Letters to the Editor (Jan. 5)

Police not to blame

Police officers are not the all-seeing, all-knowing eyes of God. They don’t have X-ray vision or any other superpower that would enable them to react perfectly to every situation every time. They are human beings trained to respond to what is reported to them and to what they observe. Sometimes they must do so in a split second.

This time, they believed someone shot his father in the head, was holding other family members hostage and had poured gasoline all over the house and was thinking of lighting it.

Our Wichita police have no culpability in the death of poor Andy Finch, though they will carry that sadness forever. Ridiculous comments suggesting the police are inept or irresponsible are not helpful or accurate. Blame directed at the officer who shot Finch stated by The Eagle editorial board in “Learning Why Finch was Killed” is outrageous, as the police body camera footage revealed.

Regardless of the situation, our first response should be immediate compliance with police orders whether we understand why or not. Their job is to stop threats perceived or actual, and if your life was in the balance, you wouldn’t want them thinking any other way.

Do we really need 105?

I have a suggestion to save taxpayers’ money. This simple idea would free up money for things like better schools.

Instead of consolidating schools, consolidate Kansas counties.

While this might be the kiss of death for some politicians, it may be one of the only ways that we can see a way to fund much-needed services and education in the future. There is no way that 105 counties in Kansas are needed in this modern age.

On the other hand, folks might be concerned that they lose control and that their horse and buggy cannot make it to the county seat in less than a day. But as debt rises, mill levies rise, taxes go up, school bond issues fail, improvements are postponed, and the general welfare of the populous declines, there may be few other real solutions.

The real education crisis

It’s not money, but student achievement, that’s key to the future of Kansas. The education lobby wants parents to believe that meeting its monetary demands will magically improve outcomes and sadly doesn’t let facts get in their way. A recent commentary by Kansas Association of School Boards president Dayna Miller (Dec. 29 Eagle) proved this point and demonstrates willful ignorance of the real crisis.

Here are the facts from the Kansas Department of Education, National Assessment of Educational Progress and ACT.

In 1998, 34 percent of Kansas fourth graders were Proficient in Reading on NAEP and 36 percent of eighth graders were Proficient; 17 years later, both grades were at 35 percent Proficient with funding $3 billion higher and 28 percent above inflation.

Only 29 percent of Kansas students taking the 2017 ACT were considered college-ready in English, Reading, Math and Science. The 2017 state assessment shows 11 percent of low-income 10th graders are on track to be college and career ready in Math, and 34 percent of more affluent peers.

Even if one accepts the education lobby’s premise that spending more improves outcomes, how many more generations will be left behind by their just-spend-more mentality until outcomes are acceptable?

At home on our range

To those concerned about the Republican tax plan, here in Kansas we sing a song with lyrics “where seldom is heard a discouraging word.” We have lived an experiment similar to that plan.

During that experiment, I experienced a loss of job after 33 years and loss of insurance coverage. I am sure others gained due to my losses. But I want to offer hope to those concerned, via lyrics of other songs.

Do not think my demise was due to the experiment, as Jimmy Buffet’s lyrics say it best, “Some people claim there is a woman to blame, but I know, it’s my own damn fault.”

As Bob Dylan sang, “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.” I don’t think he knew how hard the wind blows in Kansas — some of those answers blew right by me.

But Gov. Brownback, the leader of the experiment, had encouraging words for those he left behind: pray. So do not be dismayed, prosperity is just around the corner, via the Republican tax plan, prayer or playing the lottery. You have nothing to worry about, as we only have encouraging words here in Kansas.

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 4:49 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Jan. 5)."