Imbalanced justiceWhat’s wrong with our justice system? In a recent edition of The Star, it was reported that a man in Jackson County Circuit Court was sentenced to 50 years for taking part in a murder.Also reported in the same edition, a man is sentenced in the Johnson County District Court for attacking a woman, cutting her throat and leaving her for dead. He gets just 28 years. Rob Hallifax LeawoodSupport for presidentI hear and read so much negative news about President Barack Obama. He’s spent so much of his term cleaning up the mess of the previous president.It’s very clear now that in his next term Obama needs a constituency with whom he can work. Republicans are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. What kind of Christian conduct is that? No one should be like a fish and get caught hook, line and sinker by any Republican candidate they offer.I prefer to live in an America in which I grew up. Robert O’Farrell RaytownReconciliation neededI read “’YoMama’ email draws an apology” in the Jan. 6 Star. Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal was caught forwarding an e-mail referring to Michelle Obama as “YoMama.”The day prior, The Star ran an editorial, “Shame on Boeing for deserting Kansas,” pointing out how Gov. Sam Brownback and his GOP cronies got played by the Boeing Corp., which will now abandon its operations in Wichita, un-employing thousands of hard-working Kansans. As a Kansas taxpayer, I think Kansas legislators have more pressing issues than making fun of the first lady. The actions of Speaker Mike O’Neal are despicable. I think he should recite Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech on the front of the Kansas Statehouse on Monday, the national holiday honoring Dr. King. Oh wait, a second — he probably gets a paid day off. Susie Fairley OlatheLead poisoning changeI was deeply disturbed by the Jan. 5 article, “Lead poisoning,” which says a federal panel has recommended that the government lower the threshold for lead poisoning in children, potentially leading to the diagnosis of hundreds of thousands more children with the condition.I would like to know what is this federal panel and who is on it. As a grandmother I would surely like to write to this panel and give the members my opinion. Politely, of course. Holly Mackenzie TopekaProgress on ‘Big 5’We appreciate The Star’s inclusion of the Greater Kansas City Chamber’s “Big 5” on your recent list of priorities for 2012 (12-30, Editorial, “’Big 5’ is big challenge for business community”). We certainly recognize and agree with the editorial statement that, “Business leaders involved in the Big 5 created huge challenges for themselves in 2011. Turning those ideas into reality should be a high priority in 2012.” Rest assured, the implementation of the Big 5 is The Chamber’s highest priority for the coming year.All five initiatives are making excellent progress. Chamber Chair Frank Ellis is leading the effort as we move from big ideas to steady action. Following the mid-January meeting, we will provide a report outlining strategic plans for each of the Big 5, progress made and next steps. We’ll also launch a Big 5 website to keep the community informed and involved. We take our responsibility for success seriously and have been encouraged by the support we’re receiving from throughout the area. We’re excited about the Big 5’s potential to create new jobs and a greater community. James A. Heeter President Chief Executive Officer Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Mission HillsBoeing’s Kansas exitThe understandable ire in The Star’s Jan. 5 editorial, “Shame on Boeing for deserting Kansas,” is misplaced. It was reported a few weeks ago that Boeing had cut a deal with the machinists union and the National Labor Relations Board. My first question was, what was the payoff extracted from Boeing? It’s now obvious that the price was to throw another right to work state, Kansas, under the bus, at the demand of the union backed up by the Obama administration.Boeing had to agree to put additional work into its Renton, Wash., plants to placate the machinists. The cost in not doing so would have been an inability to start production in a new billion-dollar plant in South Carolina, which produces the 787 Dreamliner.Boeing has its entire future and survival bet on this. To stand firm against the blackmail of the government could very well have been betting the company on the administration actually following the law.It’s a shame, but they succumbed to the blackmail because they couldn’t count on the law being followed. More than 2,000 Kansans lose good jobs, and an almost 90-year, quality corporate citizen no longer makes airplanes in our state. Jim Washington BasehorCanada, Gulf pipelineI, too, do not want our next president to be Barack Obama. However, I do not have a problem with building the proposed pipeline from Canada to the Gulf. I would point out that the Gulf oil spill was by the drilling company’s shortcutting safety procedures, and oil company crews were drilling miles below the ocean surface. The pipeline that leaked in Yellowstone River was built using 50-year-old technology. We need an additional source for oil not imported from the Middle East. We are told that we cannot drill in the Gulf. We cannot drill in Alaska. We cannot drill off the West Coast.According to one report, hidden below the rocky mountains we have 2 trillion barrels of oil. We have eight times Saudi Arabia’s known oil reserves, 18 times Iraq’s, 21 times Kuwait’s, 22 times Iran’s and 500 times Yemen’s.We have proven safe ways to extract our oil reserves and we can build a safe pipeline. All I can say is wake up, America. Lowell Davis Excelsior SpringsChange U.S. tax codesWe have a 70,000-page federal tax code that no one understands. Tax returns are too complicated to complete without assistance.Compliance costs are a multibillion-dollar drag on the economy. This is an expensive and archaic system.A one-trillion-dollar underground economy exists alongside the visible economy. These earners avoid paying any income tax. How is that fair?Payroll taxes are levied on the first dollar of labor income. These taxes punish labor and impose an obstacle to new job creation.Our corporations locate manufacturing facilities overseas and import their products into the U.S. in order to avoid our corporate tax rates, which are among the highest in the world. Small business job creators bear the brunt of this burden. We consumers ultimately pay.The current tax code corrupts and distorts our decision-making process.This is not a partisan political issue. It is an issue that cries out for our attention. We must work with our leaders to scrap this unworkable mess and bring forth a system that meets the needs of our nation in the 21st century. John Quick Prairie VillageDrug-test governmentI see there is a move afoot for drug testing anyone receiving welfare, food stamps, or basically any government stipend. I agree totally that there should be random drug testing for anyone receiving government money and a “zero tolerance” policy toward anyone testing positive for illegal substances.We should start by testing those who receive the most money from the federal government. That would include all members of Congress and their respective staff members.They receive the largest amount of government money while providing the least amount of work product. Test positive and you’re out. No more government employment, no more government handouts, no more pension and no other perks. Marty Birch OlatheSupport solar industryWhile conservative pundits and politicos delight in the failure of Solyndra, they forget that the U.S. government provides subsidies and loan guarantees worth billions of dollars to the undertaxed, immensely profitable oil industry.The Chinese government’s multibillion-dollar subsidy to its solar-panel industries made it impossible for Solyndra to compete with China. Solyndra’s failure suggests the folly of inadequate government support for start-up industries with strong potential for growth.As long as many Americans think freedom primarily means free enterprise, we don’t have much of a chance in a global economy competing with countries that do provide government support for industries with strong potential. James Obertino Warrensburg Mo.

KansasCity.com

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Letters | Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012

More News

Imbalanced justice

What’s wrong with our justice system? In a recent edition of The Star, it was reported that a man in Jackson County Circuit Court was sentenced to 50 years for taking part in a murder.

Also reported in the same edition, a man is sentenced in the Johnson County District Court for attacking a woman, cutting her throat and leaving her for dead. He gets just 28 years.

Rob Hallifax

Leawood

Support for president

I hear and read so much negative news about President Barack Obama. He’s spent so much of his term cleaning up the mess of the previous president.

It’s very clear now that in his next term Obama needs a constituency with whom he can work.

Republicans are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. What kind of Christian conduct is that? No one should be like a fish and get caught hook, line and sinker by any Republican candidate they offer.

I prefer to live in an America in which I grew up.

Robert O’Farrell

Raytown

Reconciliation needed

I read “’YoMama’ email draws an apology” in the Jan. 6 Star. Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal was caught forwarding an e-mail referring to Michelle Obama as “YoMama.”

The day prior, The Star ran an editorial, “Shame on Boeing for deserting Kansas,” pointing out how Gov. Sam Brownback and his GOP cronies got played by the Boeing Corp., which will now abandon its operations in Wichita, un-employing thousands of hard-working Kansans.

As a Kansas taxpayer, I think Kansas legislators have more pressing issues than making fun of the first lady. The actions of Speaker Mike O’Neal are despicable. I think he should recite Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech on the front of the Kansas Statehouse on Monday, the national holiday honoring Dr. King.

Oh wait, a second — he probably gets a paid day off.

Susie Fairley

Olathe

Lead poisoning change

I was deeply disturbed by the Jan. 5 article, “Lead poisoning,” which says a federal panel has recommended that the government lower the threshold for lead poisoning in children, potentially leading to the diagnosis of hundreds of thousands more children with the condition.

I would like to know what is this federal panel and who is on it. As a grandmother I would surely like to write to this panel and give the members my opinion. Politely, of course.

Holly Mackenzie

Topeka

Progress on ‘Big 5’

We appreciate The Star’s inclusion of the Greater Kansas City Chamber’s “Big 5” on your recent list of priorities for 2012 (12-30, Editorial, “’Big 5’ is big challenge for business community”). We certainly recognize and agree with the editorial statement that, “Business leaders involved in the Big 5 created huge challenges for themselves in 2011. Turning those ideas into reality should be a high priority in 2012.”

Rest assured, the implementation of the Big 5 is The Chamber’s highest priority for the coming year.

All five initiatives are making excellent progress. Chamber Chair Frank Ellis is leading the effort as we move from big ideas to steady action.

Following the mid-January meeting, we will provide a report outlining strategic plans for each of the Big 5, progress made and next steps. We’ll also launch a Big 5 website to keep the community informed and involved.

We take our responsibility for success seriously and have been encouraged by the support we’re receiving from throughout the area. We’re excited about the Big 5’s potential to create new jobs and a greater community.

James A. Heeter

President

Chief Executive Officer

Greater Kansas City

Chamber of Commerce

Mission Hills

Boeing’s Kansas exit

The understandable ire in The Star’s Jan. 5 editorial, “Shame on Boeing for deserting Kansas,” is misplaced. It was reported a few weeks ago that Boeing had cut a deal with the machinists union and the National Labor Relations Board. My first question was, what was the payoff extracted from Boeing?

It’s now obvious that the price was to throw another right to work state, Kansas, under the bus, at the demand of the union backed up by the Obama administration.

Boeing had to agree to put additional work into its Renton, Wash., plants to placate the machinists. The cost in not doing so would have been an inability to start production in a new billion-dollar plant in South Carolina, which produces the 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing has its entire future and survival bet on this. To stand firm against the blackmail of the government could very well have been betting the company on the administration actually following the law.

It’s a shame, but they succumbed to the blackmail because they couldn’t count on the law being followed. More than 2,000 Kansans lose good jobs, and an almost 90-year, quality corporate citizen no longer makes airplanes in our state.

Jim Washington

Basehor

Canada, Gulf pipeline

I, too, do not want our next president to be Barack Obama. However, I do not have a problem with building the proposed pipeline from Canada to the Gulf.

I would point out that the Gulf oil spill was by the drilling company’s shortcutting safety procedures, and oil company crews were drilling miles below the ocean surface. The pipeline that leaked in Yellowstone River was built using 50-year-old technology.

We need an additional source for oil not imported from the Middle East. We are told that we cannot drill in the Gulf. We cannot drill in Alaska. We cannot drill off the West Coast.

According to one report, hidden below the rocky mountains we have 2 trillion barrels of oil. We have eight times Saudi Arabia’s known oil reserves, 18 times Iraq’s, 21 times Kuwait’s, 22 times Iran’s and 500 times Yemen’s.

We have proven safe ways to extract our oil reserves and we can build a safe pipeline. All I can say is wake up, America.

Lowell Davis

Excelsior Springs

Change U.S. tax codes

We have a 70,000-page federal tax code that no one understands. Tax returns are too complicated to complete without assistance.

Compliance costs are a multibillion-dollar drag on the economy. This is an expensive and archaic system.

A one-trillion-dollar underground economy exists alongside the visible economy. These earners avoid paying any income tax. How is that fair?

Payroll taxes are levied on the first dollar of labor income. These taxes punish labor and impose an obstacle to new job creation.

Our corporations locate manufacturing facilities overseas and import their products into the U.S. in order to avoid our corporate tax rates, which are among the highest in the world. Small business job creators bear the brunt of this burden. We consumers ultimately pay.

The current tax code corrupts and distorts our decision-making process.

This is not a partisan political issue. It is an issue that cries out for our attention. We must work with our leaders to scrap this unworkable mess and bring forth a system that meets the needs of our nation in the 21st century.

John Quick

Prairie Village

Drug-test government

I see there is a move afoot for drug testing anyone receiving welfare, food stamps, or basically any government stipend. I agree totally that there should be random drug testing for anyone receiving government money and a “zero tolerance” policy toward anyone testing positive for illegal substances.

We should start by testing those who receive the most money from the federal government. That would include all members of Congress and their respective staff members.

They receive the largest amount of government money while providing the least amount of work product.

Test positive and you’re out. No more government employment, no more government handouts, no more pension and no other perks.

Marty Birch

Olathe

Support solar industry

While conservative pundits and politicos delight in the failure of Solyndra, they forget that the U.S. government provides subsidies and loan guarantees worth billions of dollars to the undertaxed, immensely profitable oil industry.

The Chinese government’s multibillion-dollar subsidy to its solar-panel industries made it impossible for Solyndra to compete with China. Solyndra’s failure suggests the folly of inadequate government support for start-up industries with strong potential for growth.

As long as many Americans think freedom primarily means free enterprise, we don’t have much of a chance in a global economy competing with countries that do provide government support for industries with strong potential.

James Obertino

Warrensburg Mo.