Letters to the Editor (Oct. 15)

Tax cuts were beginning to work

Have you noticed any reports of the big increase in Kansas’ tax revenue that have now happened for every one of the last four months? Probably not, unless you are one who reads the small articles hidden on the inside pages of your newspaper.

The big tax, big spend, big government proponents don’t want you to know that what they were derisively calling “Brownback’s Experiment” has actually started to do what it was designed to do. It took sufficient time before the positive results of lower taxes could materialize — time the big government spenders were not willing to give. Allowing small businesses to keep more of the money they earned allowed them to expand, grow their businesses, hire more workers, and actually increase their tax base.

Unfortunately, most of the gullible public accepts whatever the liberal media pushes and allows it do their thinking. So get ready to send more of your paycheck to Topeka.

No deputy needed

The Wichita school system is large and complex. To many of us, and especially those of us who have worked in large and complex organizations, the assertion that another high-level administrator must be hired is notably unconvincing. The substantial pay and benefits package for a deputy superintendent would be better spent on teacher salaries and library books.

I attended Wichita schools in the 1940s and ’50s. At East High (Class of 1954), I had many superb teachers who prepared me well for college and graduate school. The administrative burdens then were substantial; each grade level had nearly a thousand students. But the number of administrators was a tiny fraction of today’s staffing.

Yes, times have changed. But have the many multiples of administrators delivered better results? The evidence says no. Perhaps that is why Wichita has so many charter and private schools.

Cuba hasn’t changed

One of the most bizarre stories of the year may be the “sonic attacks” on American diplomats in Cuba. The U.S. says it is not sure who is responsible for these assaults at the Havana residences of more than 20 American and Canadian diplomats.

The Trump administration has withdrawn about two-thirds of its embassy staff and has suspended issuing visas to many Cubans. Many fear President Obama’s policies may suffer a setback and the situation could bring back the “cold war” between the two countries. Thousands of Cubans who were hoping to emigrate to this country now see their dreams shattered or at best delayed. Many of these Cubans have family in the U.S.

Unfortunately, the Cuban government has not changed its repressive tactics since the new policies were announced during the Obama administration, which complicates the situation. Cuban laws severely limit freedom of expression and association. Freedom of the press is non-existent in Cuban society with the state controlling TV, radio, and newspapers. Internet is tightly controlled with only a small percentage of the population having access and the Communist government manages the telecommunications company.

Fifty-eight years of brutal dictatorship and no end in sight.

This story was originally published October 15, 2017 at 5:20 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Oct. 15)."