Words from a different perspective

DRAFT PUBLISHED FOR FEEDBACK
MORE TO ADD?
Either topics or info for a topic

I genuinely believe businesses are essentially abusive with their business practices.

I think this is currently a part of the late-stage capitalism quandary. Yes, we had issues in the past with large barons owning super large & powerful businesses.

Ok, maybe a magnate or dare I say tycoon vs baron

A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or services are widely consumed.

But then, barons were frequently the magnates of the old life until the people started standing up to “royalty”. They might not have been “Official Royalty,” But they were the noblemen of the era and essentially held ultimate power over “the people”… Their People.

Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, but lower than a viscount or count. Often, barons hold their fief – their lands and income – directly from the monarch. Barons are less often the vassals of other nobles. Wikipedia

Like those Tycoon’s and Barons of the past, current “Big Businesses” Have become their own tycoon status.

Tycoon’s have frequently become so abusive that the impression one gets of them does not match the Official Definition:

tycoon noun
ty·​coon tī-ˈkün
• 1 a : a businessperson of exceptional wealth, power, and influence : magnate
b : a top leader (as in politics)

• a person who has achieved great success in business and is very wealthy and powerful
• a person who has succeeded in business or industry and has become very rich and powerful
— a business/media/property/oil/shipping tycoon

I believe that many businesses have essentially done a

Now, what do I mean?

I’m talking about basic business practices to squeeze the last dollar/the last bit of life out of their consumers/customers/clients at the peril of their well-being.

Lets look at a few examples

Back of store & cash register impulse

The first that comes to mind is potentially the least hostile till you look at the long-term effects or the “big business” specifics… i.e., hostility of power of a mega corporation.

Placing the most needed things in the back so you have to pass through the whole store to grab what you need. More time in the store = more potential for the store to make money.
This ends with impulse product placement at the register.

If this were a small business or done with goodness of heart in mind, rather than a nefarious “pay us more” mentality, it probably wouldn’t be so bad.

Let’s examine this. You need to quickly grab something, spend 5 minutes in the store, and be on your way. In a small store that’s 50 feet deep, going to the back might not be a big deal, but with a mega store, they’re now holding you in the store for 20-30 minutes. Sure, you can spend five extra minutes walking to the back, another five walking back up front with tunnel vision, but the store knows the psychological tricks to break you out of your direct mission.

The mega store is not doing this to remind you to grab a few things you might need, but to get you to make impulse purchases of things you don’t need. Sure, spending money helps the business, but spending money you don’t want to, were not planning to, and often money you might not be able to afford, is harmful to the business’s customers.

This harm is not just to the pocketbook, but also to the customer’s mental state, as they fight the urges imposed by the store’s use of psychological trickery. Financial stress is enough for a person living paycheck to paycheck, but someone already weakened from that stress is more likely to make these unnecessary purchases, and thus, this is predatory behavior, given that the primary customer shopping is frequently a lower-income, paycheck-to-paycheck individual.

I was told that it’s not the store’s fault. Um, they are taking advantage of a captive group that often doesn’t have the freedom to choose any old store.

Another Example

Rideshare: UBER, Lyft, Others

This is a whole topic of its own, and will eventually be moved to its own post…

Uber/Lyft. These powerful businesses have employed a ton of tricks… trickery to take advantage of their customers who are, in turn, the products. Yes, both the rider and the driver are customers and products, and they are both being taken advantage of.

Lets take a look at a quick bullet point list pending it being broken out into its own post:

• Surges:
  • Leopard Surge Tease: Drivers are frequently teased with surges; these surges often have a leopard-print pattern that is typically near but never directly over the actual driver. (Hostile Teases) (see good faith solution below)
  • Chase a surge/Surge Disappearance: Drivers often say, “Never Chase a Surge.” That’s because it’s just a tease. If you try to go to the surge, 98% of the time it disappears the second you’re .001 miles from it. (Hostile Tease)
    • My first good faith solution is to return to the broad area surges, and then turn them into a leopard print if the driver is discriminating against riders by picking and choosing not to serve areas that are in areas with marginalized people, i.e., people of color.
    • My second good-faith solution is to let people lock in the surge by agreeing to drive to xyz area within x minutes/without delay. This tactic, without the first “area wide” one, introduces its own hostile environment, and can be alleviated to a point with at least two good faith offers.
  • Surge Lock in hostility: If you happen to lock in a surge and the surge offer/offers disappear, drivers are frequently given fewer ride options, and those you are given are less desirable. i.e., drivers around you without locked-in surges are being given rides while you get nothing for up to an hour or more. When you are finally given a ride, it’s often very far away and offered at an obnoxiously low hourly rate. Remember the communism of rideshare mentioned below. This $5 locked-in surge brings a $19/hour ride up to $24/hour. Statistically, if you hadn’t had a surge locked in, that very same ride would have been offered at $21 or $22 an hour. Adding a surge bonus should have brought that ride up to $26 or $27 an hour instead of $24. Thus, instead of making $21 an hour ($23.50 with the $5 surge) for 2 hours, you’re paid $24 over 2 hours. i.e. $12/hour. ANOTHER HOSTILE BUSINESS PRACTICE
  • The Domino’s Pizza 30-minute effect: I’m super surprised there haven’t been more deaths with rideshare surges. Like the rush to deliver a pizza to a customer within 30 minutes, a rideshare driver pushed to beat the end of a surge, there is a significant risk of drivers getting into wrecks. ANOTHER HOSTILE BUSINESS PRACTICE (Ok, a rewording of the chase a surge listed above)
• Rideshare communism: Another hostile business practice

Rideshare communism: Another hostile business practice

This is where the rideshare companies take from good rides to pay more for bad rides. It’s a part of their concept to pay you as little as their algorithm thinks they can. It’s another hostile business practice. Instead of following the agreed price, they undercut themselves by saying, ‘We’re going to pay you below-market rate because we can get away with it.’

In other words, rather than giving you a bonus to do the less desirable, they remove the bad pay to make the other seem like a good bonus. “We averaged paying you 80% of the customer’s fare”

Um, that means you paid me significantly less on many rides. That in itself wouldn’t be so bad. After all, in the end, we averaged the “agreed price/payout.” However, they aren’t paying the agreed price. Since they use a fluctuating booking fee, they artificially lower the fare while charging extra and pocketing the difference. This can be harmful since the rider thinks the driver is getting a reasonable portion of the “fare” they are paying. Unfortunately, that driver often gets $30 or less on that $80 fare. ANOTHER HOSTILE BUSINESS PRACTICE

NOTE:

This is just a note for me. In the old days. Super Powerful production houses. Sony, XXX, XXX, XXX used to run the music industry. They still do.

But someone once told me. You gotta tell the attendees what you’re giving to the bar/venue vs to the performers/acts. This has really bothered me. This is a negotiation between the two of them. X agreed to perform for a, and Y agreed to host the event for b. This is their own agreement —sometimes a complex one.

Splits & Percentages; Doors, Drinks, Food, Merch, etc. Then there are tips, booking fees, venue fees, and more; sometimes they’re included, and other times they’re broken out and paid in addition to the ticket price. Whether their’s a guarantee, split, or a flat fee to either the venue or performers, that’s all a part of this agreement.

Obviously, these agreements can be predatory. Hence, there is often a push for smaller artists and venues, but these smaller places can also be predatory, and the ticketing groups are often still mega corporations.

Title was: Inflation over the years: Pricing a business’s offerings
(But tipping suddenly became the topic. Inflation and prices are coming soon.)

I think it’s my Aspie/ASD side, but I’ve always liked to play with numbers. So, let’s have fun.

Before I start, I’ll note that, prior to the COVID-19 tipping fatigue, I’ve observed that typical cash tips for massage therapy have historically been 25-35% for the 90th percentile.

I’ve helped with some businesses, and I’ve noticed a few things over the years.

For this article, let’s come from the sector I’m most familiar with: The spa world, or massage specifically.

Tipping owners vs employees

First, tipping, a spa service or medical service, and now tip fatigue.

Business owners and tipping?

I find the concept of not tipping a business owner interesting and invalid. Yes, they are earning the profits, but they are also incurring the expenses. If it’s a sole proprietor small business, they probably don’t have the employees to bring in the income while spreading out the costs.

Expenses incurred by me alone as well as if I have employees:
I’m looking at a situation where a room/space is only used about 1/3rd of a seven day week.

• A phone line, I have that expense with 1 or 12 people doing the work.
• Additional expenses not shared: Internet, website, advertising, etc.
• Rent: each room can handle multiple people, plus common areas shared by everyone
• Utilities: Lets look at mid-small office: 144/240/480 sq feet
  • 144 Shared common space in a pricey boutique facility
    (Pricey May included WIFI & a front desk greeter)
  • 240 Private lobby in an office building shared restrooms and hallways
  • 480 Shared Private lobby, likely shared restrooms and hallways, best price per square foot.
    • it could be shared with roommates or employees, but most likely it’s not. In fact, one of the two rooms may be used just as the “Business office” side so pricey
    • Thus, I’m paying for 480 by myself, and with a roommate where each of us has our own room, that still leaves each of the two areas only used 30% of the available time.
  • Any of these three options means I am paying three times per person versus hiring two other people.

Yes, owners “could” charge whatever they want, but the prices are actually in line with the competitive market that is based on tipping.

Conclusion: Tip the person doing the work, not the owner. If the person doing the work is the owner, tip them like you would anyone else that’s doing “The work”

Tipping over the years

This was initially going to be about inflation, but to accurately describe the context of my price changes, one must first consider the tipping portion.

I will concede that there are those that either do not tip, or only tip $5 on price totals of $50-150. For this section, I’m focusing on those who do more than a token tip; those who are full-on tippers.

When I first started, a good rule of thumb was up to the nearest or second nearest $20.

i.e.
When our hourly price was $65, we were regularly getting $80 {$15/23%}, with our ninety-minute at $95, they typically gave $120 {$25/26%+}
The next raise, a $75 hour, we got $100/33%, and the ninety-minute, at $105, we were getting either $120 or $140. I can’t say $15 is a token tip, so the range was $15/14% to $35/34%. I’d say 75% of the tippers were doing the $140 over the $120.

When I added those to the Credit card machine, I used 3 bases for the suggested tip. 25, 30, 35% Once you count the 3% cc fees, that essentially equated the typical cash tips people paid.

$65/95 2005-2008; $75/105 2009-2019; $85/115 2019 (Generally 26-34%)
I take that back; I checked the Wayback Machine, and I was $85- $ 110 for an hour/ninety-minute session in 2013. I just dropped back down in 2015 when I moved to Kansas City.

Caviet, in 2015, I moved to a new market and tried out flat-rate prices of $85, but no one understood that, so within 90 days I switched back to $75/105. Everyone kept shopping around saying $85 for an hour is a lot, and that was only about a 13%

That caviet says a lot. I moved from New Orleans to Kansas City. New Orleans has a big tipping culture, and it seems to have higher base prices for massage therapy. That is probably why I ended up at $75 for a full 10 years. Noting, the 65 was also in KC in 2005/2006

Fatigue

I hate the idea of raising rates to minimize the reliance on tips, but as with 2015, how can it be done? I know many do it, and I know for medical massages, its pretty much all flat rate if they want insurance to cover it.

How high would one raise it to offset that fatigue? The typical 25-34%? halfway between the token $5 of 2005, 15% low end, 25% mid range, and 34% upper range? 22/31% to not automatically add a 3% cc assumption? — 8+15+22+31=76/4=19%. what about that 75% pay the upper half? 8+15+22+25+31+34=135/6 22.5%

Fall 2025, assuming a rate of 72/107/155 half hour, hour, ninety, so at 22.5%:

• 107+24.075=131.07; I had friends* charging more than this in 2021 (4+ years ago)
• 155+34.88=189.88; I had friends* charging this (4+ years ago)
• 72+16.2=88.2
• My 2-hour session is 264 and hasn’t changed much. It was created as a premium service when people were abusing it while not tipping.

*Friends charging this, I don’t think as a flat rate service.

Caviet: as of January 2025, the price was $31 + $38 for each 25-minute segment up to 3; we just offered an $8 discount to keep the hour to $99

But again, that makes it pretty high when people are shopping around. My current flat rate medical massage is: $36.39 for each 15 minute segment.
That makes each service:

that’s wrong. My flat rate is 36.67 calculations need to be adjusted

• 145.56/hr; 9% discount to equal $131
• 218.34/ninety; 13% discount to equal 189.96 ()
• 72.78/half hour; Less than 1% difference; (5% to bring it down to
• $291.12; 9% discount brings it to $264.92; Being a premium service, I’d like to keep it closer to 277 or a 5% discount (Or none)

Two hour sessions

These are quite a booger to address. These are premium services. They are long, with no breaks, and the people buying them either can either afford them, and the associated fees, or shouldn’t be buying them because they cant afford them.

For the 2-hour session, these are closely aligned with each other. 131*2=262 & 190 + 72 = 261. That’s an -ISH per se. The 2-hour session is full with no breaks. The abuse that was occurring was that the person kept asking for two one-hour sessions, which at the time was 75, and expecting it to be 150, then not tipping.

The initial 2-hour price came to be because an hour at 50 minutes of hands-on time is 110 vs 100 minutes of hands-on time you’d get with two single hours. Yet, they are asking for two full hours, or 120 minutes, of hands-on time. That’s a premium service. Yes, with an hour, I am typically closer to 55 minutes of hands-on time, but there’s no guarantee.

So, 50 minutes is $1.50/ minute. Convert that to 120 minutes, and it $180. Add the typical premium tip of 34%, and you get $241.20.

Correction, I was $85/hour in 2014 when the abusive client came in. Thus, 50 minutes is $1.70/minute, and scaled up, that’s $204 for 120 minutes.

A low-end 20% tip, as is typically added on restaurant bills with parties of 6 or more, is $244.80. NOTING: Most massage tippers with me tipped more than the typical restaurant tip. i.e., the 25-34% range

That $245 2 hour premium price has stayed steady since 2014. Granted, I did lower my prices by $10 & $5 $85 >> 75/hr & $110 >> 105 for the ninety.

Diverging into the inflation post a little, using today’s prices, the 2 hour session should be $308.00; the $107 fifty minute hour being $2.14/minute scaled up to 120 minutes, makes the 2 hour price be $256.80 and adding the 20% tip for being a flat rate premium service, we’re at $308.16.

Point to consider, using my flat rate service card, eight units at $36.39, we’re at 291.12 for 113+ minutes. Thus, scaling up, I guarantee 120 minutes, which scaled up is $309.15. That 309.15 is right in range with the $308.00 the 2-hour should be. Granted, that $291.12 is also valid up to 127 minutes. Unfortunately, most medical plans consider more than 4 units–one hour–to be a luxury, and thus, don’t cover it.

More 2-hour points to ponder: Considering the $38 25-minute segments + $31 base

120 minutes is 4.8 25-minute segments. or $182.4 add $31, and we’re at $213.40.
Add:

• 20% > $256.08
• 24% > $264.62
• 34% > $285.96 (Premium)

All still short of the $308 potentially suggested price until you consider that it’s a premium service, and the $31 base is good for up to 3 segments. Thus, 213.40 is really $244.4.
Add:

• 20% > $293.28
• 25% > $305.50
• 34% > $327.50
• 26% > $307.94

Actual Inflation from its inception:

• $264 in 2014 (September)
• $359.32 in 2025 (August: Today is October 4)
  Yes, that’s considering September 2014 vs January where it would be $364.64

2 hour vs 1 hour conclusion

• $308/2 = $154….
  • 10% off for non-premium = $138.6 (about $107 + 29% tip; a typical cash is $140 or 31% tip )
  • 308/4 = $77 i.e. half hour segments.
• $359.32/2 = $179.66
  • 359.32/4 = $89.83

The $36.39 rate:

• $36.39; 15 minutes
• $72.78; 30 minutes
• $109.17; 45 minutes (Typical hour is 50-55 minutes hands-on)
• $145.56; 60 minutes (Typical hour is 50-55 minutes hands-on);
  10% cash discount = 130.5 or 21.5% tip based on $107 hour
• $181.95; 75 minutes (Typical ninety minute is 75-80 minutes hands-on)
• Split difference: 200.19; 10% cash discount = $180 or 24% tip based on $145 ninety
• $218.43; 90 minutes (Typical ninety minute is 75-80 minutes hands-on);
  20% cash discount = $174.4
  17% cash discount =$181.3 or 25% tip
  15% cash discount = $185.3 or 28% tip
  10% cash discount = $195.2
• $254.73; 105 minutes
• $291.12; 120 minutes (This is a premium service; Insurance doesn’t even offer it)
  9% cash discount = $264.92 (Actual price)
  5.8% premium service fee = $308

Tariff update requested April and June 2025

Average rate for a constant load, i.e., a 100W light bulb on 24×7

Residential 3 period tariff PDF

Requiring a login makes it a challenge to compare. It looks like the weekend vs non-weekend option is the same??? Either way, it appears to be prejudiced against the poor whom often work on the weekends, and do their weekly chores on a weekday. Perhaps let people pick their 2 weekend days?

Yes, I understand that businesses, especially industrial and 9-to-5 offices, often operate only Monday through Friday, so peak usage may occur on actual weekdays; however, that’s not always accurate. Weekends can be heavier on usage for those people’s laundry and shopping. (Okay, stores are open on weekdays, and registers are not used much more on weekends.) Same with opening doors, not a ton of Heat/AC getting out with the heavier traffic, but more bodies are hot. Other than the stay-at-home moms who DO shop weekdays? Plus some other businesses that are higher in power usage and work weekends. i.e., restaurants, gyms/entertainment, etc. Granted, their usage is spread out all day vs just 4-8.

Either way, I still contend, it’s weighted against the poor whose weekends are on weekdays. If they only make up a small percentage of users, then why not let them choose their weekend days?

I’ve noticed a wide variety of interpretations across the area for what a cortado is.

Updating soon. I’m just registering my NOTE.
I will specifically add an experience to my charts, and clarify any other wording after I’ve slept on it.

My drink & My order

Let me first preface that I will often order an “8oz Quad Shot Breve” …

… “Like a Double Cortado”

Some people are confused. They’re like “A late?”

“Yes, 50:50 espresso:milk/breve er I’ll take the heaviest cream have if thats cool”

Also:
• No, not an americano, like a cortado
• No, not 4 oz of espresso with a splash of half n half; That would be like a macchiato. Just because its in a cortado glass doesn’t make it a cortado

Just give me a quad shot and fill the rest up with the milk to the 8 oz line. Preferably heavy cream, but Breve {Half n Half} will do since many places won’t heat actual cream.

Just because I say “like a cortado” doesn’t undo the very specific “8oz”.

Why word it like that?

Because many places around town don’t have anything smaller than a 12 oz drink. Plus, many either don’t know what a cortado is, or are just recently learning about a cortado. Caveat, some use the term Gibraltar; “Its the same.”

Oh, yes, more places are adding an 8oz cup, but that’s for something else and often, they still don’t have an 8oz late button. Which means I’m paying for 10 oz of milk, and the upcharge for breve assumes that 10+ oz quantity despite only getting 4oz.

No, technically, its not necessarily the same, but then, that’s kind of the reason I’ve decided to write.
{NOTE: Henceforth, I’ll be using the term Cortado unless I’m comparing a Gibraltar}

Part of the reason I ask that way is because everyone’s definition is different, but also because different coffee house price options vary, and the barista’s often change it up figuring out a decent price. After all, an 8 oz drink with only 4oz of milk/cream should not be costing more than a flavored 12 oz drink. With 8-10oz of milk/cream.

That brings me to my first point.
Why is a breve upcharge the same for 4oz of milk as it is for lets say 12oz of milk? That’s a double shot of espresso and either another double shot, or a couple pumps of flavor.

Some places don’t charge extra for Breve on a Cortado, or will automatically make it a breve “Silky Smooth”.

NOTE: If they make quad cortado with the 2 oz of milk and 4 of espresso, I’d mostly be ok with that. I just would clarify next time. However, 4 oz of espresso with a dab of milk is no longer a cortado… Especially if I say 8oz!

Jump to definitions

Cortado/Gibraltar Chart

8oz Quad Shot Breve Chart

Shop	Ordered as	Cost	Cream Ok?	Perfect?
Goals	4oz cream/ 4oz espresso		Cream over breve
Crow’s	Espresso and steamed milk 8oz hot Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50) Breve ($1.25)	$4.30+ 2.75 $7.05 Up a nickel in 2024/2025		Yes, Perfect (Analysis ordering this way saves $1.05 vs 2 cortado’s in one glass) This works, they have an 8oz option
Crow’s	Gibraltar Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50)	$4.05+1.50 $5.55		NO: It was “Like a Macchiato” Put 4 shots into a Gibraltar glass with a splash of milk (Only happened ~3 times in 5 years)
Crow’s	Gibraltar Extra Shot (4 total) ($1.50	$4.00+1.5o $5.50		Perfect (2023)
Headrush	SmallCafe Latte Breve ($0.75) Xshot ($1.18)	$3.35+$1.93 $5.28		Perfect p.s. Their cortado is $2.69 but frequently more like a macchiato
Overflow	Double Shot $1.95 2 1/2 oz. Lone Shot Alternative Milk $0.75	$1.95 + $1.93 $3.88		Perfect. Yes, the owner only charged a double shot; It tasted like a quad (I didn’t watch to verify). But they up charged the breve to $0.75 — He reentered it in the register 3 times.
Homer’s	4 oz espresso – quad$3.50	$3.50	Yes: Didn’t say like a Cortado, but “lets make it breve… Not sure if you up-charge on 4oz”	Perfect: They’ve done this simple 4ox quad several times
Homers	Breve 12 $4.03 Add shot $0.72	$4.75 ($4.95 Pre Discount)		2023 prices (Gave a BYO Mug discount) They must not have had an 8oz See above. They still must not, but they have/had the 8oz cups.

Definitions

Cortado:

Definition 1: A double shot of espresso with an equal amount of Milk & Espresso. Heated cooler than typical lattes (should be shootable).

Definition 2: 1oz foamed milk 2oz espresso
(Per Orbit Visual‘s Poster found in multiple local coffee shops; “updated” is still wrong.)

Gibraltar:

Definition 1: Same as Cortado: Equal amount of milk and espresso with half and half to make it silky. (By Crow’s Coffee Kansas City)

Definition 2: A large macchiato with 2oz espresso & 2oz milk. Heated to 130F vs 140F
(By Kaldi’s Coffee Saint Louis)

Macchiato Definition: Espresso with a Dot of Milk

Learning: what gets, er got me

Caramel macchiato et al is a Caramel Late its not just a dab of milk type of macchiato. However, I suppose, its “marked with” as in Caramel drizzle marked vs in the drink, but a lot more than a “macchiato” shot marked/dab.

I know it’s espresso. The system knows its espresso. I don’t see how an expresso slipped in more than once.

One of the biggest things to get used to is trackpad scrolling. i.e. on a laptop

Pushing fingers from middle to top of the the pad takes me to the top vs pushes the page to the top. I suppose, with touch phones, we’ve gotten so conditioned to push the paper around vs use a scroll bar. This trackpad behavior is so foreign, I believe that M$ Windows has followed suit with the phone/tablet behavior.

NOTE: This is KDE Plasma 5.23 on Slackware15.0

Now that I finally changed it, I am habitually confused. Often subconsiously pulling down to go down. But “Consiously trying to go down

Slackware services & daemons: initd/rc.d vs services

Remember Slackware is traditional. it uses init.d / RD.d << {Slackware Config how-to}; Its a little extra typing, but just call the command via /etc/rc.d/rc.xyz instead of service xyz or systemctl xyz

There was a discussion of switching to runit??? “Not Yet interested”

Discussions: init/rc.cs/systemv/services daemons & controlls:

• What is Slackware’s init system called and are there plans to switch to systemd?
• runit via slackware.org (not condeming or encouraging) “Not YET interested” in runit

I am not finding the project here Maybe its the Prospect Bridge replacement? Its supposed to be a 3 mile swath between Prospect and Van Brunt. They are supposed to be removing a couple of exits, and I guess making it “beautiful”, and hopefully, Giving us on-ramps with room to merge, AND AND AND, hopefully, they will have provisions for a train. I’d hate to spend a ton of money only to tear it all up in 6 years so we can send a train from downtown to the sports complex or farther. Independence center, and blue springs will be great destinations along with a few stops in between. I’m not sure if its still set aside, but Blue Springs set aside land for it way back in 2020-2005. Probably hoping Clay Chastain’s bill that passed in 2005/2006 would come out there eventually.
https://www.modot.org/active-projects-directory

Sorry, Not a complete story. I just wanted to lock in my view before the project go too far along.

About six weeks ago, early March 2024, I talked to someone who was supposedly connected to the Kansas City Chiefs inner circle. They said the Chiefs were not tied to KC and were definitely seeking options outside the city.

The reason “The Fans Spoke”
My reply was “Good riddance! The Chiefs think that, then they must be stupid!”

Why? Because the Chiefs are playing games, are giving mixed signals, and threatening the fans and taxpayers. The Royals did that and ended up getting a NO vote. Of course, the Royals had multiple other reasons for a NO vote, with their sketchy back-and-forth only being one part of it.

…Continued Below…

Back to the Chiefs

The person told me that “The citizens ‘spoke’ [Voted NO] and didn’t want to pay for the Chiefs’ stadium.” To which I countered. “Um, NO, the citizens voted NO to the Royals plan:”

• We don’t want to pay for a baseball stadium downtown
• We don’t want to leave Kauffman
• We don’t… (See the above list)

“IF the Chiefs had kept to the original plan they requested, the Chiefs’ vote would have been a YES”

What was this Chiefs’ request? A 20-year plan with upgrades to Arrowhead. We, the citizens, are willing to make Arrowhead amenities world-class. Yes, Locker rooms et al.

Instead, the Chiefs were attached to a 40-year plan with double the funds. They didn’t request a new stadium, but rather a bunch of pet projects due to double the funds. THESE PET PROJECTS were not included in the Chiefs’ requests from April/July 2023 to December 2023. Instead, the pet projects were added when they got attached to the high dollar Royals’ plan.

The problem is, in 20 years, halfway through the 40-year tax, we would still be paying for these pet projects. A 20-year tax lets us reassess needs and build the Chiefs a new stadium if needed in 20 years.

Instead, the April 2024 tax, while not a higher [“new”] tax, it is a NEW 40-year tax for the same assessment. Being both long and not covering a new Arrowhead, it would lead to a new tax not only on Arrowhead in 20 years, but most likely a new tax on new upgrades to the new 2029 Royals stadium in 20 years.

Changing plans/Scatter Brained requests

Now that the initial commingled Royals vote was rejected, the Chiefs are getting greedy. Their new proposals are now putting forth both all the pet projects they added last minute to the Royals vote, but also a new stadium.

The fans LOVE Arrowhead just like they love the K, and it seems the Chiefs do too, as they initially only requested upgrades.

Not only is it a great stadium that’s built well, but rebuilding may mean we will lose our status as the Loudest stadium in the NFL, as league leadership may require sound-dampening acoustics in a new stadium.

Thus, looking at the Royals proposal, while not a “New [second/increased tax]” today, the tax proposal of April 2024 will result in one down the road due to its length and lack of maintenance provisions.
i.e., instead of including 40 years of maintenance, it included pet projects today

I am still only quoting the Royal proposal because the Chiefs have not put forth a [reasonable] plan since their 2023 proposal, and subsequent commingled royal plan/vote. Instead, they are playing voters/fans against each other, having governments bid against each other for the worst plan that fans might get.

Worst??? Yes, the highest priced replacement for Arrowhead with taxpayer and fan dollars. Not only will taxpayers be on the hook, but fans will have to pay higher prices to cover these NEW TAXES.

Finally, when the Chiefs were called out for these missteps, they threatened the citizens with moving rather than making a proper request.

Conclusion

• The Chiefs made a 180 request at the last minute vs the previous proposal of April(?) July(?) to December 2023 request.
• They attached to a poor plan/the Royals vote
• The Chiefs added pet projects when they joined the Royal Plan
• The 40-year plan vs the 20-year one didn’t include maintenance plans
• They disenfranchised fans and voters by claiming those groups didn’t want the Chiefs after voting no on the joint Royals plan.
• Extreme disenfranchisement and hostage holding: Not only did they claim the fans and voters didn’t want to play ball, they further disenfranchised the groups by threatening to move not only out of the city, county, and state, but even out of the Kansas City Metro Area.
• They are getting greedy: Having fans and governments outbid each other puts taxpayers on the hook for a fancy stadium that fans, taxpayers, nor the Chiefs asked for. Depending on the proposal, the taxpayers will pay outright, and on others, the fans will pay more to cover STAR taxes that will probably be paid for from the taxpayers’ general funds when costs aren’t fully funded from the STAR portions.