Letters to the Editor (July 24)

An overlooked part of Wichita

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield would have felt right at home in near south and southeast Wichita because our neighborhoods, as he often lamented, get “no respect.”

First, the impending closure of Clapp Golf Course, and now the latest hit comes as the city budgeteers recommend closing the Linwood Branch library.

Using citizens’ tax money wisely is expected. Making difficult recommendations to chop neighborhood amenities and services is unenviable. But, describing the branch library’s location as “not ideal” is insulting to those of us who live in the area. Not so many years ago it was “ideal” enough for the city to deed over scarce inner-city park land, not 300 yards away from the current branch library, to relocate Linwood Elementary. What’s different now?

We near south and southeast Wichitans have chosen not to flee to the suburbs. We love living and working in Wichita’s beautiful, older, demographically diverse and, yes, “low-income” neighborhoods. We fight to keep them livable in old-fashioned ways such as knowing our neighbors, shopping at long-time local businesses, and using our city amenities.

For this, too often, we get “no respect.”

A plan for Clapp Golf Course

To close such a fine, unique city golf course such as Clapp should surely be a last step to raise money for other purposes. Original donors of the land wished that it be used by the public in perpetuity; good shepherds should make it so.

Clapp is in good physical condition and complements nicely the other four city courses. Its financial condition is called into question largely by the high price of water and the burden of helping fund the debt incurred by adding Auburn Hills.

Look at these steps:

1. Lower Clapp’s green fees to reflect a shorter course for less-skilled golfers and raise the fees at the longer, most-challenging Auburn Hills course located in a more-affluent country club setting. You get what you pay for.

2. Exhaust the alternatives of providing cheaper water for the course and adopting ways of using the available water more efficiently.

3. Try better marketing to inform distant golfers of the uniqueness and economy of playing at Clapp.

4. Better management to make Clapp more attractive and friendly to prospective golfers from all sources.

5. In desperation, add a night-time driving range and short course.

Ranzau has best approach

I found the July 17 coverage of a health forum (“Ranzau, County Commission challengers spar over grant funding in health forum,”) interesting. It revealed serious differences between the District 4 candidates that should help discerning voters in the Aug. 7 primary.

Slanderous remarks and gossip should be a flag to disregard a candidate. Lacey Cruise’s remark that the Healthy Babies Program funding was cut “based on racist principles” is a just an allegation to appeal to a negative side of people.

Some candidates’ views of federal funding have to be questioned. Michael Kinard’s remark of “federal dollars are our tax dollars” or Hugh Nicks’ belief that federal grants are already funded, so they don’t put an extra burden on taxpayers must be considered in terms of borrowed money and a government irresponsibly in debt.

The logical response to any government program is revealed in Richard Ranzau’s standard of “Does their program actually work?” and “Is this something that can or should be done by the private sector?” They demonstrate there can be a better alternative to big, inefficient government.