How could a judge make this Kansas foster family give up their precious little girl? | Opinion
Family torn apart
What is happening to the DeHaven foster family is absolutely devastating. (Feb. 2, 1A, “Kansas girl, 3, in adoption controversy sent to new family”) After three years of loving, supporting and wanting to adopt this precious little girl in their care, the DeHavens lost the child when some judge deemed it better for her to be with siblings she doesn’t know.
I hope this judge can live with herself after this horrendous decision. She must not be a mother. Otherwise, her decision would likely have been different.
My deepest sympathies to the DeHavens. The world feels your pain.
- Margaret Kensinger, Raytown
Pay, then pay again
Kansas taxpayers are being deprived of watching Kansas public university sporting events, despite shelling out more than $1 billion of funding each year to the University of Kansas and Kansas State University alone.
KU will receive $831.3 million from taxpayers in the 2024 budget year, while K-State will rake in $576 million, as indicated in the Governor’s Budget Report.
The Big 12 has a deal with ESPN and Fox Sports on a media rights agreement worth $2.3 billion. The agreement runs through 2030-31, and each Big 12 school will receive $30 million-plus annually.
Kansas college sports fans already have to pay for cable to watch most Big 12 games, but in the case of the KU-KSU game Jan. 31, we were also forced to pay for a subscription to ESPN+ to watch the game on TV.
It should be obvious that so-called “amateur” college sports is all about the money, and with Kansas taxpayers funding these state-run universities, I am struggling to understand exactly what we as taxpayers get in return. We can’t even watch a game between two Kansas public universities on TV?
I’d like a tax refund. Sign me a disappointed fan.
- John Rettiger, Emporia
Just say it
I was deeply disappointed in Mayor Quinton Lucas’s response at the end of the Jan. 26 front-page story “The secret $62M legal fight over Kansas City airport” about the $62 million arbitration award concerning legal misconduct during the backroom dealing related to the new airport terminal. The mayor refused to say if such conduct (as found by the arbitrators after hearing both sides of the dispute) would prevent the city from hiring those attorneys again.
Good grief. If the breach of duty to the client found by the arbitrators is not enough to help him reach that answer, then what is?
Like the old song says, “You have to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”
- Edward Rucker, Kansas City
Seniors’ homes
Two bills filed in the Missouri legislature propose freezing property assessments for seniors. HJR 45 and SJR 39, if passed, would put a constitutional amendment initiative on the statewide ballot.
These bills are consistent with Gov. Mike Parson’s recent Executive Order 23-01 establishing a Master Plan on Aging. Its goals are to “remove barriers to safe and healthy aging” and to “help Missourians age with dignity.” Seniors live on fixed incomes and limited savings. Declining health, increasing health care costs and rampant inflation add more financial fragility. Missouri should be compassionate and competitive with other states.
Freezing seniors’ assessments makes financial sense, keeping seniors in their homes, saving Medicaid dollars and saving money for assessors with fewer homes to reassess.
Seniors remaining in their homes helps keep families intact. Seniors volunteer for schools and nonprofits, adding diversity to their neighborhoods. Since nearly all Missouri adults will reach retirement, everyone will eventually benefit from this assessment freeze.
MO Tax Relief Now petition signers support freezing seniors’ home values. Go to motaxreliefnow.org and sign our petition. Contact your state representatives and senators. Tell them you support HJR 45 and SJR 39. Keep seniors in their homes.
- Dennis Ganahl, Managing editor, MO Tax Relief Now, Chesterfield