Readers react to lecherous legislators, guns and Gov. Sam Brownback

Lecherous legislators

Reading in The Star on June 28 about the working climate for women in the Missouri legislature, “The wolves of Jeff City,” makes me sick. The male legislators sound like members of a frat house that was put in charge of a big party.

These beacons of churchly sainthood are a pariah for career-minded women in politics who have to put up with their dirty words, actions and never-ending innuendo. There should be no place for psycho-sexually stunted “boy-men” in Jefferson City.

I hope that the female interns who have been victims of harassment come together and make public these pathetic excuses for male-adults-in-charge. The ever-childish actions of those men in power, who are supposed to represent and speak for every Missourian, act as if they are little kings.

The arrogant, immature and narcissistic attitude displayed in their teenage-behavior amazingly reflects how they legislate for Missourians, too. How about for a change, doing something for young female interns that will grow future legislators, governors and presidents?

How about the lecherous legislators resigning? I have had it with the powerful lording it over subordinates as if it were mandated that they be revered.

Lechers, voyeurs and creeps belong in jail, not in the Missouri legislature.

James L. Wrolstad

Liberty

Solution to guns

Eighty-eight people are killed, and hundreds more are injured by gun violence each day in this country. What are we going to do?

When are we going to put our perceived difference aside? When will we begin to acknowledge that we all want the same things life: food, shelter, good health, financial security and of course, happiness for ourselves, our children and grandchildren?

These hopes and dreams cannot be safeguarded as long as our current gun culture remains unchanged. Some way, somehow, we have to turn this around.

Each and every one of us must hold ourselves accountable to this goal. Our communities must begin to brainstorm a resolution.

I am confident ideas for change can be found within our churches, synagogues, mosques and peer groups. This is a big beautiful country.

Together we can find a way forward. When we do we will reap the rewards as we watch our children and grandchildren grow and prosper.

Pat Russell

Grandmothers Against

Gun Violence

Kansas City

Brownback’s fiasco

When will Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback realize that increased profits and/or lower taxes will not result in business owners hiring more employees?

More workers are sought only when demand for their goods and services exceeds the ability of existing employees to produce or provide them.

Brownback’s budget fiasco does have one good result. Now he won’t be able to inflict this mess on the other 49 states.

Bob Burns

Leavenworth

Respect Clinton

Regardless of political affiliation or gender, Americans should be outraged by the disrespect recently shown former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina when he announced his candidacy for president.

Claiming he possesses more foreign policy knowledge and experience than any candidate, he cited her directly, saying, “This includes you, Hillary.” Now I understand the reaction he was seeking and which he received from the partisan audience by using the familiar rather than Clinton’s formal name.

But really?

Kathy Hall, Ph.D.

Kansas City

Same-sex marriage

So, I'm confused. Let's just say that an attorney general (or, presumably, any other government employee) refers to the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment while fighting a law or ruling.

Isn't that the one about separating church and state, among other things? Yet, that attorney general (a state employee) cites his religion as allowing him to protest the Supreme Court's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

I guess the state and religion are separated but not religion in the state? Or is it just that only the folks who work for the state are not separated from their religion? I'm just really confused.

Please note: As I recall, no one is arguing about the freedom of churches to exercise their beliefs. My confusion is simply who and when a government employee, most if not all of whom took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, can exercise his/her religion when refusing to follow a particular law or interpretation thereof by the highest court in the land.

If my beliefs don't agree with my employer's rules, should I not be prepared — or eventually even be invited — to “explore opportunities elsewhere”?

Gerald Valet

Kansas City

Kansas sunshine

The sun will be shining in Kansas for those who bought it. I don't know whether people realize the effect this will have on us ordinary Kansans who don't own a business, a farm or aren’t billionaires.

Everything we buy from groceries and medicine will be higher. I am a retired public employee on a fixed income and I have to pay state income taxes, and they are going to tell me that these businesses and farmers don't have to pay on their much bigger income. Really.

Talk about entitlement. I have never seen people that entitled before in my 72 years. The sun is only shining in Kansas for those entitled few.

Sorry, governor, you sold us out, and those who signed the no-tax agreement were right with you like little clones. It scares me that I will have to live with this mess created by someone I did not elect and knew would do this to us.

I can’t really leave Kansas because of my age and financial condition. But if I could I would.

The current Legislature (at least a lot of them) sold us out, too.

Kathleen Arbogast

Topeka

Don’t tax e-cigarettes

Let me start by saying that it is clear to anyone with any experience with an electronic cigarette that in this information age one can find that e-cigarettes are far safer than inhaling anything that is on fire.

My point is, it is clear why cigarettes were taxed so heavily. They do add a burden to society because of the medical bills and other expenses that come from the health toll of smoking something on fire.

Now the solution appears in the form of a battery-powered device that will relieve this burden placed on society as a whole. And the government looking for a quick Band-Aid to the financial situation that politicians get us into, wants to add a tax to something that is a long-term fix for some of the constraints placed on society in the form of COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

When as Americans are we going to say, “Show me how this is better for everyone involved.” I am in fact only using e-cigarettes because all the other government-approved smoking cessation devices failed.

If for no other reason help me save me.

Jason Head

Independence

Kansas loopholes

What most people don’t know about the father of tax cuts for the wealthy, President Ronald Reagan, is that he made the largest tax cut in history, and it all fell on the backs of the middle class. On top of that, the middle class thought it was fair and went along with it without a whimper.

At one time individuals could take deductions for any interest paid. This included interest paid on car payments and credit cards.

Reagan closed that loophole and sold it to us because it would affect us all but it didn't. What middle-class Americans didn't understand was that the wealthy don’t buy cars, furniture, appliances and other goods on time payments.

Therefore the rich were exempt. The middle class paid.

A fair tax for Kansas would be to close the loopholes on those individuals and businesses that pay no taxes.

Jack Graham

Kansas City, Kan.

This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers react to lecherous legislators, guns and Gov. Sam Brownback."