Readers weigh in on President Obama, term limits and KCI
Obama’s problems
Think of it, folks, we have Obamacare, the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, the return of U.S. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the killing of the U.S. coal industry by the Environmental Protection Agency’s sweeping restrictions and on and on.
It’s no wonder that the legacy of the Obama administration is as the gang who couldn’t shoot straight in any way, shape or form.
Maynard J. Mitchell
Independence
Good U.S. citizens
Term limits is the idea that it’s better to turn over the reins of government to corporate lobbyists than to take responsibility for electing appropriate people to the Congress.
Formal government, as opposed to capricious government, is complex and requires people who’ll master its rules, conventions and social culture.
I want a professional politician to represent me, much as I want a master plumber to maintain my plumbing and a real M.D. for my health care.
I don’t want a lawyer running the electric in my home, and I don’t want a grocer representing me in Congress.
There are people who see politics as a noble and righteous profession. Bob Dole and Nancy Kassenbaum are examples. On the national scene, you can name Gerald Ford and Tom Foley.
But these days, we seem to think it is easier to not try to determine which representative is dedicated to governing a strong, diverse nation and which is out to grab power. To that extent, we fail as citizens.
Perhaps we should take a look at the requirements of citizenship to make the right choices. Perhaps we should see our representatives at work.
We should hire the right people for the job.
Dick Kammer
Overland Park
WWI panel
The Kansas City Star featured an article on a World War I panel held at the National World War I Museum (7-28, A4, “Tracing legacy of WWI”).
The article indicated that the panel’s conclusions were that the war’s legacy was technological and civil rights advances.
World War I claimed approximately 16 million lives, half civilians and half soldiers, and permanently altered Western civilization.
It led to Bolshevism and Nazism and was the direct cause of World War II.
I certainly would have thought those consequences should have merited significant emphasis.
George J. McLiney Jr.
Kansas City
KCI ballot issue
Now that the select committee has recommended that Kansas City International Airport should be replaced by a single, central-style terminal and that the voters should be asked for approval, the next step will be a rumor to frighten Kansas City voters into thinking we must approve building a new terminal before Johnson County and the Koch brothers build a new Sunflower International Airport.
The rumor could even say it would include bullet train connections to major cities within 500 miles of De Soto.
KCI would then be known as the Platte County-St Joseph Municipal Airport.
The area north of the Missouri River would soon be to Kansas City what East St. Louis is to the city of St. Louis.
I’m looking for at least a 90 percent turnout of registered voters for this election.
Edward “Gomer” Moody
Kansas City
Of pens and pencils
I read “Fare thee well, my old pen” (7-26, C1) with a smile.
While the author was touting the sea change in writing instruments from the pen to the finger, I could only think about my life in the Land of the Pencil.
As one of the Kansas City Symphony’s two music librarians, I not only use pens (and correction fluid!) to correct misprints in music, I also use pencils (our favorite is the Magic Writer) and erasers (our favorite is the Magic Rub) to mark bowings and edits in the music we prepare for the performing musicians.
Our classical music world is still grounded in work done by hand, by real people (librarians) to then be performed by real people (the players) for real people (the audience).
I am happy and proud to be continuing a wonderful tradition.
And I still receive The Star in the print edition. Otherwise known as a newspaper.
Elena Lence Talley
Principal
Music Librarian
Kansas City Symphony
Lenexa
Beware of motorists
The main reason a bicyclist does not want to stop at a clear intersection is this: When you stop and pull over at a stoplight, most motorists will give you the lane — the entire lane. The light changes and here comes the individual in a hurry.
He swerves into your lane and nearly kills you.
Homer Glasgow
Kansas City
Unsafe U.S. roads
The Civil Engineering Association recently appeared on the History Chanel, showing photographic evidence of the dangerous defective conditions of more than 40 percent of the bridges on U.S. highways.
Who started foreign wars, expanded the national debt and then cut the tax revenues, as has been done, so that there are insufficient funds to keep our infrastructure safe?
Who controls the House of Representatives and exposes us, our children and grandchildren as well as themselves to these dangers?
Who listens to the lobbyists for the international corporations but not to their state road and bridge contractors who really put them in office?
Some speak of caring about the future of our country for our grandchildren. I speak of their future tomorrow behind the wheel.
Lloyd Hellman
Leawood
No on sales tax
I realize that the capitols in Topeka and Jefferson City are inhabited by a bunch of knotheads and fools, but at least those in Topeka a long time ago thought that a user tax was a better way of fixing roads than a sales tax.
It makes sense that if you use the roadways you should pay to keep them in repair. If you have no vehicle, why should you pay for road upkeep through a sales tax on what you buy to live off?
Therefore, add 5 cents to each gallon of gas to take care of the roadways. Only those who use the roads would pay the tax.
Jim Grogan
Ottawa
Retire Congress
Because King Barack Obama is now ruling from the throne with all his vast experience as a community organizing attorney and without the assistance of Congress, it becomes obvious that the taxpayers could save a lot of money if we just retired all 535 members of the House and Senate.
Oops. I forgot that Congress retires with great benefits.
Bob Patterson
Lee’s Summit
No to more wars
It seems the war drums are sounding again on Capitol Hill and on editorial pages of some newspapers.
Perhaps these short-attention-span analysts don’t recall the losses in our last little debacle or perhaps their defense-contractor portfolios aren’t getting quite the return they used to.
It would be nice if these folks would err on the side of caution instead of racing off to war, but I suppose none of them has loved ones in the military .
If they’re so fired up to return to that debris field, may I suggest that they head to their local gun shop, buy weapons and ammunition, and book a flight to one of the hot spots.
Please leave the rest of us out of it.
Jesse Hall
Lenexa
This story was originally published August 1, 2014 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Readers weigh in on President Obama, term limits and KCI."