‘2016: Obama’s America’

Everyone should go see the movie “2016: Obama’s America.” Because this is close to Halloween and election time, it will scare people to death.

Gene Jordan

Kansas City

Lies mislead voters

Conservatives claim that the U.S. borrows money from China, and that’s a bad thing. Yes, our government issues bonds to pay some expenses, and China buys some of those bonds. But that’s not borrowing from China.

Bonds and loans have similarities and differences, but they are not the same thing. One critical difference among several is that U.S. bonds are sold worldwide on an open market, rather than by negotiating with a potential lender such as China.

China buys U.S. bonds for financial security, not to control U.S. fiscal policy. China cannot dictate bond repayment terms and relies on the U.S.’s full faith and credit, as do all other bondholders.

It is good that China buys U.S. bonds because it increases demand for the bonds, and that lowers the interest rate.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and cohorts, please stop saying that our government borrows from China.

That’s a good sound bite, but it is not factual. It’s just another lie to mislead the American voter.

David Warren

Leawood

Haunting vote ahead

I urge women who are undecided or leaning toward the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan Republican presidential ticket to pay close attention to what is being said about rape by GOP Senate candidates, including Richard Mourdock of Indiana and Missouri’s Todd Akin. Romney has not repudiated Mourdock.

Ryan co-sponsored the “personhood” bill — one of the most drastic ever — which would abolish abortion in all cases, including rape, incest and health of the mother. It is clear the Republican Party platform and candidates from the top of the ballot down are totally out of sync with most women.

Of particular concern is this: Whoever is elected president will pick at least one Supreme Court justice. That means that Roe v. Wade — a fight women won many years ago — will be overturned if a conservative justice is named.

We cannot let that happen. Women have worked too hard and too long for the right to control our health care and bodies and to be entitled to equal pay for equal work.

We must protect our rights and re-elect President Barack Obama. If we do not, the results will haunt our daughters, granddaughters and ourselves.

Judy Sherry

Kansas City

Too much government

The greatest risk to the unborn comes not from President Barack Obama but from well-meaning individuals who would allow civil government to make laws governing our reproductive decisions.

It is a very short leap from making a law telling us we cannot have an abortion in order to protect a fetus to making a law telling us when we must have abortions in order to further what a politician has decided is a social imperative.

God gave us free will, even knowing that sometimes mistakes would be made. Have faith in him, even when you believe someone else is making a mistake.

Don’t give civil government the power over our bodies.

Kathryn Moore

Manhattan, Kan.

What’s best for U.S.

Republican candidates and right-wing pundits have showered us with anger about President Barack Obama’s campaign statements and advertising. These have described Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s status among the very rich.

The complaints seem centered on the idea that business is good for America. Romney should be proud of being a businessman. So why challenge Romney on that?

The point is not whether much of business is good for America, but whether our rulers should value business interests over the interests of the people. Cutting taxes on the rich and cutting regulations that constrain businesses from harming the public will make rich campaign contributors very happy. But it may not be good policy for ordinary Americans.

The choice of tea party favorite Paul Ryan as a running mate shows that Romney will emphasize those issues of cutting taxes on the rich while reducing governmental services and protections for lower-income Americans.

The bottom line is not whether wealthy businessmen do things that are valuable, but whether our rulers should consider what is best for all Americans in an evenhanded manner.

Gordon Elliott

Overland Park

Sign of politics today

I received a call from a neighbor who stated that she was a supporter of President Barack Obama but could not make her preference public because she feared retaliation. That is one illustration of the meanness in American politics that is so pervasive that many of us despair that decent campaigning will never return.

The onset of the demonization of political opponents began during the tenure of Newt Gingrich and to a great degree was orchestrated by the then-House speaker. The word went out to speak only in pejorative terms when referring to members of the opposition party and, indeed, to denigrate the Democratic Party’s name by omitting the final two letters.

This strategy has been successful to the point that voters have been driven into extreme positions that allow no common ground.

I have proudly displayed my favorite candidates’ signs in my front yard as I have done for many years and will continue to do so in the future.

Dorothy Stoeger

Platte Woods

Getting Congress to go

We no longer deport illegal immigrants. We’ve cut student loan rates in half. We Mediscare the elderly.

We’ve greened up the energy industry. We now support Israel, and we court the female vote.

Meanwhile, our country waits in vain for answers to our major problems — financial solvency, entitlement control and a working government.

To start, empower a budget/deficit committee. In both houses, the Republicans would select three Democrats they feel they can work with, and the Democrats would choose three Republicans.

The president and Democratic team should present plans for solutions, and the Republicans’ team should present plans, too. The budget/deficit committee then should devise a compromise on what would be the most palatable — not perfect, but workable — plan. A vote of eight members would be required. The president and Congress would be obliged to implement the plan.

Further, we should “means test” Social Security payments for those with more than $200,000 in gross income and limit to 20 percent unearned income, which receives special taxation rates. The remaining 80 percent would be taxed as normal income. The deficit would decline.

This might start a trend in Congress of getting something done.

Dave Long

Kansas City

Huntington’s hope walk

My wife, Ellen, walked in the Northwest Missouri Team Hope 5K walk/run for Huntington’s disease earlier this month at the Liberty Community Center.

Huntington’s disease affects the nervous system and eventually the mind. Most who have it normally have trouble talking, walking and holding things because of constant movement of arms, legs, head and shoulders.

Although slow, Ellen made the walk all the way. Several people did not.

We then had Chris Cakes pancakes and sausage. Ellen’s daughter, Lori, also has Huntington’s and has leg troubles, so she did not walk but staffed a table signing people in and giving them their sacks with T-shirts and drawing tickets. There was a good turnout, but no media were present.

I guess they only care only about cancer runs, not illnesses that few people have heard about and for which there is no cure. We then had an auction and bakery for fundraising.

Roland Sneed

Blue Springs

Fed-up KC sports fan

Royals and Chiefs fans long for the days of owners like Ewing Kauffman and Lamar Hunt.

But today in Kansas City we’re stuck with Clark Hunt in Dallas and David Glass in Arkansas sitting around counting their money and being confused about their teams’ failure to win.

I’m sure Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel is on his way out but not our “mum,” general manager Scott Pioli. And for the Royals, their problem just happened to be hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and not general manager Dayton Moore, who believes young prospects are not capable of playing in the big leagues until they reach 26 years of age or older, unlike most successful clubs in baseball.

Personally, I’d love to see Neal Patterson of Cerner and his sports ownership group take over one of these franchises. Patterson is a smart businessman and has a passion for Kansas City and winning.

I’m tired of Clark “Empty Suit” Hunt and David “Gabby Hayes” Glass.

One can’t find his way out of Texas and the other out of Arkansas.

I’m ready for the second coming of Ewing or Lamar.

John Koehler

Raytown