Letters on public health, Estes, Thompson

Need public health infrastructure

This National Public Health Week, I’m thankful for all champions of public health, especially the many academic, state and county government public servants who work to build a better system that assures the health of the public.

It is gratifying to see the Sedgwick County tradition of recognizing the Doren Fredrickson Lifetime Commitment to Public Health Award. Congratulations to this year’s award winner and servant leader, Shirley Orr, who effectively mobilizes cross-sector partners to support public health systems improvement.

Today, our greatest public health threats are connected to daily, even hourly, behavioral choices about healthy eating and active living. Public policies, systems and environments can help individuals make healthier choices, leading to longer, healthier lives.

But that work requires public health planning and health education. My hope for the future is renewed financial support for a strong public health infrastructure.

Keeping us healthy

I rode my bike to work on safe, well-lit, well-marked bike lanes. I work in an office that is free of cigarette smoke. I put my kids to bed in a house that has been screened for brain-damaging lead paint. I’ll send them to a public school Monday, where I know they’ll receive a healthy, nutritious lunch while surrounded by classmates who’ve received appropriate vaccinations, protecting all of us from the infections that were once the leading cause of death in this country.

I’ve come to take these things for granted, but none of them would be possible without the efforts of public health workers. The health of any community depends not only on the hard work and skill of its doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health workers; it depends also on the work of those who seek to make the environment more conducive to health.

That joint effort between health care workers and public health workers makes us safer and is also immediately, demonstrably related to economic growth and increased economic development opportunities. That’s why we should take this opportunity to thank public health during National Public Health Week.

Estes a radical

Why has The Eagle failed to note that Ron Estes and his wife, Susan, are part of the ultra-right wing of the Republican Party? Not only were they successful in helping drive most of the moderates out of leadership positions in Sedgwick County, they were active in the right wing grabbing the chairmanship of the state party for Kris Kobach. In addition, Susan served as a field director for Americans for Prosperity, allegedly financed by the Kochs.

There is a great difference between a radical and a conservative. What part of the “establishment” is Estes going to fight in Washington, D.C.?

Give me a veteran who represents victims of governmental oppression over a lapdog of Gov. Sam Brownback, Secretary of State Kobach and President Trump.

Estes clear choice

The April 11 special election presents a clear choice for the voters of south-central Kansas. One choice is a hard-left tax-and-spend liberal who supports abortion and wants to keep Obamacare, which has crippled families with ever-increasing premiums. The other choice is a conservative engineer who has spent his life solving problems, finding efficiencies and making things work better.

Ron Estes also believes in protecting the unborn and knows that Americans deserve better than the skyrocketing costs of insurance Obamacare has caused. He wants to reform the tax code so that families and small businesses can grow and prosper.

That’s why I’m voting for Estes. We need someone who shares our values and who wants to change Washington, D.C., so the politicians have to live by the same rules as everyone else. This is an important election. Please make sure our voice is heard in Washington by joining me to vote for Ron Estes next Tuesday.

Alternative facts

A Ron Estes campaign ad about James Thompson and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wanting to raise our taxes is alternative facts. Estes believes Gov. Sam Brownback is good for Kansas, and he wants a “flatter tax code,” which would hurt the poorest of us and give a tax break to the wealthiest. He’s just another Brownback.

Has sued police

I’m very confused about James Thompson. In his campaign advertisements, he talks about his commitment to our men in uniform. But he has sued police officers.

Our law enforcement officers risk their lives for us. Every day when they go out on patrol, they do so knowing it could be their last. They constantly have to deal with the threat of violent criminals and street gangs. On top of that, they now have to deal with the prospect of being demonized in the media and facing lawsuits from lawyers such as Thompson.

I will be voting for Ron Estes on April 11.

This story was originally published April 8, 2017 at 5:04 AM with the headline "Letters on public health, Estes, Thompson."