Minimum wage, needed stoplight,

Raising the minimum wage is a hot topic, and the effect on small businesses is a sticking point. But what do real small businesses think about raising the wage?

Small Business Majority asked in a scientific opinion poll and found 57 percent support increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10.

Some have claimed that raising the minimum wage would strain small firms because they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay their workers more. However, more than half of small business owners agree increasing the minimum wage would help the economy and make low-income consumers more likely to spend money, driving up demand for goods and services at small businesses.

What’s more, the poll found 82 percent of small businesses already pay their workers more than the minimum wage.

Consumer demand is small business owners’ No. 1 concern, and they see a raise in the minimum wage as a way to stoke that demand. An increase would help entrepreneurs create jobs, which strengthens the economy even more, creating an economic domino effect.

Small-business owners are the nation’s biggest job creators. Politicians should listen to what they’re saying and act accordingly.

I agree with the April 3 letter writer. A 24-hour Election Day would allow and encourage better voter turnout.

However, if that were to be initiated, I’d further suggest the 24 hours be coordinated throughout the country.

Many years ago while living in Hawaii, even before satellite communication, we were informed by news outlets how the vote was going from east to west, with the numbers for the electoral college posted. We at the western edge could easily stay home from the voting booth because so much had already been decided. Why bother?

If the 24 hours began at midnight at our most eastern voting locations and began at that moment across all time zones to the farthest western location, every potential voter would have the same 24 hours available and surely have some part of their day or evening to cast a ballot.

Also, returns would be coming in from the entire voting area at once rather than from east to west. Should such lead to higher voter turnout, another advantage might be greater participation for voting on state and local issues

Apparently, the March 26 letter writer does not live in the Wellington Park subdivision in Overland Park, based on his comments regarding what he thinks is an unnecessary streetlight at the intersection of 151st Street and England.

If he did, he would have an idea of how difficult it was to enter onto 151st off England during the major traffic congestion of the day, and especially when classes let out at the elementary school and parents are trying to get out of the area.

Although this might not have been a high accident-rate intersection, it was certainly a highly emotional one when traffic was backing up on England and people were screaming up and down 151st. You often felt like you were taking your life in your hands just considering a turn.

I found it somewhat inconvenient at times, but my wife and many others in our neighborhood were quite uncomfortable trying to pull out. Also, I believe I’m correct that the signal is demand-generated and doesn’t actuate until traffic is ready to go.

The Kansas Legislature seems intent on invalidating federal gun-control laws (4-3, A4, “Gun bill approved by Kansas Senate”). Now the Legislature wants to restrict local options for cities and counties in Kansas.

It seems logical that the cities and counties of Kansas should also feel free to invalidate Kansas restriction. I doubt that the Kansas Legislature would be happy with that logical thinking.

With a heartfelt thank you to Fox Sports Midwest, welcome back to Kansas City, Rex Hudler. I’m looking forward to another season of the most entertaining color commentary.

I am the proud holder of a Kansas concealed-carry license. I want to congratulate the Kansas Legislature for allowing a concealed-carry gun law to expire that will permit people like me to take my loaded weapon into any municipal building, including libraries.

I am sure our legislators needed a little do-nothing time after their tax-cutting run that has shrunk school funding and programs for the poor and elderly in Kansas. As a result, I reckon, the egos of Kansas campaign financiers and their naive constituents have received a boost.

I know mine surely has.

The next time you’re in the library, look for the 55-year-old lady in high heels with a suspicious lump under her jacket. But don’t expect me to stop trouble with that lump.

Professional criminals spend more time practicing in shooting ranges than municipal police do. They’re better shots. I learned that from a career law-enforcement officer who taught my concealed carry class at Cabela’s at the Legends in 2012.

With the population living longer and more vital lives, the Metcalf South Shopping Center would make an excellent senior citizen facility. It could accommodate individual apartments, assisted living and nursing services, a community center, exercise studios, restaurants, walk-in-clinics, optometrists, podiatrists, beauty salons, shops and ambulance services.

There is already a movie theater, a wonderful walking track and tons of parking in this central Johnson County location. All of these services should be for residents only and not open to the public.

It sounds like a win-win solution.

I became aware of the study of the expansion of Medicaid benefits in Oregon from 2008 to 2010 a few weeks ago on the news. The news media focused on an increased frequency of emergency room visits after the expansion.

I watched a presentation and discussion by Katherine Baicker of Harvard University on the Kansas Health Institute website (www.khi.org) explaining the expansion study’s findings. The percentage of ER visits increased at the same rate during normal business hours as well as off hours.

It would seem that ER visits would decrease with the expansion.

I inquired with Baicker and looked through the study data regarding an educational component at the start of the Medicaid expansion. There didn’t seem to be an effort at educating the newly covered about how to best use Medicaid services.

Would the outcome have been different with some basic education on personal health and a primary care physician?

It seems intuitive to find a physician and call him or her instead of visiting an ER. But is this really intuitive for someone who hasn’t had health coverage in the past?

I would be interested to see study results with some level of education at the outset.

Watching the four area television news programs makes me wonder whether all four news directors graduated from the same school. Of the endless events happening worldwide, why do they all seemingly report the same events, almost at the same time?

I realize there are important events that demand coverage. However, all four news programs to a large extent are the same and show a lack of imagination.

Watch the weather reports, and tell me how they differ. I realize they must use the allotted 3 minutes, but do they have to read the temperatures on the screen behind them?

After all, most of us are smart enough to read the information ourselves. I for one don’t need the theatrics and cuteness often displayed.

This story was originally published April 7, 2014 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Minimum wage, needed stoplight, ."