Blog

Jackson County: Is Anyone Listening?

Aug 20, 2019
More than a month later, I’m still steamed. But hey: I’m not alone. At last count, nearly 22,000 other Jackson County property owners had filed appeals of their 2019 property appraisals, which in many cases doubled, tripled or quadrupled from… more

Why Johnny Can’t (Be Bothered to) Read

Aug 20, 2019
High-school language-arts scores for boys continue to crater as masculinity-shaming efforts expand. Coincidence? In 1955, author Rudolf Flesch wrote a major best-seller simply titled, “Why Johnny Can’t Read.” The problem then, as Flesch saw it, was the failure of schools… more

Only a Deep-Stater Could Prefer D.C. to K.C.

Jul 17, 2019
There’s more to life here than lower home prices, but you have to keep an open mind to discover the benefits. There’s more to life here than lower home prices, but you have to keep an open mind to discover… more

Jackson County’s Biggest Blunder of All Time

Jul 17, 2019
The appraisal disaster might just be the worst failure of county government ever. And that’s saying something. In the long, often spotty and occasionally ugly history that is Jackson County administration, there have been some whopper instances of graft, mismanagement,… more

Inclusion Isn’t as Inclusive as We’ve Been Told

May 21, 2019
With all the billions invested in corporate diversity initiatives, why does the goal always seem to be out of reach? OK, here is what set me off: an email from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce promoting in big… more

Something Familiar, Something New …

May 21, 2019
The 2019 Ingram’s 100 has something of a fresh look this year—which is both a good thing and a bit of a discouragement for those of us cheering in the stands as the game of growth unfolds. The part that… more

The Ingram’s 100: Something Familiar, Something New …

May 21, 2019
The 2019 Ingram’s 100 has something of a fresh look this year—which is both a good thing and a bit of a discouragement for those of us cheering in the stands as the game of growth unfolds. The part that… more

Time to Align to Fight Crime in Kansas City

Feb 22, 2019
You live long enough, and you do what we do for a living here at Ingram’s, you start to realize that othing happens in a vacuum—everything in business, just like in life, is connected. Sometimes, it’s hard to see those… more

Has Kansas City Become a Second-World City?

Feb 22, 2019
Remember when we worried whether Kansas City was becoming a second-class city? Those were the days. Today, with the winter not nearly through, I am worried that Kansas City is becoming a second-world city. To put this worry in perspective,… more

Time for Business to Get Involved

Sep 19, 2018
This year’s Ingram’s 250 assembly devoted an inordinate amount of time to the issue of violent crime. Let’s do something about it. That was my take-away on Sept. 7 as we wrapped up the 2018 Ingram’s 250 General Assembly at… more