Readers react to Roy Blunt endorsement, McGee Street danger, Amendment 3, Kevin Yoder/Jay Sidie
Blunt endorsement
I cannot believe you could endorse Sen. Roy Blunt. As a Star supporter for more than 40 years, I have never read such an endorsement.
For those of us who have lived and worked here, Blunt embodies the worst of Republican graft and hypocrisy. Jason Kander is a breath of fresh air and a man of intellect and honor.
This is a very disappointing and shallow look at Blunt and his legacy. I expect better from The Star.
Dana Bartimus
Leawood
Hard-working folks
We place a great amount of value on our elected representatives. Maybe too much.
The majority of Americans rise early, work diligently, save for the future, contribute to charities, pay their taxes and vote. They still find time to attend a child’s soccer game.
Collectively, they set the social conscience of the nation.
Responsible citizens, not the politicians, pay the overhead and make the American economy work.
The politicians work for these taxpayers. The taxpayers do not work for the politicians.
The responsibility of our elected representatives is to provide an environment of opportunity and then get out of the way.
James Cox
Louisburg, Kan.
Thank you, officers
I am a senior citizen living in a retirement community near the Lenexa Police Department. We moved there several years ago when my husband became disabled.
Since then, I have called on the kind police officers several times to help me when my handicapped husband fell and his caregivers were not there to help me lift him. They always responded immediately and were very polite, helpful and caring.
Just recently, I heard they had been called to a neighbor’s house when dogs were attacking my cat. I walked up to the station to see what had transpired, and they treated me as if I had lost a loved one (which I felt I had).
I know that police officers all over the country are being denigrated at times now, and I want everyone to know that Sgt. Sanderson, Officer Cogswell, Officer Demarest, Station Officer Bell and the wonderful paramedics who not only helped my husband, but also responded so quickly when I was in distress. They are my heroes and will always be in my prayers.
Sharon C. Phillips
Overland Park
Tax vote
When I move around Jackson County visiting schools, churches and neighborhoods — like the one I grew up in, on Olive Street in Kansas City — I am constantly reminded how important our Community-backed Anti-Crime Tax (COMBAT) programs are in helping curb the flow of illegal drugs and reducing violent crime on our streets and in our schools.
Jackson County’s one-quarter-cent tax supports agencies and programs that provide violence prevention and protection, drug treatment, job training, family assistance and so much more.
COMBAT changes lives by providing funding to nearly 100 community, faith-based and law-enforcement agencies. For example, more than 20,000 people participate in COMBAT’s 51 drug- and violence-prevention programs alone. And COMBAT funding supports 23 highly effective drug-treatment organizations.
COMBAT funds specially assigned law-enforcement officers who are vital to our community’s safety. Many lives are touched every day by COMBAT. Maintaining COMBAT’s mission and the vital services it provides does not require a new or increased tax, but it does require voter support Nov. 8.
Frank White Jr.,
Jackson County
executive
Lee’s Summit
Social Security
Social Security faces dire times if a House effort becomes reality. Congressman Kevin Yoder voted “yes” to a draft that would trim $263 million from a strained budget.
The Social Security Administration warns that even level funding means furloughs, frozen hiring, closed offices and deterioration of service. Longer waits and increased processing times would be exasperating, even dangerous, for beneficiaries.
Yoder voted to hobble the Social Security Administration’s ability to work claims and make adjustments, despite spending reductions financed from a trust fund that runs a surplus. Cuts have little positive effect on our country’s budget situation. Furthermore, this is work that must be done — fewer resources now means more spending later.
Other proposals call for an increase in Social Security Administration funding of up to $900 million, which would be more in line with what’s historically used.
It’s catch-up now, as the Social Security Administration has seen funding shrink 10 percent after inflation since 2010, while the number of beneficiaries rose 12 percent. An increase would keep public servants on duty, administering perhaps the most effective social program in history.
Legislators are responsible for funding services Americans paid into. Yoder should work to reverse this affront to Social Security customers and workers.
Garth Stocking
Kansas City
McGee danger
We drive north on McGee Street every morning going to work and pass the Sheraton Hotel. Three times in the last year, we have almost been involved in an accident because of buses parked in front of Sheraton’s circle drive, obstructing the views of drivers leaving the parking garage.
That same area used to have no-parking signs, but after remodeling a few years ago the signs were not replaced. When we contacted the city, it agreed that a problem existed but said there wasn’t any room to put the no-parking signs back up.
The sidewalk in front of the circle drive is too narrow and is not ADA compliant, which keeps people in wheelchairs from using the sidewalk. The city says that’s not its problem, and it is fine with the Sheraton parking buses there.
It’s an accident waiting to happen, and all parties have been put on notice.
So when someone gets hurt in an accident, let the lawyers refer to this letter and the requests we’ve made to get the problem resolved.
John David DiCapo
Kansas City
Paying the price
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been described as the “outsider,” the “candidate of change.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
His policies embrace the standard Republican Party platform, including “trickle-down economics,” with which Kansans should be very familiar since the strategy blew a hole in the state’s economy, putting our schools and social services in jeopardy and, by the way, did not create jobs.
Trump wants to pour millions more dollars into our already strong military to gratify defense contractors but doesn’t tell us where he’s going to get the money to do this.
He touts “limited government.” However, one should not overlook the hypocrisy of this popular conservative tagline because its supporters believe they have the right to dictate who can and can’t marry, what a female can and can’t do with her own body, and who can and can’t vote.
The only thing new this election is that the GOP’s message is being delivered by an ignorant, thin-skinned, erratic bigot and bully.
With few exceptions, most leaders in the Republican Party, including Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder and Sen. Jerry Moran, have endorsed Trump.
Shame on them for choosing their party over the people, and they should pay the price at the polls next week.
Colleen Knight
Leawood
Cigarette tax
As a second-generation farmer, I am all too familiar with taxes and regulations that begin with noble intentions and end with unintended consequences.
Take for instance the troubling provisions in Missouri’s Amendment 3, a measure that is being heavily backed financially by out-of-state interests who are seeking to raise taxes on smaller competitors to gain market share.
This inequitable proposal does not raise taxes across the board on tobacco companies or manufacturers. Rather, this singles out certain entities for a huge increase while raising taxes by a fraction of that for the big companies.
In addition to unfair taxation provisions, the amendment would add language to the state Constitution relating to the funding of emergency services for women, drawing ire in the pro-choice community.
When you factor in opposition from education and health-related entities, groups traditionally supportive of increased tobacco taxes, it becomes apparent how problematic this flawed proposal is.
I began farming 45 years ago. Raising tobacco helped my family survive the farming crisis in the 1980s.
This proposal is harmful to farmers, and I encourage fellow members of the Missouri Farm Bureau and all Missourians to oppose Amendment 3 on Nov. 8.
Hal Swaney
Tobacco farmer
MFB member
Platte City
Hiding in Kansas
Steve Kraske: Yes, Jay Sidie is hiding (10-28, 2A, “With just days until election, Democrat Jay Sidie is hiding”), and so is Rep. Kevin Yoder.
The only way you’re going to see them is if you bump into them on the street or you see one of their combative commercials on TV.
If you watch the commercials or look around on Facebook or websites, they don’t want to talk about the issues of the United States; they want to talk about the issues of Kansas — Kansas education, Kansas pensions, Gov. Sam Brownback, Kansas legislation and legislators.
As for Sidie, he sounds like he wants to be the next governor of Kansas. He should save what campaign funds he has, drop out of the race for U.S. Congress and create state alliances, focusing on ways to fix state issues.
The next congressman from the 3rd District better focus on the real issues for which he is responsible — the budget, the debt, taxation, security and trade.
Steve Hohe
Shawnee
This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Readers react to Roy Blunt endorsement, McGee Street danger, Amendment 3, Kevin Yoder/Jay Sidie."