Readers share thoughts on Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and Kansas’ legacy
Brownback’s sun
Gov. Sam Brownback says the sun is shining on Kansas. Others say no.
On the first business day of each month, Heider College of Business of Creighton University publishes the Economic Outlook and condition of nine states in Mid-America: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
December of 2010 showed Kansas with a 48.4 business condition index. Mid-America’s index was 57.5.
Brownback took office in January 2011. At the end of the year, Mid-America was 50.0 and Kansas at 50.1.
The year 2012 ended with Mid-America at 46.5 and Kansas at 46.6. Then in 2013, Mid-America was at 53.2 and Kansas 54.5.
September 2014 found Kansas at 69.7 — leading the other eight states. This report adds: “Construction activity in Kansas continues to advance at a healthy pace. For the 12-month period ending in August, government data show that average weekly wages have expanded by a healthy and regional high of 3.1 percent.” Facts and the sun shine on Kansas.
John Dixon
Leawood
Map for Sen. Roberts
I would like to provide Sen. Pat Roberts a map of the United States and see whether he could find Kansas. Perhaps an aide could help.
Ronnie A. Sturdevant
Kansas City
Kansas’ legacy
I live in Missouri. Yes, we have our problems.
Because of health problems and the need for a one-story house, my next-door neighbor of 17 years is moving.
She recently bought a home, and when I asked her where it is, she reluctantly said, “Kansas.”
She followed that with, “I know, I am moving to a state where they don’t believe in evolution and my vote won’t matter.”
Kansans, you have a real opportunity to elect new statesmen this year. Give change a chance.
As an independent, I will always consider the same in my state.
Marilyn Woods
Kansas City
Consumer protection
Write a letter to each of the three credit bureaus, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, asking them how you can protect your child’s Social Security number or the Social Security number of a deceased individual from people who want to use it to obtain credit cards.
They will tell you what documents they need in order to block the use of the Social Security number by someone else.
Upon receipt of the documents, they will advise you of the steps they have taken to prevent someone else from using the Social Security number.
Mary Coatsworth
Lee’s Summit
Islamic State combat
Congress should cancel all vacations and hold hearings to determine whether the Islamic State is an imminent threat to the U.S. homeland.
If it is, the military draft should be re-instituted and a 10 percent war tax imposed on every American individual and corporation (after all, corporations are people). Go after the Islamic State militants wherever they hide. Put the sons and daughters of Congress members and the president in the first wave.
If it is not a threat, we should notify the governments of Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Israel that we are no longer financially or militarily able to defend them against the militants running wild in their part of the world.
Bring all forces within the U.S. borders. Ship home the taxpayers’ equipment and hardware — every weapon and every nut and bolt.
Use the manpower and resources to defend our borders, power plants, ports, railroads, airports and other soft targets.
Let the combat forces heal and recover from endless war and organize a small quick-strike force to counter any terrorist attacks we receive.
As Robert Gates, former secretary of defense, stated upon leaving office, “Any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so delicately put it.”
Richard Bono
Lenexa
Commander in chief
The president stated, “American forces will not have a combat mission.” This appears to me to be rather clear guidance. It is also clear to me our system of civil control over the military is working just fine.
Our senior military leaders present their best military advice to the president, the commander in chief, as our Constitution states. The president considers this advice and then makes a decision.
The obligation of the leaders and planners of our armed forces is to turn the president’s statement of policy into strategy and supporting campaign plans. Of course, a major part of this obligation is to point out the risks attendant to attaining policy objectives given the guidance.
The development and execution of strategy require us to act in accordance with changing circumstances and to not pass up any opportunity to strengthen our position and weaken the enemy’s.
Some generals correctly pointed out that when conditions on a battlefield change they are obligated to go to the president and make updated recommendations.
War remains an extension and instrument of policy. American forces remain engaged at war in the name of the republic. This fact demands our attention.
Kevin Benson
Lansing
KCI security checks
Transportation Security Administration precheck is designed to quickly move airline travelers through the security screening process. It works because travelers are not required to remove clothing or packed items such as containers with fluids.
Travelers who want to access TSA precheck must fill out a form at a specified center. It sounds easy, but it isn’t in Kansas City.
That’s because the application location is in Lenexa, the southwest corner of the metro area. That’s not exactly convenient for most Kansas Citians.
An application center should be established at Kansas City International Airport, the only place visited by everyone who wants to use this service.
Mark A. Thornhill
Kansas City
Value playing more
There’s something about growing up. You think you’re going to do what you love (the illusion of education leading to endless opportunities), but when you become an adult it’s a constant struggle.
It’s not a struggle to find something you enjoy. That’s easy. You find something you love and do it with all your passion.
You realize you aren’t getting paid (or not enough to survive). You resign yourself to do what you love in your free time and focus on money.
It’s barely enough to get by. Never more than that. You give up more of your free time. It becomes less of doing what you love and more of doing what you have to.
You have no free time; you dismiss what you love, convince yourself it is childish.
You have no time at all. Your family is crying, and you’re being lowered into the ground. The moment before there are no more moments, you wish you had neglected responsibility and done more of what you loved.
Society was “work so you can play” but became “work so you can work.”
Perhaps we have grown up. Maybe we should play more.
Tess Hall
Harrisonville
Beautiful benefactor
Our 14-member Women of Wisdom group is part of a national philanthropic organization with chapters in senior living communities.
Our chapter meets one Wednesday a month to pack donated personal-hygiene items that are delivered to Kansas City homeless women.
Once a month, we board our bus with canes and walkers to visit a local restaurant for lunch. One month at the end of our meal, our waitress announced that our bill and tip were taken care of by an anonymous person who left the following note:
“Thank you for all of your years of giving to others. You are each a beautiful treasure who shares a priceless gift of wisdom and love. Thank you for your inner and outer beauty.”
We hope the benefactor is reading this as a sign of our appreciation and thanks.
Millie Meinhold
Women of Wisdom
Park Meadows
Senior Living
Overland Park
This story was originally published October 18, 2014 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and Kansas’ legacy."