Missouri schools, Travis Kelce’s humor and strangers’ help

Use or lose

I am a Missouri taxpayer, parent and candidate for the North Kansas City Schools Board of Education. The Missouri General Assembly is the only state legislature not yet to appropriate Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds allocated to the states from the American Rescue Plan. Until those funds are appropriated, they will not be distributed to our school districts.

The $1.9 billion in this grant funding was approved by Congress last year and must be appropriated before March 24 to allow the funds to be used — or the money goes back to Congress. These funds were intended to help provide a safe return to school, address learning loss and help students recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Every school in Missouri has dealt with pandemic issues and had to pivot to do what works for students. Why deny them these funds that could help?

- Laura Wagner, Kansas City

Ukraine anxiety

Collectively, the world’s people are living on the brink of nuclear holocaust with Russian troops poised to retake Ukraine. One human error in the form of a rifle being fired accidentally could start a rapidly escalating war climaxing in an exchange of nuclear weapons between countries.

The last time humanity was this close to Armageddon was during the Cuban missile crisis. At that time, diplomacy between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President John F. Kennedy averted catastrophe.

Today’s key players are the murderous Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Joe Biden. The two don’t inspire hope.

- Gregg A. Gehrig, Overland Park

The real joke

The Kansas City Star reports that when Keegan-Michael Key roasted Patrick Mahomes at the NFL Honors (saying that when Mahomes saw a picture of Joe Burrow’s outfit at halftime, he forgot how to play football), Travis Kelce did not show even a sign of a smile. (Feb. 11, KansasCity.com, “Joke about Patrick Mahomes at NFL Honors left Chiefs’ Travis Kelce shaking his head”)

I was truly hoping Kelce would step up and defend our quarterback by explaining that Mahomes did not forget how to play; he left at halftime to buy the suit and asked his brother, Jackson Mahomes, to sub for him.

- Clyde Waltermate, Raytown

Pricey jobs

Kansas is seeking to commit more than $1 billion in tax breaks or refundable credits to an unnamed corporation to bring 4,000 permanent jobs to the state. (Feb. 14, 1A, “Secret Kansas bid could be for Panasonic battery plant”) That amounts to spending $250,000 on each employee.

If the state has that much money, wouldn’t it be better to spend it on hiring more teachers? Four teachers (not one) could be hired for $250,000. How many roads could be repaired with $1 billion? Maybe Overland Park can get rid of chip seal pavement.

I believe the state would be better off with more or higher-paid teachers, or better roads. Better schools and good roads bring in more employers. Currently, Kansas schools rank in the middle of the 50 states. What if Kansas were in the top 25%?

- Thomas Handley, Overland Park

Be done with it

The Missouri and Kansas legislatures should quit beating around the bush and simply take advantage of their majorities to pass legislation ruling that only votes for acceptable Republicans are counted.

- Robert Powell, Independence

Helping hands

I fell recently in downtown Overland Park. I wish to give recognition to the kindness shown to me. Two women and a man stopped to help me. I was helped up, given fist aid and moral support.

I also wish to say thank you to the local restaurant that gave me ice and supplies to help. The kindness of strangers is alive and well in our area.

I’ll have no lasting effects, just scrapes, bruises and wounded pride.

- Sharon Campbell, Shawnee