Letters to the Editor (July 20): Naftzger Park, Moran, WaterWalk, Alzheimer’s

Saving Naftzger Park

I’m hoping the talk about destroying the beautiful Naftzger Park has died out. I can’t think of tearing it out and replacing it with artificial turf. How disrespectful to the memory of the family that donated it. It was meant as a little piece of beauty for all to enjoy. I don’t remember any prohibition of any group or individual from using the park.

I worked with Mrs. Naftzger and the committee planning the park. Please rethink the plan to destroy it. I fear in the future individuals will hesitate donating to the city if their dream cannot be assured to remain.

Alzheimer’s funding, support

Kansas is home to 51,000 of the 5 million Americans that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Those numbers, however, continue to grow every day. Not only is Alzheimer’s the most expensive disease in the nation, costing a staggering $259 billion a year, but it is also a national health crisis.

Left isolated, Alzheimer’s will leave our medical system in shambles. At present, there is no cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, allowing the disease to devastate more people every day. In order to put an end to the suffering caused by Alzheimer’s disease, support on research funding is vital. Recently, a House committee proposed a $400 million increase to fund Alzheimer’s disease research. While every dollar is crucial, a .002 percent increase of what the disease costs every year is not enough.

Urge Rep. Estes, Rep. Jenkins, Rep. Marshall and Sen. Roberts to support increased research funding for Alzheimer’s. I would also like to thank Sen. Moran and Rep. Yoder for their ongoing support. While historic increases have been made to fund Alzheimer’s research in the last two years, more must be done.

WaterWalk’s profit for city

This was a well-researched and well-written article by Dion Lefler in the July 8 Eagle. I am confident that the return to the city on other taxpayer-subsidized projects in downtown Wichita is also deplorable.

I would hope that our city leaders would review the results of prior years’ subsidies before voting to give more. My guess is the actual returns are far less than promised, creating significant losses to the city. Who pays for these losses? The homeowners and small-business owners of Wichita who can least afford these expenses.

Kudos, Senator

I am so proud that Sen. Jerry Moran stepped up and refused to vote for the most recent health care bill. He appears to be one of a few senators who remembers he was elected to represent his constitutents. He was not afraid to listen to his folks back home with his meeting in Palco.

I have been a life-long Republican, but as of late not openly admitting that. But when I heard that Jerry listened and showed his true colors, it made me proud to be a Kansan. I’ll probably reserve judgment on the Republican thing for the next four years or until impeachment, whichever comes first.

For now I just want to say, “Way to go, Jerry.”

Wide view of health care

Both parties have lost their avowed focus, good governance for the American people. Instead, they blindly focus on the other party “enemy.” The faux battle has become tiresome in the extreme.

While most developed countries chose some form of national health care system, the U.S. turned a blind eye to serious failings of the so-called fee-for-service system demanded by the American Medical Association. The World Health Organization ranks our health-care system 37th in the world.

Deep into retirement, I still take no medications and that is not just luck. After my hernia surgery, the VA checkout nurse expressed amazement at that fact. Her father or father-in-law was on 40 prescription medications a day. That is not only inexcusable, it should be criminal, yet similar cases abound.

“First create side effects, then treat side effects, then treat side effects of the side effects, and collect a fee for each service.”

That many folks choosing between buying food or medications clearly shows that the “American way” has burdened the most vulnerable among us with iatrogenic poverty.

This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 4:55 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (July 20): Naftzger Park, Moran, WaterWalk, Alzheimer’s."