Letters to the editor: County sewer lines, don’t raise taxes on small business, Koch brothers and KCI

County sewer lines

Johnson County Wastewater should fix its policy requiring homeowners to maintain sewer service lines all the way to the county sewer main, even where a public street is in the way.

Homeowners should not have to do sewer line repairs beneath city streets at 10 times the cost of normal service line repairs just because their house happens to be “on the wrong side of the street” from the county sewer main across the street. I applaud the decision by the Johnson County Commission to now consider a change in this ill-advised policy.

The added costs of repairing sewer service lines beneath public streets should be a burden borne by all county taxpayers because we all benefit equally from sewer mains built in the public street rights-of-way where they are easily accessed and cost effectively maintained.

Scott Michie

Overland Park

Small business boon

Do you know that small businesses are what has pulled this nation out of every recession? Women and men who risk it all to grab a piece of the American Dream.

Businesses with under 50 employees employ 44 percent of working Kansans. Because small businesses in Kansas have had the tax exemption for state income tax, unemployment in Kansas has dropped and now is even below the national average.

Having this tax exemption really helped my businesses in 2014 and allowed me to reinvest in my businesses and my employees. As an example, even though revenues were down in 2014, I hired two additional people to my staff (a 10 percent increase) and expanded my office space.

That tax exemption helped make this happen. Adding jobs is always a good thing.

How much more evidence do you need to know that keeping that tax exemption for small business is valuable to everyone in Kansas? Before the Legislature even dreams of raising taxes on small businesses like mine, it needs to make some hard choices about the money it already has and be absolutely sure it isn’t wasting a penny of it before asking us for more.

Kandy Meehan

Leawood

Koch cash kindness

I saw where the state of Kansas was more than $800 million short in the budget funding. I have a suggestion.

Have the Koch brothers put that near-billion-dollar war campaign chest for the 2016 congressional and presidential elections into the state treasury.

It probably would be tax-deductible.

Richard Lumpkin

Prairie Village

Benefits of KCI

I want you to know how much I love Kansas City International Airport. I recently returned from Denver, and it took me longer to check in and arrive at my gate than it did to fly to KCI.

You might call me disabled. I am on oxygen 24/7 but I can walk, just not too far. KCI is the only airport where I do not need a wheelchair — either boarding or exiting the plane.

Please, please leave it the way it is. I am sure there are others in the same situations who love the ease of this airport. I know you are out there.

Please speak up.

Karlyn Walsh

Leawood

Define ‘never again’

As World War II came to a close, the world learned about the atrocities committed by the Germans in concentration camps, where people were held simply because of their ethnicity/religion. The local townspeople who turned a blind eye to these atrocities were forced to tour these facilities and see the disgusting results of these extermination camps first-hand.

It was after these camps were discovered that the civilized world said, “Never again.”

Seventy years later, we find the Islamic State rampaging across the Middle East. Often they ask the simple question, “Are you a Christian?”

If the answer is yes, you will likely die a fast but often brutal death. If this new threat to civilization is not stopped, it will continue to grow.

We have already seen signs of this threat on our soil and we have done little to stop these fanatics other than with a few drone strikes. And recently we learned that Ramadi had fallen, and the Islamic State continues to expand.

I thought the world said “Never again.” Shame on us.

Jim Swallow

Stilwell

I-35 sign trouble

I would like to ask the state of Kansas a question and that is why the weigh station on southbound Interstate 35 just south of Olathe leaves its open sign on when the station is closed.

You are bringing semi-trucks in when they don't have to but then they have to re-enter a heavily traveled highway, which can be a dangerous move that wasn't needed. The whole idea of a weigh station is safety,

So this doesn't make sense. The northbound weigh station on I-35 turns its open sign off.

Bill Babcock

Merriam

Nasty political season

’Tis the season to be nasty. The election cycle — the next 18 months — brings out the worst in many of us.

Former Missouri Republican House Speaker John Diehl made a terrible mistake, confessed to it and resigned from political life. It appears from liberal letter writers that they want more from him — perhaps to wear a scarlet A the rest of his life.

Without further ado, I remind those with short memories and who share the politics of the left side of the aisle to remember the escapades of former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

Steve Katz

Leawood

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor: County sewer lines, don’t raise taxes on small business, Koch brothers and KCI."