Letters to the Editor (Jan. 24)
Keeping cat population controlled
TNVR is an acronym for Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return cats that may be feral or just a community cat. It has been proven that neutering cats not only controls the population, but increases cat health while cutting down on cat fighting and cat marking of territories.
Friends of Felines in Kansas is actively working to help lower this particular population of kitties and would like your help.
From 2-4 p.m. Sunday, we invite anyone interested in learning how to trap their own outside cats to come to the Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, and learn how it’s done.
Last year, we neutered close to 1,000 cats and with your help would like to increase that number in 2018. It will be a hands-on clinic with tips on how to best catch the outside cat and what to do once you have caught the cat. Come join us.
Dorothy Crum, Wichita
Don’t skew the First Amendment
Clearly Marty Pope has a completely skewed view of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. “Does anyone even look at the Constitution anymore?” Yes indeed — I look at it all the time, just as my journalist great-grandparents and parents (not “leftists,” just educated and intelligent Republicans) looked at it and made it their North Star all the time.
The Supreme Court has weighed in as well. “Political correctness” is an undefinable notion invented by a self-promoting bloviator, and “socialism” the ill-defined bugaboo of the paranoid and ignorant. How about reading the Constitution objectively and thoughtfully and studying the judicial response rather than wasting people’s time with such blather?
Tina Bennett-Kastor, Wichita
Time for charge in Wichita
It is imperative that Wichita improve its air quality. We were lucky that last summer was mild, but in hot summers there have been many days where Wichita exceeded the federal standard for ozone. That puts people’s health at risk and, as The Wichita Eagle has reported, failure to meet air quality standards could lead to fines up to $10 million a year.
One way to improve Wichita’s air quality would be to use more electric vehicles in the city. When it comes to electric vehicles, Wichita has a chicken or egg problem. People do not buy electric vehicles because there are few places to charge them, and there is no need for more charging stations as there are few electric vehicles. Kansas City has over 1,000 charging stations while Wichita has seven. The Society for Alternate Resources (SOAR) is trying to improve that by taking the initiative to see that 200 charging stations are installed in Wichita.
SOAR plans to do that by partnering with Westar Energy, the city and local businesses to receive matching grants from the Volkswagen settlement. Volkswagen was caught falsifying its emission records and, as part of the settlement, Kansas will receive $15 million to reduce emissions, with $2.25 million set aside to install EV charging stations. Please support SOAR’s efforts.
J.C. Moore, Wichita
Don’t let snowy owls die
Allowing snowy owls coming to Kansas because of hunger to die due to starvation is unconscionable.
As humans, we are stewards of the earth and its creatures. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks should take responsibility and feed the owls. Save as many as possible.
They are a magnificent bird and should be saved.
Joe Holub, Haysville
Social Security far from a handout
“Social Security and other welfare programs.” Really?
Fifty years ago, Uncle Sam told me that the government was going to keep a portion of my paycheck because I couldn’t be trusted to provide for myself in later life. Instead of investing this money or allowing me to invest, politicians squandered it.
Dishonest politicians want Americans to believe that this is a handout.
Since I’ve survived to Social Security required benefit age and want that money back as promised, I’m made to feel like a burden on society.
The solution to Social Security is to let people just starting their careers choose whether they want to trust the government to grow their withheld taxes or they want to invest that money in their own programs.
Carolyn Winn, Wichita
Letters to the Editor
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This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 3:34 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Jan. 24)."