Posted on Fri, Aug. 08, 2008

Spreading blame for gas prices

Is it not ironic that Nancy Pelosi shuts down the House, and a storm approaches the oil rigs off Texas, and gas immediately jumps up from $3.63 to $3.79 in 24 hours. It sure doesn’t come down that fast.

I consider myself a capitalist who supports free and open market dictation, but I confess that I, too, think something must be done. I am fed up with paying a ridiculous amount for something that comes out of the Earth. They can’t even wait to see if the storm actually hits to raise the price. Do they give it back when they are wrong? No way!

I blame big oil, Iran, speculators, U.S. automakers and, most assuredly, our government.

Jim Davis

Independence

More than two-thirds of Americans want to lift the ban on offshore and domestic drilling. They want it done now. The Democrat-controlled Congress, which happens to have an approval rating of only 9 percent, is blocking this.

Any congressman or senator who supports this ban, including Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Dennis Kucinich and other do-nothing members, should be impeached. Enough is enough!

Ed Linton

Independence

Dennis Moore and the Democratic National Committee would have us believe that it takes a debate by two candidates running for the presidency to begin drilling in and around this country. Most politicians think that we’re just plain stupid. So, Congressman Moore, here are the facts. You know them but you believe we don’t.

Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, opposes drilling and won’t even allow the issue to come to a vote. She cries that she’s trying to “save the planet.” Twenty-five years ago, nearly 60 percent of our oil was produced domestically. Today it’s 25 percent.

Outsourcing our oil simply exports it to more corrupt and less efficient parts of the world. Most often the oil is from people who profess to hate us. Almost 70 percent of the American people want us to start drilling again, now.

Harry Reid, leader of he Senate, says that oil and coal make us sick, and he’s said that on the Senate floor. Only the Congress and the president can make us start drilling for oil again.

You know all this, Mr. Moore, and you think we don’t get it. But brother, we do every time we fill up for about $60.

James I. Jones

Leawood

Obama’s energy policy

One reason Barack Obama has given for not supporting expanded domestic oil drilling is his belief that it will have minimal impact in reducing prices. However, he recently advocated releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to reduce prices at the pump (8/5, A-5, “Campaigners spar on energy”). I wish he would explain how these viewpoints are not contradictory.

Also, if Obama becomes president, will he seek to rename it the Price Manipulation Petroleum Reserve or the Election Year Political Pandering Petroleum Reserve?

Dan Werkowitch

Overland Park

Barack Obama’s plan to impose an excess windfall tax on the oil companies reeks of politicking like nothing I’ve ever seen. How can any government declare that a company, operating lawfully, can earn too much profit? What is too much profit?

Never mind the fact that as any company earns profits, the government gains higher and higher levels of taxes. But even worse, taxes like these have a way of trickling down to any and all that earn more than the government sees fit. A perfect example is the alternative minimum tax, originally designed to rein in the super wealthy, which now hits a large number of decidedly non-wealthy citizens.

The government doesn’t need more taxes. It needs to better manage the money it already has and waste less.

Ron Lentz

Kansas City

What’s in it for me?

John is going to give me a gas tax holiday. Barack wants to give me another stimulus check.

Maybe Ron Paul will up the ante for my vote. What a bunch of crumbs!

Gene Wolenski

Kansas City

People aren’t ‘black’ or ‘white’

Just out of curiosity, why do we refer to Barack Obama as a black man? Why not call him a white man who had a black father?

Next, and far more important: Why do we use the terms “black” and “white” to describe human skin? Speaking only for myself, I hardly see my own skin as “white.” I’d rather think of it as pale orange, or in a more self-flattering moment, perhaps light peach. And I’ve never known anyone whose skin was actually “black.”

The paper in my copy machine is white. The tires on my car are black. I wonder what effect it would have on interpersonal relationships in this country if we all, including the media, would stop using such polarizing language to describe people. Maybe we would become less polarized ourselves.

Nancy McDowell

Overland Park

Crack down on metal thieves

Another day, another newspaper, another article on scrap-metal thefts (8/6, Local, “Scrap-metal thieves strike cars, lights; Police say they are seeing increases in stolen copper wire and catalytic converters”). But what these thieves are stealing is not scrap metal — it’s valuable property to the victim. It’s scrap to those who purchase such metals.

I’m tired of hearing the scrap metal buyers crying “don’t blame us.” I’m not one for more regulations, but it’s time to get strict: no loopholes, seller-buyer documentation and enforcement involved with this process.

Currently it’s too easy to sell the stolen materials. Local and national law enforcement agencies report the situation out of control. The thieves are desperate, the buyers are greedy, and the victims are piling up. Is there nothing we can do?

Phil Swayne

Gladstone

Native Palestinian’s plight

Sincere thanks to The Star for carrying the news story about the plight of U.S. citizen Yaser Wishah (who happens to have been born in Gaza) caught in the Israeli occupation of territories captured in the 1967 “Six-Day War” (8/4, A-1, “Native Palestinian can’t escape stigma”). Also, Wishah’s “As I See It” essay (8/5, Opinion, “Israeli restrictions on Gaza unfairly hinder Palestinian”) reinforces the message about what it’s like to live under the thumb of a regime that talks “security” while engaging in collective punishment, violations of human rights, and disregard for international laws.

While all Americans are concerned about the future of the State of Israel and want to ensure its future, we must also be concerned with principles of freedom and justice for all peoples — including Palestinians.

Again, thank you for printing these two pieces. I encourage you to continue to tell all sides of the story regarding the ongoing problems of the Middle East.

James S. Walker

Kansas City

Recent articles about and by area resident Yaser Wishah demonstrate the suffering endured by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza from Israel’s occupation.

Israel attempts to justify its actions under the banner of “security,” even if the Palestinians must bear at least some responsibility for their own fate. But Israeli overreactions, such as collective punishment, only fan the flames of extremism; they harm the Palestinians, the Israelis, and the Middle East peace process itself.

American Jews are now recognizing the extent of Palestinian suffering, and that the occupation must end since it is as costly to Israelis as it is to Palestinians. It’s also imperative to remember that Israeli and Palestinian lives are intertwined so that their joint security and future depend on finding constructive ways to deal with situations that don’t result in a “zero-sum game.”

Finally, Israel will only have peace if she negotiates with her Arab neighbors with the active involvement of U.S diplomats and politicians, the results of which would include a new, independent viable Palestinian state next door.

Allan Abrams

National board member, Kansas City

chapter leader, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom,

the Jewish Alliance of Justice and Peace

Prairie Village

Moore protects military benefits

Thank you, Congressman Dennis Moore, for co-sponsoring Rep. Chet Edwards’ and Walter Jones’ H.R. 579, a bill to protect military beneficiaries from large and unwarranted health fee increases such as the 50 to 270 percent fee hikes recommended in the fiscal year 2007 defense budget. These large proposed fee increases devalue career servicemembers’ large “upfront” payments through decades of sacrifice in protecting our freedom around the world.

Those who ask why military people should have a better health-care deal than civilians need to consider why there aren’t lines around the block at recruiting stations. It’s because few Americans are willing to pay the premiums of sacrifice required to earn the benefit.

We are a nation at war. Our services already have serious recruiting problems and retention is at increasing risk among already overdeployed and overstressed military families. The last thing we need is this Pentagon-proposed $1,000-a-year cut in career military benefits, which can only undermine long-term retention and readiness.

Thank you again for co-sponsoring this important legislation and recognizing that only Congress should decide when and how much to adjust military health fees.

Robert Faunce

Olathe

Boycotting Olympic Games

I’m a former coach. Not a great coach mind you, but a coach. I understand the dedication, discipline and effort it takes for an Olympic-caliber athlete to reach the pinnacle of his or her sport. Even just getting to the Olympics is an extremely challenging task.

Politics shouldn’t be part of the games, but we live in a political world. I’m sure we’d like to think the ancient Greeks didn’t allow anything but sportsmanship at the Olympics, but the truth is that they were very political beings, and many Olympic decisions were probably strongly colored by politics as well.

China is a nation with great potential. The Chinese people I know and the people of China in general are good people, with good ethics, desires and many talents. But the government of China is despicable.

I am going to boycott the Olympics. If enough people boycott the Olympics, the ratings will drop and the Chinese will notice, because they are very concerned about perception.

I urge you to turn off the Olympics this year. Read a book, go outside and play with your kids, garden or walk the dog. Do anything but watch the Olympics.

Brian K. Kegerreis

Overland Park

Happy to be ‘forgotten’

I, for one, am thankful that advertisers are ignoring my age group (7/29, A-1, “Baby boomers become the forgotten consumer; In pursuit of the 18-to-49 demographic, a wealthy segment gets short shrift”).

I don’t pay attention anyway, so they might as well spend their advertising dollars on the youngsters, hoping that they’ll remember the products once they finally get some disposable income.

J.P.Cummings

Kansas City, Kan.

Disposable bags are ‘evil’

I was disgusted to read John Tierney’s “10 things to scratch from your worry list” (8/5, FYI) and see “evil plastic bags” on the list. Tierney implies that we should surrender to plastic, the lesser of two evils. However, both paper and plastic are “evil.” Everyone in our society should be using reusable cloth bags.

To mockingly allege that plastic bag concerns are exaggerated is ignorant. China alone will save 37 million barrels of oil each year by banning free plastic bags. Is that something to scoff at?

Andrea Ways Newman

Kansas City

Witnessing wastefulness

I was walking to my car after work Monday, the hottest day of the year. I came upon a woman in an SUV, parked, with the motor running and the air conditioning on. As I walked past I slowly shook my head at her wastefulness. She rolled down the electric window and began screaming at me, “You got no right to shake your head. No right!”

I thought about this as I drove home, with the windows in my car rolled down. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I don’t have the right to judge her. But I’m certain our troops who are dying in Iraq do.

Brad Lucht

Kansas City

Wanted: Daily movie listings

Letter writer Janeen Aggen (8/5) misses the listings of movie showtimes in the FYI section on the days they don’t run. I, too, detest not being able to quickly see what time a show is and where it is playing to compare time and distance.

Last week I was in Lee’s Summit and finished an appointment early. I thought about seeing a show, but the paper, which I’d brought with me to read, had no listings. I could have driven to the theater in Lee’s Summit, only to find it had begun 20 minutes earlier, and by doing so, not have time to get to the one in Independence that started 30 minutes later.

My decision: I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a book.

Gingy Lebold

Alma, Mo.

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