Southwest Airlines' Plan B: leave KCI, and build new terminal in Gardner Ks! Financed with local Airport Revenue Bonds

Behind the scenes, Southwest Airlines may pull a Love Field strategy in metro KC.  Land their planes in Johnson County, and forget all about MCI in KCMO.  (Southwest does not fly out of Dallas/Ft Worth's "main" airport, they have Love Field.  Nor do they fly out of O'Hare in Chicago.  They use Midway.)

Gardner Municipal Airport in Joco.  Closer. Cheaper.
Faster than 75% of Southwest's passengers wasting 45 minutes each way to go to KCI.
Future home of Southwest Airlines.
And building their own terminal in Joco
would cost "peanuts" compared to KCI!!!

Every prudent business has backup plans.  Southwest, being an innovator and cost-conscious, and serving THEIR key market, which is the 75% of all passengers who live and or work in Johnson County, is no different.

What will the CEO of Southwest airlines, Gary C. Kelly, do?  Sure, he writes a few nice letters to KC Aviation Department to keep them happy.  But they are not legal commitments!  Meanwhile....since Sly James and the KCMO Council are dithering--and teasing with Burns & Mac....

Gary C. Kelly is the chief executive officer and chairman of Southwest Airlines.
He first joined the company in 1986 as Controller. In 1989,
Kelly was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance.

Has anyone checked the visitor logs in the Topeka capitol?

Has Governor Sam Brownback secretly offered tax breaks and incentives to Southwest?

What about the leaders of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House?  Nick Jordan,
the Ks. Director of Revenue?  Jordan is DESPERATE to bring in some new revenues.

What about Acting Director Antonio Soave, Director of the Kansas Department of Commerce?  Landing Southwest Airlines in Kansas would be the plum of his career.

And finally, gubernatorial hopeful with the biggest ego in the state, Kris Kobach?  Rather than a white horse, he would so love to ride into office on a white jet.

 The KC Star is obsessed with financing Kansas schools this fall, definitely a great distraction.  Especially for a newspaper that has NO local reporters, no full time STATE reporters, and one pock-faced has-been who-cares-what-he-thinks columnist (named after a thorny flower).

The STAR is so Missouri-centric, they don't even consider what a superlative option this is.  To them, it's all about KCI.  They still actually hold to the old wives tale that it is an "international" airport!  

And has our Johnson County Teleprompter in Chief, BOCC Chairman Ed Eilert,  made Southwest an insider deal like he made for his investment buddies at King Louie???  Don't count our wooden Indian, Ed, out.   He can read his marching orders from a cue card with the best of 'em. Mister Ed can play the same game as Sly James--give the bond sales to private investors, paying 2% more per year to borrow money, rather than issue Airport Revenue Bonds.  

If Google Maps went offline, the STAR could not dispatch a courier to even FIND the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in Olathe unless someone left a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow.   Or they hailed an Uber.
(With the exception of Steve Vockrodt, their utility outfielder who lives halfway to Lawrence, so he knows the proper exit.  But he can't cover EVERY beat!)

As Tony says, "Stay tuned."

KCMO suckers!!! Giving KCI away like a bride's dowry to Burns & Mac--Despite most of their employees living in Joco. And one puny KCMO storage barn paying property taxes.

Thanks to Chuck Palah, the best researcher I've ever found, for this undeniable statement of the facts.

Mayor Sly James is giving away KCI terminal in a no-bid contract to the bride,
Burns & Mac--as a form of dowry.
Even tho Burns & Mac owns only a car barn in KCMO.
And 85% of her employees live outside of KCMO,
mostly in Joco.

Conspicuously absent from the tax rolls?  Their headquarters building, with the recent expansion completed, after KCMO granted them blight designation, millions in tax breaks, partial earnings tax exemption, all while the city financed the project for them.

So where is it?  Lost in the fog at KCI???

In the wake of Burns and McDonnell's recent surprise announcement, requesting to be given a no-bid billion(+) dollar airport terminal construction contract,  the public is being told by Mayor James, City Manager Troy Schulte, CEO Ray Kowalik, and most of our local media, that Burns and McDonnell is an outstanding  exemplary member of the Kansas City Missouri community.  But is that really true?  Let's take a look, because everyone else seems to quickly accept whatever they're told without question. 

First, just a quick refresher on Burns and McDonnell.  They are a privately-held, employee-owned, wealthy Kansas City-based engineering, architecture and construction firm, headquartered at 9400 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64114.  For 2015, Burns and McDonnell reported $2.6 billion in total revenue.  Average compensation for the most common salaried job (electrical engineer) is $136,955.  Their workforce is comprised of 84-percent White Caucasian, 6-percent Asian, 5-percent Latino, and 4-percent Black.  Women hold 24-percent of positions. 

The board of directors is composed entirely of White males.

Now, let's go to the  website for JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI and see if Burns and McDonnell pays taxes on real estate/personal property. 

https://ascendweb.jacksongov.org/ascend/(g0aspc3bs5cahhjyzmfuzu45)/search.aspx

Below, you'll see all the listings on the site for Burns and McDonnell, and remember that their headquarters is 9400 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64114:

48-340-10-05-02-0-00-000

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

12/16/2016 00:00

9990024

19,227.56

This is the only real estate listing found for Burns and McDonnell.  This is a parking lot/storage facility, several blocks from their headquarters, where they keep vehicles/trailers.

 --------

20100717B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY IN

10450 HOLMES RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Inactive account

Burns and McDonnell occupied 3 floors of this building.

 --------

20100144B

BURNS AND MC DONNELL

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

No activity on this listing since 2015.

 ------

20071354B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9201 STATE LINE RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Inactive account

 ------

20054139B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC

9221 WARD PKWY STE 300, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

Listed as an active account, but no values found.

 ------

02018500F

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY INC

4800 MARTHA TRUMAN RD, GRANDVIEW, MO 64030

11/30/2016 00:00

9789830

4,921.66

Listed as a MACR 7-year personal property for tax depreciation purposes.

 ------

02018500E

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY IN

404 W 90TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789881

5,032.92

Personal property

 ------

02018500D

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

10450 HOLMES RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789820

23,763.27

Personal property for the 3 floors of the building which they occupied.

 ------

02018500C

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9201 STATE LINE RD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789781

72,971.53

Personal property

 ------

02018500B

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

9300 WARD PKWY, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

11/30/2016 00:00

9789878

626,618.61

For the personal property listed below.

34 Chevrolet Impalas, 2 boats with motors, 3 flatbed trailers, 12 other trailers, 13 Chevrolet truck/SUV, 1 Ford Transit, 142 GMC truck/SUV, 1 Lincoln MKT SUV

 ------

019600706

BURNS & MCDONNELL ENG CO INC

UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN, MO

Listed as an active account, but no values found.

 ------

So, you can see that Burns and McDonnell pay a modest amount of taxes on personal property (vehicle fleet, trailers, boats, furniture, office equipment, etc.) held in all the buildings they occupy, yet only have one real estate holding at 404 W. 90th KCMO 64114.  You can Google this address to view their modest non-descript vehicle storage facility.

Conspicuously absent is their headquarters building, with the recent expansion completed, after KCMO granted them blight designation, millions in tax breaks, partial earnings tax exemption, all while the city financed the project for them.

Next, let's see where the Burns and McDonnell leadership team reside.  Do you think they live within KCMO?  Based on a sampling of several hundred Burns and McDonnell employees who contributed to Mayor James reelection campaign during a single quarterly reporting period, we know that approximately 85-percent or more of their  employees do not reside within KCMO.  And if you don't reside in KCMO, then you don't pay property taxes/buy groceries/merchandise in KCMO, and don't send your children to school in KCMO.

Ray Kowalik, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, lives in Lee's Summit, MO.

David Yeamans, Director and President of Aviation & Facilities Division, lives in Leawood, KS.

John Nobles, Director and President of Process & Industrial Division, lives in Leawood, KS.

Paul Fischer, Vice President and Director, lives in Overland Park, KS.

John Olander, Vice President and Director, lives in Leawood, KS.

Dave Ruf Jr., Chairman Emeritus, lives in Overland Park, KS.

Greg Graves, recently retired CEO, lives in Stilwell, KS.

BOTTOM LINE?

After doing this cursory review on Burns and McDonnell, it seems rather apparent that they leverage their position as a large employer to extract maximum benefits from the city, while simultaneously choosing to grow and contribute to the economic vitality of the non-KC Missouri suburbs and state of Kansas.

Do you think KCMO should grant an exclusive no-bid billion(+) dollar construction project to a company whose management team are non-residents?  Have you ever wondered why Mayor James, Troy Schulte, and many on the KCMO Council seek to impress and enrich non-residents?  Follow the money-trail and your questions will be answered.

Sly James' 123GO Bond game--rather than his 23Skidoo out of KCMO/"Little Detroit" by copying Senator Pat Roberts LaZBoy strategy

Sly, I am so sorry I couldn't airlift you immediately out of KCMO to WDC for your 23Skidoo exit strategy.  Good luck peddling your craycray 123GOBond issue!  If you can con the public into believing that NON-MANDATED EASTER BUNNY WISH LIST, you'd be such an asset to the nation.  Now whatever you do, delete this Instagram!

KCMO Mayor Sly James RENTS, and resides in tony Union Hill at 108 E 30th St., a few houses east of Walnut--a block and a half east of Main. Where the yard sign and his bodyguard are on the street. That's open record.

He does not own any home in KCMO --he sold Mannheim, and relocated from a rental north of the river.  Therefore, ipso facto, SLY JAMES DOES NOT PAY PROPERTY TAX!

You may recall he left his wife--and his kids' cars--listed on Mannheim Rd personal property--when he sold that house and encamped to rent in the Northland.  But sloppy Joe--I mean Sly--then failed to pay his personal property taxes on time.  That should have been grounds for the Election Board to refuse to allow him to run for re-election.  But he was running against The Colonel--a homeless man.  (never reported by Micheal Mahoney or the STAR.) And annoying Clay Chastain, who rents a room here from his sister in Westport--but lives and drives and votes in West Virginia.  So the Election Board let that SLYde.

Currently in Jackson County, one in ten homes are already abandoned!!!!  No property taxes paid there!

Sly's exit strategy out of Little Detroit--aka KCMO--got busted when Hillary ran a dreadful campaign, barking like a pit bull, and lost the Presidency. (I used to like her, and once wrote her 7 checks, so back off.) Sly's plan was: Hillary appoints Cleaver to a post, then Sly takes Cleaver's unexpired seat--requires just the votes of the local Democratic Central Committee--those nameless loyal precinct committeemen and women. Sly tells his landlord, do like Senator Pat Roberts does in western Kansas--rent me a back bedroom or just this Union Hill basement-- with a LaZBoy recliner for when I circle back to gladhand.

But instead of 23 Skidoo, now he's peddling 123GO.

Like Sen. Pat Roberts (R)KS, who rents a back bedroom from a landlord in his home district, Mayor Sly James hopes to one day replace Congressman Cleaver and move to Washington DC.  James would have the taxpayers buy him a LaZBoy recliner in the townhome he currently rents on Union Hill, 108 E 30th St.  Mayor Sly James does not pay property taxes.  Yet his boondoggle 123GO Bond issue would raise property taxes in KCMO for 40 years.  $100 a month compounding annually.  (per the CITY MANAGER, WHO TOLD DAVE HELLING THAT GLORIOSO'S NINE BROCHURES ARE FULL OF FALSE INFORMATION AND PROMISES.)    For a wishlist where not one puppy kennel, not one sidewalk or bridge is mandated.  Just a Hallmark card of "wouldn't this be nice..."

For more information and news, log onto www.kcmopost.com

Thank you, Sly James! Your ill-reasoned plan to pay $15/hour minimum wage across MO will boost JoCo and save the KS economy!

Hosannas and praise to Sly James, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.  You are doing MORE with your left-handed bungling than even Kansas Governor Sam Brownback thinks he is, to support the stalled economy in Johnson County, Kansas!!!

Sly James commenced his second term in August, kissing up to a local push from an organizing group of people all wearing red T-shirts to raise the minimum wage, just in KCMO, to $15 an hour.
Sly loves anything in a red shirt.  Just like he donned a red KCMO Firefighters button down shirt the night that JJ's Restaurant exploded and killed a worker--the night the KCMO firefighters drove away without turning off the gas leak, themselves, claiming (with a perhaps falsified FAX), that was somehow justified or prudent, because of some goofball policy that the "gas company had it covered"...no need for the Fire Department to actually do their tax-supported job.

So Mr. Big Red Jacket, we all know you love being on the news.  And so you supported the $15 an hour organizers, as well.  You made the news.

But that puzzled me.  Because Mayor James has a day job, as a lawyer.  It is illegal in Missouri for a city to pass a law controlling the minimum wage.  It must be a statewide thang.  So shouldn't he know better?

But oh well.  Details are not Sly's thang.  Like how to build a hotel downtown, without violating securities law, because your secret research report told you and the council that it won't pay for itself.
As of August 29,2015, the City of KCMO is claiming they don't have to release the secret research report, "because it was embedded and bundled inside a request for a sealed bid".  So even tho the taxpayers PAID for the report, they can't see it.  Details.  "It's a secret!"   (More on that soon.)

Another pesky detail this week:  Sly James now is scheming to borrow money from the Zoo Bond Fund to pay for a completely different project.  Might that be the same downtown hotel?  But wait.  The ballot issue promised the taxpayers when they voted for the penguins that the money would only go to the Zoo?  Details.

So when I read that Sly was grandstanding for the $15 an hour minimum wage, I just smiled.  Four years is a LONG time for him to campaign to replace Congressman Emanuel Cleaver in Congress.
He's gonna need alot of free headlines.  Like Donald Trump's race, it's far too early for details.

But now the news is reporting that Sly apparently read the state law, and perhaps had a "duh moment".  So now he is joining hands with union workers in St. Louis, and the new battle cry is "Raise the minimum wage across all of Missouri--to $15 an hour."  Coming soon to a red T-shirt near you.

To my mind, Sly James' campaign is the best news that Johnson County has had in a long time. Because every business that CAN migrate across our itty bitty and oh so close State Line Road--into Kansas for regular minimum wages--will do so.

The truth is this.  The economy has not recovered from 2008.  Businesses large and small are doing everything in their power just to survive.  And they are holding off on actual hiring.  Because we don't trust Congress not to jack up the tax code and the labor laws even worse.  And let's not even go there regarding Obamacare.  It's too big to repeal, too hard to repair and too soon to tell.

The second Big Truth is: newbie workers are not worth $15 an hour.  Period.  It doesn't matter if you exclude kids, late teens.  A greeter at Walmart is not worth $15 an hour.  They don't earn their keep. It's nice that they hire retirees.  But really, what do they do but check for shoplifters and point toward the return desk?  I want falling prices, not rising ones!  A rising tide floats all boats.  Imagine having to raise everyone's salary because the new hires start at $15 and hurt morale.  What would really happen?  Work the people you have to death, that's what.  NO new hires.

A new kid out of college, just learning their trade as a copywriter?  Not worth $15 an hour.  A new kid who just graduated from SM Northwest, learning how to load up trees at my favorite nursery, Family Tree Nursery in Shawnee?  Not worth $15 an hour.  (Ask for Woody.)  A newly hired empty nester Mom, seeking her first job in 18 years, anywhere, since the kids went away to college?  Not worth $15 an hour.  She might be, soon.  But not on Day 1.  So the franchisees and the entrepreneurs and the big box stores in Johnson County are not going to lose money, they just won't hire anyone starting out at $15 an hour.  Including the marcher carrying his sign UPSIDE DOWN!

So please, Sly James.  LET THE MIGRATION BEGIN.  You keep wearing your red T-shirts and your red KCFD button down shirt.  And send ALL your businesses over to Johnson County--it's in the Red State.

Hugs,

Tracy Thomas, publisher of JoCoPost.com
New publisher of KCMOPost.blogspot.com