Letters: Readers discuss the Jackson County jail, the Kansas economy and the Paris climate accord
Jail conditions
As a longtime (almost weekly) volunteer at the Jackson County jail, I can attest to the deplorable conditions experienced by the detainees and staff. (May 28, 1A, “KC needs new jail, but no one’s talking about it”)
When I began volunteering almost 10 years ago, I was shocked by the condition of the facility. Unfortunately, it has gotten substantially worse. The facility is filthy, outdated and extremely dangerous for all involved.
Phil Smith
Kansas City
Having seen the inside of several jails and prisons in my line of work, I read with interest The Star’s Sunday front-page story on the topic. The story highlights numerous problems, including staffing, the buildings themselves and the lack of funding from Jackson County.
The apparent lack of proper maintenance over the years clearly stands out. Why build a new jail if the funding to maintain it is not in place? A few years from now, we’d face the same situation.
New jail projects are hard enough to sell to the public, but when the taxpayers’ investment can’t be protected with adequate maintenance and cleaning, it could be nearly impossible.
David Lane
Belton
Game of the day
I watched both Kansas City and Detroit force in runs with bases-loaded walks Monday night. Watching big league baseball nowadays is like watching high school ball.
Basketball and football are better than ever, but I’m not so sure about baseball. Maybe it has something to do with the ridiculous way the kids wear their uniforms.
Frank Karsmich
Overland Park
Tax realities
Kansans are not manipulating their income-tax filings as a result of Kansas tax law changes in 2012. Dave Trabert makes that case effectively in his May 29 guest column, “Debunking the myth of Kansas tax avoidance.” (11A)
But Gov. Sam Brownback promoted his tax plan as a “shot of adrenaline to the heart of the Kansas economy.” Trabert cites obscure statistics and argues Brownback’s tax plan has helped Kansas. That’s a much harder case to make since the Kansas economy is obviously doing poorly. According to Bureau of Economic Analysis figures, only six of the 50 U.S. state economies grew as slowly as Kansas’ in 2016. Even West Virginia’s economic growth quadrupled that of Kansas. Missouri’s growth rate quintupled ours.
The believers in supply-side economics argued that cutting Kansas tax rates and eliminating income taxes on most business income would greatly increase the growth rate of the Kansas economy. That hasn’t happened. All our neighboring state economies (except Oklahoma) are growing much faster than Kansas.
Tax cuts do stimulate the economy. But they do not stimulate the economy nearly so much as supply-siders promised Kansas. That’s why Kansas is in its current fiscal predicament.
Frank T. McCarthy
Leawood
Airport needs
I flew into KCI recently. My flight touched down about 9 p.m. We taxied by Terminal A, which is closed because there is no expansion needed at KCI. It was dark and lifeless.
We went past Terminal B, and there were maybe half a dozen planes parked there — no planes arriving or departing.
My airline was at the far end of Terminal C, and only one other plane was parked at its gates. My baggage claim was at C1, which is at the other end of Terminal C.
Have you ever walked from one end to the other? It’s a pretty good trek — not exactly “convenient,” a word that’s been associated with KCI a lot lately.
The only people in the terminal had been on my flight. The shops were all closed, and it was only 9 p.m. Really?
KCI is dying. Wake up, Kansas City, we need a new airport. I’m voting yes in November.
James Russell
Kansas City
Paris deal
As a deplorable, I find the Paris climate accord, well, interesting. Mature economies in the United States and Western Europe — countries that largely consume stuff — are held to tighter emission standards than China and India —countries that actually produce stuff.
It seems to me these are political choices, not climate-driven choices.
Think about it: If the climate is as brittle as the left makes it out to be, then why the double standard? I will tell you why: The world’s international elites think the West has had its time in the sun, and it is time now to make room for others. It is simply a scheme to redistribute wealth, just this time on a worldwide scale.
And the left still questions why it lost the 2016 presidential election. Unbelievable.
Jim Eschrich
Lenexa
This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss the Jackson County jail, the Kansas economy and the Paris climate accord."