Kansas City Star: Editorials http://www.kansascity.com/340/index.xml News, sports and entertainment from The Kansas City Star en-us Copyright 2012Kansas City Star Editorials 60 Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:46:49 CST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's PubSys 1.1.fi feedback@kansascity.com (Feedback) The Star's editorial | Mayor's budget plan charts bold course for KC http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/11/3422495/the-stars-editorial-mayors-budget.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/11/3422495/the-stars-editorial-mayors-budget.html#storylink=rss Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00 CST Sly James' $1 billion infrastructure plan shows the kind of grand but realistic thinking that a first-class city needs, even if all the details aren't worked out yet and any proposed tax increase must be assessed with care. The Star's editorial | Sinquefield's loose lips and gifts for Nixon http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/10/3422156/the-stars-editorial-sinquefields.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/10/3422156/the-stars-editorial-sinquefields.html#storylink=rss Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00 CST It's been a good week for Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. First, he gets $41 million dropped into his general fund as part of a settlement with big banks over unscrupulous mortgage-lending practices. The Star's editorial | Finally, real mortgage relief for homeowners http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/09/3419907/the-stars-editorial-finally-real.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/09/3419907/the-stars-editorial-finally-real.html#storylink=rss Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan says Thursday's big mortgage settlement with several banks "doesn't solve everything." The Star's editorial | Shutting libraries will hurt Johnson County http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3417840/the-stars-editorial-shutting-libraries.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3417840/the-stars-editorial-shutting-libraries.html#storylink=rss Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Given the significance of great parks and libraries in Johnson County, both the parks and library boards should be exploring the option of asking the County Commission to increase their annual funding for years to come. That's going to require putting together detailed plans on how those new revenues would build better parks and libraries. The Star's editorial | Get Kansas City streetcar costs right http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3417838/the-stars-editorial-get-streetcar.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/08/3417838/the-stars-editorial-get-streetcar.html#storylink=rss Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Kansas City officials want U.S. taxpayers to kick in $25 million to help build a proposed $100 million downtown streetcar line. It's a reasonable request -- as long as the city responsibly makes its case for federal help. The Star's editorial | Birth control rule goes too far http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/07/3415679/the-stars-editorial-birth-control.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/07/3415679/the-stars-editorial-birth-control.html#storylink=rss Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Safe and necessary health insurance practices may sometimes conflict with religious beliefs, but health care and health insurance are galaxies of nuances. The Obama administration's goal of making affordable, comprehensive care available to all Americans is exactly correct. Its task now is to find a better way to handle the distinctions. The Star's editorial | Judge right to order study of coal-fired power plant http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/07/3415682/the-stars-editorial-coal-plant.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/07/3415682/the-stars-editorial-coal-plant.html#storylink=rss Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00 CST U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan's good decision should help protect generations of Kansans who could be exposed to harmful emissions from a planned coal-fired power plant in western Kansas, which is backed by the Sunflower Electric Power Corp. The Star's editorial | Get your money's worth: Vote in Missouri's presidential primary http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/06/3413658/the-stars-editorial-get-your-moneys.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/06/3413658/the-stars-editorial-get-your-moneys.html#storylink=rss Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Missouri voters, be sure to get to the polls today. You're paying for this primary, after all. Might as well get an "I Voted" sticker out of it. The Star's editorial | With friends like Egypt … http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/06/3413656/the-stars-editorial-with-friends.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/06/3413656/the-stars-editorial-with-friends.html#storylink=rss Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST President Barack Obama's administration must react quickly and forcefully to the latest outrage from Cairo: the announcement that 19 American pro-democracy workers -- part of a group of 43 in all -- would be ordered to stand trial. The Star's editorial | State must stop gutting Missouri's universities http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/05/3409256/the-stars-editorial-state-must.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/05/3409256/the-stars-editorial-state-must.html#storylink=rss Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00 CST It is past time for Missouri to stop gutting its colleges and universities. Republican and Democratic legislators have expressed concern about Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed cuts to higher education. They should find a way to moderate them. The Star's editorial | Johnson County's lackluster parks expansion http://joco913.com/news/the-stars-editorial-johnson-countys-lackluster-parks-expansion/ http://joco913.com/news/the-stars-editorial-johnson-countys-lackluster-parks-expansion/#storylink=rss Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:00 CST Johnson County residents deserve better parks. To make that happen, residents may need to turn up the volume on their expectations. The status quo -- marked by rather timid leadership from the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners, the County Commission and the civic community -- sure isn't working. The Star's editorial | Shhh! Governor and lobbyists hard at work http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/03/3408715/the-stars-editorial-shhh-governor.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/03/3408715/the-stars-editorial-shhh-governor.html#storylink=rss Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00 CST When is a clearly legislative meeting not a legislative meeting? According to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, when food is served. The Star's editorial | Encouraging start for 'Big 5' http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/02/3406783/the-stars-editorial-encouraging.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/02/3406783/the-stars-editorial-encouraging.html#storylink=rss Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00 CST Lots of small things have to happen for the "Big 5" to succeed in improving this region. The Star's editorial | A $1.2 billion mystery http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/02/3406785/the-stars-editorial-a-12-billion.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/02/3406785/the-stars-editorial-a-12-billion.html#storylink=rss Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00 CST With the investigation into the collapse of MF Global still dragging on, thousands of farmers and ranchers around the Midwest are wondering whether they will ever recover their lost money. The Star's recommendations | Romney, Obama are best choices in Missouri primaries http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/01/3404512/the-stars-editorial-romney-obama.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/01/3404512/the-stars-editorial-romney-obama.html#storylink=rss Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00 CST In Tuesday's Missouri presidential primaries, the GOP vote amounts to little more than a very expensive beauty contest. Even so, we would urge Republicans to back frontrunner Mitt Romney. With a sitting and an essentially unchallenged president, the Democratic primary holds very little drama. Still, Democrats should turn out to support President Barack Obama. The Star's editorial | Komen's cutting Planned Parenthood funds was a mistake http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/01/3404580/the-stars-editorial-komens-cutting.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/01/3404580/the-stars-editorial-komens-cutting.html#storylink=rss Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00 CST In the end, it's Susan G. Komen for the Cure that will end up poorer for its decision to defund Planned Parenthood. It is likely to see a dip in contributions and it most certainly has forfeited a measure of respect. The Star's editorial | Police, City Hall work together for taxpayers http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/31/3402266/the-stars-editorial-working-together.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/31/3402266/the-stars-editorial-working-together.html#storylink=rss Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00 CST Under former Chief Jim Corwin, Kansas City's Police Department fought hard against consolidating services with City Hall even though it would save taxpayer funds. Under new chief Darryl Forté, however, the department has a much more welcome attitude about this crucial task: <span class="italic">Let's get it done.</span> The Star's editorial | Dismantle this plan on KC schools http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/31/3402313/the-stars-editorial-dismantle.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/31/3402313/the-stars-editorial-dismantle.html#storylink=rss Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00 CST Something surely needs to be done about the Kansas City Public Schools. But the latest idea to come out of Jefferson City -- dismantling the district and piecing it out to neighboring districts that may not even want to participate -- is a formula for interminable resentment and blame. The Star's editorial | A sensible road map to a more agile defense http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/30/3400361/the-stars-editorial-a-sensible.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/30/3400361/the-stars-editorial-a-sensible.html#storylink=rss Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00 CST The Obama administration's 2013 defense budget outline is an attempt to accept current fiscal realities while avoiding the age-old mistake of planning to fight the last war. The Star's editorial | Working to reduce recidivism http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/30/3400359/the-stars-editorial-working-to.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/30/3400359/the-stars-editorial-working-to.html#storylink=rss Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00 CST More than 3,000 offenders leave state and federal prisons and return to the Kansas City area each year. More than half will find their way back behind bars. Of those considered high risk, the chances of returning to prison are 84 percent. The Star's editorial | No debating it: KC schools need help http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/29/3396126/the-stars-editorial-no-debating.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/29/3396126/the-stars-editorial-no-debating.html#storylink=rss Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00 CST The governance of the unaccredited Kansas City school district is in flux, but for the immediate future the district and its 17,000 students need a high-quality school board to work with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to determine a path forward. The Star's editorial | A food stamp fiasco http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/29/3396127/the-stars-editorial-a-food-stamp.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/29/3396127/the-stars-editorial-a-food-stamp.html#storylink=rss Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:00 CST Kansas officials, including Gov. Sam Brownback's office, are scrambling to defend their hardhearted decision to deny food stamps for needy children who are U.S. citizens living with illegal immigrants. But the agency's defense is misleading and shamefully lacking in compassion. The Star's editorial | Smoke, but no fire, in audit of Kansas Bioscience Authority http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/28/3396082/the-stars-editorial-a-bit-of-smoke.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/28/3396082/the-stars-editorial-a-bit-of-smoke.html#storylink=rss Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00 CST The Kansas Bioscience Authority's board and staff would show good faith by trimming salaries, perks and administrative expenses. Kansas legislators, however, should not join Gov. Sam Brownback in what appears to be a power play against an entity that has mostly served the state very well. The Star's editorial | Get realistic plans to upgrade Grand Boulevard http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/28/3396083/the-stars-editorial-get-realistic.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/28/3396083/the-stars-editorial-get-realistic.html#storylink=rss Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00 CST Sprucing up the swath of Grand Boulevard from Crown Center to the River Market could encourage construction of more residential units and commercial buildings, boosting downtown's fortunes. That will require a realistic, sensibly financed plan. The Star's editorial | Marching backward on schools, guns, gays http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/27/3395996/the-stars-editorial-marching-backward.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/27/3395996/the-stars-editorial-marching-backward.html#storylink=rss Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00 CST Another week, another grenade lobbed out of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's administration. The Star's editorial | Looking for a healthy plan http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/26/3394236/the-stars-editorial-looking-for.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/26/3394236/the-stars-editorial-looking-for.html#storylink=rss Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00 CST After six years of feuding, the Police Department and City Hall are closer than ever to endorsing a unified health insurance plan that could save money for Kansas City taxpayers. This is an encouraging development. The Star's editorial | Focus on reducing black homicides http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/26/3394239/the-stars-editorial-focus-on-reducing.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/26/3394239/the-stars-editorial-focus-on-reducing.html#storylink=rss Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00 CST It is not news in Kansas City that the murder rate is scandalously high and most of the victims are black. The Star's editorial | Red faces over KC police red-light camera report http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/25/3392124/the-stars-editorial-red-faces.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/25/3392124/the-stars-editorial-red-faces.html#storylink=rss Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00 CST It is encouraging to know that, based on tickets issued, Kansas City knows red-light running has gone down at intersections with cameras in the last two years. Still, Kansas Citians need to know a lot more details about how red-light cameras are affecting traffic safety. The Star's editorial | KCI finally promotes user-friendly cellphone lot http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/25/3392121/the-stars-editorial-can-you-hear.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/25/3392121/the-stars-editorial-can-you-hear.html#storylink=rss Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00 CST Officials at Kansas City International Airport properly have dropped their resistance to the idea. They've designated Economy Lot A as a place to park while awaiting passengers. That should put an end to the local ritual of endlessly circling the three terminal drives, wasting fuel. The Star's editorial | Obama makes effective case for his record http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/24/3390125/the-stars-editorial-obama-makes.html http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/24/3390125/the-stars-editorial-obama-makes.html#storylink=rss Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00 CST Americans on Tuesday night saw an upbeat and energetic president who left no doubt he was prepared to defend his record and fight for his re-election.