Americans---and Kansas Citians--Need Better Imaginations

As a nation, as a people, we have some pretty significant problems not least of which is our outrageously, unaffordably high health care.

The rest of the world does not-for-profit health care but us? Here in the good ol' US of A?

We can't imagine a different system.

Further, we don't look at other systems around the world, most of us. In spite of the fact that, again, nearly, if not entirely the whole world doesn't tie health and health care directly to profit, we can't imagine doing it.

Let that sink in because it's true.

We can't imagine doing with our health care system, as a nation, what the rest of the world already does and has done for at least decades, if not a century or more.

And it's the same, more locally, with our airport, KCI, MCI, Kansas City International Airport.

Too many can't imagine saving the existing buildings and using them, using them well, revamping them and thereby being far more fiscally and environmentally responsible.

Like most "good Americans", all we can imagine is taking bulldozers to the entire complex and building new.

It doesn't have to be that way.  At all.

Almost completely a year ago now, a local architecture group, Crawford Architects laid out a plan to do just that. That is, to renovate and reuse the existing buildings, thereby, again, being more fiscally responsible--read:  saving money--and being far more environmentally responsible.

Another KCI renovation option surfaces

For a rough overview, here it is.

It would cost less, very likely, to renovate our existing buildings there than to walk away from them, from all of it and build a new, single terminal, first.  Heck, even if it cost the same, it's still far, far more responsible renovating and reusing than doing the tear-down/walk away.  Additionally, the new, single terminal design offers LESS GATES than our existing buildings.

Understand this. The proponents of a new, single terminal want to do it because we need to be able to grow but WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE FEWER GATES FROM WHICH TO ENTER AND EXIT THE TERMINAL?

Really?

And that makes sense how?  And to whom?

And check this out. In this year just ended, 2016, we're already increasing the passenger numbers.

KCI Passengers Up 8.8 Percent in February

KCI Passenger Growth Continued 

in November

And that's with the Airport Authority not even doing their duty, taking care of our terminals out there and keeping all of them open.

So come on, Kansas City, Kansas Citians. Heck, everyone from the metropolitan area and region that uses this airport.  Let's show some imagination and do this thing right. Let's not do the good, old, wasteful American habit of tearing down, walking away and building anew elsewhere.  It's expensive, it's unnecessary, it's wasteful, and it's wildly, environmentally irresponsible.

For fairness and the love of all that's good and right and true and intelligent, everyone in the Kansas City metropolitan area and region who has any concern or question about this issue--and we all should because we're going to pay for it--should read this article over at Save KCI!

Resolve To Avoid Spaghetti And 

Ask More Questions in 2016

Read it, please.

And let's all use our imaginations.