Letters: Readers talk Chiefs-Steelers, Trump, the ACA and Obama

Chiefs views

I certainly don’t agree with the pundits who are blaming quarterback Alex Smith for the Chiefs’ loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. His passes were right on the money.

Looks to me like he is an excellent quarterback. What the team needs is some pass receivers who can catch (and fewer penalties by some of the other players).

I bet I’m speaking for a great majority of the fans.

Skip Willrett

Overland Park

It’s been 47 years since the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl, but the true believers say wait till next year.

Wake up, KC. The Chiefs will never be in the Super Bowl again. They are a second-tier franchise.

Terrence Griffin

Kansas City

Self-deception

I’m an 87-year-old Korean War veteran. The GI Bill allowed me to get my teaching degrees.

Where my years have taken my life has taught me this much: that you, yourself, are the worst person you can lie to.

Our president-elect Donald Trump doesn’t know this. This makes a person wisdom-less — a national tragedy.

Ken McCully

Belton

Trump’s guest

I expect that Vladimir Putin will be invited to the inaugural and that he will accept. Nice!

John Lancaster

Plattsburg, Mo.

Flawed ACA

As a volunteer tax preparer for a large national organization that primarily serves seniors and low-income taxpayers, I have prepared many returns and reviewed many more that include the Affordable Care Act form.

The vast majority of those clients have chosen a low-cost plan that has a high deductible, usually of $5,000 to $10,000. Unable to pay the deductible, they find themselves in the unfortunate position of paying for health insurance that does them little or no good while costing the government billions.

Many insurance providers claim they are losing money with the ACA policies because they have to include previously uninsurable people. Proponents of the ACA like to focus on the statistics showing how many more people now have health insurance thanks to the ACA, but they ignore the reality of how little good it is doing most of them.

I’m sure all Americans, liberal or conservative, would agree that every citizen should have access to affordable health care, but the ACA is a flawed program that is not helping the majority while wasting billions of dollars of public and private funds. Perhaps focusing on those with major health issues would be a better use for any government help.

Bob Baltzell

Independence

Becoming better

This week, we honor one of America’s greatest patriots. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us simply about the “strength to love.” Is his dream any closer today?

We are saying goodbye to a stunningly attractive first family, and living through another American revolution. This one is more peaceful, and we will not go back.

In Donald Trump’s slogan, the word “again” does not refer to the darkest of our past. It’s simply about all-inclusive economic prosperity.

A superimposition of these events brings memories of earlier decades. Public racist behavior was only the tip of a cruel iceberg. Now I do believe we’re airing it all out. It’s all on the table, and we’re having the right debates.

Profound appreciationis due for our first African-American president and first family. President Barack Obama’s intellect, profoundly and repeatedly shown in his spine-tingling oratory, wakes up the echoes from our worst days and brings down the thunder from the sky on us today, challenging us to be a better people.

We have been, at least if only subtly, galvanized by a beautiful first family for eight years. We are evolving closer to bringing about a better world.

Otto Rieke

Overland Park

Enough Obama

After eight long years, we have a new president, yet the networks have paraded an endless barrage of Barack Obama’s last speech, last time on “60 Minutes,” last serenade to Michelle, last appearance on Telemundo, last … well, you get the picture. When is enough enough?

Time for us to move forward and make America great again for the first time in eight years.

Tom Beecroft

Lenexa

This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers talk Chiefs-Steelers, Trump, the ACA and Obama."