Pre-K sales tax, Vicky Hartzler’s good work, Kobach’s Jeep

Not this new tax

Sorry, Mayor Sly James, but we are about sales taxed out. We need a statewide increase on the gasoline tax for transportation infrastructure more than we need the sales tax hike to benefit pre-K education. (July 4, 4A, “Mayor James launches campaign for sales tax hike to fund pre-K”)

If you want tax money, quit giving tax breaks to big developers for fancy condo buildings downtown (the Dr. Seuss One Light, Two Light, Three Light). That takes money away from the schools.

Somehow you’re not saying much about the sales tax increase to fund your project. It’s up to the Kansas City Public Schools district, where that money goes, not the city.

Bill Boyer

Kansas City

Thanks to Hartzler

A big thanks to Rep. Vicky Hartzler for her work toward passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Along with Rep. Sam Graves, she was instrumental in providing Missouri farmers some security in these troubled times.

Farmers have seen five years of declining incomes, with this year’s farm income less than half of levels seen just five years ago.

The Kansas City Star editorial board is confused about what Farm Bills do. They are not anti-poverty programs, but rather guarantees that family farmers will be able to continue through good times and bad.

Hartzler received unjust criticism because her family benefits from the programs she supports. (June 29, 12A, “Farm Bill should cap subsidies for rich farmers, including Hartzler”) By The Star’s standard, representatives with driver’s licenses cannot support highway bills and patriots cannot vote for defense spending.

In 40 years of farming, I can’t remember more uncertain times. Trade disputes threaten foreign markets, EPA decisions are aimed at domestic demand and farmers are seeing increasing debt as they work through another tariff or interest rate increase.

We look forward to final passage of a Farm Bill and fully expect a compromise will be reached.

Blake Hurst

President,

Missouri Farm Bureau

Tarkio, Mo.

Senseless death

The last time I saw an individual threaten another person with a sword, it was Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Errol Flynn, and their intended victims were no more than three or four feet away.

What’s the necessity of giving a police officer 30 or 40 hours of sensitivity training when the officer shows no indication of having an iota of common sense? (July 3, 1A, “Wife screams after husband is hit: ‘Why did you have to shoot him?’”)

Herb Miller

Mission Hills

Egregious display

Guns are legal, but they don’t symbolize freedom.

I’m not surprised Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach rode in a jeep armed with a replica machine gun for the second time, this time during Lenexa’s Fourth of July parade. It’s great publicity for him. He’s loving the angry tweets right now, because no publicity is bad publicity.

I’m not one of the angry ones. I’m simply disappointed. A city that stands for parks, trees and community spaces knowingly allowed this man to overtake our safe spaces. And, all the while he was yelling, “Cheer for freedom,” with a giant gun behind him.

Was that a threat or a request? Urging people to cheer for freedom with a large gun behind you feels instead like a demand to cheer — or else.

It’s a bad look. Not for Kobach, because he’s made it apparent he doesn’t care. It’s a bad look for our city.

Our city leaders sacrifice so much to serve this city. I can’t imagine the amount of time and energy they spend representing all of us.

Let me say thank you for all they do. And, on this occasion, please consider a policy change or a policy enforcement moving forward.

D.J. Whetter

Lenexa

Feature missed

For many years, on the anniversary of the most important day in our nation’s history, The Star printed on the editorial page the document that made this day significant: our Declaration of Independence. Dropping that tradition indicates to me that The Star no longer thinks it is important to remember our roots. I strongly disagree.

Yes, there are those who say no one will read it. And, yes, there are those who believe there is some more important wrong to right. But we need to celebrate the work of those 56 men who put their lives and property on the line to declare that the residents of those 13 colonies, and all of us who followed, should be allowed to make our own decisions regarding living our lives.

These freedoms are just as important today.

Christopher Hope