Letters | Rush Limbaugh, Congress, voter identification

Ineffective Congress

When the media announced that gas prices would reach $4 a gallon by midyear, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The American people are sick of having to overspend on gas, rather than being able to buy the things they need, while the petroleum companies haul billions to the bank in profits.

No one seems to want more government regulation, but this is one area where it is needed.

Gas prices are not a true supply/demand function because there is nothing else to put in the gas tank. Until alternate fuels are developed, wood, rocks or newspapers will not fuel our cars.

However, Congress will not likely buck the petroleum companies because the legislators do not feel our pain. The many multimillionaires such as House Speaker John Boehner, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid only give us lip service.

Why don’t they take a leadership role and give some back?

They voted to freeze the pay of government workers for the third year and then suggested maybe they shouldn’t get an increase. How noble.

They will not vote in term limits, so we must do it. In November, two terms and you’re out.

Will Miller

Mission

Photo ID for voters

Our state legislative session ended recently, narrowly averting at least one travesty to our Constitution. Republicans, alleged lovers of the Constitution, tried to get a measure on the ballot requiring a photo identification to vote.

Without any proof of a problem, that move, according to our secretary of state, could have denied as many as 240,000 Missourians the right to vote. Lawmakers were thwarted by a judge who found the ballot wording to be deceptive.

Republicans did not have time to reword it — too busy worrying about such things as Sharia law and protecting kids from gay people. Republicans have a solution to the problem, though.

They have another measure they hope will be on the ballot to corrupt another constitutional right — right to a fair trial. They will try to change our famous nonpartisan court plan to a partisan court plan.

Among other things, maybe they can prevent judges from protecting us against deceptive legislators.

Martin Walsh

Glendale, Mo.

Insensitive senator

Recently when filibustering for hours to block a bill that would have created a prescription database program for Missouri, Sen. Rob Schaaf made the following comment regarding those who die from prescription medication overdoses: “If they overdose and kill themselves, it just removes them from the gene pool (5-5, Editorial, “Laughing at Missouri, backstabbing in Kansas”).”

Really? What an incredibly presumptuous and intolerable comment from a senator, especially one who is a physician.

The young people who are dying could be the kids sitting next to your kid at school, neighbor children down the road or maybe even your own children.

I meet the families of those who’ve overdosed from this epidemic of prescription drug abuse, and I find they are decent people whose loved ones had value.

Perhaps rather than sitting in judgment of those who suffer from addiction the senator would do well to meet with young people in recovery.

The medical community plays a role in the overprescribing and resulting easy access of these drugs. It is at least part of the reason that 48 other states have established a prescription database program.

Daniel K. Duncan

National Council on

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

St. Louis

Caring for mother, son

I am appalled that Marquise Walker and Eva Jeffery’s story is no longer on the front page of your website (5-26, A8, “Mother and son missing”). Why is it not current news if an African-American boy and his mother go missing for a week in Kansas City, especially when she was threatened by an ex, and her car has been found?

Why is there not more of a response from the community? Marquise and his mother are missing, and their family and friends are beside themselves, but it’s no longer newsworthy?

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Kathy Fitzpatrick

Kansas City

Limbaugh on camera

I was astounded and appalled to read that the Missouri House of Representatives spent $1,100 of taxpayer money to protect Rush Limbaugh’s infamous statue that now resides in the Capitol’s Hall of Famous Missourians (5-25, A12, “$1,100 spent to protect Limbaugh statue”).

The fact that such a divisive hate-monger was even considered for the honor is mystifying, and then to add insult to injury, he gets a security camera?

What a waste of taxpayers’ money that could be used for education or some other worthy endeavor. Shame on the legislature.

This really does take the cake.

Mary Conrad

Chillicothe

Liberal media bias

I used to be naive when I would listen to or read what the media had to say or write, to the point that I would think that if the media are putting it out there it must be true. What I have learned is that most media outlets are liberal, and they only tell you their opinion.

I really like conservative news outlets because they almost always give both viewpoints, conservative and liberal. I have not once seen that on any liberal media outlet.

Are they afraid of the truth? Also, why is it OK for Democrats to say awful, nasty things about Republicans, and the media never report it.

But if a Republican does the same, the media are all over it. I thought that the media were supposed to protect all of the people.

Polly Dodson

Kansas City

‘Argyle Sweater’

Regarding the comic, “The Argyle Sweater,” like other readers, I laugh out loud at puns and I laugh out loud most when I read “The Argyle Sweater” on the comic pages. What a great way to start the day.

Mary Arney

Kansas City

Photo ID for voting

Needing a photo identification shouldn’t stop someone from voting because it is part of our daily life in 2012.

In the case of the girl born at home, children are born at home every day and get identification because society has set up ways of doing so. Many Bootheel people have done so.

My mom, who is from a home birth, got a photo ID as an adult. I’ve heard about the stereotypical older people who have no photo IDs because they never do anything that requires one.

If these people need a ride to vote, anyone giving them a ride to vote can give them a ride to get a free state-issued ID.

Voter fraud does exist because it has been documented. Fraud has existed throughout time because people take shortcuts. It’s easier.

Our laws require citizenship to vote. Illegal people aren’t citizens. They took shortcuts.

Be creative, people. Get photo IDs as needed. Spend a gallon of gas and follow needed 21st century laws.

Maggie Caison

Olathe

Accountability needed

I think it is a travesty and a slap in the face to every voter who elected people to office when those elected officials are subpoenaed to testify but then invoke the Fifth Amendment. When representatives whom we elected decide to invoke the Fifth Amendment, they should not only be replaced in the office they hold but placed on a list for all to see.

As honest citizens, we vote people into office to uphold our views and positions. When they betray that trust we placed in them, they should be held accountable and know what the consequences are when they invoke their right to remain silent or ignore the investigation they are involved in or know about.

It is time all politicians should be held accountable, just like we citizens are.

DeWayne Steele

Kansas City

Health insurance pain

Because of a severe neck pain, I went to the emergency room and was told I had a pinched nerve. Although an MRI would be more diagnostic, the doctors there couldn’t order one and instructed me to see my doctor.

I did, and an MRI was ordered. Insurance denied this request, saying I needed to have three weeks of physical therapy.

My doctor wouldn’t order physical therapy because of the possibility of doing more harm. I went to an orthopedic doctor who ordered an MRI.

Insurance denied it. Physical therapy for three weeks, which this doctor wouldn’t order for the same reason.

Why do we have our doctors, pay to see them and have them order diagnostic testing to determine what the next step of treatment should be when it boils down to what the insurance companies say what we can or cannot have done?

We might as well go directly to our insurance companies, ask them to treat us and save us all a trip, expense and lost time from work.

Now, more than a month later, I still have pain, I’ve lost time from work, medical bills are adding up and, most of all, no treatment.

Beth Nelson

Kansas City