U.S. struggle for jobs

It is difficult to comprehend from where job growth could come. The only growth is in the high-paying financial area.

More high-tech jobs are being moved offshore every day. A University of California study found that 14 million white-collar jobs are vulnerable to offshore outsourcing.

These are not call-center operators or customer service but information technology, architecture, engineering, accounting, news reporting, stock analysis, legal and medical services. Corporations and Republicans blame outsourcing on high taxes, even though corporations pay less in taxes in the U.S. than they would in most of the developed world.

While other countries surpass the U.S. in green technology, there is neither political will nor corporate investment to generate meaningful jobs here. Thus, the only evidence is the continuation of growth in the low-wage service sector.

Yet, only upward-mobility jobs can generate the majority of tax revenues needed to fund education, health, infrastructure and Social Security.

Seth McClintock

Overland Park

Ryan and Rice

As I watched the Paul Ryan and Condoleezza Rice speeches at the Republican National Convention, my first thought was: Why aren’t they the Republican ticket? As a senior citizen, I am continuously asking myself: “Am I better off now than I was four years ago?”

My answer is resoundingly no. I have experienced two years out of three under this administration with no cost-of-living raise, saw higher food, fuel and insurance rates, and I have seen the returns on my savings become nonexistent. Wasteful government spending has soared to an unsustainable rate, and President Barack Obama has initiated yet another entitlement program that will surely send our nation into the depths of bankruptcy.

My children and grandchildren have little hope for their future if we stay this course of overspending, borrowing from our economic adversaries and creating class warfare among citizens. Ryan and Rice correctly identified the crisis this nation faces and tried to issue a wakeup call to all Americans that we cannot wait and hope that somehow things will change for the better.

These last four years I have lost hope and did not like the change.

Lowell Sims

Garden City, Mo.

Boilermakers’ arrogance

When I read about the Boilermakers union again, all I could think of is it sounds like a microcosm of our own government (8-28, Editorial, “Hiding answers hurts union”). Fat cats are at the top doing whatever they want with no thought of the people that they are supposed to represent.

The arrogant people in charge spend the members’ retirement money on non-earmarked things without looking down the road to be sure that their needs will be met. Plus they own the bank.

Thank heavens there are government watchdogs looking over them.

Mark Garrett

Lee’s Summit

Declining health care

Those of you who are really excited about the Affordable Care Act need to know some important things. It will probably not be “affordable” or provide much “health care.”

The “act” is what the government puts on when it tells you that it will work with no extra national debt being involved.

An example of government-run health care is the Veterans Affairs. Some years ago, 2½ million of my closest friends and I spent a year or so in Vietnam at the government’s behest. During this time, I was exposed to numerous loud noises — helicopters, rockets, mortar rounds, gunshots, etc.

It was a noisy place by all accounts. I sustained a substantial hearing loss and tinnitus as a result.

On Nov. 20, 2007, the VA received a claim from me in an attempt to secure a hearing disability related to my Army service.

Today, four years, eight months and many days later, the VA has not decided on my appeal.

Documentation by the handfuls was sent and received. Do you think Obamacare will work any smoother?

Larry Dickstein

Lone Jack

Dear Mrs. Romney

When you stated that “we’ve given all you people need to know” about your husband’s financial documents already released to the public, I’m not sure who you meant by “you people.” U.S. citizens are indeed people, but we are “we, the people.”

You know, as in the first line of the Constitution. That said, I believe you and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney should release as much information as you can about your finances.

After all, we, the people, are thinking about hiring your husband to run a huge and complex country not unlike huge, multinational corporations. I don’t know how other people feel, but I would never hire you with such a skimpy resume.

Nor would anyone in corporate America. What are “you people” hiding?

Charlene Pryor

Overland Park

Editorial cartoons

I like Lee Judge’s cartoons, at least most days. On the other hand, I think Glenn McCoy’s cartoons are devoid of class, taste and intellect.

He should be sent to his room for a long timeout — so I don’t read them. I don’t ask The Star to protect my sensibilities from them.

The right to free speech does not include the right to be heard or to hear only what you approve, and a balanced press is not one that publishes only the thoughts of either the right or the left. Readers are supposed to be smart enough to figure out what they think based on a wide variety of ideas.

I don’t need someone else to make those judgments for me.

Kathryn Moore

Manhattan, Kan.

Rachel Corrie’s death

The death of Rachel Corrie in 2003 is a dreadful testimony to an individual’s safety when you try to legitimately protest in Israel.

Ms. Corrie was actually crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer while protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes, a punishment Israel doles out to the families of Palestinians who fight the occupation of Palestine, their ancestral home.

This woman was crushed to death while wearing a bright orange safety construction vest and pleading through a bullhorn. The army dismissed any wrongdoing.

Do the Israelis not remember their loved ones shot dead for standing up to Nazi thugs? Apparently, if you are in the Israeli Army, you can crush innocent protesters to death and have the government courts condone it.

News on the court ruling states that she was warned and that it was an unfortunate accident. What order could make anyone in uniform kill in such a brutal manner? If you as Christians go to Israel to protest, be warned.

This is not the Israel its founders dreamed of; this was a preventable tragedy. My prayers go to Ms. Corrie’s family.

Shame on America for backing such brutality. Where is the outrage?

John Kovelan

Lenexa

Midwest Voices column

Stephen Brewer, in his Aug. 25 column, “Put an end to Obama’s false promises,” didn’t state his party preference. However, the content leans 99.99 percent toward the platform of the president’s detractors.

I am dismayed by Brewer’s complaints of the president’s “shortcomings.” Brewer fails to give evidence of how Republicans plan to extract the country from its economic woes.

Everyone complains, and there is much to complain about. But I have become brain-numbed reading about and listening to whiners who give no thought to planning and working for improvement.

Elected Democrat and Republican representatives have torpedoed cooperation at the federal level. The late Rodney King pleaded, “Can we all get along?”

I want our representatives to meet, talk, compromise and plan to benefit working people. But that’s not happening.

Contrary to published polls, Americans don’t want political compromise. If they did, they wouldn’t elect politicians whose prime objective is to undermine the opposition.

Robert M. Shettles

Liberty

Helping pets in KC

On a recent Saturday morning, I joined a group of regulars with Spay & Neuter Kansas City, Unleashed from Merriam and volunteers from Wayside Waifs.

Our mission was to go door-to-door in an Independence Avenue neighborhood in the Northeast area.

Volunteers were informing the residents of the free or discounted services provided. Among them are spay/neuter and shots clinics and even providing food or improving shelter for many pets.

Volunteers were respectful, sincere and upbeat and had a “get to work” attitude. The residents were all appreciative, and many did need help while trying with meager means to care for pets and even homeless animals in their neighborhood.

Please think about donating food, time and money to support the groups providing these much-needed services to our community.

Drop by one of these organizations or go to their websites and ask what you can do and say thank you for the relentless efforts and outreach of people for pets.

Beth Ciperson

Kansas City