Readers sound off on insurance, voting, Gov. Brownback
KC meter madness
Mayor Sly James and the Kansas City Council are way out of bounds going after parking offenders (9-1, A4, “Unpaid tickets draw city ire”). They have no legal right to tow cars of the offenders and hold personal property hostage.
Clearly, this is a blatant, childish and reckless payback attack on our citizenry for defeating the streetcar proposition in the August election.
I hope this is an impeachable offense.
Charlotte Shapiro
Kansas City
Steve Rose column
Steve Rose’s Aug. 31 column, “Alarm raised on long-term care insurance fees,” is a warning about long-term care insurance, but it is something most people should have been aware of when many companies stopped carrying this insurance a number of years ago.
I got my long-term care insurance when I was with Sprint, and I have had minimal increases in my premium. When I was laid off in 2007, that was one thing I kept.
The problem with Rose’s column was he did not have some facts, such as the age of the insured. Second, when did the individual get this policy, and finally did he or she receive advice on whether he needed this insurance in the first place?
A 53.6 percent increase is outrageous, but many factors have to be considered.
Finally, why not name the companies involved in this? That would be important for others wanting to see whether this was what they wanted. A reader needs to know more facts.
David W. Anderson
Olathe
Voting in Ferguson
I am thankful for the Aug. 31 Star story, “Registering voters becomes a priority in Ferguson.” To all of those folks who say they want to take their country back or complain about the way things are going, please register and vote.
Looting and fighting with the police won’t make anyone successful. But if we would all vote, then we could make a difference.
I would like to encourage The Star to continue to print stories about communities and organizations that work to get out the vote and cut back on the publicity of those trying to limit it.
Arthur Basler
Lee’s Summit
Genetic engineering
This month the U.S. Department of Agriculture decides whether to approve Dow Chemical’s Enlist soybean and corn crops, which have been genetically engineered to survive massive doses of weed-killing poisons.
Animals’ bodies — be they livestock or family members — are not engineered to survive massive doses of poisons.
So how is it remotely possible that serving poisoned food is such a good idea that the Department of Agriculture should put its rubber stamp of approval on it?
Aaron Dougherty
Kansas City
Future in balance
I hadn’t realized how important Kansas is until I read a Republican supporter of Gov. Sam Brownback say that the future of the free world depends on Gov. Brownback’s re-election.
Now that I’m informed, I will be sure to vote for Gov. Brownback at least two or three times.
Helen Roser
Manhattan, Kan.
Firefighters’ influence
So, the politicians tied to the unions of Kansas City, in particular the firefighters union, have knuckled under again (9-2, Editorial, “Plan B on billing”), this time at a cost of thousands of dollars (ambulance billing). This after promising all positions would be absorbed in city government without loss of pay.
Their concern rested with reports that the contractor did not perform well in some settings. Do they not give credit to their own department staff who vetted the company?
Not long ago the union supported the tax to fund 100 fire positions. No one who does government budgeting would fund positions in this fashion. Again, the scare tactic of lost protection and longer response times were the mantra of the red T-shirt-clad firefighters who filled council chambers.
Lastly, do not forget the issue of ambulance service in the city.
The Fire Department is losing the need for fire protection as structures are built to better standards. Seeing this potential drain on its community presence, it fought and won this political war.
Kansas City will not grow and prosper unless its leaders stop bending to union influence.
Robert Patterson
Overland Park
U.S. wars, POWs
National security adviser Susan Rice called Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl a hero, stating, “He served with honor and distinction.” She further stated, “We leave no man behind.”
While the former is a blatant lie, the latter is a fabrication beyond belief. The United States since the end of World War II has a history of leaving servicemen behind.
At the end of World War II, the Soviets removed many U.S. servicemen from German prisoner-of-war camps and took them to Russia with the knowledge of both presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
At the end of the Korean War, more servicemen were left to the communists in China and Russia. Again Eisenhower.
After the Vietnam War, many POWs were left to rot in Vietnam by President Richard Nixon and then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Bobby Garwood returned to the U.S. more than 10 years after his capture in 1965, and then faced a general court martial.
The same fate ought to await Bergdahl.
As for our public officials, many presidents have covered up and ignored the fact that POWs were in fact knowingly and deliberately left behind.
John P. Fitts
Noel, Mo.
No place like KCI
Having recently returned from a trip to Alaska, I had the opportunity to travel through a modern airport.
In each case, the connecting flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was at the opposite end of the terminal from the arriving flight. Thus, I had full advantage of going twice through several blocks of shops, restaurants and other retail businesses.
Being disabled, I was quickly wheeled through this maze and barely made connections.
Had I been 50 years younger, I might not have made the connections and I certainly would not have scheduled longer layovers to eat and shop.
How wonderful it was to leave from and arrive at Kansas City International Airport. Please don’t spoil it.
Incidentally, I have been an aerospace engineer for more than 65 years, which included 18 years as a naval aviator.
Vincent U. Muirhead
Lawrence
Unequal health care
When did it become my responsibility to supply men I don’t even know with Viagra, Cialis or other medications used to treat erectile dysfunction?
It seems obvious that medications used to treat erectile dysfunction are much more associated with pleasure than medications used for birth control.
Just look at the television ads for Cialis.
They are all about pleasure, and other than the various warnings that are standard fare for all meds, there is no mention of health at all.
On the other hand, some women have menstrual cycles that are so irregular or they bleed so heavily that hormones in the form of birth-control pills are indeed prescribed as a matter of health.
Perhaps the answer to the health-insurance controversy regarding birth control should be that no items or procedures related to sex should be covered.
That means no Viagra, no Cialis, no condoms, no prostate exams, no pap tests, no birth control, no nothing.
Judith A. Lindquist
Overland Park
Brownback pluses
Someone recently told me I’m too critical, so I decided to say a few nice things about a person I have often criticized.
I think Gov. Sam Brownback is spot on about developing the Kansas River. It’s a precious resource and deserves more attention.
I like that Brownback supports wind power as well because wind is free and nonpolluting.
On all other issues, I think Brownback is way off base.
That’s the best I could do.
Armand Way
Topeka
Mexican border issue
What is the Mexican government doing to secure its southern border against undocumented crossings?
Bruce A. Martin
Leawood
This story was originally published September 4, 2014 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Readers sound off on insurance, voting, Gov. Brownback."