KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Despite all the buzz about redesigning KCI, not everyone thinks it's necessary or even as beneficial of some believe.
Patrick Tuohey with the Show-Me Institute is one of those detractors. Touhey worries that development costs will lead to higher prices at the airport and KCI could lose its competitive edge.
Extended coverage:
Timeline: How we got to the KCI vote
KCMO Mayor: KC deserves first-class airport
Touhey sat down with 41 Action News Anchor Kevin Holmes to explain his position on the airport.
Q: Why do you think people should vote "no" to a new airport?
A: "A lot of people don't understand the risk involved, a lot of cities have spent a billion dollar plus to build new airports, Sacramento, San Jose and have actually seen service drop, because the price to airlines went so high, that the city was no longer competitive. Kansas City has a real competitive advantage with our airport and that's why we enjoy so many direct flights and we risk ruining that with taking on an expensive and unnecessary airport"
Q: What do you say to people who argue that a redesigned airport will improve efficiency.
"It's kind of a build it and they will come mentality. We don't have any guarantee that any business will come here because of a new airport, about any airline that will offer more service. We kind of have the promise and really what that means is that taxpayers or ticket buyers, for example, are on the hook without any guaranteed benefit."
Q: Some KCI officials say a re-design could also improve efficiency at security checkpoints. What do you say to that?
A: "Kansas City has a short security wait of three minutes, three and a half minutes. That is the envy of airports around the country and if you move to kind of the model that exists elsewhere where you have a cattle call, everybody moves through the same lines, we lose that efficiency. What's great about Kansas City as it stands is that you can get out of your car and walk right to your gate practically and be there in a few minutes"
Q: Last question, why do you think people should vote against this when they go to the polls?
A: "Unfortunately, the voters don't have enough information, the memorandum of understanding, which will dictate the terms of the financing and the structure hasn't been decided yet and won't be decided until after the election. That's something the voters should know."
Watch the video above for more from 41 Action News Anchor's Kevin Holmes's interview with Touhey
