Letters: Readers discuss gratitude to KCPD, water costs and needed pain medication

Caring police

I would like to thank The Star for sharing my story. (July 12, 5A, “KCPD and social workers stepped up to help mom”)

I have been through a lot, and I have never had support from anybody like what the Kansas City Police Department and its social workers have given me.

I love how KCPD is out there helping families. It is not going on without being noticed.

I am happy that my story has shined the light on the police department, and that it will let the community know that there are officers who care. They go above and beyond in their jobs to help the people of their community.

Chantre Russ

Kansas City

Water relief first

I suggest that this city needs to spend money on water infrastructure a lot more than on children’s early education. (July 4, 4A, “Mayor James launches campaign for sales tax hike to fund pre-K”) Those children and their parents undoubtedly would like affordable water and water bills.

Our water costs are climbing monthly, and the city seems to want to spend money on anything else. We’d rather have the necessities of life, like water, than a new airport and streetcars, too.

Think about it, voters.

Marilyn Costa

Kansas City

Other drug victims

I understand addiction to opioids is an issue. But watchdog lists and regulations that prevent doctors from prescribing needed medications aren’t the answer. There are many of us who legitimately need those medications.

I have degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, two ruptured discs, severe degenerative arthritis and fibromyalgia. My world is nothing but pain — all day, every day. I am limited to about 10 hours of sleep per week because of pain.

I have tried everything: non-opioid medications, acupuncture, physical therapy, music therapy, exercise, weight loss and herbal treatments. The only thing that gives me relief is prescription pain medication. I take it as prescribed, and if I don’t need it, I don’t take it.

But now my doctor isn’t allowed to prescribe it because of new facility rules, thanks to new regulations. He has referred me to multiple pain clinics. They are overrun with new patients. Legitimate chronic pain patients are the ones suffering from new regulations.

I have discussed this issue with all my doctors. They agree that the regulations hurt chronic pain patients more than they help address the abuse issue.

What are chronic pain patients supposed to do? Why is it OK for us to suffer?

Lynda Wisely

Butler, Mo.

The Farm Bill

The 2018 Farm Bill passed both houses and awaits merging into one bill. The Senate version with modest modifications passed (86 yea, 11 nay), avoiding changes to the food stamp program. The House version passed (213 yea, 211 nay), with 20 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

The House version places no restrictions on non-operator landlords, such as hedge funds and multinational corporations, which own 80 percent of rented farmland, incentivizing them to buy ever more farm ground to “farm” the taxpayer-subsidized insurance for billionaires. More farmland will disappear out of the hands of the family farmer into agricultural corporations.

With the House bill, food stamps require 20 weekly work hours for adults (age 18-59) without children. Parents with children older than 6 fall into this category. Currently, the food stamp program feeds 40 million people, and it is estimated that 1.2 million people, many of them children, would be kicked out of the program. Thousands of children would risk losing enrollment in free and reduced-price school lunches, all to provide subsidies for the wealthy.

I hope the Senate version will prevail, because I think this House version is mean-spirited and just downright mean.

Angela Schieferecke

Prairie Village

Be informed

We all need to evaluate what gave us our freedom. Informed citizens accumulate all the facts available before exercising their freedom to vote. This is the process that made this country great.

There are two ways to be informed: One is through reliable news sources that present all the facts, leaving you the freedom of choice. It used to be called good journalism, not “fake news.”

The other is through only sources that tell you what you want to hear, with cherry-picked facts presented to you.

Whichever you choose, try to listen to all of them before voting. Times are turbulent, and this country is tearing itself apart. We all need to work harder at preserving our freedom.

Stephen Montgomery

Parkville