Posted on Sun, Jul. 20, 2008

Wake up, America

What has happened to our great country? Our economy is on the trash heap, and our elected officials choose to keep their pork-barrel projects in place when those funds could be used for a much better cause.

Our Supreme Court chooses to make sure that God is taken out of our heritage. Our enterprises are being sold to foreign investors. Soon our national anthem will have no meaning. We will no longer be America, land of the free and home of the brave.

It is time for our citizens to wake up and demand that government officials do the job they were elected to do and get our country back on the track the Founding Fathers envisioned.

At the rate we are traveling, soon the efforts of our men and women in uniform, past and present, will be in vain. I am truly dismayed at the legacy we are leaving for the future generation.

God bless America.

Ron McKinney

Overland Park

Wake up America! Since 2006, the majority of our Congress has been Democrats. What has happened since then? Gas prices have doubled, food prices are rising, unemployment is rising, our borders are still open and our taxes will rise if a Democrat is elected to the office of president. I am tired of paying high prices for everything and not being able to enjoy life.

I don’t totally agree with President Bush, but I was able to have a little spending money left over at the end of the month. Our unemployment rates were low, and the Dow Jones industrial average was doing better than it had ever done. These things create a better environment for a retired person like me.

So please, wake and smell the roses.

Allen Broadbent

Blue Springs

Repay taxpayers with stock

Hey, all you free-marketers. You know who you are — screaming “no taxes” and “poor folks don’t need government help.” What’s your answer for our financial institutions? The buzzards are circling. Government bailout, you say?

A bailout’s fine by me, but this taxpayer wants something for his money. How’s this: In exchange for a bailout of a financial institution, our government gets shares of preferred stock at a below-market rate.

Now before you scream “socialism,” answer this: Isn’t this exactly what Citigroup did when it panic-sold preferred shares to a bunch of foreign, government-owned funds, including the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and the Kuwait Investment Authority?

Shares of stock in exchange for money: It sounds downright capitalistic.

Mark D. Katz

Kansas City

Lieberman is no traitor

Before Susan Weiner calls Sen. Joe Lieberman a traitor and a party switcher (7/17, Letters), she needs to do a little research, all the way back to the 2006 election.

Lieberman was not elected as a Democrat. Ned Lamont defeated Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary thanks to massive Democratic National Committee support. Lieberman was seen by the DNC as too moderate. When it came time for the general election, Lieberman ran as the “Connecticut for Lieberman” candidate. Lieberman won re-election easily.

The Democrats are very fortunate Lieberman decided to caucus with them after their failed treachery. His move helped the Democrats hold a slim majority in Congress. Thanks to the DNC, Sen. Lieberman already was an independent.

This centrist would welcome Sen. Lieberman on the Republican ticket, where the candidate has been a moderate for a long time.

Jack Stemm

Olathe

Susan Weiner calls Sen. Joe Lieberman a “traitor” because of his alliance with the Republican party. She complains about his attempt to give advice to Barack Obama regarding a running mate. Quite frankly, any running mate Obama would choose would have three or four times the political experience Obama has.

Do all Democrats have such short (or selective) memories? I doubt Weiner complained when Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont switched from Republican to Independent, saying he would caucus with the Democrats and thus throw the balance of the Senate to the Democrats in 2001.

Steven Christensen

Blue Springs

Medical group thanks Roberts

There’s no doubt that this year’s harsh Medicare physician payment cut would have harmed access to health care for seniors, those with disabilities and military families (7/10, A-7, “Senate prevents payment cuts to doctors for Medicare”). At the last moment, the U.S. Congress acted to stop the cut with veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate.

The American Medical Association thanks Sen. Pat Roberts for standing up for seniors and their physicians by voting to stop the cuts. This vote was vital, as 60 percent of physicians said the Medicare cut would force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they could treat.

Tens of thousands of patients and physicians contacted their senators in the first week of July urging action, and Sen. Roberts heard and heeded their plea. For that, the physicians of America are sincerely grateful.

Nancy H. Nielsen

President, American Medical Association

Chicago

Farmers for Kay Barnes

I am writing for hundreds of Missouri farmers who believe we need a change in Washington and Kay Barnes is the right person for the job.

The family farmers I know are not happy with Sam Graves. We are sick and tired of being represented by someone who does the bidding of the oil companies and special interests.

With diesel and fertilizer costing more than ever, it is hard for many of us to make a living. But instead of looking out for us, Graves has voted to give oil companies more tax breaks. And he even voted against the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy. Many farmers have benefited from the biofuel and wind energy investments in their communities.

Family farmers are getting hit from all directions. Production costs and health insurance premiums are skyrocketing, so there is little left to save for retirement.

Kay Barnes is who we need in Congress instead of Special Interest Sam. She has the courage to stand up to oil companies and fight for our interests. And she knows how to get things done by working with Republicans and Democrats. Vote for change in November.

William Bruce Jr.

Chairman, Farmers for Kay

Lucerne, Mo.

Other jobs ‘hurt’ by smoking ban

Bartender Kristina Long (7/3, Letters) decried the smoking ban because it was hurting her employment.

You have company, Ms. Long: the health-care workers, because people who are healthier from not smoking will require less medical care, and the undertakers, because as people live longer they won’t be visiting so soon.

A friend of mine quit smoking, and his hearing improved dramatically because the blood circulation in his eardrum area was better. So you probably have some company in the hearing aid industry, too.

If people live longer from not smoking, it follows that they can drink longer and offset any real loss in booze consumption.

Ms. Long’s loss of income may be more the result of the downturn in the economy than the smoking ban. However, she could become healthier because of the smoking ban and require less medical care in the future.

My wife’s former husband died of heart disease with emphysema, saying, “I should have taken better care of myself.”

I was in North Carolina a few years ago (tobacco country) and a cousin said he was quitting. He said, “You see the farmer spraying the tobacco with the insecticide? If the tobacco doesn’t get us, the insecticide will.”

Charlie Williard

Kansas City

Would somebody buy that shirt?

Andy Streeter (7/14, Letters) tells us to check our pockets before donating clothes. In his case, he left $700 in his shirt pockets.

I love shopping at and donating to thrift stores. These stores give to charities and help us feel that the clothes we no longer wear will be reused and loved by someone else.

Pockets need to be checked, because I have found used tissues, gum, movie tickets and wrappers in the pockets of donated clothes. Thrift stores are not places to donate clothing that is excessively stained and torn beyond repair. Finding tattered, stained and dirty clothes in thrift stores breaks my heart.

If everyone would check the pockets, wash clothing and ask themselves, “Would anyone buy this again?” before they donated, more people might shop at thrift stores and help the charities these stores stand for.

Johanna Kelly

Kansas City

Walking in street dangerous

This letter is addressed to the two ladies who were walking on 59th Street just east of Brookside on Thursday morning. You were walking in the street, with your backs to traffic, with a baby in the stroller.

Yes, I’m the one who stopped and called you both idiots because I knew of no other term to describe you. There are perfectly acceptable sidewalks on both sides of the street. You have three options: Walk on the sidewalk, walk in the street facing traffic or walk in the street with your back to traffic. You chose the absolute worst option. If you insist on walking in this busy street for some reason, why don’t you walk facing traffic?

Perhaps you, or others I see doing this exact thing, can explain your thought process for choosing to walk on a busy street, with your backs to traffic and with a young child in a stroller. I am willing to listen to and consider any argument you, or anyone else, can give me for what I consider such a brain-dead action.

Ken Herdrick

Kansas City

Employment discrimination suit

The court order on which Randolph Heaster reported in “Discrimination case ends; Lawsuit asserted that some were improperly denied work by a job-referral list” (7/9, Business) was disappointing. My clients and I were dismayed by Local 2 business manager Ken Alexander’s comments that he “regrets” the union defended against a “case (that) should never have been filed.”

It is shocking that a labor union responsible for protecting its members from unfair practices, including discrimination, would regret the filing of a discrimination case.

Those courageous enough to challenge discrimination are heroes and champions of justice and should not face retribution. Often at great risk to their employment and reputation, civil rights plaintiffs demand equal rights.

My clients should be applauded for attempting to dismantle employment discrimination they perceived, not publicly labeled as objects of regret.

Audrey Wiggins

Acting deputy director of legal programs,

Acting director of employment

discrimination project

Lawyers’ Committee for

Civil Rights Under Law

Washington

There’s just one N in ‘pundits’

Is it me, or are more “talking heads” on the news channels pronouncing the word “pundits” as “pundints?”

What is that “n” doing in there? Where did they find it? Is it left over from a game of Lingo? I hear this gaffe from many sources, but there’s one afternoon news anchor on CNN who insists on mispronouncing it time and again.

At least it’s not quite as maddening and ubiquitous as “etc.” pronounced ek-cetera. Arrrrgh! Fingernails on a blackboard.

Steve “Pickyboy” Jackson

Lenexa

Looking west for entertainment

M.A. Redinger (7/17, Letters) of Overland Park looks east, to Kansas City, Mo., for entertainment.

I agree our fair city has its problems. But it could be a lot funnier with Phill Kline, or maybe worse, depending on your political leaning.

Donald Ludy

Kansas City

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