archives

By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Mayor Mark Funkhouser and Clay Chastain agree on one thing: They think KC's starter light-rail line is a dumb idea. They are being shortsighted by saying so.

Roger Merryfield, Midwest Voices Panelist 2008

When confronted by a known arsonist pouring gasoline over you, should you:

1) Apologize for everything you may have ever done to provoke him into this perfectly understandable and justifiable act of reprisal against you?

By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

If convicted of his latest charges, Randy A. Ralstin of Lee's Summit needs to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Let me explain.

By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Things we learned while reading what the City Council members told The Star about their first year in office:

-- Sharon Sanders Brooks didn't know when she ran for office in early 2007 that the city had such incredible financial problems. Huh?

By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Sewers and light rail are two of the hottest topics of civic interest in the spring of 2008. And deservedly so.

Kansas Citians need to spend more than $2 billion to fix their wastewater system. The federal Environmental Protection Agency is making the city take care of a problem that dumps untreated sewage in area waterways during heavy rains.

Lenexa residents are already pleased with their roads and parks. In fact, their satisfaction scores are the highest of all those reported in recent metropolitan-area surveys.

But Lenexa officials say it will take more money to properly maintain the city’s extensive road system and to improve the growing parks system.