Letters on whiny lawmakers, YMCA at WSU, pools and golf carts, media
Weber, colleagues are accountable
The letter from Rep. Chuck Weber, R-Wichita, and several of his unhappy colleagues had a strong aroma of sour grapes about it (“Tax bill grows, but who will pay?” March 7 Letters to the Editor).
Weber and friends claimed that the Supreme Court, in instructing the Legislature to do its constitutional duty and fund public education adequately, acted without accountability. The writers appear to have forgotten that the justices are accountable to the citizens of Kansas, who last November voted to retain all of the justices on the ballot. The same voters rejected a number of conservative Republican incumbents and candidates, and elected moderate Republicans and Democrats instead.
They wish that educators would “break the cycle of failure” through innovative thinking. Yet they vote repeatedly to rubber stamp the governor’s “shot of adrenaline” tax policy.
They anguish about “overburdened teachers,” calling them “our most valuable educational assets.” But they thank teachers by underfunding schools and eliminating their state-mandated rights to due process.
They weep crocodile tears for the elderly, ill and disabled, after privatizing KanCare, which has resulted in slow or denied payments. And they repeatedly refuse to expand Medicaid for these same citizens.
They frantically finger their worry beads about the need to increase taxes for schools, unconcerned about the growing budget crisis caused by their own failures.
Weber and his colleagues call for accountability. It rightly rests on their own shoulders.
Carl Caton, Wichita
YMCA at WSU
A new YMCA would be a pleasant feature on the Wichita State University campus (March 2 Eagle), but it is hardly a necessity for an institution whose mission is higher education. Raising student fees to help pay for it is a terrible idea, and I am surprised it is even being discussed.
It is time for those in charge to realize that the total costs of education at WSU are already too high. Any joint venture with the YMCA could be paid for by trimming administrative staff. Any enterprise as large as WSU has a goodly number of redundant administrative positions. Other institutions have found that lopping off several of these results in better outcomes and greater efficiencies.
Dwight K. Oxley, Wichita
Cable news war
I could not sleep one night, so I got out of bed and turned on the television. I watched about 30 minutes of CNN and thought America was on the brink of anarchy. Has a fascist dictator become the leader of the free world?
Then I changed the channel to Fox News and watched 30 minutes of that. I thought America is becoming truly great again.
I was confused. How could both world views possibly be right? Then I realized I was in the middle of a war – a war in which the prize was my heart, my mind, my allegiance. The weapons of mass destruction were the propaganda I was being fed day and night.
Lonnie Long, Wichita
Media not enemy
Here are some reasons the media are important in our daily lives: They report on the weather and road closings, so we know what to wear and what streets to avoid. They tell us to watch out for criminals. They help us find missing persons. They inform us when someone is born and when someone dies. They keep us informed on wars overseas. They keep us informed about programs for veterans and the homeless and about school programs. They inform us about terrorist attacks and gun violence. They provide information on shopping and entertainment.
The media is not an enemy of the American people. The media is the American Way of life. I appreciate and respect the difficult work they do.
Sondra Luke, Wichita
Wrong priorities
The Wichita City Council decided to close all but three swimming city pools (Feb. 22 Eagle) but has $1 million to spend on gas-powered golf carts (March 8 Eagle)?
People playing golf should be walking for the exercise, and inner-city youths need the exercise that pools provide. Splashing around in a fountain does not teach a child to swim.
The kids who need the exercise and activity during the summer are the most underserved by this decision. Let’s have a re-look, shall we?
Charisse Kahler, Wichita
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This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on whiny lawmakers, YMCA at WSU, pools and golf carts, media."