Readers share thoughts on the GOP, sexual assaults and Rep. Kevin Yoder

GOP cowboys

Republicans swept into offices all over the country on their white steeds. The first thing they started talking up was getting something done.

Next came the warnings on what the president shouldn’t do, that their being elected to so many offices was a mandate for the president to fall in line with what they want to do to the country.

That is really the way to start this new cooperation they want you to believe will happen if the president complies with this mandate they are so fond of and believe in so wholeheartedly.

The president was elected twice with bigger numbers than most of these new white knights, and he has a real mandate for change.

For six years, they did not know the meaning of the word mandate. Now all of a sudden they seem to know what it means. Six years letting nothing get done, not even letting the president appoint necessary people to offices such as the surgeon general.

If the president doesn’t do it himself it won’t get done. To the Republicans, compromise has meant obstructing and leaning far right from the middle.

Thomas Taylor

Independence

Rape on campus

How many times will sexual misconduct be tolerated? Probably what defense attorneys can use in court against victims needs to be reined in.

A person’s consensual sexual activity, no matter how extensive, should not be allowed in court as a defense. Rape is rape, simple as that.

What are universities and communities doing about date-rape drugs and date-rape alcohol consumption? Do males need classes that pertain to sexual misconduct?

Perhaps the university community could think about serious on-campus discussions concerning heavy drinking and date-rape drugs. Yes, alcohol apparently is a date-rape drug.

I would think date-rape drugs and excessive date-rape alcohol use would be more of a concern than marijuana, considering how they render females almost helpless.

Are men and their pals cheering each other to violate women under the extreme influence of date-rape drugs, which include alcohol?

These issues have been around too long. What action is being taken?

Are the campus and community leaders pretending that this type of abuse is not taking place?

Richard Heckler

Lawrence

Damage control

Rep. Kevin Yoder sponsored a bill to repeal rules designed to protect against another financial meltdown caused by greedy and irresponsible banking practices, apparently hoping nobody would notice (12-30, A4, “Yoder’s bank bill deserved debate”).

Unfortunately for him, people did notice, and now he is in damage-control mode.

He is trying to fool people by saying he did it to help small banks and farmers. What a joke. He did this for big banking and for himself.

Poor guy is set for life with a fat pension and free health care. He then brings in David Hirschmann from Washington, D.C., to back him up. Hirschmann is CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, which is really a Republican group acting like it is working for all.

Sounds like another outfit named Americans for Prosperity, which really means prosperity for the Koch brothers.

I assume all of you who voted for Yoder are in the top 1 percent. I’m sure you all have good jobs, never lost a home and have health insurance, because if you don’t you’re voting for the wrong people.

Apparently, you straight-ticket voters don’t care too much because you voted for a senator who doesn’t even live here.

Brilliant.

Tom Wolff

Overland Park

Work minus rewards

I wonder whether the writer of The Star’s recent article (1-1, A11, “Families’ wealth gaps affect views and attitudes”) ever worked in an organization. My husband and I have both been fairly successful in big organizations, and what we saw was very different from what the author described.

The people who rise to powerful positions rise not because they work the hardest. It involves something else, such as personality and whom you know.

Both of us have seen a lot of hard work go unrewarded in the lower echelons of the workplace. Some people work two jobs to make it, and then they do not make it very well.

We should all be insulted by the implication that people who do not make a lot of money do not work hard, and I challenge the writer to give me some proof of his premise.

Diana Basler

Lee’s Summit

Equalize wages

I applaud Jayson Seaver for working hard and being successful (1-1, A11, “Families’ wealth gaps affect views and attitudes”). The article quotes him as saying, “You get paid what you put in.”

That’s true for him and for some others but certainly not for everyone. Ask teachers, and they’ll tell you that you don’t go into teaching thinking you’ll get paid for all the work you put in.

Agricultural professionals work with farmers to improve the quality of the food that Seaver purchases for his restaurant. Health professionals help assure that his restaurant is clean and the food served is safe.

In emergencies, first responders help protect the safety of Seaver, his employees and his patrons.

These people chose their professions because they wanted to do good things.

They knew they would not earn additional income for going above and beyond their job descriptions. They continue to do good things despite budget cuts and wage freezes.

The good things they do help assure that Seaver can, indeed, get paid for what he puts in and accumulate wealth. Perhaps he should consider how he might thank these people who work on his behalf without any expectation of additional pay for extra work they put in.

Karen Fitzgerald

Kansas City

Illegal immigration

To paraphrase Michael Douglas in “The American President” when speaking about a fellow politician — He does not care about solving problems. He cares about two things, making you afraid of it and telling you who to blame. Because that, my friends, is how you win elections.

I think this applies very well to our current Congress. Most members care only about winning re-election and satisfying their benefactors.

President Barack Obama used proper authority, common decency and compassion when he acted on immigration. A Republican-led Congress will not act on immigration in my lifetime (I am 63).

The president’s actions were appropriate, and I commend him for living up to his promises and trying to make life better, especially for the children of these immigrants who have the potential to be of great benefit to our country.

Barbara Roberts

Roeland Park

Education at risk

A three-judge panel ruled that spending for Kansas public schools is inadequate and illegally underfunded (12-31, A1, “Court faults school funding”). The judges suggested the state should spend $802 more a year per student, which would mean an additional $548 million a year in state funding.

Unfortunately, Kansas is already struggling with a $700 million budget deficit, which was caused by Gov. Sam Brownback’s massive income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013.

While Kansas is facing a self-imposed financial crisis, where will Brownback and his Republican cronies find increased funds for education? Gov. Brownback must admit his income tax cut experiment was a total failure and retract some of the tax cuts.

Kansans must hold the governor accountable to fully fund education. Otherwise, Kansas will continue to lag behind while other states are boosting education spending.

As a retired public school teacher, I realize the vital importance of a good education. Our very future depends on it.

Kansans want and children deserve a quality education.

Jane Toliver

Leawood

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on the GOP, sexual assaults and Rep. Kevin Yoder."