By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

Having said a lot of nice things about Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson this week, I'll add one last thought:

He needs to get together with Cerner CEO Neal Patterson and close the deal to bring the new Cerner facility and Wizards soccer stadium to Wyandotte County.

Legislators really think the administration has been dragging its feet on the $414 million project. If it falls through, they'll be thoroughly convinced that now ex-Commerce Secretary David Kerr blew the deal, maybe on purpose, because he was negotiating for a job in Missouri.

Parkinson is right to draw a line on how much Kansas will offer in incentives on the deal. But he needs to remove as many obstacles as possible. And he definitely needs to tell the Cerner folks that the welcome mat is extended.

The sweet spot of the deal isn't the soccer stadium. Based on experience with other sports facilities, one can legitimately question its payoff to the state in the long run. The sweet spot is the promise of up to 4,000 new jobs from the Cerner expansion. And, as a bonus, the bounce in business for Village West businesses.

GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder of Overland Park is apoplectic about the delay in closing the deal and Kerr's departure. But, as he noted, Parkinson is a dealmaker. He settled the long-running coal plant dispute within 48 hours of taking office. Parkinson would take a lot of heat off of himself and Kerr if he got the Cerner deal signed and sealed.