Readers react to water contamination, Democrats and the cost of college
Bad water bill
The ongoing stories of drinking-water contamination in Flint, Mich., are still fresh on everyone’s minds. Yet the Missouri legislature is in the process of passing legislation that would prevent the public and media from accessing information related to the environment, including the quality of the water we drink.
HB 1414 would block access to data related to the “environment.” Unbelievably, yes, the bill is that broad.
We would have no access to important information that greatly affects the health of our families and the quality of our land. Anything from a spill at a large factory farm to high levels of mercury detected in a stream could be suppressed from the public.
If these events happen, we need to know about them. I can only imagine how much worse the crisis in Flint would have been if the public had been blocked from records documenting the situation.
Please be aware that this potentially dangerous legislation is under consideration by the Missouri Senate’s agriculture committee and could come to the Senate floor for confirmation soon.
Robert White
Lone Jack
Blame Democrats
The GOP base feels betrayed and angry at the GOP members of Congress who so valiantly fought the Democrats’ stimulus bill that helped convert an 800,000-per-month job loss to 71 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, convert an almost 10 percent unemployment rate to 4.9 percent and convert an 8,000 Dow Jones industrial average to more than 17,000.
They tried. They swore to make Barack Obama a one-term president and refused to even vote for the administration’s job-creating infrastructure bill or the bill that saved the auto industry and created millions of jobs and record auto sales.
They fought valiantly to block the Affordable Care Act. Hey, what about making a record number of filibusters (more than 300) to block dozens of federal judgeships?
Look how hard they’re fighting now on filling the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Don’t blame the GOP. Blame the Democrats because elections have consequences.
GOP base, you haven’t been betrayed. You elected people who have voted to obstruct everything that would’ve made your lives better. Blame yourselves.
Martin Kaynan
Olathe
Affordable college
Here is another take on the skyrocketing cost of higher education.
I was able to pay my own way through four years of schooling at a regional university (class of 1970) without going into debt simply by working summers at Armco Steel. Such opportunities don’t exist anymore because of the imbalances created by supply-side economics.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders is right. We need a dose of Democratic socialism — the kind of socialism we had 45 years ago (with some improvements.)
Making an education more attainable might go further toward making America great again than more tax breaks for the rich. I might add that the alternative to an educated state is a police state.
Richard Hedges
Lone Jack
Kudos to The Star
Kudos and thank you to the writers, editors, staff and management of The Kansas City Star for your April 3 series of “I Am.” One of the highlighted individuals happened to be an ex-student of mine, a student I always felt would make a difference in the world.
“They” were special, and it has come to pass, which makes this retired teacher proud and pleased.
Stephen Amthauer
Overland Park
Uplifting stories
What a pleasure to recently read good news about good people featured in a prominent place in The Kansas City Star. First was the story of the nuns doing such selfless and important work in the Troost Avenue area (4-3, A1, “The sisters of Troost”). It showcased the good works we rarely see.
Then a hopeful story about the new school superintendent who will join us in July (4-5, A1, “'I made it, ' you can, too, school chief says”).
Finely, the inspiring story about Dayton Moore and the code of behavior and integrity, which he lives (4-5, B1, “Moore is driven by an unyielding faith”). His obvious interest in family responsibility and behavior of his players is worth the price of the newspaper.
For me, these true and uplifting stories beat the usual subjects of political misbehavior, murder, rape, fire, robbery, etc. Perhaps these stories will inspire your readers to think of these people as role models for good in our community.
Judie Scanlon
Kansas City
Unfair to Trump
The Star has only reported on the mostly negative things about GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Are Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and the rest not newsworthy?
So The Star is campaigning against Trump. Then please advise who you would think the American people should elect.
I thought The Star was unbiased and should talk about all presidential candidates.
James M. Kimbrough
Belton
This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Readers react to water contamination, Democrats and the cost of college."