Letters: Trump’s bluntness, Danedri Herbert, Iran agreement

Trump’s bluntness

Pollsters don't understand how Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's polling numbers can be so high after some of the gaffes he has pulled. The appeal of Trump is that he ignores the politically correct speaking rules that most of us are forced to adhere to.

When he states that some illegal immigrants are criminals he is reflecting the common belief of a lot of Americans. His comments were immediately distorted into a condemnation of all immigrants.

People are tired of a culture where more importance is placed on how you say something instead of what you say. In this atmosphere Trump is a breath of fresh air.

I seldom agree with what Trump says but I admire the way he says it.

William Gray

Overland Park

Herbert column

Late last month, I attended the Johnson County Commission public hearing on the proposed mill levy increase related to the 2016 county budget. During the two-hour hearing, the comments were overwhelmingly in favor of the mill levy increase.

I was therefore disappointed that Danderi Herbert was given so much space in the Aug 5 edition of 913 opinion section opposing the increase (“Johnson County Commission needs to go on a spending diet”).

At the hearing a representative from the Kansas Policy Institute, a well-known conservative anti-tax organization spoke against the proposed mill levy increase. Ms. Herbert’s comments in her article were identical to those expressed by the KPI representative at the public hearing. It was as if she just took his talking points and put them into her column, with little original thought.

While I do not oppose alternative views on issues being published (I support the mill levy increase) I would expect them to be well-reasoned and factual. Ms. Herbert’s use of comments like “…Oink. Oink,” and “…raise your hand if you think libraries in their current form will exist in 20 years…,” and “...most of that (private sector 3 percent increase in wages) will be eaten up by porkers at the government trough” are sophomoric and not the type of comments expected of a serious discussion of such an important matter.

I would hope that in the future, Ms. Herbert will be held to a higher literary standard when discussing matters that will affect all of the residents of Johnson County.

Tom Hutcheson

Olathe

Iran agreement

An Aug. 5 letter in the 913 section on the Iran deal did a disservice to readers with its wrong assertion that “the inspection process is a joke” and the U.S. has “given into almost all of Iran’s demands.” It further ludicrously suggests that deal would lead to the destruction of Israel and an intercontinental missile hitting a U.S. city. These are totally absurd claims.

The Iran nuclear weapons agreement reached in Vienna is a truly historic diplomatic achievement. It keeps Iran from a nuclear bomb by removing all avenues of production for a decade or more while implementing unprecedented inspections, monitoring and verification.

By the middle of September, Congress will vote on this crucial accord. Please join me in asking Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts and Rep. Kevin Yoder to speak out in favor of and vote to approve this agreement.

As a July 15 headline on a Star editorial said, the “Iran deal is a path away from war.” Will our senators and representative take that path?

In the past, they have all fully supported senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and excessive military spending that costs the average American $3,000 in taxes per year. It’s time to stop this insanity.

Dave Pack

Lenexa

Blazing Brownback

Gov. Sam Brownback has done it again, solving another financial challenge with nothing but his amazing intellect. He instructed Kansas public school officials to quit whining about the funds they’ve lost and start spending their massive administrative budgets to put more money back into their classrooms.

Is he amazing, or what? Billionaire Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has nothing on this guy. It is good to know that Brownback is still shining bright in Kansas.

Scott Roby

Lenexa

Saving old mall

Metcalf South Shopping Center was once the most thriving mall in Johnson County. No more.

The center is approaching its last gasp. Wal-Mart is considering moving into the location, which would save it.

Unfortunately some politically correct whiners are protesting the company. Beggars cannot be choosers.

Either let the center become an eyesore or allow it to flourish once again. Wal-Mart equals financial success and security.

If some people do not like Wal-Mart they should simply not shop there. There are many people who enjoy the savings and convenience the company offers or else it would not be the No. 1 retailer in this country.

Joe Lavender

Lenexa

Degrading education

On national, state, and local levels we are starting to see a not so subtle degrading of public education. Waivers for private and religious schools, charter schools (corporations), virtual education benefiting home schooling are all being heralded as revolutionizing education while validating religious and political agendas of the wealthy and powerful.

The political fraud that is used to take away funds for the public schools reduces them to a minimal source of education for those who can neither afford nor who are welcomed into the above agendas.

John Nelles

Shawnee

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Letters: Trump’s bluntness, Danedri Herbert, Iran agreement."