Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

KC topics that don't fit anywhere else.
knucklehead
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1367
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:51 pm
Location: Martin City

Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by knucklehead »

A well rounded objective newpaper column to follow up on his well rounded objective ode to Johnson County.

Why does this clown write for the Star? He clearly is absolutely head over heels in love with suburbs and hates urban Kansas City.

His idea of a well rounded column is to find something to bitch about concerning every thing he can think of.

Oh by the way, Yael, although you pretend to write on city devleopment issues, you seem to have completely missed the resurgance of downtown and the fact that there is more development going on in KC's downtown than most other cities right now. Guess that didn't fit Yael's script for pandering to suburbanites.


http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 125809.htm
User avatar
Tosspot
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 8041
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 10:00 pm
Location: live: West Plaza; work: South Plaza
Contact:

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by Tosspot »

His rant is also reminiscent of your average Kansas Citian, and this won't change until the the arena and P&L are actually finished and functioning.
Image

photoblog. 

until further notice i will routinely point out spelling errors committed by any here whom i frequently do battle wit
LenexatoKCMO
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 14667
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Valentine

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

His article left out an important item:

-local newspaper promises to construct fabulous new facitlity promoting downtown but then lets city down by paving over thriving neighborhood with surface parking lots. 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 126513.htm
knucklehead
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1367
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:51 pm
Location: Martin City

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by knucklehead »

Yael's opening paragraph is a beauty. He says old timers remember the sports stadium didn't get a rolling roof. Well I am enough of an old timer to remember when the stadiums were built.

We went from an expanded minor league stadium (Municipal), to one of the first, if not the first, two stadium complexes in the United States. Everyone else was bulding disasterous multi-purpose stadiums. Both Kaufmann and Arrowhead were years ahead of there times and arguably launched the Kansas City Sports architecture movement. We got both for about $40 million. An absolute mirical price even at 1970s prices. 

Kansas City was a small city that had just lost the A's. We were border line major leagues yet we built two great stadiums. To Yael instead of an impressive civic achievement that was a fiasco because we didn't get a rolling roof (which most people knew was not practical. I mean come on, there has never been one built anywhere).

That tells you all you need to know about Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah. 
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KC0KEK »

Question:
knucklehead wrote: Why does this clown write for the Star?
Answer:
Tosspot wrote: His rant is also reminiscent of your average Kansas Citian.
In other words, he has a column partly because his views are representative of some members of the community.

Those who disagree should write a letter to the editor or apply for Midwest Voices. Your views are representative of other members of the community, but don't assume that someone else will bother to voice those views.
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33839
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KCPowercat »

the column would be a little more valid if this type of stuff didn't happen in every city metro in the country.
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
User avatar
chrizow
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 17157
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2003 8:43 am

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by chrizow »

KCPowercat wrote: the column would be a little more valid if this type of stuff didn't happen in every city metro in the country.
what's worse is that everything in it is true.
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33839
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KCPowercat »

I think some are unfair assumptions.  Like the riverfront park.....ummm, it's a fine park to run in.....what does he expect when the building portion hasn't started yet?

Also it's a bit premature to say the Sprint Center or the Nelson expansion are failures...one hasn't even had it's design released yet.
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
User avatar
Thrillcekr
Penntower
Penntower
Posts: 2161
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 8:14 am
Location: Kansas City, Mo
Contact:

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by Thrillcekr »

The guy is an idiot period.  His constant criticism of Barnes and Cauthen makes it extremely obvious that it's much more than a point of view.  More like a mission because it's the same shit week after week.  Meanwhile, he never mentions the fact that the same problems he likes to point out in Kansas City are occurring in his beloved Johnson County.  Yet he never criticizes them for anything.  Always tries to paint a picture like it's some sort of utopia.  Therefore it isn't what could be coined as constructive criticism.  Just useless ranting.

However, in the grand scheme of things, it mattters none.  To me, he's just like Jason Whitlock.  His opinion can't be taken seriously but his columns are much like a train wreck.  You know it's gonna be ugly but ya just gotta look. Hendricks isn't much different other than he tries to veil his attacks.  

Why does the Star allow this?  The answer is quite simple.  It sells newspapers in Johnson County because most of those people love to read anything negative about KC.  It gives them a false sense of superiority.  Strokes their fragile little egos.
User avatar
im2kull
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3926
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 4:33 pm
Location: KCMO

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by im2kull »

The guy is an idiot, and hardly ever has anything good to say, but I actually agree with parts of this article.  Maybe I was reading it wrong, but this shows how badly we lack a power mover for the city, much like the pentergast family used to be.  You can kauffman this and kauffman that, but when it comes to projects that need a large commitment, they always seem to support it...but never write the checks or help get behind the movement with anything greater than their signiture. 
I dont think this article was really criticizing the city, but rather the people at the top spots in the city who have no drive to improve our downtown, or finish half baked projects.  Other than mayor Barnes, have you ever really heard any of our council or leading bussiness people voice their support for downtown?  Sure sprint paid for the naming rights to the arena, but what else have they done.  They could double downtowns population just by moving their headquarters there, even before they built there OP headquarters....downtown WAS an option.  It makes me sad to think that most the projects mentioned in the article will probably never change.  For all we know, arrowhead and kauffman could be gone within the next 15 years.  Imagine how great of a place it would have been if we had built some commercial areas around it and tried to make the sports complex a viable place to go, other than on game day.  We already have the stadiums, we should use those as the building blocks to something greater.  The sports complex would be world class if it was finished and built as shown in the picture in that article, it could be a landmark of our city and our accomplishments....past and present.
What's graciously given to KC, is strong for the region as a whole.  Passion and benevolence will one day exeem towards all whom know true adoration.  We shall triumph to better the community as One within
THINK (ONE) KC.
User avatar
TheNorthlander
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:34 pm

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by TheNorthlander »

im2kull wrote: For all we know, arrowhead and kauffman could be gone within the next 15 years.  Imagine how great of a place it would have been if we had built some commercial areas around it and tried to make the sports complex a viable place to go, other than on game day.  We already have the stadiums, we should use those as the building blocks to something greater.  The sports complex would be world class if it was finished and built as shown in the picture in that article, it could be a landmark of our city and our accomplishments....past and present.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!!!!  This is exactly what the "idiot" Yael is setting the stage for.  Basically, he will use his premises to criticize any attempt to build a downtown baseball stadium, and instead put forward the argument that we need to "finish" the Truman Sports Complex "as promisd" and surround it with big box retail,  with MASSIVE public subsidies that will be as financially sound as the attendance projections for Science City!!

Yael is second only to Kathyrn Shields in the contest to be the most avid Truman Complex supporter.  Does everyone realize that according to yahoo people search, Yael lives in Raytown less than a half-mile away from the complex? (I often wonder why a Raytowner is considered a so-called expert about KCMO city affairs.  If he is so concerned about KCMO, then why doesn't he live in the city?....he is already paying e-tax....)

The case to move baseball downtown is irrefutable.   Irrefutable!  The therotical and practical discussions about urban baseball have been exhausted in city after city for the past fifteen years, the recent studies by the Downtown Council affirmed the conclusions,  and the case is CLOSED!  (And no I won't retry the case in this forum.) All that is needed is the will and vision from the community (and, unfortunately, the Royal's owner) to make it happen.

And yes, Yael, in any large project, the estimates will be wrong; that is why they are called "estimates" not "promises."  I wonder why he didn't site the delays and cost overruns of the Star's new plant?

You know, nobody is forced to pay a dime for the Star.  They give their content away for free on the net.  I haven't subscribed for over 10 years.  I already have plenty of toilet paper.
"Keep the Status-Quo! Yes on 1, No on 2!" - Jackson County Voters
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KC0KEK »

TheNorthlander wrote: I wonder why he didn't site the delays and cost overruns of the Star's new plant?
Probably because aside from the 10-year tax abatement, the plant isn't funded by taxpayers, unlike most (all?) of the examples he cited.
User avatar
TheNorthlander
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:34 pm

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by TheNorthlander »

KC0KEK wrote: Probably because aside from the 10-year tax abatement, the plant isn't funded by taxpayers, unlike most (all?) of the examples he cited.
Please educate me on the specific taxpayer funding of:
-The Plaza Library
-The Nelson expansion
-The Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park

And if I am not mistaken (correct me if I am wrong, please) the PAC is heavy on the private side.

Note Yael also didn't talk about the Downtown Libary which was 90% private and is a success beyond any so-called "promises" anyone could cite.
"Keep the Status-Quo! Yes on 1, No on 2!" - Jackson County Voters
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7393
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by shinatoo »

TheNorthlander wrote: Yael is second only to Kathyrn Shields in the contest to be the most avid Truman Complex supporter.  Does everyone realize that according to yahoo people search, Yael lives in Raytown less than a half-mile away from the complex? (I often wonder why a Raytowner is considered a so-called expert about KCMO city affairs.  If he is so concerned about KCMO, then why doesn't he live in the city?....he is already paying e-tax....)
I'm by no means a Yael supporter but I do have a couple of problems with this post.

1. Yael lives on 50th terr. Raytown's norther border stops at 52nd street, so he does live in KC, and it's more than a mile to the stadium.

2. If you read the entire article insted of just getting pissed form the first half you will see that his point is that we should still support these projects, even if they don't meet our expextations. And that the powers that be should do a better job of keeping our expectations real.

From teh end of the artical.
Given this litany of troubled projects, why do Kansas Citians continue to support ideas brought forward by City Hall or civic leaders?

The overriding reason is that, even when they don’t fully live up to expectations, big-ticket projects often improve the city and the entire region.

The bedraggled zoo that existed in the late 1980s had to be improved. Brush Creek had to be deepened to control floods. Bartle Hall had to be enlarged or the city would have lost even more conventions.

Kansas Citians also are fully aware that they — not Johnson Countians or other suburbanites — must take responsibility for getting behind proposals to improve regional amenities.

But they ought to be the best plans available.

In the future, public and private officials who promote major projects should propose budgets that are not overly ambitious. They ought to put forward practical construction plans and develop pragmatic time schedules.

Above all, when it comes to completing these capital improvements, civic leaders should do their best to keep their promises to the people of Kansas City.
User avatar
dangerboy
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9029
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:28 am
Location: West 39th St. - KCMO

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by dangerboy »

I'm going to defend Yael here.  He's not hating Kansas City, just pointing an important weakness that we need to work on correcting.

KC does have an often-deserved reputation for screwing up big projects.  We are really good coming up with neat plans, but not so good at executing those plans.  Combine that with an often-deserved reputations for corrupt city/county government and poor maintainence of public infrastructure, and it's easy to see why voters are often so leery of sending more tax money to City Hall.

Voters have taken a leap of faith by approving hundreds of millions of dollars in new projets over the last five years.  It's critical that the city deliver them on time, on budget, and with the promised features.  Otherwise it will be much harder to get approval future projects like Arrowhead renovations, downtown baseball stadium, light rail, etc.
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KC0KEK »

TheNorthlander wrote: Please educate me on the specific taxpayer funding of:
-The Plaza Library
-The Nelson expansion
-The Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park

And if I am not mistaken (correct me if I am wrong, please) the PAC is heavy on the private side.

Note Yael also didn't talk about the Downtown Libary which was 90% private and is a success beyond any so-called "promises" anyone could cite.
Hence the word "most."
User avatar
dangerboy
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 9029
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 8:28 am
Location: West 39th St. - KCMO

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by dangerboy »

Plaza Library - paid for by the office building developer in exchange for air rights above the library. 
Berkley Park - mostly paid for with tax revenue from the Isle of Capri casino
Nelson - private donations.

The Central Library hasn't been a total success.  The utility and staff costs have been much higher than anticipated.  The library system has had to cut back hours and book buying for all branches in order to offset the cost of the new facility.  Plus, a year later they still have no tenant for the cafe space.
Marreekarr
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 313
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:08 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by Marreekarr »

im2kull wrote: Maybe I was reading it wrong, but this shows how badly we lack a power mover for the city, much like the pentergast family used to be.  You can kauffman this and kauffman that, but when it comes to projects that need a large commitment, they always seem to support it...but never write the checks or help get behind the movement with anything greater than their signiture. 
I second that opinion.  The Kauffman Foundation is run by out-of-towners, the Halls gave us Crown Center but have not been too involved with any other urban issues that I'm aware of.  We need a figurehead or group of people with real financial/political clout that is committed to making significant progress.  I give credit to Barnes for working her hind quarters off during her term in office.  Is there anyone on the playing field that might be the next major power broker in terms of development?
User avatar
TheNorthlander
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 326
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:34 pm

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by TheNorthlander »

dangerboy wrote: The Central Library hasn't been a total success.
If the Library and the spin-off development isn't an example of success, then I think we are going to be hard pressed to find one.
"Keep the Status-Quo! Yes on 1, No on 2!" - Jackson County Voters
KC0KEK
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4855
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 6:23 pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: Yael "I hate Kansas City" Abouhalkah strikes again

Post by KC0KEK »

Marreekarr wrote: Is there anyone on the playing field that might be the next major power broker in terms of development?
Julia Kaufmann.
Post Reply