I look bact to my visit to Wicked the other night. Think about parking just once … dinner in Delano … Q to C-II … then Q to Old Town for coffee … then Q back to the car. Makes for a great evening out and would also stimulate business at bars/restaurants in the area. And who knows, maybe I would walk enough to make up for that ice cream I had with my coffee.

Why do you think government can regulate the commodity markets better than the markets themselves. Exactly who are these super-smart people that are so equipped to do this regulating?

I know you don’t buy it b/c you are a left-of-center, big governemnt guy. And you make no bones about it.

But it would seem that you could at least offer an alternative. Exactly what regulation do you propose and what would it do?

Ben! I couldn’t agree with you more. Although Jack DeBoer met a lot of resistance, especially with his plans to put his headquarters in the Boathouse spot, which I had mixed feelings about, having spent two years taking care of that place when I worked for the City of Wichita.

I do think it’s a good idea to switch gears on WaterWalk and concentrate it on office/residential/retail. Gander needs to go also. I thought that WaterWalk would have worked as an entertainment district if they placed the downtown arena on the east side of Main street. But since they chose the site where it sits today, I didn’t think that there would be a good way to link WaterWalk to the Arena then to Old Town. An Entertainment/Restaurant District has to be closer to the Arena and Old Town in my opinion.

I don’t know what they have planned for Mr. Johnson other than that he is staying put at the moment. But if he does have somebody else come in to run it, then the Peerless Tower Project will get a great shot in the arm. Tom Johnson didn’t seem too interested in the Peerless Tower as the site wasn’t in the WaterWalk district, but I think he fails to see the aesthetic contribution that the Peerless Tower will do for WaterWalk.

If they want to fill those Condos at WaterWalk Place, the Peerless Tower will do it. For right now, WaterWalk Place has no view worth mentioning, other than staring at Gander Mountain a dirt field and the Hyatt Hotel.

I plan to submit a proposal for the Peerless Tower to Consolidated Holdings soon.

Having ‘covered’ Wichita development for over 20 years I recall well Jack DeBoer’s words that day at Council when he suckered the council members to vote 4-3 for this boondoggle.

I hope DeBoer fires Tom Johnson soon.

The wrecking ball needs to start swinging on properties downtown that have ancient group ownership. A bunch of people together in the past have helped keep 1970’s buildings still standing. The one Epic Tower reminder of 80’s deals gone awry.

Someday can we have a Boathouse on the river that rents boats to use? That was a 90’s deal left to ruin and arguing.

Century II and the soon abandoned Library, both need redevelopment interiors. Fix those costly things will vex Wichita No voters. They are a weird bunch who look at $200 Million in development cash not to be spent in Sedgwick County and smile.

I seem to remember former WaterWalk voices making a big stink not wanting Casino “IDEA” downtown. Until groups put up their Casino money, all ideas are just speculation. No to development money and WaterWalk languished for years?

Walking from WaterWalk to Intrust Arena, those sidewalks have to be clean and safe, so its possible. Many Wichitans have a fear of walking more than a block to anywhere problem.

Good luck WaterWalkers!

If there’s a moral to the story, it’s that there’s been bi-partisan support for market manipulation for decades – and that it clearly continues under the current administration.

But please, keep up the free market drumbeat. Just know that there are those of us out here who don’t buy it.

For a minute.

Some kind of government intervention, no doubt.