Letters on sales tax, health care compact, Kahrs, McCray-Miller, Pompeo, taxing and spending, tax cuts

Learn about plans for sales tax

The only other “large” city in Kansas without a sales tax is my hometown of Newton. But in that case, Harvey County has a 2-cent sales tax. Most Kansas cities have a sales tax, and almost every county does, too.

Wichita has not had a sales tax. We’ve watched other cities take care of their most pressing needs with a sales tax. We have other cities in Sedgwick County that are also voting on a sales tax this November. Others recently passed or extended their sales tax. They don’t have organized opposition against their sales taxes. Instead, they have a community conversation that looks at the plan and debates the merits of the plan.

We’ve had that community conversation. I encourage you to learn about the issues and the plans, ask questions and listen to answers, and then decide for yourself. We have an incredibly diverse group of people and 20 different organizations that have done the same and realized that the plans are sound and we’ll be taking care of some serious priorities that we, as citizens, chose. Plus, we’ll be doing this with reasonable increases in water rates or without property tax increases, and visitors will help pay for the upkeep of Kansas’ largest city.

Oppose compact

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a Republican, has recommended Democratic insurance commissioner candidate Dennis Anderson, who, like her, opposes the health compact passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. Seniors: This could put the control of Medicare dollars in the hands of the Legislature in our state.

If you are happy with your Medicare, vote to have an insurance commissioner who is against this health care compact and watering down our Medicare benefits. As both Praeger and Anderson have stated, this compact would jeopardize the Medicare funding and the guaranteed benefits that seniors currently enjoy under the Medicare program.

We need an advocate and friend of Medicare to be the insurance commissioner, and his name is Dennis Anderson.

Leave my Medicare alone.

Kahrs qualified

Citizens living in Kansas House District 87 are fortunate to have Mark Kahrs representing them as a state representative.

As a small-business owner, Kahrs understands the impact of the economy on jobs, the need for budgeting expenses within expected revenues, and the impact of regulations and taxes on businesses. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, where his business experience is invaluable.

Kahrs’ experience as an attorney for more than 20 years and his knowledge of the judicial system and state laws qualify him well to serve on the House Judiciary Committee. He supported a bill to make the judicial system more efficient by funding electronic case management.

Kahrs and his wife, Sherri, have made academic achievement a high priority for their three children and believe all Kansas children should have similar opportunities. He supported increased funding for public schools, while granting local school boards and voters greater control over policies.

Kahrs is passionate about working for responsible and accountable government that respects individual liberty, protects the family and stands up for the vulnerable.

Kahrs’ knowledge, experience and values make him a superbly qualified candidate for representative of District 87.

Need McCray-Miller

Wichita and Sedgwick County are the most diverse jurisdictions in Kansas. Yet statewide there are only three African-American judges, and no people of color or women are members of the Sedgwick County Commission. There has not been a woman commissioner since 2010, and the last time a person of color was on the commission was 1998. This means the commission lacks perspective on problems afflicting 36 percent of the county who are minorities and half the population who are female.

Melody McCray-Miller is a business owner and a longtime educator who formerly represented Kansans in the Kansas House and on the County Commission. She helped bring about economic growth in our county by increasing small-business development in rural and urban areas, and she was instrumental in founding NetWork Kansas and the Wichita E-Community and the crime prevention fund of the county, which supports youth programs that prevent crimes.

A seasoned public policymaker with state and local expertise, McCray-Miller is committed to increasing the role of community engagement in establishing policy. Her business savvy and commitment will expand the role of small and locally owned businesses. She is serious about serving the people. Support her.

Proud of Pompeo

I’m proud that Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, is our congressman. He served in the Army, owned a small business, and has taken our conservative Kansas values to Washington, D.C. He is a leader we can be proud to send to our nation’s capital. At the same time, he has clearly maintained his Kansas roots, because he is back home at every opportunity, meeting with constituents and local businesses.

Pompeo is a man of character. He has taken tough positions and tough votes, but has always been honest and forthright with the people he represents. He understands that in order for our economy to improve, big government has to get out of the way of businesses in Kansas. This way, we can create jobs and opportunities for our communities.

We should be proud of the work Pompeo is doing to grow the economy, cut wasteful spending, and protect our nation from those who intend to do us harm. It isn’t common to have a representative this dedicated. Let’s keep him working hard for us in Congress. Vote for Mike Pompeo on Nov. 4.

All are important

I read The Eagle editorial board’s endorsements for the Kansas House (Oct. 23 Opinion). It seems that the editorial board is pushing more government programs and higher taxes to pay for them.

Several candidates who favor less government and lower taxes were cast as being “unconcerned about their consequences.” There was no mention of the disastrous consequences of higher taxes. The public school system and higher education already receive about two-thirds of the total Kansas budget. Would 100 percent of the budget make them more effective? Obamacare will increase the Medicaid enrollment, which Kansas will have to pay a part of, and yet the editorial board wants to enlarge it. No job should be guaranteed forever, but teaching often is. If teachers are competent, they will not have to worry about being fired.

Candidates should be endorsed for their views of improving the government, keeping a balanced budget, and increasing jobs while looking out for the taxpayers’ pocketbook – instead of how they can extract more money from the taxpayers’ pocketbook, which seems to be an endless source of revenue for a few selected groups.

Teaching is an important profession, but so are those of store owners, clerks, electricians and workers in food service, child care, construction, etc. The editorial board should consider all jobs important and not just a few, for the reason that every profession depends upon all the other professions.

Tax cut at work?

The first page I read when I open The Eagle is the Opinion page. What a lovely surprise to read the letter by the local businessman (“Tax cut working,” Oct. 19 Letters to the Editor). What did the businessman do with his $7,000 windfall from Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax cuts that he didn’t even know he was getting? He finished his basement. I love it.

Every Brownback supporter needs to read that letter – and read it again and again and again until it sinks in. It made my day, my week, my month and my year.

Letters deadline

Letters to the editor about the Nov. 4 election must be received by noon Thursday to be considered for publication.

This story was originally published October 26, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letters on sales tax, health care compact, Kahrs, McCray-Miller, Pompeo, taxing and spending, tax cuts."