Posted on Sun, Aug. 24, 2008

Views on Gloria, the go-getter

Is it possible that the mayor of a major city cannot function unless his wife is constantly pushing him? In describing his wife’s role at City Hall, Mayor Funkhouser recently said, “the biggest, most unique contribution she makes is to constantly push me to keep moving forward on my agenda” (8/21, Opinion, “Mayor should credit others for KC successes”).

Why does he need someone to keep pushing him to do what he is supposed to be doing — what he promised the voters he would get done and, by the way, what he is paid to do?

It would appear that the No. 1 item on his current agenda is to keep his wife in her present post regardless of how it will affect his relationship with the City Council and, thus, his ability to serve the community. I am certain that his wife will constantly push him to keep moving forward on that agenda as well.

Bernie Papin

Lenexa

It appears that Gloria Squitiro is too much of a live wire to exist with the plodding bureaucrats who inhabit City Hall.

During my career I observed many similar clashes in government offices. These would usually involve an energetic personality who would attempt to accomplish more than the minimum requirements of the job. He or she was then considered to be “rocking the boat” and became unpopular with less ambitious job holders in that office. In one instance, a bright young lady was told to “just sit there and draw her paycheck.”

My experience inclines me to recommend support for the mayor and his wife...

William H. Finnegan

Independence

In 1993, President Clinton appointed his wife, Hillary, to chair the Task Force on National Healthcare Reform. Regardless of one’s thoughts on the output of this Task Force, one of the major problems that people saw was that it was headed by an unpaid, unelected wife of the president, which many people saw as highly inappropriate. Bill Clinton corrected this by not having Hillary play a role in policy in this way for the rest of his administration.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser should quit being so arrogant and learn from Clinton’s mistake by removing Gloria Squitiro from the mayor’s office. It is just a bad policy.

David Kellogg

Overland Park

Both candidates ‘out of touch’

Last week, the two big parties spent lots of money and time bickering about what it meant that John McCain didn’t know how many residences he owns. Underlying this debate is the charge that he’s rich and “out of touch” with those in this country who are struggling.

The reality is both candidates are wealthy, and neither has any visceral connection to the grievances of most Americans. Neither man currently knows what it feels like to worry that an illness might not merely debilitate him, but also bankrupt his family. Neither man knows about the high cost of health insurance and the possibility of losing his home.

Every four years we elect a wealthy person from an elite governing class to the presidency. This ensures our president will be someone who is personally insulated from the concerns animating our daily lives.

No wonder we continue hemorrhaging jobs, losing our homes and going bankrupt over medical bills.

Shannon Kempf

Kansas City

Obama’s praise for China

Barack Obama praised the Chinese and commented that their infrastructure is far better than that of the U.S. He said businesses will certainly want to do business in Beijing.

Maybe he should explain the pollution in Beijing (where’s the EPA?), the child labor, the mud huts that collapse during earthquakes and the lack of freedom and basic human rights.

If this is the change he is proposing for the U.S., then I think I’ll pass on that change.

Loretta Childers

Olathe

Lieberman no threat to GOP

Rush Limbaugh frets that the nomination of Joe Lieberman as John McCain’s vice-presidential candidate would destroy the Republican Party. Were this the GOP as personified by a person of integrity and intellectual honesty, such as John Danforth, that would be lamentable.

However, this GOP is personified by corruption (Jack Abramoff, Ted Stevens, Duke Cunningham), greed (Enron, the subprime mortgage meltdown), immorality (Larry Craig, Mark Foley), the military-industrial complex (Dick Cheney) and incompetence, hypocrisy and an intellectual, ethical and leadership vacuum (George W. Bush).

Sen. Lieberman as a vice presidential candidate seems a lot less of a threat to the party than the legacy of the second Bush administration.

Tracy Leonard

Kansas City

Kudos to community organizers

Gary Pederson (8/19, Letters) made a couple of disparaging comments about Barack Obama’s time as a community organizer, even suggesting that being an organizer isn’t a significant accomplishment.

Our church has been working with Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO) here in Kansas City, and we’ve come to know the amazing community organizers who work for CCO. They are some of the most dedicated and hardest-working people I’ve ever met.

Community organizers help ordinary members of the community find the power to confront problems in their neighborhoods, their cities and states and even nationally. Community organizers often succeed where government leaders fail, because they harness the power of people.

I think that sounds like a great accomplishment for someone hoping to become president.

The Rev. Donna Simon

Abiding Peace Lutheran Church

North Kansas City

Appraisers’ role in housing crisis

The Star’s article on recent appraisal problems (8/18, A-1, “System to catch fraud is broken; Experts and industry insiders say the lack of monitoring has contributed to the collapse of the housing market”) does not sufficiently zero in on the problem.

Higher sales prices motivate sellers and allow buyers to purchase with very little down. Buyers’ and sellers’ agents, title companies, mortgage brokers, banks and others make nothing unless the sale goes through. Thus, all may, at time, put pressure on the appraiser, who, if he or she wants to get hired again, needs to play ball.

Overvalued property means likely foreclosure and the U.S. government picking up the tab.

The simple solution: a list of FHA-approved appraisers from which a local FHA office draws an appraiser upon request from a bank.

Altering the list or attempting to maneuver appraisers would be a federal crime. Banks who do not sell mortgages to federally backed companies would be exempt.

James B. Jackson

Kansas City

Same old answers about oil

In the “As I See It” editorial, guest columnist Jean Carnahan wrote on U.S. Energy Policy (8/17, Opinion, “There are better answers than drilling for more oil”). I hoped that she would present some fresh ideas and new perspective. Instead, the former U.S. senator from Missouri merely re-stated the same old tired partisan blame game.

She managed to name the all-too-usual suspects: the president, Wall Street and “Big Oil.” She seemed to disregard that part of the reason we consume 25 percent of global oil production is due to the nearly insatiable appetite for fuel-inefficient vehicles. And all automakers were more than willing to feed that perceived need.

U.S. energy policy is a complex issue and will take more than a few sound bites to resolve. It will require a basic lifestyle change by most Americans.

Unfortunately, I do not see any credible leadership setting the pace for that change.

Ralph Sweatte

Shawnee

Fishy leadership in KC

Kansas City leaders’ stance and actions regarding its aquarium proposals and Mission’s planned aquarium illustrate the attitude that has held the Kansas City metro area back for decades (8/19, A-1, “Aquarium builders push for city nod; Meanwhile, plans for an aquatic attraction on former Mission Center location are progressing”).

Instead of working together for the common interest of the Kansas City area, the powers that be in Kansas City, Mo., have decided to take matters in to their own hands. It goes without saying the area will be unable to support both projects if two aquariums are built, and both would likely fail. Who wins in that scenario?

Jeff Kaczmarek, president and CEO of the Kansas City Economic Development Corp., said, “We’ve had inquiries for over a year.” Why didn’t Kaczmarek speak up when Mission and the Gateway developers were seeking (and have since been granted) STAR bonds over the past year?

Regardless of what site is best for an aquarium, Kansas City’s leaders have further illustrated how their lack of looking out for the greater good of the entities making up the metropolitan area, and thus the area as a whole, continues to hinder Kansas City’s progress.

John Christy

Mission

Frustrated with city services

I have owned my Brookside home for almost 11 years. During this time, I’ve made many calls to the city’s 3-1-1 Action Center about two sweet gum trees planted alongside my property. These trees are owned and poorly maintained by the city. Sagging limbs hang over my roof. Debris fills my gutters and litters my yard and sidewalk. One section is tilted dangerously because of one of the trees.

Despite calls and complaints, the trees get minimal attention. Cases filed often take two to three months to address. One took more than six months.

After calling 3-1-1 for the third time recently (when limbs fell on and damaged my fence) I was told that “if I planned to stay there” I should stop opening cases and contact my City Councilman about these issues.

I love my house and neighborhood and have no intention of heading to the treeless suburbs. Instead, I’ll gather my case numbers, insurance claim information and e-mail 5th District City Councilman Terry Riley.

Janet Carpenter

Kansas City

Recycling center cutbacks

We just returned from the recycling center in south Kansas City on Hillcrest road. We were informed that we can no longer bring egg cartons to be recycled.

We were told that the mayor’s office said they no longer could take them because they don’t bring in any revenue to the city. We have been going to this recycling center since it opened on Bannister road in front of Kmart many years ago and thought we were recycling to help the environment.

We didn’t realize the purpose of the recycling was for city revenue. How foolish of us.

With all the talk lately about plastic in our landfills, we need to recycle more. I’m sure you are proud, Mr. Mayor, for helping fill up the landfills. Way to go.

Richard and Marion Kirchner

Kansas City

Struck by illegal driver

My son was rear-ended in an automobile accident more than a year ago, resulting in more than $1,000 in damage to his car. He pays to keep his driver’s license current and insurance on his car, and he goes to a job every day.

The man driving the car involved did not speak English, was in the U.S. illegally, did not have insurance and did not have a driver’s license. The police officer apologized to my son and said she would take the person to jail — again.

The name of the driver, the name of the owner of the car, their current address, and court order are on record.

Hiring an attorney and trying to go through the legal system was a joke. The person here illegally doesn’t have to abide by the law. He simply just doesn’t have to show up in court. What a waste. How worthless can our laws be?

Politicians can make all the laws they want, but if they aren’t going to be enforced, the laws are as worthless as they are. Maybe they can tell us how to collect for the damages or perhaps foot the bill for repairs and attorney fees.

Mary K. Robertson

Shawnee

The irony in being pro-choice

I have seen more than my share of letters, commentaries and cartoons that ridicule pro-life people and their stance against abortion. There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, where all of these pro-choice folks were given a remarkable gift, without which they wouldn’t be able to speak, write, debate, draw or ridicule. It’s called the gift of life.

So, if you are reading this and are pro-abortion rights, in a very twisted way that’s the quintessential definition of “irony.”

Robert Jenkins

Kansas City, Kan.

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