Government subsidies should go only to US citizens, older adults | Opinion

Cost burden

The Kansas City Star frequently covers stories of DACA recipients losing their subsidized health insurance and those using COBRA when they lose their jobs. Nowhere do you have an opinion on the expense of health care when you turn 65. Medicare Part B costs $185 per month per person, covers only 80% of total costs and does not include prescription drug benefits. My husband and I, as older adults, pay $1,000 per month (which includes $350 for Part B).

Government subsidies should be available only to U.S. citizens and older Americans.

- Linda Abuhl, Platte City

Meet with us

I have contacted our Kansas Sens. Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, requesting that they hold town hall meetings with their constituents while they are on break. We are aware of their positions on the issues, and we know how they voted. We would like them to listen to us. Marshall’s term ends next year, so he may very much need our input.

I ask that other constituents please support this request.

- James Hershey, Olathe

New modes?

Be like President Donald Trump: Invest in cryptocurrency and gold. Then you will be in better financial shape when he remakes the economy in his own image.

- James Turner, Independence

End starvation

As an international public health nutritionist who has specialized in mother and child health, and witnessed starved populations in Cambodia, Sudan and Haiti, I am appalled that the United States supports an ally, Israel, in starving and bombing 2 million people. (Aug. 7, 7A, ‘Israeli army chief presents options for next steps in Gaza”)

Starving civilian populations is immoral and illegal, besides being horrible.

What are our elected representatives doing to stop the breaking of international law? How can they pretend to be decent, honorable people and support illegitimate, inhumane actions?

- Chris Roesel, Roeland Park

Not heroic

It appears this administration is enacting a Robin Hood in reverse: taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

- Janice Meyers, Bucyrus

Their word

Politicians must keep their word. We pastors, rabbis, imams — we’re ministers of the word. We offer and give our word. We proclaim the word as we see it. People rely upon us for trustworthiness. Woe to religious leaders who give their word but do not abide by it. If you contradict your word, people will judge you untrustworthy.

Politicians are in the same role. They serve the public out of a public trust, and when they give their word, voters expect them to keep it.

Before the big, ugly budget bill was passed by Congress, Sen. Josh Hawley gave speeches about his concern for Medicaid cuts and how that bill would hurt the working poor. And then, leading up to the vote, Hawley became silent. He voted against the word he had shared with voters. He said he wanted to stand with the middle class, with workers, and instead stood with billionaires. Now, he wants to offer ways around this.

But it’s too late. You gave you word, Senator, and you did not keep it. You violated your own promises. We are your constituency, and we can no longer believe you.

- Rev. Dr. Stephen D. Jones, Kansas City

Chopped

Most people are familiar with the expression “chop shop.” It’s a criminal enterprise where high-end stolen vehicles are dismantled so the untraceable parts can be sold and the rest goes to scrap. This is a good analogy for what the Trump administration is doing to the American system of government. People and agencies are being removed if Trump and his crew don’t like them.

Soon, they will strip down our vehicle down to the frame, which is our Constitution — and that could be scrapped as well.

The worst part is this isn’t being done in secret, but right before our eyes as the MAGA crowd cheers on the process.

Where is the outrage over our sweet ride being stolen and destroyed?

- Armand Way, Topeka

No consent

Informed consent should be required for organ donation. I took a six-week class on organ donation during the past year. The risks were not inluded in the class curriculum. After doing my own research, I decided the process was not acceptable to me.

First, do no harm. Your rights end when you are declared dead. You are not allowed pain meds during surgery to remove your organs since you are supposed to be dead. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would not even discuss this with me.

However, as the Aug. 5 story “A push for more organ transplants is putting dying donors at risk” made clear, (9B) circulatory death with continued brain activity can result in pain perception and emotional distress. Brain death can be assessed by responsiveness while medically sedated or paralyzed. As highlighted in the article, the problem of overly aggressive procurement stems from government pressure to increase the number of organs obtained to maintain funding. This includes asking family members for organs from people who have made their wishes known that they do not want to be organ donors.

If this happens to me, I intend to haunt everyone involved with this unethical behavior.

- Wendy Sime, Prairie Village

This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 5:05 AM.