Letters: KC readers discuss changing Northland, Eric Schmitt, unresponsive City Hall

The real Northland

As a lifelong Northlander, I was deeply disturbed by many comments made recently by Kansas City Council members from the Northland during the debate over local redistricting. (Dec. 16, 8A, “There’s one clear choice in redistricting Northland”)

This vociferous opposition to a shift in council districts north of the Missouri River shows how far our current representation has strayed from the true identity of the Northland.

City Council members Teresa Loar, Dan Fowler, Kevin O’Neill and Heather Hall seem to think that the Northland is a conservative redoubt against the progressivism of the mayor and the rest of the council, but this could not be further from the truth. As repeated failed efforts to recall the mayor and overturn mask mandates show, these are the views of a vocal, extremist minority.

The Northland I know is becoming younger, more diverse and more progressive by the day. We deserve representation as much as the rich white conservatives whom many in this city think of when the Northland comes to mind. We are not a monolith, and our representation should reflect this.

I look forward to casting a ballot for new progressive representation in April 2023, and I hope others will join me as we look to advance this city to new heights.

- Cole Bower, Kansas City

That’s overreach

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s interference in the COVID-19 mitigation policies of local school districts is unconscionable. He is obviously trying to appeal to conservatives he thinks will support him in his run for the U.S. Senate, but he is doing it in a way that is decidedly not conservative: He is taking control away from local entities.

I am a teacher, and I appreciate my school district’s attempt to keep us safe and healthy by requiring masks and quarantining, and by doing contact tracing when notified of a COVID-19 case in a school. Now school district officials are being bullied into dropping these mitigation procedures by the state attorney general and the treasurer, who are threatening their bond money.

The governor and state legislature must take action to stop this egregious government overreach immediately.

- Martha Whelan, Raytown

Another case?

In the Dec. 22 editorial, “What did Sen. Hawley know about Jan. 6 attack?” (14A) a case was made to investigate Sen. Josh Hawley’s actions before and during the insurrection Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. I would support this, and I would also support an investigation into Sen. Roger Marshall’s action to challenge the Electoral College count.

I have sent emails asking Marshall for the facts and/or data he used to challenge the Electoral College count. I have never received any information from him.

Was Sen. Marshall trying to obstruct a democratic process?

- Karen Bradfield, Lenexa

Appropriate power

During a season when many celebrate hope for peace on Earth and goodwill toward all people, the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s Independence advocacy team thanks Sen. Josh Hawley for indicating he will vote yes to repeal the 2002 AUMF, or Authorization for Use of Military Force, as long as it is an independent vote.

HR 256, repealing the 2002 AUMF that authorized the war in Iraq, has passed the House of Representatives with 268 yeas and 161 nays thanks to yes votes by Missouri’s Reps. Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver, as well as Kansas’ Reps. Sharice Davids and Tracey Mann, among others.

SJ Res. 10 to repeal the 2002 AUMF now has 46 co-sponsors, including Kansas Sens. Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran. The FCNL advocacy team in Independence urges Hawley and Sen. Roy Blunt to join them in co-sponsorship. We also ask all the senators, regardless of their co-sponsorship, to urge Senate leadership to prioritize a vote on AUMF repeal as a step toward Congress asserting its constitutional authority to declare war. And then, it should first seriously weigh the consequences before voting to further disrupt peace on Earth.

- Steve Kellogg, Independence

Off the hook

I read The Star’s report Nov. 11 that Kansas City paid a fire captain who was the head of the local firefighters union his full salary while he was also working full time for the union in Washington, D.C. (1A, “City cut secret deal allowing ex-Local 42 chief to work in DC”)

I tied to call the city manager’s office for information concerning the details of this agreement. However, the voicemail box was full. It took a formal request to the 311 city hotline to get the voicemail cleared. I thought my calls would be returned, but not so. I left another message soon after that — still crickets.

I called again Dec. 17, and the city manager’s inbox was full again. I called 311 again to have the voicemail cleared. Is this any way to run a city? Note that the mayor’s office didn’t respond to me, either.

Bury your head in the sand and hope the taxpayers quit asking for accountability. There will be accountability at the next general election.

- Joseph D. Quinn III, Kansas City

In the way

Apparently, the freedom to choose to not be vaccinated or masked trumps the freedom to pursue life, liberty and justice.

- Andrea Hickerson, Leawood

The real killer

Carter Groves’ guest commentary on Herman Cain being a victim of the misinformation swirling around the COVID-19 pandemic left a few important points out. (Dec. 23, 8A, “The ‘Herman Cain Award’ is not a laughing matter”)

Groves wrote, “Herman Cain deserves our sympathy,” saying he was misled by “bad actors” intentionally spreading false information about the coronavirus. Cain was not a gullible hayseed. He was a CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a presidential candidate.

Cain was well educated and able to think for himself. In fact, he was so confident in his ability to think for himself that he refused to believe the doctors and scientists who had been screaming for eight months that the coronavirus was highly contagious, could be airborne and was very dangerous, especially to someone of Cain’s age and overall health.

Yet Cain willingly went to the Donald Trump rally in Tulsa in an attempt to remain politically relevant. In doing so, Cain confirmed that he was one of those bad actors.

Greed killed Cain, not misinformation. Save your sympathy for those who did everything right and still died.

- Clifton Smith, Austin, Texas

This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: KC readers discuss changing Northland, Eric Schmitt, unresponsive City Hall."