Letters on voting law, sales tax, strip-club ad, funding courts, Roberts

Voting law similar to a poll tax

I have been heavily involved in the past year in registering voters at multiple sites in Wichita. The difficulties in the voter registration process begin if I am registering a resident who is registering for the first time in Kansas and was born in another state.

In addition to signing the “affidavit of truth” on the application, the applicant must provide required documentation of birth, marriage, deaths of spouses, remarriage, etc. It can cost up to $100 to get factual information and documents on birth or a name change from another state.

In my mind, this constitutes a tax on those who are registering from another state. It is clearly discrimination against the poor, women who have been married and then widowed, or those who were born in states or in situations without official birth records or certificates of live birth.

Before the state’s new voting law, a voter registration card was always an affidavit of truth and the process was simple. Why not now?

The real voting fraud is not people trying to vote illegally in Kansas but the scare tactics perpetrated on Kansans by our Legislature and Secretary of State Kris Kobach, exaggerating the threat of illegal immigrants and others trying to vote.

The suspension of 22,000 prospective voters is a miscarriage of voting rights.

What vote means

It is important for seniors to understand what their vote will mean on the proposed 1-cent sales tax referendum on Nov. 4. We have a choice before us on water. We can pay for water with 50 percent higher water bills in the future or a 1-cent sales tax (Oct. 12 Eagle). We also have a choice before us on the transit system. We can pay for improvements that would include new bus routes and night service with the 1-cent sales tax, or see service reduced by 25 percent.

I encourage all senior citizens – and all voters – to educate themselves and make an informed decision. Educational materials will be available at each of our four senior centers – downtown, Linwood, northeast and Orchard Park. The materials outline the plan for each of the four areas – water, jobs, transit and streets.

Call Senior Services Inc. of Wichita at 316-267-0302 for more information.

Use existing funds

We don’t need to increase the sales tax. We need plans to fix the things that need fixing. Do them as the funds are available.

I’m tired of the same old argument that it’s only a few dollars each month. The gas company, electric company, water department, school board, phone company and every other entity seeking funds use the same argument to increase what we owe them.

For every new tax, one old tax should go away. Do away with property tax and raise sales tax.

And while I’m on my soapbox: We don’t need to increase education spending. What we do need to do is pay teachers a decent salary to attract the best – you know, use the same logic that CEOs use to justify the millions they make. Then we need to stop spending extravagant amounts on schools that look like Olympic sports venues, and start spending that money on education. If kids want to be involved in multiple sporting events, their parents can pay for it outside of school.

Appalling ad

I am truly appalled at the viciousness of the “sex, drugs and politics” ad being aired by the Republican Governors Association to benefit Gov. Sam Brownback. If this ad is the only way Brownback and his supporters feel he can be re-elected, he isn’t fit to hold the office. Brownback should be running ads showing some positive things he will do if re-elected. He wants voters to think he is a Christian man, but his failure to condemn this ad makes me question that.

Fully fund courts

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month highlights our courts’ role as a safe haven for adults and children seeking protection and justice.

Imagine driving to the courthouse one Friday afternoon. Fearing for your life or your child’s life, you need a judge’s order of protection. You arrive at the courthouse only to see a “closed” sign on the door.

Budget woes in Kansas now threaten access to justice and fundamental protections. The 2013 Legislature gave courts a larger share of docket (case filing) fees and then reduced courts’ share of state general funds by the amount estimated for docket fee revenue. Facing an $8.2 million shortfall for the judicial branch beginning July 1, the 2014 Legislature gave the judicial branch added revenue. According to the Legislature’s estimate, $6.2 million of the new funds will come from increased docket fees.

But docket fees are an unreliable source of revenue. From 2010 through fiscal 2014, case filings have decreased by 15 percent and docket fee revenue has decreased by 21 percent. Based on actual docket fee revenues since July 1, it appears the total revenues for this fiscal year will be 20 percent below the Legislature’s estimate.

The judicial branch now predicts that $3.6 million of budgeted revenue will not be realized this fiscal year. Because 96 percent of its budget goes to salaries, such a shortfall would force courts to furlough employees and close courthouses for days.

For victims of domestic violence, court closures or shortened court hours put their lives at risk. And such actions risk the ideals we all hold dear – accessible courts, protection from violence, and justice for all.

We must act to fully fund our courts using reliable state general funds rather than unreliable docket fees.

Furniture rep.

Republican strategist John Weaver said that Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., is “basically furniture in the Senate, and the people in Kansas know that” (Sept. 28 Now Consider This). Now, I love my recliner, but I don’t necessarily want one representing me in Congress.

This story was originally published October 23, 2014 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on voting law, sales tax, strip-club ad, funding courts, Roberts."