Readers share thoughts on Obamacare, guns and the Kansas budget

Moral compass shot

It was encouraging to see The Star report on how the Obama administration orchestrated the fraud that is the Affordable Care Act (11-13, A3, “A new firestorm over Obamacare”).

Jonathan Gruber, the economist hired to help sell the plan to the American people, admits the language was intentionally deceptive and was from the start.

It is reported that he was paid $400,000 to participate in the deception.

So, there are a couple of questions: Did Gruber take it upon himself to design the fraud? Or did he get marching orders from the administration?

In the first instance, he should be prosecuted for fraud and at least return his stipend. In the second, it should be determined who told him to develop a plan to mislead the American public and that person should be prosecuted.

Whatever happens, a significant issue remains for Gruber: Where is his moral compass?

Allyson Nutt

Grain Valley

Guns in restaurants

I’m happy to hear groups like Open Carry Texas are bringing their automatic weapons into restaurants like Chipotle. I’ve been feeling very unsafe having burritos with my kids lately, looking around for the good guys with the guns.

They need to be careful, however, because corporations are people, lest citizen Chipotle panic and stand its ground.

Next we need a group with real courage to start bringing cigarettes — yes, even lit ones — into public spaces. No one ever said cigarettes kill people.

Besides, our country was made great by putting happy slaves in tobacco rows, and we can’t change anything upon which our great country was founded, right?

Boyd Bauman

Roeland Park

Budget efficiencies

Oh, how the people of Kansas were duped (11-11, A1, “Kansas revenue short $1 billion”). But Paul Davis, aren’t you happy you don’t have to clean up this mess?

Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan, said, “The state of Kansas must learn to live within its means, just as families do.”

That is all fine and well, but how many heads of households go to their employers and say, “Please cut my salary in half because, miraculously, the money dust fairies will come and provide enough for all of my expenses”?

Sullivan said state officials are going to look for “efficiencies and develop policy proposals to help us plug the budget shortfall.”

Republicans rail against “big government,” where, at least periodically, they have to answer to the people. They’d rather have the 1 percent dictate governance.

So, in Kansas we have corporations, who have no one to answer to other than the bottom line. So, how’s that working for us?

Just wait for Medicaid cuts instead of expansion. We can also pack twice as many kids into classrooms, you know, “efficiencies.”

Donna Sunderson

Olathe

Senator’s column

In my 82 years as a politicophile, I’ve never read, heard or seen so much egocentric blather, nonsense or pie-in-the-sky as Sen. Pat Roberts’ column, (11-12, Commentary, “Kansas voters’ message was clear”). That Marine just did all of that.

Leo Schell

Manhattan, Kan.

It appears that Sen. Pat Roberts, not being a resident of Kansas, is ignorant of events in our state.

His “Kansas voters’ message was clear” commentary promises to bring conservative Republican values and economics to Washington, D.C. Roberts appears to ignore the $1 billion revenue shortfall these policies have wrought in Kansas.

As Gov. Sam Brownback burns through the reserves and cuts services, we can only hope the sun is shining in Kansas so we can avoid the potholes as we drive the kids to crowded schools.

Please, Sen. Roberts, don’t spread the Kansas “miracle” to the rest of the country. Also, keep in mind that 47 percent of the state did not vote for you.

Paul and Joyce Richards

Leawood

High school abuse

It is about time someone investigates the cruel and inhumane behavior of many high school sports teams.

They are calling it hazing and bullying now, but for more than 50 years it was called initiation into the school lettermen’s club.

The abuse of young men’s genitals and all sorts of nasty things have been a part of this right of passage for years. Now it is finally being called what it is: abuse and bullying,

For the most part, when this is happening, there is a sponsor or teacher just outside the door so he can say he didn’t see anything.

I wish I could say it stops at high school but I doubt that is the case.

There have been complaints before, but the good old boys in charge wouldn’t do anything. Are we finally getting civilized?

I pray that we are.

Janet Langley

Kansas City

Viewing eclipses

In answer to questions about eclipse viewing: It is absolutely safe to watch a lunar eclipse because there is no harm in looking at moonlight (reflected sunlight).

Viewing a solar eclipse, on the other hand, is not safe unless using proper viewing equipment, such as a telescope equipped with a solar filter that not only reduces the intensity of sunlight but also filters, or blocks, harmful ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

An obvious very safe way is to watch online. However, to view a solar eclipse safely, you should do what is called indirect viewing.

Go outside and find a place near a tree, where the sunlight is broken by the leaves and branches.

If you don’t have a tree, then grab a colander from the kitchen and hold it so that you get multiple eclipses on the ground.

Hold your hands up with fingers spread and overlapping to form a lattice.

During the eclipse, you will get multiple eclipses on the ground where sunlight passes through.

Stuck indoors?

Punch a smooth hole in an index card and tape it over a small mirror.

Lay the mirror on a window sill facing the sun and watch a reflection of the eclipse on the ceiling.

Bob Riddle

Lee’s Summit

Buying right laws

A recent poll indicates that the overwhelming majority of legislative action at the federal level caters closely to the legislative agenda of the nation’s wealthiest 1 percent.

Over the last 14 years, a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court has consistently laid the legal foundations of corporate rule over representative democracy in America, undermining the spirit of representative rule through the people’s delegates in Congress, the administration and the judiciary.

This same poll finds that at the federal level, policy priorities of the 99 percent do not have any significant influence on legislation.

Revive democracy by launching an impeachment inquiry in the U.S. Senate into the pro-corporate personhood, 5-4 majority in the Supreme Court.

Marc Garcelon

Kansas City

Reset Kansas clocks

On Nov. 2 we set our clocks back one hour for daylight saving time. However, after the Nov. 4 election, which re-elected Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and Secretary of State Kris Kobach, you’d best set your clocks back 50 years.

Stan Glazer

Mission

Mom’s good lesson

After shopping at Sam’s Club in Raymore recently, I noticed driving home that my handbag was not in the front seat with me. I had left it in the shopping cart at the store.

The five-minute drive back to where I had parked the car was the most frantic experience this old gal has had in a long time.

When I arrived to where I had parked, a lady sitting in a nearby car noticed that I was really upset and asked whether I was looking for a handbag because her adult son had just turned it in at the store.

Yes, it was mine.

The mother and son were gone by the time I got back to my car. I just hope this wonderful, considerate and honest man knows (and will read) how much I appreciate what he did.

Your mother taught you well.

Pat McLaughlin

Raymore

This story was originally published November 15, 2014 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on Obamacare, guns and the Kansas budget."