Letters on 4th District debate, O’Donnell, Trump tax returns, national museum

What is Pompeo’s stance on grants?

Monday’s debate of 4th Congressional District candidates did not accept questions from the public. Here is what I wish could have been asked.

Wichita State University president John Bardo recently released an essay titled, “Renewing Wichita’s Promise: The University, the City, the Region and Economic Development.” The essay addresses the following underlying questions: “What opportunities for both the city and the university remain to be recognized, developed, and implemented? How do we renew Wichita’s promise as an economic engine for Kansas and the nation?”

On Page 10 of his essay, Bardo emphasized the absence of awareness and support for two federal grants, the Small Business Innovation Research Grant and the Small Business Technology Transfer Grant. He then acknowledges on Page 11 that “performance in obtaining federal research funding is at such a low level in Kansas that the state is part of a special federal program to attempt to improve research performance.”

Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, wrote a commentary in 2012 in which he advocated for the federal agency that administers these grants to be shut down. In 2014, Pompeo offered an amendment that would eliminate the Economic Development Administration and “its wasteful spending on pet projects.”

Does Pompeo’s stance regarding federal grants purposed for economic development remain the same, and if so, what alternative means of research funding should Bardo pursue?

What helped public?

I attended the 4th Congressional District debate Monday at Wichita State University Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Of the various candidates, Miranda Allen gave answers that were most appropriate. Thanks to all the candidates for participating in the debate.

Here is a question for each of the candidates: Name any work of public benefit that you did in the past two years. For example, did you tutor any student at Wichita Children’s Home or encourage a disadvantaged child to participate in any writing club to express his feelings?

Also, when I came to Wichita in 1968, there were five seats for the U.S. House from Kansas. Now there are only four. What changes in government policies do the candidates suggest to attract more people to Kansas?

O’Donnell a no-show

The nonpartisan Women for Kansas presented a very informative forum allowing candidates for Sedgwick County Commission to present their views on how to make the county a better place to live, work and raise a family. David Dennis, Marcey Gregory and Tim Norton discussed issues ranging from mental health to roads and bridges to city-county relations and more.

It was wonderful hearing three qualified candidates discuss how they would lead our county and be inclusive of all of our residents. All three candidates responded thoroughly to questions from residents who attended and explained first-hand where they stand on the issues.

I was very disappointed that Michael O’Donnell chose to not participate. He also did not participate in a public health forum on June 28. This does not seem to be the actions of a candidate who claims he can work “across the aisle” with people from different backgrounds and with different political leanings. It seems that O’Donnell prefers to avoid the possible “rough and tumble” that can come from an unscripted forum with questions coming from all kinds of citizens.

I hope we will see O’Donnell decide to attend such open forums in the future.

Release tax returns

Come on, people. The man who coined and is paying to perpetrate the phrase “Crooked Hillary” has been scamming you since the election cycle started. The reason he’s shoveling so much dirt on Hillary Clinton is to distract you from his own indiscretions.

His opponents should mount a parallel campaign to start promoting the name “Tax Fraud Trump.” Why else would he be fighting full and immediate disclosure of his tax returns? He had to know entering the election that they would be demanded.

Donald Trump has repeatedly used an IRS audit as his only excuse for nondisclosure of his returns. But even if Trump is under audit, there is no earthly reason why he can’t reveal his latest tax returns as he filed them, affirming with his signature that he believed them to be true and correct when he filed them. Such a disclosure would have no impact on the results of an audit, if there even is an audit.

The fact that Trump is spending so much time to convince the public that his opponent is dishonest, while he is blatantly avoiding revealing his own financial dealings, should be a red flag to any but the most dogmatically blinded voter.

Come on, Trump fans. Put some pressure on your boy. If he denies his own supporters, you know there’s a smoking gun there.

Worthwhile museum

Then-Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., did a worthwhile thing in 2003 when they co-sponsored the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as did President George W. Bush when he signed the act enabling the museum.

This story was originally published September 23, 2016 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on 4th District debate, O’Donnell, Trump tax returns, national museum."