Readers share thoughts on Democrats, Super Bowl dreams and harassment
Democratic inaction
The Sept. 16 letter writer got one thing right. I am also tired of paying our members of Congress for doing nothing. The only trouble is that it is the Democrat senators who are guilty, not the Republican-controlled House.
The House has passed several hundred bills and sent them to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refuses to do anything with them.
He will not allow any debate on them. Reid will not send them to a committee for action.
This deliberate non-action by the Democratic Party controlling the Senate enables the Democrats to blame Republicans, with the contrivance of the mainstream media. This is harming our nation, not the Republicans. Think.
Charles Burright
Lenexa
Super Bowl dreams
Should the NFL bring the Super Bowl to Kansas City? Jackson County legislators, in your dreams (9-16, A4, “County makes a play to host Super Bowl”).
It will never happen.
Kansas City is not New York when competing for a chance to use an outdoor venue for this winter game. The Hunt family and surrounding counties blew a huge bistate opportunity to help remodel Arrowhead Stadium for a guaranteed Super Bowl appearance, but they decided to test Jackson County voters to pick up the entire tab.
It didn’t work. Now the Greater Kansas City community can only imagine what could have been if it hadn’t been so stingy.
Russ Klement
Lee’s Summit
Chad Taylor, ballot
On the Kansas senatorial ballot, it would seem that the state also has had problems with hanging “Chads.”
Barbara Moriarty
Leawood
Cyclist harassment
Kansas City is about to pass an anti-harassment law for pedestrians, women and bicyclists, but what about the reverse (9-15, A1, “KC targets street harassment”)?
I live in south Kansas City, where they just widened Longview Road and included bike lanes on both sides of the road.
The bicyclists won’t use them. When you see a group of them in the traffic lane instead of the bike lane and you roll down the window and ask the riders politely to use the bike lane, then the motorists are subjected to profanity and rude behavior and told to go you know what ourselves.
This happens daily.
William McHenry
Kansas City
Arrest police state
What is going on here?
Police use a stun gun on a 17-year-old kid because he can’t roll down a car window (9-16, A1, “FBI to investigate use of stun gun”)?
Police shoot an 18-year-old African-American dead for walking down the middle of the street?
A Missouri Highway Patrol trooper lets a 20-year-old boater drown after he was apprehended for drinking on a boat?
The police appear to be out of control in this country. The job is supposed to be to protect and serve, not punish, bully and intimidate.
This all started when we agreed to the erosion of our freedoms in exchange for post-9/11 peace of mind.
Did anyone actually think that when we, as a society, decided that officially sanctioned torture was acceptable, some manifestation of those techniques and attitudes wouldn’t be turned back on our own citizenry?
We should all be diligent and not tolerate such abuses of power. We don’t want jackbooted authorities rousting us out of bed in the middle of the night for not buying tickets to the policeman’s ball
Please report law enforcement’s abuses of power, even if it’s rude behavior on a routine traffic stop.
We must insist on accountability. America isn’t a police state. Police officers work for us.
Fred Kircher
Overland Park
Steve Paul column
Steve Paul wrote an excellent Sept. 6 column, “American Royal needs to get real on Kemper issue,” concerning the American Royal’s future.
Currently, we are working with Steve Foutch’s group on plans to turn the Kemper complex into a youth sports complex for kids. I think that is an admirable and worthwhile endeavor.
We think a portion of Hale Arena should be a permanent indoor tennis court.
Hale Arena at one time was home of the Kansas City Explorers professional tennis team. The Explorers have moved to Texas.
Hale Arena has about 5,000 seats and would be a great indoor court. Hopefully, in the near future, the plan will include indoor courts to support tournaments. The indoor courts would also be available for youth tennis events.
Our immediate plans would be to have several exhibition tennis matches to raise money. I am sure the U.S. Tennis Association would help make that plan a reality.
How are we going to succeed in this endeavor? Through sponsors, within the Kansas City area.
Kids who do not belong to tennis clubs need our help.
David Windsor
Roeland Park
Kansas health care
Unequivocally Kansas Republicans have no intention, desire or hidden agenda to take over Medicare (9-17, Editorial, “Don’t let Kansas lawmaking bullies succeed at censorship”). Seniors who rely on Medicare deserve better than these scare tactics.
It’s no secret that the implementation of Obamacare has been a disaster.
House Republicans sought to protect Kansans and allow for more individual control over our health care choices. We worked to fix the mess Washington created by joining a health care compact with nine other states, including Missouri. Ultimately, the terms of the compact require congressional approval, meaning nothing will happen without action by Congress.
It is important to note that our goal was to ensure seniors have fact based information about the legislation we passed and to maintain a collaborative relationship with the Commission on Aging.
I am a senior, a veteran and someone on Medicare. Kansas seniors are entitled to everything they’ve worked long and hard to earn. House Republicans will never change that and never abandon our commitment to Medicare.
Rep. Ray Merrick
Kansas House Speaker
Stilwell
Ride sharing in KC
Recent attention on ride sharing has prompted me to share some thoughts on both sides of the service.
I believe 100 percent that ride sharing (Uber and Lyft) as well as other forms of sharing are here to stay and in a big way. They represent a demand prevalent in today’s culture. I was so taken by the concept that I registered to become a ride-sharing driver.
But my interest waned on the trip home from registration because of my serious concerns about insurance coverage as well as late hours and lucrative sites, particularly because I’m a senior citizen.
An objection most voiced is from taxi drivers who are opposed to the idea that ride-sharing drivers aren’t required to have the same level of registration, regulation and control that taxi drivers are required to have.
I agree that the playing field isn’t level, but such was the case when Wal-Mart emerged in competition with local merchants.
It reflects a sign of the times.
Steve Katz
Leawood
Veteran’s thanks
I recently learned that Kansas offers a custom Vietnam veterans license plate. So while renewing my vehicle registration, I requested the plate.
All that is required is paperwork indicating a minimum of six months’ service in South Vietnam.
While processing my request, the clerk asked whether I’d like to have my Bronze Star decal affixed to the plate. I replied yes, but upon processing the request she learned that the current state statute authorizes the Bronze Star decal only to be affixed to the general veterans license plate.
That day I emailed my state representative, Jerry Lunn. The following morning I received a call from Mr. Lunn, and later in the day a call from Ms. Deb Wiley at the department of motor vehicles.
Both indicated it was an oversight and would be corrected by Mr. Lunn in the upcoming legislative session. The following day I received the decal.
On behalf of all my Vietnam brethren, I thank Rep. Lunn, Ms. Wiley and the clerk at the Mission department of motor vehicles for their prompt attention to this matter.
Sy Markowsky
Leawood
This story was originally published September 19, 2014 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on Democrats, Super Bowl dreams and harassment."