Letters on staying in Wichita, voter turnout, gun sense, new director for Wichita, spending on prevention, Sheril Logan, segregated fraternities

Worth staying in Wichita, state?

Our civic leaders can’t articulate a clear vision for the city. The Sedgwick County Commission votes against any measure for progress. Our state leaders pass tax cuts to stimulate growth, play dumb on the budget shortfall, and then propose raiding state pensions and raising certain taxes to fill the gap.

Many of our citizens are one-issue voters who consistently vote against their own economic interests. As a state, we swim against the current on many relevant social issues, and many of the jobs the area has lost seem to be gone forever.

I wish I felt differently. This city and state are a part of me, but I, like many of my young peers, think the future looks brighter somewhere else.

As our local general election draws near, I find myself thinking less of whom I will choose and more about what I will do. Will I move to a place that prides itself in moving forward and embracing change – a place where efficient, effective and responsible government are one and the same? I’m not sure.

I’d like to give my energy to this city and state. I’m just afraid it won’t be worth the effort in the long run.

Increase turnout

Participation in the recent local primary election was dismal. Several counties across the state had less than 10 percent of registered voters participate.

Our state governance is built upon a strong system of local government control, but it’s a system that we can’t properly utilize without high voter participation. Increasing voter participation should be the overarching principle of any reform.

With that in mind, I have offered a compromise bill in the Kansas House that would move local elections from the spring to the fall of even-numbered years. Unifying our election cycles by linking local races with state and national elections is key to increase voter turnout.

Under this proposed compromise, local races would remain nonpartisan. The local races would appear at the top of the ballot to encourage participation.

It is clear that the current local election calendar does not serve the general population. For a myriad of reasons, Kansans do not vote in spring elections. When such a low percentage of registered voters participate, the results fail to be indicative of the needs of the entire county.

This compromise is a nonpartisan, commonsense solution to increase participation at the local level that benefits all of us.

Need gun sense

Kansas lawmakers wasted no time in showing where their alliances lay: with the gun lobby. Why else would they champion Senate Bill 45 – a bill that would effectively dismantle our sensible concealed-handgun permit system? It would make Kansas one of only five states to allow concealed-carry without any sort of permit.

I believe in the Second Amendment, but this is about public safety. Handgun safety training keeps our communities, and our children, safe. Why make it optional?

As a faith leader, I am used to counseling grieving people. I can tell you that we don’t need more guns in the hands of dangerous, untrained people. But if SB 45 becomes law, such people will be allowed to conceal and carry loaded weapons in public.

Join your voice with ours and join Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America – Kansas. In standing together, we show that keeping our public spaces safe from gun violence is a top priority for our families and our communities.

New direction

“What’s next for Wichita?” (March 11 Eagle Editorial) expressed many concerns about Wichita’s economy. I believe the primary concern was leadership in the community and the support for past practices and tools used for “economic benefit.” The editorial asked: “Is Wichita ready to concede that it cannot compete with other cities when it comes to business recruitment?” I am not ready to concede.

Old ideas of economic incentive are not in the long-term interest of the community. Giving tax breaks for a few companies so the rest can pay higher taxes is at least unfair. I think the city can compete long term with a better economic climate.

The news to businesses considering Wichita for a location is bad. Our water is in short supply and crisis looms. The electric rates are going to be outrageous with the renewable portfolio standard and with 22 rate increases since 2009. Our infrastructure is a shambles. And many people are leaving. Yep, Wichita is where I want to go!

Consider a new direction. The Wichita metropolis (nine cities and three major industrial facilities) uses about 62,000 acre-feet of water a year, and we have an untapped location south of the metropolis with 821,000 acre-feet of water a year. The state could move to a consumption tax (not retail sales tax) in place of the income tax, and more businesses would locate to Kansas. The city could spend taxes on the infrastructure in place of frivolities. There are more ideas, but not for this letter.

Invest in prevention

Regarding the Sedgwick County Commission rejecting grant money for sex education and anti-tobacco programs (March 12 Local & State): How much state insurance money is being used for teen pregnancies and clearing up sexually transmitted diseases? The article said commissioners encourage e-cigarettes, stating they are a safer alternative. I am wondering if the state of California’s findings have been overlooked in Kansas.

The benefits of putting our money into preventative and educational expenses outweigh the money spent after one is already a teen parent. Instead of encouraging unhealthy alternatives in smoking, let’s educate about not smoking.

Preventative health is where our state money needs to be spent, including education of our teenagers.

Logan stands out

If ever there were a time when our local and statewide public schools needed strong leadership and support, it is now, immediately.

The leadership component begins at the local school boards. Those who make up these important bodies must satisfy three basic criteria: a strong knowledge base about excellence in education; extensive experience with K-12 public schools (curriculum, instruction and administration); an absolute commitment to quality learning experiences for today’s students.

One candidate for the USD 259 school board stands out in demonstrating these critical qualities. Sheril Logan has a long history of notably successful activity on the “front lines” of public schooling, assuring both the necessary knowledge base and extensive hands-on experiences. Just as important is her genuine and clearly evident commitment to improving the learning environment that most predictably assures valued learning opportunities for public school students, at all grade levels.

My longtime acquaintance with Logan’s performance, as she has taken so many important roles and assignments within USD 259 and the Wichita State University College of Education, is convincing. She richly deserves our vote.

Still segregated?

I matriculated to Wabash College in Indiana in 1967, pledging Beta Theta Pi. One of my pledge brothers was Jackie Lucas from Mobile, Ala. He was the first African-American to pledge the Beta house since its founding in 1846. At the time, I wondered why it had taken 121 years for that to happen at a small private liberal arts college in Indiana. The next year we pledged John Chambers, also an African-American.

I am shocked that 48 years later, the University of Oklahoma fraternity system is “mostly segregated,” as reported in The Eagle.

Racism is alive and well – and a behavior learned at home.

This story was originally published March 14, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Letters on staying in Wichita, voter turnout, gun sense, new director for Wichita, spending on prevention, Sheril Logan, segregated fraternities."