Letters: Readers discuss KC Tenants, the US Postal Service and Kansas redistricting
Why they work
Reading Sunday’s front-page story, “A force for change,” about KC Tenants and landlords’ responses to renters sure brought back memories.
I once rented a duplex apartment from an elderly couple, who sold the property to an out-of-towner from Leeton, Missouri. Before the deal closed, a big storm brought hail that damaged the roof, and the insurance company agreed to pay for a new roof. The new landlord said he would fix it if the sellers would knock $500 off the sale price, and they agreed.
Guess what? That landlord never reshingled the roof. Whenever I complained about the ever-increasing number of leaks, he would just come out and slap tar over that spot. I had pans on the floor all over the apartment, and every time it rained, I wondered where the next drip would punch through. All this time, I was faithfully paying rent.
So to any landlord who is outraged by the actions of KC Tenants: Instead of getting mad at them, how about some anger at your colleagues who neglect their properties and treat tenants as nothing but cash cows?
Without unscrupulous slumlords, there would be no need for an organization like KC Tenants.
- Lisa Gulick, Warrensburg
Keep moving
Thank you, Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, for co-sponsoring the Postal Service Reform Act and supporting Missouri and local businesses that depend on the U.S. Postal Service for affordable and reliable package delivery. This legislation makes much-needed changes for the post office’s long-term sustainability, while codifying the service we already depend on: mail and packages delivered together, six days a week.
Postal package delivery is especially critical for rural businesses and jobs, helping to connect them with the rest of the nation. Private carriers prioritize profits over service, imposing surcharges for more than 50% of the nation’s ZIP codes and failing to deliver to most rural and remote addresses.
Blunt and Hawley’s support of postal reform is also support for small businesses and residents across Missouri.
- John McHugh, chairman, the Package Coalition, Washington, D.C.
Redistricting tale
A Kansas story: Two teams assembled for a contest. It was decided that each contestant could vote for rules governing the competition. One team had eight members while the other team had five. A member from the team of eight said, “The first rule to be voted on will be that the team with eight members will win the contest.” The five-member team said, “Not fair!” and took the matter to an impartial judge to decide the matter. What do you suppose was the outcome of the judge’s ruling?
- Angela Schieferecke, Prairie Village
Do no harm?
For those who believe that pharmacists should be required to fill every prescription doctors give them, especially the members of the Kansas Legislature who support a bill that would force them to do this, (Jan. 28, 3A, “Kansas lawmakers pursue off-label COVID treatments”) I have two words: Conrad Murray. He was a cardiologist, not an anesthesiologist, so he should not have had access to propofol, but he did, and Michael Jackson died as a result.
If he’s not enough, there are the doctors whose prescriptions brought about the epidemic of opioid addiction. This bill would also enable doctor-shopping: obtaining prescriptions from several doctors. Can doctor-shopping kill? Ask Heath Ledger. Currently, doctor shoppers need to get each prescription filled at a different pharmacy. If the bill before the legislature passes, a single pharmacy getting all the prescriptions would have to fill them all.
- Robert O’Rourke, Leavenworth
Moving ahead
Congratulations to Washington on its NFL team’s name change. Other sports teams and schools who use Native American mascots or team names should also change. This is a positive and important transition for future generations.
- David Whitlock, Kansas City