Blog claims The City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Aviation Department are breaking federal law!!!
Here are some unsubstantiated but seemingly well researched anonymous blogger accusations for your afternoon:
The City of Kansas City, Missouri is facing some critical budget issues in next year’s budget. But does the budget include income from sources that break federal law? The short answer, yes.I have neither the time nor the interest to check and see if this is a fact and not just some anonymous cabbie spin . . . I'm simply offering the link and the money quote to spotlight yet another contingent of pissed of people in Kansas City.
In November of 2002, H.R. Bill 2546, The Real Interstate Driver’s Equity Act (RIDE Act) (codified at 49 U.S.C. Sec. 14501(d)), passed Congress and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. This federal law prohibits States or any other political subdivision from requiring a fee or any other required payment on pre-arranged ground transportation of passengers involved in interstate commerce if the company providing the service meets all requirements of vehicle and intrastate licensing requirements within its state of domicile. An example of such a service provided where a fee would be prohibited is a car or van service picking up a scheduled passenger in Kansas City, Missouri and transporting them across state lines with a drop-off destination of Lenexa, Kansas.
The City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Aviation Department (KCAD) continue to ignore this federal law and assess a “per trip” fee for any and all trips that originate from a commercial airline arrival at Kansas City International (KCI) Airport. This means that any time a limousine service, a livery service, or a van service is picking up a passenger at KCI and taking them across the state line with a final destination in a state other than Missouri, they are engaging in interstate commerce of pre-arranged ground transportation of passengers thus making the fee assessed by the Kansas City Aviation Department and KCI federally illegal.
TKC...parts of the the limo bloggers report are accurate, some are not. One thing is certain. This has bubbled up as a result of the Aviation Departments recent increase of the fee.
ReplyDeleteIt has been shown recently (by taxicab people) that the "books have been cooked" on this issue of expenses at the 2 holding lots, one of which is limo and the other is for taxi.
It is also true that scores of vehicles - mainly town cars and shuttles - operate virtaully unfettered in and around the terminal and the Aviation Department does little to regulate them. As stated in the piece. The Aviation Department has no background information on the drivers of these vehicles and loses tens of thousands of dollars per year to drivers not paying the per trip fee.
What is not told is that there is actually a duplication of services and that the multiple lots and attendants (one for taxi the other for limo) is a waste and that the duplication of cost along with the lost revenue to "non-paying" bandit vehicles is steeling revenue form the city and neccesitating a larger fee increase than what other wise would be needed.
What wasn't mentioned is that the Federal Law is arguable and that the limo drivers are allowed into the taxicab building.
It's also interesting that the limousine industry who has exploited the situation the most (with the illegal solictation at the terminals and lack of payment)now sets upa blog site to cry foul.
The piece is correct about one thing. The increase to $3.00, under impartial examination is not justifiable but the Avaiation department has been allowed to operate like a Kingdom for so long that without litigation the City Council is rarely likely to ever show the courage to step in and put them in their place.
Good comment. If only The Star could report on this kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteThat pesky Star. Who said Facts and Attribution should stand in the way of reporting. Can't unsubstantiated and anonymous "tips" suffice?
ReplyDeletePlease. You fools. If someone is willing to sign their name to these claims, no SERIOUS news outlet should report them.
TKC is fine, since this isn't big J Journalism. Hence, the freedom to print hot ass bitches and comment on rumors.
Anyone that's had anything to do with city govt knows that the KCMO Aviation Department lies to the City Council whenever neccesary and considers itself a soveiegn agency. They buy off council members with "fact finding" trips all over the world, etc and the current Director is one of the most arrogant department heads in decades who favors building a new "one terminal" airport and is plotting to set up a regional aitport commission that would take the control of the airport from the citizens of KCMO.
ReplyDeleteTKC do some backgroung on this. What you'll find will be very alarming.
Interesting T.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on that diaper idea on Saturday Night Live. Can't quite come up with that last aerobic chemical reaction to spread the little tyke's poo out and amongst the marvelous crispiness to simulate some tasty raisins.
ReplyDeleteI could probably use Tony for taste testing since he's so good at licking assholes.
Does sound a little deeper than taxi driver bullshit doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a elaborate scheme.
ReplyDelete