Kansas City should spend tax money on cleaning up the streets, not updating its logo
Rebrand this
Kansas City spokesman Chris Hernandez said, “It’s time to refresh our look,” in the April 5 front-page story “Kansas City updates logo, retiring Monarchs-like moniker.” I’m sad and disappointed that City Hall believes an updated logo is a better use of taxpayer money than cleaning up the city’s highways that are strewn with trash.
I’m guessing if the city’s residents were asked if they wanted to retire the moniker or have their neighborhoods and highways cleaned up, they would vote for the latter.
The City of Fountains would be more beautiful if you didn’t have to drive past mattresses, tires, trash bags, furniture and fast food containers rather than having a new logo on letterheads, websites and trucks.
- Sally Pettes, Stilwell
Roofs over heads
From toddlers playing with dollhouses to President Joe Biden delivering his State of the Union address, people agree that housing is important. Yet, in the U.S, the average one-bedroom apartment costs much more than someone working full time at the federal minimum wage makes. And as rent prices increase, many Americans face the prospect of eviction.
As a high school junior, I’m worried about many things: the SAT, college essays and prom. However, these are things I’m lucky to worry about because the roof over my head is secure. There are thousands of Americans, many my age, without such luck. They must deal with the housing crisis much before they can find a prom dress.
Congress can fix this. Millions of low-income renters could afford better, stable homes with federal rental assistance. But because of inadequate funding, only 1 in 4 of those eligible can receive this help. By making large corporations and the wealthy pay their share of taxes, rental assistance could be expanded to all who are eligible, virtually ending homelessness.
Every junior should get to focus on being 16, not impending homelessness. I urge Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to prioritize funding for rental assistance in legislation this year.
- Stella Linn, Kansas City
Spoiled it
Will and Phil (Smith and Mickelson, that is):
Both were at the top of the heap.
Both had it made.
Both let fame and money cloud their judgment.
Both committed professional suicide.
- Jeff Greenbaum, Kansas City
Kids at risk?
In driving around Overland Park recently, I saw women holding up signs asking for assistance on at least four street corners. And with these women were small children, some in strollers, some on the ground. How is this possibly healthy for children to spend days in the sun helping ask for money?
I understand there is a great need out there for assistance, but I find it very wrong to see small children sitting on street corners all day asking for help.
- Jeanette Cleary, Prairie Village
Expand diversity
I appreciate The Star’s coverage of the release of Kansas City’s Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan to the public. (March 20, 7A, “Kansas City’s climate protection and resilience plan released, up for public”) It is clear that Kansas City needs a community-oriented and equity-centered plan to achieve a safe and clean future for all, including carbon neutrality by 2040.
City Manager Brian Platt stated that he wants Kansas City to be “one of, if not the most progressive and aggressive cities in the country when it comes to fighting climate change.” Additionally, back in 2019, Mayor Quinton Lucas stated that he wanted to make sure that people of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds were engaged in this movement.
The Climate Protection Steering Committee currently has eight white members and one Black member. If Platt and Lucas are truly committed to their statements, the two vacancies on the committee must be filled. However, community members and organizations have been calling on Lucas for months to appoint climate activists Mahreen Ansari and Beto Lugo-Martinez to the committee. Both are people of color who have extensive experience in community organizing and climate policy, as well as personal connections to front-line communities in Kansas City.
Their appointments to the committee would ensure that underrepresented communities are not forgotten in this important process.
- Celesteal Clark, Kansas City
Ditch the junk
Mail carriers have to carry and deliver a great deal of junk mail. It frustrates me that they have to bear that load and then fill our mail boxes with trash.
When I’m king, those purveyors of trash will pay for their own deliveries and only first-class mail will be delivered by United States Postal Service carriers.
All in favor, say “Amen, brother!”
- Brian Casey, Kansas City
Lessons learned
Ukrainians fleeing their country for their own safety who enter Poland are offered goods and services to meet their immediate needs and given a card showing them where they can stay and even where to get a job. Central Americans fleeing their countries for their own safety who enter the United States get put in internment camps.
I guess since the people of Poland understand what it’s like to have internment camps in their country, they decided to take a more humane approach. God bless them, and we need to acknowledge this.
- Traci Harken, Overland Park