Letters on police credibility, Cuba trade, Pompeo, Trump, VA

DA policy on police is the problem

Regarding “Wichita police chief hopes to open door wider for recruits” (Sept. 18 Eagle): Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said that a police officer could not provide affidavits used as a basis to bring criminal charges if the officer had “credibility issues.” This is a policy of his office, not any ruling from the various court cases that deal with the Brady/Giglio list.

Instead, certain information in a person’s past just needs to be taken before a judge to obtain a ruling as to whether it needs to be disclosed to the defense, and if so, whether it is admissible.

Previous convictions of shoplifting, issuing a check with insufficient funds and other minor crimes involving honesty do not prevent a witness from testifying. If it did, the DA’s office would have a hard time finding civilian witnesses to testify in a multitude of cases.

The current policy of the DA’s office stands in the way of justice. It prejudges disclosable items before a presiding judge is allowed to rule on the disclosure/admissibility of the information.

Bennett stated that he feels that this would not preclude someone with a past from becoming a law enforcement officer. However, the policy ties the hands of the department or agency and keeps them from hiring the person. Such persons would be useless as an officer, because the DA’s office refuses to take them as an affiant on the affidavit.

Trade with caution

A commentary on trade with Cuba by Mike Jordan, president of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, outlined some critical issues regarding future commerce with the communist nation (“Opening trade helps Cuba, Kansas,” Sept. 23 Opinion). I was in favor of establishment of relations and also of removing the 50-year-old embargo. As a Cuban-American, I struggled with both.

Cuba’s Communist Party has announced that it would legalize small- and medium-sized private businesses with the hope that it would expand private enterprise in this totalitarian society. It appears the Castro regime may be looking to the free market to rescue the centrally planned economy that has been part of Cuba’s existence for 57 years. The failures of this economy are usually blamed on the embargo, when collectivist policies are responsible.

Americans already export hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of good to Cuba, including millions of dollars’ worth of wheat, meat, corn and other products due to humanitarian exceptions. Jordan points out that Cuba must pay cash in advance, but Cuba has also defaulted on loans as well.

Future trade needs to be done wisely, not forgetting we are dealing with a ruthless and cruel dictatorship.

Same talking points

I attended the 4th District congressional debate last week. Both Democrat Dan Giroux and independent candidate Miranda Allen appear to be strong, competent candidates. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, kept repeating the same talking points that Republicans have been feeding America for years.

If Republicans care to hold onto their seats, they should focus more on the future and develop working plans to that will benefit Americans. Looking backward, playing the blame game, and trying to distract from their poor performance with continued focus on Benghazi, Obamacare, and Hillary Clinton’s e-mails is getting them nowhere.

Pompeo is just more of the same – a Republican politician who has been ineffective in his job because he chose to lock step with the GOP and its agenda of sabotaging President Obama for the past eight years.

It’s time to elect candidates who are dedicated to working for the needs of the people they represent. Actions speak louder than words.

Trump’s boasting

In comparing himself to what veterans have sacrificed, Donald Trump said he had “built great structures” and “had tremendous success” (making money).

Trump has also said:

“I know more about ISIS than the generals do.”

“I’ll bomb the s--- out of them.”

“Tell them to go f--- themselves.”

“I alone can fix it.”

Trump also claimed that if he had been president, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist bombings wouldn’t have happened.

Is this what people want for their president?

All the Bible-thumpers need to read Galatians 6:14: “May I never boast about anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Don’t care for vets

Since the beginning of World War II, the Veterans Administration has been blamed for not taking care of our military people who made our freedom possible. In that war and the ones that followed, more than a half-million members of the U.S. military have been killed.

Not once has Congress given the VA enough money to take care of our veterans. What the VA does get it wastes in true government fashion.

The various groups that claim to represent the veterans are no better. They raise money and take care of themselves. If any money is left, they spend it on veterans.

I was a combat infantry soldier in World War II. Those who died are the lucky ones. They did not live to be treated this way by our government.

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on police credibility, Cuba trade, Pompeo, Trump, VA."