Letters on city sales tax, brand summit, Medicare takeover, ACA, lessons learned from teaching

No actual plan on city sales tax

It’s frustrating the city of Wichita is proceeding with putting a sales-tax increase on the November ballot. Many people have expressed concern about the lack of a clear plan and a true justification for taking more of our money. Yet the city is just barreling through the process despite the impact of this sales tax on businesses and families here.

Let’s be clear: There isn’t an actual plan for any of us to get behind. The ballot language has already been written and approved, and there isn’t time for the city to develop a carefully crafted plan for spending our money.

Rather than rushing this through, many of us would like to see the city spend more time gathering public input on how our tax dollars should be spent, and more time developing a specific plan for citizens of this city to examine.

Better transit

I live at the Timbers and use a wheelchair. I use the city bus and Timber Lines to go places, and I rely on the bus to go to the doctor and shopping.

I support the increased sales tax and expansion of transit, not only for me but for all of Wichita. I would like to see the buses run more hours so that people who rely on public transit can work evenings and on the weekend if needed.

Personally, I would like to see the buses run later so when I have to run errands in the evening, I will not have to ride my wheelchair home in the dark. I would like to see the 1 percent sales tax approved so we can have better transportation in Wichita.

Need guidelines

I feel the Wichita City Council made the wrong decision lumping all four issues – buses, street repair, water source, and “job” creation – into one sales-tax referendum question. I would support the first first three without any hesitation.

I recall many cases in which the job-creation system has been nothing more than the rich getting richer at the expense of the general public. If the council comes forward and acknowledges that new guidelines will be implemented and enforced on those receiving taxpayer monies, I would not only vote “yes” but would encourage others to do the same. True accountability is what will help get the services so badly needed approved.

Accountability and enforced guidelines are two areas that need to be addressed by our elected officials.

Brand summit

Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, Wichita Community Foundation and Wichita State University, has embarked on an important project for the community, and we need your help.

Together, we are going to define the Wichita brand. This shared understanding of what makes Wichita great will help all of us promote Wichita to visitors, potential businesses, students and residents. This effort is not about a new logo or slogan for the city. It is about developing a comprehensive communitywide strategy for telling the Wichita story going forward. With all the entities working together, this will create a unified message about what makes Wichita unique.

Please join us at one of two Wichita Brand Summit Workshops where we will open the floor for your input on what you think makes Wichita special. The workshops are Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Wichita Scottish Rite Center, 332 E. First St.

For more information, visit gowichita.com/brand and be sure to join us.

Don’t take over

Why do Gov. Sam Brownback and his cohorts want to take over Medicare (“Kan. among 9 states pursuing health compact,” Aug. 27)? If he privatizes the Medicare program, here is what the program will look like based on what he has done to Medicaid (KanCare):

Reduced benefits and coverage for the disabled and elderly; denial/non-payment of medical claims; hospitals and physicians not getting timely payments; the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services working for the insurance companies.

This is another one of Brownback’s experiments that would harm Kansas and those who rely on Medicare for their health care needs. I cannot understand how anyone 65 or older would now vote for Brownback or his cohorts. And to those younger than 65: You will be there in the future.

Was there that much wrong with Kansas before Brownback and his cronies took over the state?

ACA not working

My understanding is that the Affordable Care Act imposed various federal taxes and “fees” to provide quality affordable health care insurance to every citizen of the United States. Yet I continue to see and hear of many cases in which ACA does not seem to be working as it was “sold” to us by President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Having paid my taxes and increased health insurance premiums and incurred the larger federal debt, I would like to know if Pelosi can finally, now that ACA has passed, explain what is in ACA and why it appears not to solve the problem.

Stay strong?

I, like the vast majority of Kansans, am against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). I would like to see it go back to what it was in the past – trickle down (Reagancare) – when I was paying outrageous premiums that increased every six months to a year for an inadequate policy.

We Kansans do not want the U.S. government in our lives or in our way. That is except when we need help with disasters, road and bridge building or repair, farm subsidies, agriculture research, postal service, Veterans Affairs hospitals, military bases, military contracts, school funding, federal research and development dollars, airport service grants, farm loan programs, fish and wildlife programs, senior-service programs, economic development, Social Security and Medicare. Otherwise, “don’t tread on me.”

Kansas is among the many states willing to increase sales taxes in order to reduce taxes on business and the wealthy for the trickle-down effect that most of us are sure is coming. Kansas has always fought the regulation of business, banking and utilities, and I’m sure that will never change. Stay strong, Kansas.

Lessons learned

School has started. Teachers also learn. What follows are a few things I learned during 46 years teaching.

Kids want to learn. They just may not want to learn what you want to teach.

A teacher can’t help where kids come from, only where they are going.

School is like a game. Some kids learn the rules and play it well. Others would rather play another game.

Fun games can sometimes teach more than academic lessons.

Kids see what you look like for about a day. After that they see only how much you care.

It’s all right to show emotion, just don’t let it control your actions.

Students should vote on items affecting their education. Teachers should select the ballot.

To tell students the things they do best makes them want to do better much more than berating them for things they do wrong.

Punishment must be unpleasant or it’s not punishment. Staying in at recess hurts some; others beg to stay in at recess. Having a standard room punishment may be just but not fair.

Those who recollect their educational experience remember teachers, not methods and techniques.

Any day is better when there are treats in the lounge.

This story was originally published August 30, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letters on city sales tax, brand summit, Medicare takeover, ACA, lessons learned from teaching."