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City Council only wants yes-men
It should be no surprise that the Wichita City Council rejected a nominee to the grant review committee (Dec. 23 Local & State). The City Council has demonstrated in the past that it only wants yes-men. I believe the tax-lien issue was only a smoke screen to cover up the real objection to Craig Gabel.
Before there were Wichita district advisory boards, there were citizen participation organizations. There was a CPO for each city district. The main difference was that CPO members were elected by the citizens of their district to represent their views to the City Council members. It appears that City Council members may have wanted more control, so DABs were created to replace CPOs. That did away with the free-election process and replaced it with good-ol’-boy appointments from the City Council members.
If the CPO members did not represent and properly convey the views of affected citizens, they may not have been re-elected to the CPO. It makes you wonder what happens if the DAB members do not represent the views of the City Council. I think that we got our answer with the rejection of Gabel.
JOE WILSON
Wichita
Gold mine, shaft
The voters of Sumner County should be commended for having the foresight to vote “yes” on the casino issue years ago. Unfortunately, most of the jobs will go to Sedgwick County residents, who voted against casinos, and much of the revenue will go to the town of Mulvane, where voters were overwhelmingly against casinos. That makes a version of an old saying quite appropriate: Sedgwick County and Mulvane get the gold mine, Sumner County gets the shaft.
BILL RICE
Caldwell
Fine phone use
The U.S. government should pass bills regarding cellphone use. There should be a $500 fine for using a cellphone while driving, a $1,000 fine for texting while driving, and a $1,500 fine if you end up in an accident and charged with a felony. If someone else is killed in the accident, you should be charged with second-degree manslaughter.
These are minor fines compared with the many lives being lost each year. In each case, with the exception of a radio or a GPS navigator system, any electronic device creating a distraction should be confiscated and possibly destroyed.
What first came out as a cute little telephone that even little children could play with has turned into a monster because of its misuse.
AARON J. LODER
Wichita
Support Israel
There have been a few letters to the editor in the past few months condemning Israel for bullying the Palestinians. But I will never forget seeing Palestinians dancing in the street, adults and children alike, and burning the American flag after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Israel is one of America’s staunchest allies. We should leave Israel alone, and maybe it will take care of Iran’s nuclear situation.
DAVE WESSEL
Rose Hill
How sad
My son, daughter-in-law and three small children stopped overnight in Wichita last week on their way back to Omaha from the Houston area. They won’t stop in Wichita again.
My son came out of the motel at 6:30 a.m. and found that their car had been broken into, and many Christmas gifts and personal belongings had been stolen. What lowlife would do this?
My little grandson asked his mother where his big gift was. She told him the “bad guys” took it. He then began to cry. How sad is that?
Something else to think about: What if my son had heard the window break and gone outside to have a look, and the bad guys had a gun?
I have a permit to carry a concealed pistol and do carry. Remember, crime can happen to you; be prepared.
CRAIG C. CLARKE
Hot Springs, S.D.
Selfless teachers
I would like to wish a blessed and joyful new year to teachers who spend their lives giving selflessly. Just before winter break, our Spanish teacher at Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet Middle School made homemade sopapilla for more than 100 students and staff. Happy New Year to our seventh-grade language arts teacher, who spends hours after school creating lesson plans and activities for her students. Our gym teacher spent hours in a loud gym teaching students to roller-skate. Happy New Year to our social studies teacher, who has the ability to make a room of kids laugh, create and aspire to learn. Our counselor gives comfort, humor and strength to hundreds of our kids. Our strings teacher has spent this school year teaching her classes in a cold auditorium while the building is under construction.
A blessed new year to all of you and so many I have not mentioned. You are an inspiration not only to the kids you teach but to the colleagues who witness the joy you bring to the children of our community.
May you all receive the compassion and grace you display this new year.
NICOLE HERRERA
Wichita
