Letters: Readers discuss Sen. Roy Blunt, Wornall pedestrian danger and the Koch brothers
In the same boat
Since Sen. Roy Blunt won’t respond to my repeated phone calls, letters and emails, or hold a public meeting to hear from constituents, perhaps he’ll respond to a public letter:
Senator: Are you willing to do anything to help Missouri with health care?
President Donald Trump has unilaterally stopped government subsidies to millions of Americans under Obamacare in order to kill the program. Do you therefore also support ending the special subsidies you and your staff receive that make your health care both cheaper and more generous?
If you support buying health plans across state lines, why won’t you support Sen. Claire McCaskill’s bill allowing Missourians to buy into the health care exchanges Congress uses?
Better yet, why don’t you agree to use a health plan available to Missourians? If it’s so good for your constituents, shouldn’t you be willing to use it, too? If not, why not?
We await your answers.
Cynthia Spaeth
Kansas City
Walking danger
There is a new crosswalk at 74th Street and Wornall Road with a yellow flashing light. The Missouri Department of Revenue Driver Guide states a flashing yellow light means you are to “slow down and proceed with caution” — but not to stop.
I have seen many pedestrians point at the flashing lights and wag their fingers at drivers because they aren’t stopping to let them cross. Twice young mothers were pushing strollers trying to cross this very busy street.
At about 7:15 p.m. Thursday, I was driving south on Wornall and the lights were flashing. It was dark, and I didn’t see anyone in or near the crosswalk. Just as my car entered the crosswalk, a woman wearing dark clothing came out of the shadows into the street, and I nearly hit her.
I am very concerned that someone is going to be hit and killed in this crosswalk after assuming traffic is going to stop because of the flashing yellow lights.
If you frequent the Waldo area as a pedestrian or a driver, please be aware of the situation. Hopefully, we can avoid anyone being hit and killed.
Tim Bredow
Kansas City
Tax cuts
Whom do we think we are kidding? How many of us can say we don’t have a relative or know of someone in Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico or California?
Do we not care for them? Do we not feel their pain? How much will it cost to rebuild? How many jobs will be needed? Who will pay for the workers and supplies needed?
As Sen. Claire McCaskill says, Kansas should be a cautionary tale on taxes. The types of tax cuts Congress and the Trump administration are proposing wouldn’t allow maintenance of obligations while paying for unexpected expenses and lost revenues.
Tax cuts hurt someone. Some get more, while others get less. There is a reason people are protesting. Is that what we really want?
America is greatest when it is helping: World War II, the Marshall Plan, land-grant colleges, the GI Bill and so many others.
A tax bill needs to account for what we really want: everyone paying their fair share to achieve a growing economy for everyone, clean water, clear air, a safe environment and pleasant neighborhoods — not perks for a few.
Martha Field
Leawood
A hit piece
The opinion piece Oct. 12 by Jeremy Cady of Americans for Prosperity (an organization funded by the Koch brothers) is nothing more than an attack ad against Sen. Claire McCaskill. (15A, “The tax code is broken. Will McCaskill help fix it?”)
She deserves equal time.
Joyce Reichman
Lake Lotawana
Econ 101
Sen. Claire McCaskill says the Republicans’ tax plan benefits the rich, but she doesn’t define “rich.”
Am I rich because I have disposable income to invest, or is she talking about the top 1 percent who pay a disproportionate amount of the tax burden?
Money is a conveyance of wealth, and if it is not used for spending, saving and investing, it is worthless. Corporations don’t pay taxes. They treat them as a cost of doing business, and customers end up paying the taxes.
Wealth, if it is used, leads to more jobs to satisfy demand. The more businesses make, the more they have to invest.
An example: How many people does it take to put bananas on your table? Millions: growers, pickers, loaders, truckers, builders, transporters, fuelers, drillers, stockers, cashiers, advertisers and many more who have a hand in the result.
McCaskill is all wet and ignorant about the economy.
George L. Randle
Kansas City
This story was originally published October 15, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Sen. Roy Blunt, Wornall pedestrian danger and the Koch brothers."