Better flood control
So now we’ve had floods, and other places have had droughts. It won’t be long when they will have a flood, and we will have a drought.The big reservoirs of the Army Corps of Engineers are not the cause of the farmers’ ruined crops or the damage to river-bank homes. Strong levies and floodgates to capture water in overflow ponds and release it during droughts could be used for recreation and irrigation. The excavation of ponds could be used to build the levies. This could be accomplished in local areas of known flooding, by city and county engineering departments that have the heavy equipment to do it.Think of the cement workers, electricians and plumbers who could be given a job. Long range, jobs would be created to operate the flood control gates.This could be a win-win situation with benefits outweighing the costs. God knows we are not going to create jobs in manufacturing. China has those.Ed Pittman
Kansas City
Citywide solution needed for youthsAny solution for the Plaza’s problems needs to take into consideration the whole city. If you clamp down just on the Plaza, the problem and the children will move elsewhere. History has shown this to be the case.And what to do about parents’ role in this problem? If a parent helps a child break curfew, you fine the parent — heavily.Steven Thomas
Kansas City
Mayor right to tackle Plaza problemMayor Sly James is absolutely correct when he said the large groups of underage youths loitering in the Plaza area were indicative of a parenting problem. There is a relatively inexpensive technical solution that would help Plaza merchants deal with this situation: a device called a “mosquito” emits a loud, extremely irritating 17 KHz noise that generally only young people under 25 can hear. These devices can be turned on or off as necessary to disperse crowds.Unfortunately, there are parenting problems that technology can’t address. Children aren’t being taught to respect themselves, authority or the value of education. Those problems should be addressed by the mayor as well.Jerry Weller
Olathe
Normal city behavior?People “in the know” tell us Friday night’s Chiefs football game was meaningless, and the gunshots on the Plaza were an isolated incident. In other words, go back to sleep. Everything is normal. Nothing’s happening here.Mike Crawford
Kansas City
Curfew challenge likelyMayor Sly James is barking up the wrong tree considering amending Kansas City’s curfew ordinance, which currently bars juveniles from the Plaza later than 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Here’s why:•A more rigid curfew ordinance may be unconstitutional.•Police state that measures such as more restrictive curfews do nothing to solve the underlying problem, which is inadequate recreational opportunities for the area’s youth.•A localized curfew does nothing to solve the underlying problem. It merely pushes the problem to some other area of the city.•Neither the Police Department nor the Plaza’s owner is asking for such an ordinance.•The overtaxed juvenile justice system cannot handle more cases.•An earlier curfew only risks further discrimination based on race or ethnicity.The ACLU challenged the city in 1994 when it enacted a Westport curfew, and the City Council quickly repealed that misguided ordinance and paid small amounts for damages and attorney’s fees to settle the case. The ACLU would look closely at a more restrictive curfew ordinance and would likely challenge its constitutionality in court.Doug Bonney
Legal Director
ACLU of Kansas
& Western Missouri
Kansas City
Third World America?President John F. Kennedy lied to the working man when he said: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”It’s not our country, but the country of the people who run it. They want to cut the budget, cut Social Security, cut Medicare and even cut veterans’ pay and benefits, but they never talk about their own pay, retirement or benefits. They want to keep borrowing money just to give it away to other countries. They have passed laws so big business can shut down our jobs and send them overseas.Some Buck knives are made in China. Some production at companies such as Chevy, Ford and Hershey’s is done in Mexico. Then the people running the U.S. give these companies huge tax breaks. I really don’t want to live in a Third World country. But that’s where leaders are taking us.G. Mitchell Scott
Lee’s Summit
War in AfghanistanIn July, newly appointed Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta visited Afghanistan. While there, he made the following statement: “We can win this war if we eliminate 20 or so of the key leaders of al-Qaida.”It took 10 long years to do in Osama bin Laden. Twenty times 10 years equals 200. Is Panetta telling us we will have to be fighting in Afghanistan for 200 years?John Fitts
Noel, Mo.
Football head injuriesIn a few days, high school football coaches will exchange summer body-building programs for pads and helmets on the gridiron. In the 100-degree heat, future NFL stars will endure two-a-day practices. My grandson was groomed for football beginning at age 10. He became a star running back at a local high school. On the way to stardom, he had three concussions. The evidence mounts that concussions can lead to repetitive brain injury. Recently, 75 former NFL players sued, charging the league with covering up the cumulative effect of concussions.When our grandson graduated, he opted to turn down the college football scholarship offers he received. He found defensive linemen were getting bigger and bigger. It was time to quit. Parents of aspiring football players should have serious discussions with your sons about the risks in competition. Check with your pediatrician and the coach.By the way, I will be in the stands for the very first game.The Rev. Lyle P. Murphy
Leawood
Rethinking spendingThe Star’s Aug. 12 editorial “Brownback’s snub of federal grant” is way off base. In these precarious times it is frustrating, but not surprising, that a governor’s fiscally responsible move would be criticized by The Star’s editorial board.Could the grant have helped Kansas? Probably. The question is would it pay for itself?If a $31.5 million grant provides $20 million in benefits to Kansans, that is not a good deal. To say “consumers would be well served by an easily accessible marketplace in which to shop for insurance information” sounds great, but it doesn’t mean anything.There are many things that would serve the consumers well, but there is a cost to them. It’s time to rethink government spending on all levels.Kevin McLiney
Kansas City
Get government out of bedrooms in KansasI’m not a big fan of Rep. Michele Bachmann, but her migraines are a non-issue in my book.However, I do disagree with Bachmann and her Republican brothers in our statehouses on the issue of abortion. These people and their friends on the Christian right have complained about “judicial activism” for more than 30 years.It makes me ashamed of the Christian faith when we’re not Christian in our actions. They see nothing wrong with the legislative activism that tried to shut down or restrict women’s clinics in Kansas that perform abortions, but also prevent pregnancies with family planning. Their care about the unborn seems to cease after the birth, as they want to cut programs that help women and their children.I don’t need Republicans or Democrats in my bedroom.Gerry Wilson
Kearney
