Readers share thoughts on the Kansas budget, Ebola and the Keystone XL pipeline

No sun in Kansas

The Star’s gloomy Nov. 12 editorial, “Kansans must brace themselves for cuts to public services,” on Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget paints a desperate picture for Kansas.

The picture can get worse. Maybe another downgrade in bond ratings?

The governor’s plan is to make Kansas more attractive and prosperous, drawing business and industry to the state. His only reward to newcomers is a tax break.

But now we have deterrents.

With other choices available, who would move to a state where education, health care, roads and bridges are threatened?

Perhaps The Star’s next editorial will lay out phase two of what lies ahead.

Bob Kruh

Manhattan, Kan.

Ebola virus debate

Weeks have elapsed since Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola victim from Liberia, entered the United States.

Since that time, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have continued to crash and fear has spread like a viral epidemic across the country.

In that same time, thousands of Americans have died from smoking-related illnesses, hundreds have died in automobile crashes and hundreds have been killed with firearms.

The total number of deaths from Ebola in the United States? One.

Pat Ryan

Mound City, Mo.

It is not necessary that you be Mensa-associated individuals to insist that all traffic, in whatever form, from Ebola-affected countries should be stopped immediately.

All this nonsense about taking temperatures of travelers, along with questions as to their possible contact with a known Ebola-infected patient, makes zero sense.

Thomas Eric Duncan, who has died, has provided proof of this.

Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, put forth the reason for not stopping the traffic. It reached the level of being absolutely incoherent.

The president has meetings to discuss Ebola. If the outcome does not include stopping all traffic from the countries concerned, then rest assured this administration does not have America first as an option.

Maynard J. Mitchell

Independence

Depressing reports

Two bits were in The Star on Nov. 11.

Kansas’ tax-cut scheme (read scam) will cost the state $1 billion in revenue. Guess what programs will be cut. Schools, roads and social services. And, of course, this was not announced until after the midterm elections.

Then a study done by Credit Suisse (one of the largest banks in the world) shows that since the recession of 2008, the richest 1 percent have made more than the cost of all U.S. social programs, between $2.3 trillion and $5.7 trillion per year (11-11, C10, “Gaping gap”).

Don’t think the rich get richer while the poor and middle class go hungry, homeless and uneducated? Shame upon shame heaped on the gluttonous rich and powerful, yet most people (as evidenced by midterm results) either don’t vote or vote against their self-interest.

It’s enough to make this cynical optimist despair.

Timothy Earl Osburn

Parkville

Pipeline politics

So here is the Keystone XL pipeline trade-off: The Democrats get to keep Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana (queen of Big Oil) and the rest of us get the inevitable destruction of the Ogallala Aquifer and the Missouri River (11-13, A2, “The politics of Keystone”).

After that earthquake this week in Kansas, this trade-off really seems quite fair — a below-average elected official for the future of clean water in America.

Bill Hankins

Platte City

No complaining

For those folks who voted for Gov. Sam Brownback when Kansas continues to have budget deficits and when schools have to continue to lay off staff and cut programs, don’t complain (11-11, A1, “Kansas revenue short $1 billion”). I don’t want to hear it.

If you voted for Brownback, don’t complain when Kansas cuts funding for many vital services. I don’t want to hear it.

For those folks who voted for Sen. Pat Roberts, when we continue to have career politicians who hold narrow, extreme positions from either party and refuse to work together to get things done, don’t complain. I don’t want to hear it.

Remember the financial crisis of 2008? Remember the abuses by financial institutions that wreaked havoc on the economy? Remember the jobs that were lost and the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s?

The Dodd-Frank Act was put into place to help regulate financial institutions. Guess who wants to repeal it.

If it’s repealed, when abuses by financial institutions take place because these safeguards are not in place and another financial crisis hits, and if you voted for Roberts and Rep. Kevin Yoder, don’t complain. I don’t want to hear it.

David Schenk

Shawnee

Legislature for sale

I hope all Missourians become aware that our state is the only one that allows legislators to solicit and accept unlimited contributions and gifts from lobbyists.

The Star last month reported on a $3,000 dinner in Dallas that was bought for five of Missouri’s Republican legislative leaders.

Yes, that was about $600 apiece for a dinner.

Our lawmakers in Missouri seem to have hopped on the lobbyist gravy train, scoring expensive dinners, tickets to professional sports events, junkets to expensive hotels, golf trips and who knows what other financial goodies.

Is there anyone who truly believes that the lobbyists footing the bills for these expensive treats are paying only as a courtesy and will not expect to be paid back in backroom access and legislative votes?

Until the Missouri General Assembly passes meaningful laws that severely restrict such legalized bribery, we will continue to have a legislature that is beholden to those with the most money to grease legislative palms rather than to the average citizen. Meanwhile, lawmakers will continue to prostitute their integrity.

We will have government that is for sale to the highest bidder, which, unfortunately, we seem to have now.

Hal Sherwood

Lee’s Summit

Streetcar memories

I rode a streetcar down Troost Avenue my senior year in high school.

It wasn’t any faster than a bus. It was slower, especially in traffic.

Every stop had a concrete island to stand on so you could board the streetcar. You stood on the sidewalk until you saw the streetcar. Then you had to cross the inside lane of traffic to get safely to the concrete island.

Car traffic slowed because of the congestion and the island in the street.

When they switched to buses, it eliminated all the islands in the streets and improved traffic and congestion all over the city where there had been streetcar lines. We also had electric buses that worked just fine.

The best spot for an ad in the newspaper was the back page of the first section because people would read the first section on the bus or streetcar and show off the last page to everyone else riding on a crowded streetcar or bus.

The buses and streetcars were always standing room only during rush hour. I had to stand until we got to 39th Street before I could get a seat.

We don’t need a streetcar going east or west. That area could be served much better and cheaper by buses.

I love the way the city shows a streamlined train with extra cars that will never go over 20 miles an hour.

Tell the city to go to Mexico and buy back our old streetcars.

Joe Purcell

Kansas City

This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on the Kansas budget, Ebola and the Keystone XL pipeline."