Bravo to David Koch, executive vice president of Koch Industries, for agreeing to donate $100 million toward renovating the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. “I’ve been going to the New York State Theater for 40 years,” said Koch, who reportedly is the richest resident of New York City. “I can assure you, I would not make a gift of this magnitude unless I was absolutely convinced that the quality of the work was world-class.”
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And remember the genesis of this fortune was spawned during the 1930’s in Wichita’s present day “Boathouse” at Lewis-Maple Streets and the Arkansas River. Bill Koch’s sailboat is displayed there today between the Boathouse and the Arkansas River. That makes the Wichita Boathouse, the former Marland/Conoco Wichita headquarters, a giant among Wichita’s business history locations.
I remember a year or so ago that one of Koch’s gave $100 million to something. I recall it because of the news coverage on KNSSS, AM1330. Resident talking know-it-all Steve Macintosh had two large donation stories to cover that day. In the first one, which he covered, an estate gave a couple million. Then Koch and his $100 million gift was briefly mentioned but no coverage.
The reason? From Macintosh, “$100,000,000 just isn’t money to Koch and therefore I’m not going to cover it.” If you are going to mention such gifts on the air then give equal coverage. All you did with your little comment is cause me to change the channel whenever ‘The Macintosh Report’ comes on.
Kwitcher whining, “ProudMan” –
And study up on the parable of the Widow’s Mite.
RHONDA:
Thank you for bringing another interesting blog topic to allow me to rant about the absurdity & hypocrisy of the elitist, nepotistic fascists that rule Wichita. I like to refer to Wichita as a modern day “Potterville.” Despite the Eagle’s best effort to do damage control by covering up documented corruption stories involving judges, prominent attorneys and government officials, the Eagle must report the weekly stories about drive by shootings, murders, armed robbers breaking into peoples homes and holding them at gun point, in daylight, sexual abuse of children and women by teachers and authority figures. This increase activity in crime and human rights atrocities by government officials does not happen in a vacuum. There is some really “The Matter With Kansas” and something very unique about Wichita’s capacity to deny that these evil things are occurring. I attached a link to an article about the unethical business practices of Koch Industries and the family fighting between the Koch brothers.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20001027/ai_n10142131
IMHO I think that the civic leaders, elected officials and wannabee politicians look at the robber baron families that have been controlling Wichita for decades and have concluded that you can’ fight city hall and crime & unethical behavior do pay. I clipped a portion of the NY Times article about David Koch’s libertarian political background and his support for political organizations like Americans for Prosperity. When I attended an AFP seminar two years ago on grass roots political advocacy, Alan Cobb told the class that in politics “Perception Is Reality.” I suspect that the NY City elitists already perceive that David Koch is trying to buy legitimacy with his $100,000,000 dollar donation which will only benefit the east coast elitists that attend the theater. Talk is cheap. Given the inevitability that the national media will have to report the systemic fascism in the local Wichita government and the Kansas Supreme Court, I wonder if the Kochs have enough common sense to understand that Americans for Prosperity should be leading the political crusade to demand transparency & accountability in all levels of government to expose the human rights atrocities that have occurred in the Koch’s own back yard. Government and judicial corruption are the most insidious tax on society. If the Kochs are careful, Kansans and their own employees will perceive them as being greedy, heartless robber barons who are only concerned are eliminating the federal & state estate taxes.
Clip from NY Tmes article:
Mr. Koch, a major contributor to the Republican Party and supporter of conservative causes, was the vice presidential candidate on the Libertarian ticket in 1980. In 2003 he helped establish the nonprofit Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which supports free-market policies and promotes government spending limits. It split off from an earlier Koch-backed enterprise, now called FreedomWorks, which promotes similar goals.
Bill McKean kiakahahaha@yahoo.com 316 293-6079
I wonder if he’s got another $6 million or so for Bill Warren?
Monkey,
That parable has nothing to do with journalism.
It’s difficult to contribute to the arts, because it is often viewed as unnecessary.
However, the play, the orchestra and the dance often fill our minds and hearts with perspective to give us pause on the complications of life and insight into the human spirit.
He had the good fortune to be born rich, and has the good taste to give some of it to somewhere that counts.
As Dolly said in Hello, Dolly: My dear Seymour, money is like manure. It doesn’t do any good unless you spread it around.
Dennis
so much BS comments?!?
The perception of the fine arts and performing arts around the U.S. is that of unwanted and an unnecessary cause to donate little if any money to. But for people like myself who enjoy going to famed theatres whenever traveling I see it as a good investment. An on stage play or orchestra performance is an educating and thought provoking experience that hardly anyone seems to appreciate in this day and age. It’s like going to the movies, it’s a way to just get away for a couple of hours, put the stresses of life aside and just have a little fun.