Letters (July 2): IRS, Sen. Moran, repatriation

IRS should start its collections at home

Despite its huge budget and large staff, the inept IRS has enlisted “private debt-collection companies to chase down overdue payments from hundreds of thousands of people who owe money to the federal government.” (April 21 Eagle)

A logical start for them are those of a group that entails no chasing down. They are the federal employees, including many in the IRS itself, that owe a total of $3.5 billion in deliquent income taxes. Even though the law calls for firing IRS tax cheats, only a small fraction are actually terminated and some are even promoted.

And while they are at it, they might go after such high-profile celebrities as Rev. Al Sharpton, who chronically, with complete impunity, sidesteps what has been reported to be as much as $4.5 million in income-tax delinquency while he enjoys his estimated $5 million fortune.

What earns a ‘yes’ vote from Moran?

I’m glad that Sen. Jerry Moran came out against the now-withdrawn healthcare bill, and I’m glad that he said it “missed the mark for Kansans.”

But now the senator needs to answer this question: Just why did it miss the mark?

Did it miss the mark because it would have thrown nearly 200,000 Kansans off their health insurance, including 136,000 Medicaid recipients and 62,000 individual buyers?

Did it miss the mark because it would have eliminated about $1 billion in Medicaid funds flowing to Kansas hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, spurring rural closures and putting pressure on our still-strained state budget?

And if those are the reasons it missed the mark, what level of damage would Sen. Moran countenance from a rewritten bill? Perhaps half a billion in lost funds and 100,000 fewer Kansans insured?

The forthcoming “compromise” bill that Republican Senate leaders are working on is still likely to be very damaging to Kansas and Kansans. Is that OK with Sen. Moran – and Sen. Pat Roberts – or not?

Credit Trump for returning American

I am writing to thank President Donald Trump for his efforts to repatriate the Americans imprisoned overseas. Securing their release is a multi-dimensional, delicate and complicated work. Lots of times several countries have to be involved for a successful outcome. Trivial mistakes made by U.S. citizens are exaggerated by foreign governments to make a political point.

There was a time when former Rep. Todd Tiahrt personally got involved in the release of hostages from the Philippines. That kind of spirit needs to be revived. Direct support from the White House is vital to revitalize those who sympathize with Americans imprisoned abroad.

City’s emissions

It is hard to believe that Wichita has a smog problem, but it does. Wichita’s Department of Public Works should be commended for its work in reducing ozone emissions, but more needs done.

Wichita could further reduce emissions by buying electric vehicles when its buses and vans need replacing. Park City, Utah, replaced its diesel buses and found that, though they cost more to purchase, they saved money over time. They reported an equivalent 21 mpg compared with 4 mpg for a standard diesel bus.

Large power plants produce about twice as much work for a given amount of fuel as an internal combustion engine. That means that using electric vehicles cuts fuel use and emissions by about 50 percent. By using electric vehicles, Wichita could save money on fuel and maintenance, cut ozone emissions within the city, and reduce carbon emissions overall by about 75 percent. That sounds like a good investment.

This story was originally published July 2, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters (July 2): IRS, Sen. Moran, repatriation."