Letters: Readers discuss Trump’s prerogative, Clean Missouri and Overland Park taxes
Problem solved
Now let’s see: You’re the boss (President Donald Trump) and you’ve got an employee who openly tried to get you fired (Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman). That’s a problem.
I’ll use two dastardly words not seen in the media these days: common sense. The best way to correct the situation, in my humble opinion, is to get rid of the problem. What did I miss?
- Paul P. Pawlush, Leavenworth
Job opportunities
Geez, what a shocker: President Donald Trump pardons and commutes the sentences of corrupt politicians and white-collar criminals. (Feb. 19, 1A, “Trump grants clemency in corruption, fraud cases”) On the positive side, Trump now has a “distinguished” group of candidates for openings in his administration. Takes one to know one, as the saying goes.
- Alex Migliazzo, Leawood
Obama’s record
A number of people on the left are upset by President Donald Trump’s recent commutation of sentences for several individuals. They seem to forget that on President Barack Obama’s last full day in office, he commuted the sentences of 330 people and over his two terms granted more commutations than the previous 13 presidents combined.
- Thomas J. Moran, Raymore
Women’s liberties
Cynthia M. Allen’s Sunday column, “Democrats offer no room for dissent in abortion debate,” (19A) contains misinformation about Democrats spread by the GOP and the religious right.
Democrats do not favor abortion or any other medical procedure. Rather, Democrats support a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her reproduction and to have control over her own bodily functions. There are countless reasons a woman may elect to have an abortion, and no one other than that woman is qualified to decide whether her decision is correct — not the government and not the church.
Democrats are content with the limitations of Roe v. Wade but oppose the continuous hacking away by the GOP and religious right at the rights affirmed by that decision.
Democrats respect the First Amendment’s guarantee that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Unfortunately, some Republicans, Catholics and evangelical Christians do not respect that provision and constantly try to pass laws that impose their views on everyone else.
- L. Yvonne Bruner, Overland Park
Against voters
For readers who voted in 2018 in favor of a package of reforms to clean up politics in Jefferson City, I’d like to call attention to a vote by Republicans in the Missouri Senate on Feb. 10.
The Clean Missouri initiative was approved by 62% of voters. It limits campaign contributions, changes rules about gifts from lobbyists and, most importantly, sets up a nonpartisan method of deciding the state’s new legislative district boundaries after the 2020 census.
Since the Republicans can’t admit publicly why they want to rewrite what the voters passed, they claim we didn’t understand what we were voting for. I think that’s insulting.
A coalition of a dozen or so groups is trying to alert voters to what is happening, and we suggest doing some homework on Senate Joint Resolution 38, which has been sent to the Missouri House for consideration. Please ask your legislators why they want us to vote on their new version of what we, the people, passed two years ago.
Their answers may reveal more about them than the issue itself.
- Susan Cunningham, Pacific, Missouri
Taxation 101
Granting tax exemptions and incentives to foster economic development creates a perception of favoritism among a city’s taxpayers. Some companies receive tax exemptions, but most do not. Tax relief gives the favored company an economic advantage over local competitors. The idea of granting favors to a select few in the business community seems discriminatory and unfair.
The proper governmental role for attracting high-quality business is the same as for attracting high-quality people to our city:
1. Provide for and maintain outstanding infrastructure with excellent police and fire protection.
2. Keep taxes and regulations fair and reasonable.
It is understood there is tax-incentive competition from other cities that have less to offer in the way of living and working environments. We in Overland Park will continue to prosper when we stick with the fundamentals and forget the controversial tax schemes. (Feb. 14, 8A, “Overland Park tax incentive fight poisons well, spooks business”)
Does it need to be more complicated than that?
- Ed Geither, Overland Park