Letters to the editor (Sept. 14, 2018)

Teaching children about food

Thank you to Suzanne Perez Tobias for her story on Southeast High’s Ag class.

How wonderful to see our teachers teach practical experiences that teens can use all of their lives. Most adults have no idea where their food comes from so how can they teach their children? We need to get back to growing our own food and encouraging farmers to grow organically.

We can cut down our medical costs with good clean food.

Judy L. Young, Wichita

‘Endless fireworks’ not a good idea for Andover

I believe this week’s “Endless Fireworks Demo” has to be the the stupidest move we have made as a city in the 40-plus years I have lived here.

1. Why would we have it the week of 9/11?

2. Why would we have it right after school is back in session?

3. When was this decided upon?

4. Why wasn’t the community informed; in order to make arrangements for pets (and citizens) that can’t handle the noise?

5. I understand fireworks when they are in the proper setting, in a certain time frame; for a celebration.

6. Was enough money made on this deal that Crescent Lakes and surrounding neighborhoods shouldn’t be upset with the City Council and Cap Fed for having this in our backyards? Wouldn’t something like this be more in place out in the middle of nowhere?

7. Is our new amphitheater going to become a source of aggravation, not entertainment, for our community? Many of us chose Andover for our homes to eliminate this type of noise pollution.

Dan Gentry, Andover

How many assistant principals?

I was not surprised that Kobach's claim of the number of assistant principals at a Kansas high school was an exaggeration, but was still surprised that our East High now has five of them. My high school in Kansas City, with very close to the same attendance, had one. Of course that was about 75 years ago.

Harry R. Clements, Wichita

Not so impressive?

A recent letter (Sept. 9) declared “most impressive” some of Trump’s accomplishments that weren’t.

The 2018 second quarter GDP gained 4.2 percent over the first quarter, primarily reflecting business spending, reduced petroleum imports, and nonresidential and private inventory investment. Some increase results from actions or evasions – the $1.5 trillion tax cut, the rush to avoid export tariffs on soybeans – so economists doubt the trend will last. Trump inherited a GDP of about 3.3 percent and Obama -2.75 percent, yet Obama had higher quarterly growths of 4.7 percent, 5.1 percent, and 4.9 percent, boosted by the TPP and Iran deals Trump denigrates.

Another feat: The stock market is at an all-time high. Nearly all presidents can claim this. Markets have been on an upward trajectory since their inception. The S&P 500 (tracking since 1923) has a current average annual return of 12.25 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen over 50,000 percent since 1896.

The “impressive accomplishment” of lower minority unemployment is tainted. This trend began several years ago, but black unemployment remains higher than that of white, exhibits greater volatility, excludes incarcerated persons and ignores low wages.

Perhaps Trump can honestly brag about the fifth highest deficit in history.

Tina Bennett-Kastor, Wichita