White House contest

The race for president of the United States determines who will be the most powerful person in the world. Too many voters treat it like a beauty contest.

Who wins the Miss Congeniality contest? Who does better in the talent show? Who is more glib?

Let’s be serious enough to vote for the candidate who can better lead our country in the next four years. We can choose to salvage our economy.

Shelley Theis

Mission Hills

GOP pushing out RINOs

It has been fascinating watching the orthodox Republicans dealing with the so-called RINOs (Republicans in name only). Lifelong Republicans apparently are RINOs if they believe:

•  Fiscal responsibility might require a tax increase.

•  Governance requires compromise, even with Democrats.

•  Evolution, homosexuality and climate change are scientific not political issues.

•  Women are capable of making their own family decisions.

•  Gays should have the same rights as other Americans.

•  Public education is critical to the nation.

Those with these heretical views have been driven from elective office, replaced by nominees who meet the orthodox checklist. Now they want Republicans to unify and expect despicable RINOs to vote Rush Limbaugh-like.

I suggest that if Republicans are to regain the moderate party of former President Dwight Eisenhower and Sen. Bob Dole, a message must be sent: “Don’t take our vote for granted. If you despise us and find us unworthy of being Republican officeholders, then we will vote for Democratic moderates.”

Bond Faulwell

Overland Park

Fizzled hope, change

In 2008 I voted for Barack Obama. I believed in his message of hope, change and transparency. I won’t make that mistake again.

Jack Benson

Leawood

Uniting for America

We now have four political parties. The Republicans with the tea party and the Democrats with the something-for-nothing party.

Be honest. Which are you?

Are you a producer or a taker? If the Republicans win the White House and the Congress, we just may have a chance to correct our financial mess.

If the president is re-elected and controls the Congress, we are headed for a welfare state and insolvency.

We need to put aside our differences, be they race, religion or whatever. We are all Americans. We must work together to save our wonderful country.

Take a look at some countries in Europe. That’s where we are headed.

Dick Wilson

Olathe

No on cigarette tax

The proposed tobacco tax increase is more than five times the current tax. It would go from $1.70 to $9 per carton. Missouri does have a low tobacco tax, but a more than five times increase is obviously pure greed.

Everyone would be outraged if the sales tax went from 6 percent to 30 percent. And what would you be paying if your property tax were five times higher?

Wouldn’t it be fairer to all parties involved if the tax weren’t so high? If the rate were doubled, it would still be a large increase, but it would be more tolerable to everyone.

Schools would still get a subsidy, jobs would not be lost, tobacco users would not be hit so hard and Missouri’s total revenue would increase instead of decrease as a learned economics professor has calculated.

Joseph Haslag, a PhD and a prominent economics professor from the University of Missouri, has findings that show Missouri would actually lose $67 million in tax revenues if Proposition B were to pass.

Let’s be reasonable and vote this increase down and let the legislators come up with a more fair answer.

Vic Colson

Joplin, Mo.

Obama wrong for U.S.

The president’s campaign slogan, “Forward,” reminds me of World War I trench warfare. The officers would blow a whistle and yell, “Forward!”

The men would wearily get up from their trenches and be blasted. Forthrightly, they would return, beaten down, dispirited and demoralized.

The president is fighting a losing battle on the economy, using failed policies and ideologies from the liberal playbook. The path we currently are on is unsustainable and calls for new direction and tactics.

Let’s not drag this debacle out four more years.

Steven Fetter

Overland Park

Project Warmth giving

In a physical sense, the world gets a little warmer each day, at least according to most scientists. But in an emotional sense, the world gets a little colder each day, as love, compassion, kindness and understanding are abandoned by more and more people in favor of hate, neglect and intolerance.

It’s a sure sign of the evil times in which we’re living. Even so, thanks to Project Warmth, an annual coat, blanket and charity drive by The Star and KCTV-5 to benefit needy people in the Kansas City area.

There’s still some hope for those who otherwise could literally freeze to death this winter in our community. The opportunity to give coats, blankets and money to warm the bones, homes and hearts of the needy among us is at hand.

Please don’t give them the cold shoulder.

Rick Nichols

Leavenworth

Facts about gun laws

Some have concerns about Overland Park changing its ordinance to allow open carry. In my opinion, people should worry about something important like drunken drivers.

I have never seen anyone carrying a gun other than those doing so for their jobs, like the police. It has been legal to open carry anywhere in Kansas and Missouri for a whole lot of years.

Overland Park had an ordinance that was not in compliance with state law, so the City Council changed it. That will keep the city from having repercussions from the state.

The city laws have to be in line with state laws in Missouri and Kansas.

I realize some people don’t want to know the truth, but there it is for those who do. There is an old saying for some, “Don’t confuse me with the facts.”

Gary Smith

Kansas City

End Electoral College

To get our country back on track, we need to mount a concerted effort to drive into extinction the dinosaur known as the Electoral College. In this age of instant communication, there is no need to not have the one-voter-one-vote system to elect our president.

Who are these people called electors? Who picks them, and why can they vote any which way they choose regardless of the popular vote instead of the outcome at polling places dictating elections?

Also, our Congress needs to be put on term limits like the president. In addition, if our representatives don’t do what they were elected for, then they shouldn’t get paid.

There should be term limits on our Supreme Court rather than the justices serving for a lifetime. Also, constitutional amendments need to be instituted to undo the political decisions they have forced on us.

Glaring examples are unfettered contributions by big-money contributors and corporations as people.

Don Rinck Sr.

Mission

Senate candidate dud

I have never felt so strongly against a candidate as I do about Clay County senatorial candidate Ryan Silvey.

He has three problems as far as I am concerned.

I really don’t think he relates to the people of this county. I do not get any warm, fuzzy feelings with Silvey.

Ryan Silvey works hard to get people to vote for him by changing his stances. He is putting on such an act that I am sickened by his politics.

Lastly, what are Silvey’s plans?

The way he will legislate is foretold by the way he mistreated Missouri’s blind citizens. In the $24 billion budget passed by Rep. Silvey (he’s chair of the House Budget Committee), the $28 million program for the blind was eliminated. The money instead was to be used to avoid cuts to higher education.

Silvey said he wanted to put the blind on a level playing field with anyone else. But the blind can’t see to play on any field. I blame politics for a lot of stuff, but I do not see Silvey as understanding what Missouri is all about.

Robert M. Shettles

Liberty

End partisan bickering

The country does not need rhetoric, mischaracterizations, class warfare or inflammatory statements from our candidates for the White House. We need a president who can facilitate progress with compromise.

The country has never been more polarized. The Congress has not even passed a budget in three years.

We are being sidetracked by social issues, personal attacks, generalizations, name-calling and stereotyping blatantly exercised by both parties.

I don’t care who paid what taxes or what kind of car they drive. I care about getting people back to work to increase the tax base. This will require some compromise and perhaps a little humility and political savvy.

John Miller

Fairway