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No easy solution to curbing poverty
I would have liked to have attended the Brownback administration’s town-hall meeting in Wichita last week on childhood poverty, but I was busy lecturing to the 57 nursing students enrolled in my maternal-newborn class. So I decided to ask my students: “If we all could have attended the meeting, what would you have shared about childhood poverty?”
Their answers were thoughtful and reflected their understanding of the adaptive challenge that poverty presents. And, no, they did not suggest that poverty could be solved simply by promoting marriage, as officials at the meeting suggested (“Speaker: Marriage reduces poverty,” Nov. 17 Eagle). They called that notion “faulty logic,” noting that if a poor man marries a poor woman, we would not expect them to become middle-class citizens overnight. In fact, we might worry about marital violence and child abuse, they said.
They also pointed out the overwhelming evidence that education and access to health care – particularly family planning – are two of the most important inputs to changing the life trajectory for any child or young person. And they understand that while many of us embrace “family values,” “family” may not be the traditional husband and wife.
They recognize that there are no easy solutions, and that attention, hard work and sacrifice are what are required if we are truly committed to individual and societal change.
PAM MARTIN
Clinical educator
School of Nursing
Wichita State University
Wichita
Meeting a farce
I attended the governor’s town-hall meeting on reducing childhood poverty, and I was treated to a bit of political theater (“Speaker: Marriage reduces poverty,” Nov. 17 Eagle). Oh, I don’t mean the protesters. I’m referring to the farce that was presented from the podium.
First we were presented the findings of the Heritage Foundation and the Brookings Institution that proved (drumroll, please) that the chief cause of children’s poverty is the failure of their mothers to marry. Then we were asked to discuss, “with these findings in mind,” our thoughts on family structure and its relationship to child well-being.
That seemed an odd assignment to me, given that the room was filled with people from the front lines, credible experts who could suggest many ways to reduce childhood poverty. Our plucky protesters did manage to point out that the Brownback administration has slashed services to the mentally ill and the elderly, nutrition programs and education.
Thanks to our able facilitator, my table actually had a meaningful discussion. I wish the governor could have been at the table so we could have told him that the most important thing he could do to alleviate childhood poverty is to fully fund the programs he has cut.
DIANA KNOLLA
Wichita
End subsidies
Regarding the pro-con “Is Pompeo correct about energy subsidies?” (Nov. 13 Opinion): Why even waste the “con” space?
Every statement in the Spokane, Wash., Spokesman-Review’s “con” editorial has been proved as boiler-house science, lies or without any scientific basis. For example, it said that fossil fuel will be depleted, perhaps in 50 or 150 years. I count 30 gas and oil basins in the United States waiting for the environmental greens to get out of the way. That doesn’t include the offshore reserves the greens have locked up from drilling. Canada has more reserves and tar sands than it can ever use. And America’s coal reserves stretch into hundreds of years. Kansas alone has 50 billion barrels of oil in the ground waiting for technology to be able to reclaim it, and Chevron is pursuing it.
At best, alternative fuels will replace perhaps 10 percent of fossil fuels. Pass the Pompeo-Labrador bill stopping wasteful subsidies and all but nuclear will fade away, except for some lab experimentation.
TOBY ELSTER
Wichita
I’m public education
I rise early each morning anticipating the challenges of the day. Will there be more successes or failures?
I am in the urban and suburban trenches daily, nurturing students to achieve and reach their potential. I have been taken for granted and scrutinized with routine reductions in resources that affect my effectiveness. I am then a convenient target when goals aren’t attained.
To many, I overspend or waste and am accountable to few. I gladly accept the need to be accountable under reasonable standards.
My importance in the economic development arena has been diminished or ignored. I prepare students for the workforce while equipping them with skills vital for daily life.
I will gladly share the stage in doing what is best for kids. I applaud the efforts of parochial, private and other centers for learning. You see, it is not about me. It’s about America’s youths and who is watching their backs.
Mistakes will be made. But my heart is in the right place, and I’ll continue the journey preparing our youths. Please join me.
ROGER A. ELLIOTT
Wichita
Loud nuts
Here we go again. A coalition of dental health groups urges cities to fluoridate their water (Nov. 17 Eagle). Never mind that scientific evidence and years of experience have proved that the insignificant cost of fluoridation pays off in significant reduction in tooth decay. Forget that no side effects of fluoridation have ever been found. Don’t worry that Wichita is one of the largest cities to not yet have fluoridated water. The right-wing crazies will mount a campaign and kill it. It only takes a few loud nuts to stop progress.
BRUCE BALES
Andover
Don’t fluoridate
As a new resident of Wichita, I was pleasantly surprised to read that our water is not fluoridated (Nov. 17 Eagle). Having lived in many cities across the United States, I’ve been frustrated by local governments that see nothing wrong with making personal health decisions for their citizens.
Though I disagree with Bill Bentley, president and CEO of Voices for America’s Children, I do agree with his statement that “water fluoridation is a no-brainer.” Given all of the inexpensive fluoride products readily available to anyone who desires them, why would the government force the consumption of a chemical, considered toxic by many, on the whole population?
Communities that don’t fluoridate their water are only depriving their citizens of a false sense that our health is someone else’s responsibility.
KIRK PORTER
Wichita
Jury whiners
I recently received a jury summons for Sedgwick County. Once everyone had gathered, we waited and waited. This caused disgust among many. I overheard things like, “This is a waste of my time,” “Just say ‘guilty’ once you get in there,” and “I did not mind this when my employer paid for this, but now I’m retired and don’t want to be here.”
I hope people with such attitudes never need a jury. If they are ever in a situation in which they are innocent, a jury of their peers will decide their fate.
We recently celebrated Veterans Day. We would not have been in that jury room if it were not for our past, present and future veterans. God bless America for being a country that will allow citizens their right to a fair trial by jury of their peers.
JENNIFER WILDER
Wichita
Eggs aren’t small
Like a recent Opinion Line contributor, I thought the “large” eggs at the store were really small. But I dug out my egg scale from the farm and found that I was wrong for the first time in my 85 years of life.
ELMER PINKERTON
Wichita
