Letters to the Editor (Aug. 9)

A present-day challenge

As a Wichita resident most of my life, I have a deep appreciation and fondness for our city. It is a wonderful community to grow up in, enjoy a rewarding career and raise children to be successful adults.

I recently attended James Chung’s presentation, “Wichita’s Critical Challenges.” With one of my children living in Dallas, observing many of my friend’s children living in Kansas City, and seeing the demographic growth in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, it is obvious that Wichita is not keeping up.

In 1871, the Santa Fe Railroad Co. decided its railroad would stop at Newton. Wichita leaders formed the Wichita and South Western Railroad Co. and purchased $200,000 of county bonds. For that payment, Santa Fe agreed to extend its railroad to Wichita.

Seeing there is an economic corridor along I-35, I cannot help but believe that efficient and convenient passenger rail service connecting to these other cities would put Wichita right in the path of major economic power. Just like the city-county subsidies to the airlines because of their economic value. Hopefully leaders have the foresight of our city’s founders and we can tell Chung that Wichita is not standing still.

Expand Medicaid

I offer a counter perspective to the writer who advised against expanding Medicaid for low-income Kansans. My comments are based on the premise that government functions for the common good, and that taxes administered fairly, are to be considered essential, and not somehow evil or undesirable. The government has the ability and responsibility to create the fairest possible tax policy so that those who are able provide the financial resources that sustain the services needed by those without resources.

Two aspects of a fair and equitable tax policy include the elimination of sales tax on food (the highest penalty on low income earners), and the expansion of access to health care for the poor through the Medicaid program. It is not only inhumane, but immoral, to deny 150,000 Kansans such access with the excuse that it will cost too much.

I find it somehow ironic, if not actually regrettable, that those legislators (or governors) with the authority to benefit the poor with access to health care, but refuse to do so, are ones who themselves are well covered by insurance and do not have to live in daily fear of personal or family disaster because of an illness or accident.

Investigative reporting

I would like to thank The Eagle for printing the excellent piece on how Kris Kobach enriched himself at the expense of several small towns in the Midwest. This is the type of article we need more of, exposing corruption at all levels of government.

Double standard?

The Wichita Eagle publishes many articles that originate from the New York Times, which just hired Sarah Jeong as its lead technology writer. Jeong has a long history of racist tweets that are easy to find on the internet, and the Times is standing by its decision to hire her.

Eagle readers should read her tweets and ask themselves if articles from an organization that would hire such a person deserve to be in The Eagle. Readers should then ask themselves if the term “white people” in her tweets were changed to “black people” and the organization were Fox News, how would they react?