadership to move its operations to Johnson County. It's up to Delta and United and the rest to express separate interest to the BOCC/County Commissioner Ed Eilert and to the state of Kansas about joining the grand exit.

    Johnson County could easily host the metro's airport. More affordably--lower gate charges. Easier access. And far closer to 75% of the flying public.

    We would finance it with public Airport Revenue Bonds. Which are 1 1'2 to 2% cheaper per year than private financing. We would not get in bed with Americo Life/Jack Merriman--the secret moneybag private investor partner to Burns & McDonnell. We would put the construction and engineering out to BID! What a novel idea.

    This makes extreme financial sense. Just don't expect these airlines to confirm their private talks to the mainstream media.

    And 10:16 makes a great point. (Wish you'd use a nom de plume rather than Anonymous. Let's elevate this convo to some personalities.) Having three confusing, poorly worded ballot issues this November, which is NOT a major election, makes it likely than none of the three achieves 50% approval. Opening the door to the welcoming arms of Johnson County. It's about time my county stepped up and took on the financial burden of a major puzzle piece. KCMO can have the stadiums and galleries. We will trade you Ventnor Blvd and Boardwalk--for the Airport.

    You read it on JocoPost.com and linked to TKC first!!!

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  8. A brief history lesson: Brannif, TWA, Eastern, Pan Am, National Florida, Oceanaire, Air Kentucky, Midway, Eastwind, TransMeridian, Aloha, Air Midwest, Gemini, Comair, Northwest, ATA, Skybus, Mexicana.... nothing is guaranteed in any economy.

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  9. Hyperblogal is on-point with the airlines that used to be in business but no longer. Any guarantees on Burns & Mac being around after they get their money? It reminds me of those home loan scams where you sign up with one company, only to have your loan sold to another and then another. We don't know who is going to end up with the "ownership" of our airport.

    Voters - open wide because this is going to be shoved down our throats.

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  10. Vote no on crony airport scheme!

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  11. @Tracy, 10:51. I've responded before to the Johnson County idea for a major airport hub, though I don't recall if you were on that "thread". Bottom line: there is literally nowhere for it to go.

    The most convenient would be South middle-ish of JoCo. Problem with that area is there is WAAAAAY too much big-monied people that have gravitated towards that area that would fight tooth and nail to prevent an airport there (as I would were it my backyard), they just have the money to make that kind of fight count.

    Next is West sieeed, in the middle-ish area. SFAAP takes up way too much space and getting land back from the Federal government is virtually impossible. Central area, West of Cedar Creek is too populated. Not much money, but people hear "we're going to buy your land for an airport and dollar signs obscure their eyes". That would get intensely expensive (well, maybe around a billion or so).

    Last available option is SW corner. By that point, the "location" convenience is lost for a large portion of the metro. Mixed in with a lot of buyers remorse on the intermodal.

    Try as they want, I don't believe JoCo can come up with a suitable location (lets call it 5 x 5 miles) for an airport without a lot of public issues. But, I also believe they shouldn't, and that KC should stop the low-service charade they're currently employing at the existing aeroporte; if wishes were fishes.

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  12. Nevermind about the SFAAP, turns out it is privately held by an LLC. So there is viable land in Western JOCO.

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  13. this reader thinks talking about a joco commercial airport is a waste of time. nimby prevents plus in-place competition from a great, convenient airport.

    kc would not support two commercial airports.

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  14. When the voters say no to the crony airport boondoggle, maybe a reasonable remodeling program at a tenth the cost will be considered.

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  15. P e n d e r g a s t I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t.

    It's going to happen and it will honor decades of Kansas City government. It's cast in concrete.

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  16. I feel bad for Justus. Being associated with the airport is gonna be a losing proposition. She will never, ever, ever be Mayor.

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  17. Look! Jolie posted as Anonymous at 1:49!!!! Shoulda thought aout that, before you sidled up and saddled up with Sly. You were used. You had great promise. But Katy Shields sat back and watched you jump out of the gate, and just waited and now has much the smarter plan.

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  18. How can anyone act like burn em Mac and sly dog are not corrupt and trying to set the fix, same Reardon at the chamber

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  19. Sly is quiet now because the public wanted to snuff out rigged deals and any "leader" setting the fix in secret or otherwise

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  20. Not the Rockhurst mafia's finest hour, routinely the public is throwing these contrived pork rig jobs back in their faces

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  21. Time to disqualify cheaters, burn em Mac and no more pork front jobs for Sly Dog either

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  22. Let the streetcar and airport wait until after Sly is gone so there is some integrity of conduct

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  23. The Star not getting this says volumes about clueless hollowed out carpet baggers rubber stamping Sly Dog's cluster of corruption

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