Letters on Senate race, sales-tax referendum, consolidation, Orman, Medicare for all, Obama

Kobach wants it both ways

Secretary of State Kris Kobach can’t have things both ways. Since the Kansas Supreme Court chose to allow the Democratic candidate for Senate to remove his name from the ballot (Sept. 19 Eagle), which Kobach said was an urgently needed decision because ballots had to be printed this weekend, he is now throwing another fit about how unfair it will be if another Democrat is not placed on the ballot, which now can apparently wait until Sept. 26 to be printed.

If we can’t see how this is all a political ploy to keep Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan, in his much-beloved Senate seat, we have become a truly blind community.

I am a Democrat. I don’t want to serve, but if the Democratic Party really needs a name, feel free to put mine down. No political ads, no campaign money, no false promises – just a name to resolve Kobach’s need for a Democrat on the ballot.

Not safeguarding

Kansas Democratic Party chairwoman Joan Wagnon said the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling followed the law and would stop Secretary of State Kris Kobach “from undermining Kansas democracy.” Is it not ironic that she is claiming that democracy in Kansas is safeguarded by the removal of her party’s candidate? It seems to me that the Kansas Democratic Party is dancing to the tune of its masters in Washington, D.C., and not really very concerned about representing the people of Kansas and safeguarding our democracy.

Improve Wichita

Generating new economic growth requires planning, investment, cooperation and collaboration. The Wichita City Council and city administrators have developed a plan to move us forward. They’ve spent a considerable amount of time and effort gathering input into that plan from Wichita citizens.

I’m confident that solving our long-term water problems, adding new bus service, taking care of our roads, and reversing our job losses will make Wichita a better place to work and live. Please join me in voting “yes” for the sales tax initiative on Nov. 4, and then let’s continue working together to improve the city we love.

Not transparent

The city of Wichita funnels your tax dollars into “nonprofit” development groups that refuse to show us how that money is spent, and now the city wants you to vote in favor of a sales tax increase so it can give such organizations even more of your money.

These groups – Go Wichita, the Wichita Downtown Development Corp., and the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition – get most of their overall funding from Wichita tax dollars, but they claim that they are exempt from the Kansas Open Records Act because they are “private” organizations.

The city could easily place conditions on the money it gives to these groups, requiring them to show taxpayers how their tax dollars are being spent, but the city refuses to do so. This is not transparency.

For years, members of the Wichita business community, and even one former City Council member, have requested that these groups open their books to show how they are spending Wichita tax dollars, and for years these groups have flatly refused to do so.

And now the city is asking for more money?

Move us forward

Respected demographer James Chung’s recent presentation at the second installation of the Fuel the Fire speaker series in Wichita offered some great insight into how we can change our community’s trajectory. He shared inspiring turnaround stories about Omaha, Des Moines, Oklahoma City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He also shared that Wichita ranks dead last in many key categories when compared with these and other comparable cities our size.

Wichita can be the next inspiring turnaround story. We have an opportunity to send a message on Nov. 4 that we are getting back into the game with a well-developed, accountable plan to move us forward.

Voting “yes” for the sales tax is a vote for a more positive future for our children and grandchildren.

Fabricated issue

Gov. Sam Brownback is in high dudgeon because gubernatorial opponent House Minority Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, appointed former Senate Vice President John Vratil to a task force on school efficiency. Three years ago Vratil predicted rural schools “will be starved out of existence.”

In the late 1990s, I was appointed by then-Gov. Bill Graves to serve on his task force on funding public education, which Vratil chaired. As I recall, the task force agreed that although consolidation would help alleviate tax burdens on larger school districts and possibly improve small schools with a more diverse curriculum, the move would also economically hurt smaller communities. It was deemed politically impossible to become law, and the subject was dropped.

Today it is still unlikely there is much political will for consolidating rural schools. Even so, Brownback declared, via a campaign flier, that forced consolidation would be part of the “Davis-Vratil Education Agenda.” The governor’s outrage is so disingenuous in that it ignores the fact that Davis does not even support consolidating rural schools.

The whole issue is a Brownback campaign fabrication. What voters should really be concerned about is Brownback’s attack on all public schools, rural and city, by cutting base state aid so that he can cut the taxes of our state’s millionaires and billionaires.

Give Orman a try

Greg Orman is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent and claims to represent the dissatisfaction of the great majority of Kansans with our Washington, D.C., political stalemate. Attending one of his talks, I was impressed with his willingness to answer any and all questions without “attitude.” I certainly didn’t agree with everything he said but was pleased with the fact that he looked me in the eye and answered without evasion. His approach reminded me of other great Kansans such as Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole, who represented Kansas so well and for so long.

I’ve been a physician for more than 40 years and have learned a lot about human nature. I don’t expect perfection from people, and certainly not from politicians. But I do expect our elected officials to occasionally put our interests above their wallet. A few left-leaning or right-leaning independents may just be the cure for our current dilemma.

Orman may or may not be the man to tilt the balance toward positive governing and civility in American politics, but I think we should give him the chance to try.

Medicare for all

In “Project Access still meeting vital need” (Aug. 31 Opinion), Donna Sweet (who is greatly appreciated for her pioneering work with AIDS patients) and Thomas Bloxham enthusiastically described how a group of health care providers supplied free services for those without health insurance. Although thousands were cared for and millions of dollars expended in 15 years, it is clear that this charity Band-Aid is not adequate for the task.

If those same health care providers would support “Medicare for all,” our desperate need would be met, allowing us to catch up with all the other developed countries in the world that provide health care for all their citizens.

No surprise

Regarding “U.S. will be ramping up airstrikes soon in Iraq” (Sept. 13 Eagle): That’s good news for the enemy, so it can get ready or retaliate first against President Obama’s aggressive campaign. Obama is not a good bluffer, but he does put on a good TV show.

In World War II, we were taught that the most important element of attack is surprise. So I do wonder just whose side Obama is really on.

This story was originally published September 20, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letters on Senate race, sales-tax referendum, consolidation, Orman, Medicare for all, Obama."