Readers react to marriage, Kansas water and Greece

Marriage flap

Where does one go to get a marriage license? In Johnson County, Kan., one goes to the county clerk’s office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The requirements? You must pay a fee and be at least 18, applicants must swear on oath that they are not related to each other, neither party can be married to anyone else and both must know of no reason they can’t be married. They must provide identification numbers such as a Social Security number.

Licensing marriage is a locally organized civil right, with many attached privileges and responsibilities. The General Accounting Office has counted more than 1,000 federal laws that recognize marital status.

Marriage is a lawful contract between two people to assist the persons and the government to keep records. It allows the two persons to visit the other in the hospital, adopt children, inherit money, etc.

It is a hugely important civil affair that works fine without religious sanctions.

Maybe we could calm down about it.

Religion and government are separate. Marriage in a church is a different thing.

Roberta Eveslage

Lenexa

Saving Kansas water

The aquifer underlying much of western Kansas is being depleted by being pumped at flows that exceed its recharge rate. Left unchecked, this practice will turn western Kansas into a desert in several years.

This is a classic case of self-inflicted pain.

The largest user of water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer is agricultural irrigation, much of which is devoted to raising corn, a crop that needs a lot of water. Some main demands for corn are for processing into ethanol fuel, for production of beef in confined feeding facilities and for processing into foods such as high-fructose corn syrup.

All three of these demand streams are losers.

Ethanol production consumes about as much energy as is realized in the final fuel product. I like to eat a sizzling, grain-fed steak as much as anyone, but the medical reality is that we would all be much better off if we greatly reduced our consumption of red meat. High-fructose corn syrup is another medical disaster contributing to our national health-care-cost crisis.

This situation could be solved by a combination of responsible personal choices and enlightened government actions to push for sustainable uses of the precious aquifer underlying Kansas.

Donald Kaiser

Overland Park

Traveling to Greece

For a long time, I’ve wanted to visit Greece and its spectacular islands. But probably the main reason I haven’t is airfare.

So this may sound like a crazy idea, but what if the Greek government was somehow able to get tourists to its islands airfare free from any international airport within the U.S. or even throughout Europe or elsewhere?

Of course, a 10- to 14-day minimum stay would be required to maximize the income potential for Greece. Can you imagine the money that would be made from tourism because of the airfare savings?

Among areas prospering would be hotels, public transportation, taxicabs, car rentals, scuba diving, island hopping, eateries of all kinds (from fast food to the finest), sightseeing tours, wineries, bars, souvenir sales — the list goes on and on. Not to mention the likelihood of repeat customers, if they have a wonderful time.

If the government could work out some sort of agreement with all the international airlines (remembering repeat customer business for both the airlines and Greece), Greece could possibly be out of debt within a year or two.

OK, I don’t know that to be true, but think of the possibilities.

I for one would surely take Greece up on the offer.

Kathy Graham

Leawood

Federal budget woes

Will Congress keep its word to Kansas and Missouri taxpayers? By Sept. 30, Congress must pass a funding bill for 2016. Many legislators want to abandon the bipartisan spending caps they established four years ago in the Budget Control Act.

Both parties established these caps because government spending was — and is — out of control. The national debt is more than $18 trillion — a growth of more than 200 percent under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

This amounts to more than $154,000 for every taxpayer in Missouri and Kansas, according to Forbes. This slows economic growth, makes tax increases on the middle class more likely and threatens Americans’ well-being for generations.

The Budget Control Act is a small step toward addressing this crisis. Yet both Republicans and Democrats think hard-working taxpayers should be on the hook for higher spending, either in the non-defense or the defense budget.

The caps will rise by $240 billion in just the next decade.

Congress needs to live within its means like the rest of us. If Kansas and Missouri lawmakers break the Budget Control Act’s caps, they will only break their promise to taxpayers like you.

Marc Short

Andy Koenig

Freedom Partners

Chamber of Commerce

Arlington, Va.

Clean power, Obama

Last month, President Barack Obama announced the Clean Power Plan, which he had encouraged the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare. It was written to help reduce carbon pollution from power plants to help support the absolute need for cleaner and less-polluting energy in America.

As it customized goals for states, it gave Missouri the 10th-least-stringent plan in the country, which should make it achievable. It should also save an estimated 7 percent on energy bills by 2030.

Reducing carbon emissions helps save lives, particularly for persons who suffer from chronic lung diseases, including asthma and emphysema.

As a nurse practitioner, I have seen the devastation caused by chronic lung problems and know that it is important to be proactive in working for a cleaner, less toxic environment.

I felt it important enough to take time to participate in a fly-in to Washington, D.C., in June to visit our elected officials, including Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, in promoting the program.

Additionally, I was able to meet with and make comments to EPA officials who worked with President Obama to prepare this important document.

Thanks to all who work proactively to care for our only Earth, our only home.

Diane Waddell

St. Joseph

Presidential ego

I have been carefully observing the Democratic and Republican candidates. There is one who is so arrogant that when there is a clap of thunder, he takes a bow. Can you guess who it is?

Jack L. Hatchitt

Lee’s Summit

Political jeopardy

Name the political figure who fits the following descriptions:

▪ He denounces his opponents in the harshest personal terms.

▪ He wants to make his country supreme over all other countries large or small.

▪ He stigmatizes a largely peaceful minority as being responsible for many of the social problems of his country.

▪ He depends on a cult of personality to advance his political agenda.

▪ He gesticulates wildly and speaks with little concern for civility or fairness.

And the jeopardy answer is:

Contestant No. 1 — “Who is Benito Mussolini?”

Contestant No. 2 — “Who is Adolf Hitler?”

Contestant No. 3 — “Who is Donald Trump?”

Michael Zygmunt

Kansas City

Chiefs choke again

I know it was only one game, but come on (9-18, B1, “The bullies from Denver do it again”). When is the last time we beat the Broncos? The Paleolithic era?

Almost did it is not enough. The fans go through this every year.

And it is not just Denver.

Could have, would have, should have is getting old. We all love Jamaal Charles, but doesn’t an eighth-grader know to carry the ball with two hands, especially at such a precarious time?

And really, are we the only team in the National Football League whose quarterback isn’t comfortable throwing the ball more than 10 yards? I sure hope this isn’t an omen.

JuJu Johnson