Criticizing Brownback

To paraphrase Shakespeare: “Methinks thou doth protest too much.” This saying jumps to mind every time I read a slam in The Kansas City Star of Gov. Sam Brownback’s conservative vision for Kansas (1-9, A1, “Stories behind the tax cuts”).

Hardly a day goes by that The Star can’t help itself but attack Brownback’s agenda and policies.

It makes me wonder what the newspaper fears more — Brownback failing or Brownback succeeding? It seems to me that the U.S. is littered with examples of cities (and some states) suffering economic and social decay that was the direct result of years and years of unabated liberalism — Kansas City included.

I’d like to see what unabated conservatism looks like for a change. Let’s not forget, Kansas voters have overwhelmingly endorsed this path based on the outcomes of the last few elections.

It might just work. And if it does, I wonder how The Star will spin it?

Scott King

Prairie Village

Secretary of defense

Former U.S. senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, is an outstanding choice for secretary of defense. Sen. Hagel is a decorated combat veteran who volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War in the infantry.

Since then he has spent his life working to better the lives of veterans, from serving as the No. 2 person in Veterans Affairs to saving the USO from financial ruin as its president and creating the Post-9/11 GI Bill in the U.S. Senate. His military experience, his policy experience in the U.S. Senate and his commitment to veterans make him an ideal choice for Secretary of Defense.

If confirmed by the Senate, he will be the first enlisted man to ever become the secretary of defense, something that will only help as he leads our nation’s armed forces.

I urge Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt to vote to confirm Chuck Hagel.

Charles Hinderliter

Maplewood

First border war shot

On the border war, people forget about Kansas City’s earnings tax. I was working in a small sales office with about six employees in Kansas City when this tax was instigated. All but one employee lived in Kansas, so we immediately moved the office to Kansas.

I believe this was the beginning of the border war, and Kansas City fired the first shot.

I wonder how many small, under-the-radar jobs have been lost to Kansas as a result of this obnoxious tax.

John Compton

Overland Park

Boehner and gridlock

So John Boehner was narrowly re-elected as speaker of the house only after promising not to compromise with the Democrats. Remember this the next time your conservative friends trot out the old argument that both parties are equally to blame for the gridlock in Washington.

Mike McCord

Olathe

Ending abuse cycle

As a survivor of priest abuse, I want to commend Amy Surdin for her bravery in exposing the seduction of an innocent student by a trusted teacher (1-7, A1, “Sexual abuse haunts victimized students”). Parents, other teachers and, more importantly, youngsters themselves need to know that these horrendous things can and do happen.

Society still does not like to know about these situations, but they occur more often than we know. Amy, please keep talking.

Your words are truth, and you speak them to power.

Kay Goodnow

Lenexa

Helen Gray retires

A bright, shining star is leaving your newspaper (1-5, C8, “She covered KC for more than 45 years”). Helen Gray, as religion editor at The Kansas City Star, provided thorough, concise writing, which made The Star superb for me each Saturday.

With compassion and grace, Helen touched all the hearts in Kansas City. May peace and good health be yours.

Susan Goldenberg

Kansas City

End animal abuse

Animal cruelty can be either real abuse or simply failure to take care of an animal. Either way, whether the animal is a pet, farm animal or even wildlife, the victim of the abuse will suffer terribly.

You always ask yourself, “How could anyone do something like this?” The answer is still unknown today.

Anybody can step up and fight the abuse, but sadly few do.

Most people who abuse their poor animals suffer from emotional issues. These issues sometimes lead to stabbing, shooting, beating and even burning. It’s just inhumane to even have the thought of abusing such an innocent animal. What did they ever do to them?

Just sit there in the corner, waiting for their owners to feed them? If you know you have issues, then why on earth would you take it out on an animal?

There’s no point. Look at it this way. What is the difference between beating your child or your pet? Well, the answer is prison or getting your pet taken away. I think it should be prison for both.

The animal can’t tell you to stop. A child is too scared.

Austin Reed

Blue Springs

Broaden news intake

Letter writers have stated that they don’t have to watch the Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz shows long to see that they aren’t giving the whole story on their “nightly newscasts.” Anyone who watches MSNBC or Fox News must realize that neither of these is an actual news channel with newscasts.

They are news “opinion” channels.

They take real news and report it from their point of view, and it is skewed toward their particular political leanings. If this is the only news you get then you need to broaden your horizons.

J. Allen Smith

Excelsior Springs

Reform U.S. taxes

Our president is the sheriff of Nottingham getting away with masquerading as Robin Hood. The rich are taxed at 15 percent “passive income” rates. This ruse will widen the gap between the rich and the poor, placing blocks in the way for poor to become rich.

Government services and regulations are needed, so it is time to cut middle-management and predatory regulations. There are whole federal departments that get in the way of free people, state and local governments, doing their jobs — some through double regulation and some through usurpation of services and regulation the local and state governments provide.

Washington, D.C., needs to tackle our economy’s growth issues that cause revenue shortfalls plus get serious with overspending and unsustainable debt.

History says President Calvin Coolidge’s approach to our problems is required. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan used part of his recipe but left part for us to employ.

It’s time to eliminate fat, predatory regulations and reform the tax code from 60,000 pages to one by eliminating all deductions and taxing all income at passive rates, with only three brackets of 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent.

Jared Westhoff

Olathe

Understanding greed

Greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something, such as money, than is needed. According to this definition, there really is no way to define greed in others except by examining their motives and heart.

Because we cannot look into the mind and heart of another person, how can we know whether someone is greedy? Is a person greedy because he makes more money than others?

Is a person greedy because he made bad decisions and now needs financial help? To truly know a person’s heart takes time, sometimes years, by sharing in his or her life.

Because we live in a fluid society, do we really get to know each other that well?

The opposite of greed can be defined as contentment. The opposite of selfish can be defined as generous. We can most certainly be content and generous in spite of our worldly possessions.

There will always be someone who has more or less of something than I do. But I do not let that define whether those people are greedy in their needs or in their abundance.

Melinda Esparrago

Overland Park

Blessings from heaven

I have always been thankful for my family. I am the youngest of seven and now the only survivor of the love my parents shared with all of us.

I have lived in Kansas City since the end of World War II and had not met anyone from my hometown. About five or six years ago, I wrote a letters to the editor and received a call that Sunday from someone who had attended the same country school 20 years later.

Now this family is like my own. Thank God from whom all blessings flow.

Clara N. Lynch

Sugar Creek

Wild West in Lenexa

There couldn’t have been a more appropriate place for the guy who shot his wife in the leg with his concealed carry handgun than the Longbranch Steakhouse in Lenexa. Way to go, all you wannabe cowboys.

Don Rinck Sr.

Mission