Letters to the editor: Love for the Roe interchange on 435
Cheers for Roe interchange
I moved here about a year ago and because the Roe Avenue exit at Interstate 435 was under construction it caught my eye, and the Nall Avenue exit seemed very busy.
Now that the construction is finished, Nall Avenue doesn't seem as busy. The new exit design confused me at first, but now (thanks to my mom) I understand it and I personally think it's very modern.
Matyce Van Rhee
Overland Park
Clinton as president
How do you make all the tough talking super macho republican presidential candidates cower with fear? Just say “Hillary Clinton for president.”
It is interesting that these cowards are afraid of a retired 67-year-old woman.
Paul Yeager
Lenexa
Help at a price
“What can I do to help?” How often have you heard this and were thankful?
Politicians hear it from the wealthy; the wealthy hear it from the politicians. These are questions only asked in a plutocracy.
Perhaps our population is too great or too diverse for the limited scope of our leaders, and they do not know where to turn or do they care; but to the vast “democracy” that is poor, elderly, a minority, etc., so many of us will never hear from them, “What can I do to help?”
John Nelles
Shawnee
Voting, gun rights
If Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is so concerned that your right to own a gun is being obstructed when you are forced to attend a training class to conceal carry a weapon, why then, does he endorse voter suppression laws? Both, the right to bear arms and the right to suffrage are rights, enshrined in our Constitution.
Yet, our governor sees fit to abolish all obstacles hindering the carrying a concealed weapon because, as he says, it is a constitutional right. On the other hand, he is fast to put up barriers, by requiring a certified government identification, in the way of the people's right to vote only because he knows that it suppress his opponents from having their votes counted and has nothing to do with voter fraud.
It seems to me, governor, that if you must demand a voter ID from those who vote in your state, then you ought to demand that those who must have weapons to defend themselves have adequate training to use them.
Ask yourself. Where's the greater potential harm? After all, you and your conservative Legislature have always preached, “with rights come responsibility.”
And, if you think that with my right to vote comes with the responsibility to produce an official government ID, then, I can safely say that your right to conceal carry a 17-round Glock pistol into a Kansas bar comes with the collateral responsibility of having some training toward the safe and responsible operation of one — your right to own one notwithstanding.
Wouldn't you agree ?
Tom Davis
Merriam
Increasing voters
In Kansas, half a million eligible people are not registered to vote. Eighteen-year-olds apparently comprise the highest rate of unregistered voters. Among them, about 50 percent are not registered (see the latest census).
We do collect taxes from them and we will draft them if necessary. We just don't automatically try to get them representation. We need to change the system.
The nation's founders had a slogan, "No Taxation without Representation." What would be the corollary?... "If taxed, then you will have representation?"
If we considered being taxed and being enrolled for the draft as entitlements for voting, what would we do?
1) We would automatically register voters when they become eligible, like some states do.
2) We would automatically send out ballots to all registered voters, like some states do.
3) We would include candidate bios, why they are running, platforms and how they plan to work with their constituencies and other representatives on county election Web pages.
We would do these things if we wanted representation of taxpayers and not victims of poorly designed electoral systems, wouldn't we? Tell your representatives.
Christopher Roesel
Roeland Park
Raise minimum wage
Our federal minimum wage has not been raised significantly for many years. I side with those protesting for an increase but not a one-time increase to $15. While there is the argument that Wal-Mart and McDonald’s could afford it, there are many smaller businesses, including McDonald’s franchises that could not.
Since it applies in large part to the fast-food industry, consider the negative implications of higher minimum wages. First it will bring about reduced hours and layoffs.
Secondly, it has to be reflected in higher prices. Also, there are some state economies, where a $15 minimum wage would place the income level above its competitive industries.
A possible answer is a five-year plan of phasing in a federal minimum wage of $15. A five-year phase-in schedule will allow companies to adjust more easily to the higher payrolls.
An immediate increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 doesn’t make sense. In that case, let the individual states decide.
Steve Katz
Leawood
Free College Day
Please extend our thanks and appreciation for Free College Day at Johnson County Community College. I had never heard of the Free College Day until this year.
I enrolled in two classes with my husband, mother and mother-in-law. What a beautiful campus, helpful volunteers, knowledgeable professors and teachers.
We had a wonderful time. With the anti-education movement in our Kansas Legislature, it makes me really appreciate the extra effort and time (without pay) that it took to put this on.
If you have never taken advantage of this community outreach, you are missing out.
It is well worth your time.
Deborah Hodnik
Olathe
This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor: Love for the Roe interchange on 435."