Letters on Air Refueling Wing, Medicaid expansion, step therapy, LGBT discrimination, gun discrimination, taxpayer discrimination

Thanks for support of Air Refueling Wing

Last year, more than 1,000 airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base deployed to support global operations and delivered more than 144 million pounds of fuel to air assets. Our medical group kept more than 125,000 patient appointments, and our firefighters responded to 302 emergency calls both on and off base. I am proud to lead such a hardworking group in our Air Force.

An integral part to our success in global reach is owed to our surrounding community’s support. The new year brings the 60th anniversary of the KC-135 Stratotanker, which is the workhorse of the Air Force’s tanker fleet. We are proud to lead the way celebrating this service milestone. In addition, we continue preparing for the next generation of aerial refueling with $267 million in ongoing KC-46 Pegasus construction projects.

I see McConnell as the “wing of choice” in the Air Force because of the partnerships we have with this community. Whether through patriotic events, or just a simple “thank you” when you see a person in uniform – you will never know how much these acts mean to our airmen and their families.

I’ve worn an Air Force uniform for nearly 28 years, and can unequivocally state this fantastic community is not surpassed by any other I’ve seen in demonstrated support for our airmen. Thank you for all you do to support our mission to refuel the fight.

Discuss expansion

Expanding our state’s Medicaid program would extend health coverage to 150,000 Kansans, inject hundreds of millions of dollars into our state economy, create jobs and help our hospitals – and the federal government would pay nearly all of the cost. It is little wonder that 2 in 3 Kansans support this policy idea.

However, our governor and legislative leadership continue to simply say “no” to Medicaid expansion.

The arguments we hear today against Medicaid expansion are not new. In 1998, Republican Bill Graves was governor and I was chairwoman of the Senate health committee. States had a similar opportunity to expand health coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Like today, opponents said we should not expand an already burdensome program. However, unlike today, the opportunity was not simply refused, but discussed openly.

We began by setting goals that we could all agree upon, and worked together to improve our state’s program. What resulted was a policy that enjoyed broad-based support and passed easily.

Today, we could be looking at Medicaid expansion in the same way. Expansion waivers are intended to encourage innovation and let states tailor programs to specific needs. This is an opportunity for Kansas to accomplish agreed-upon goals, like connecting more people to work, reducing the costs of uninsured Kansans and addressing flaws in our current health coverage program.

Drug proposal scary

The most frightening and disgusting proposal to come out of Topeka recently is a cost-saving recommendation to force Medicaid recipients in Kansas to try “less expensive” alternatives before being allowed to employ more costly treatments prescribed by their doctors (“Doctors speak against ‘step therapy’ bill,” Jan. 28 Eagle). This could amount to nothing less than a death sentence for some people.

It would move the decisions for treatment of patients out of the hands of physicians and into those of what undoubtedly would be an ultraconservative commission whose main goal would be to save money in order to save the governor’s ill-advised and failing tax policies. In short, this would be like the “death panels” the conservatives railed against as being a certain result of the Affordable Care Act. Of course, that dire warning never materialized. Ironic, isn’t it?

How many patients will die while trying these cheaper medications or treatments and waiting for approval for what their doctors actually recommend? How many will suffer irreversible effects that the proper treatments or medications would have prevented?

Finally, the scariest aspect of this proposal for me, as a senior leukemia patient who relies on Medicare, is that this could be precisely the way Gov. Sam Brownback and his minions would handle Medicare patients if the multistate health care compact they so fervently support ever won federal approval. Think about the implications when you go to the polls in November.

Discrimination exists

Several community leaders testified recently at the Statehouse about House Bill 2323. Initially, I understood this bill to address discrimination. However, it quickly became a religious battle (“Strong opposition greets bill banning anti-gay discrimination,” Jan. 15 Eagle).

People from outside the state created pictures of monsters looming in public restrooms and priests “forced” to perform marriage ceremonies for people of the same gender. This is not my understanding of this legislation.

Several assured us that there is no discrimination. I wish that were true. I wish parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students did not call me with reports of discrimination toward their children. I wish people did not lose their jobs because they practice their civil rights and get legally married.

Under the guise of faith, discrimination and hatred are alive and well. HB 2323 is a religious issue only because a number of spiritual leaders and politicians have taken it upon themselves to disseminate hatred and fear to their followers. This drives a culture of hatred that has allowed 90 broken windows and destruction of security cameras at my church.

Kansans are better than this. Our Legislature is out of touch with the people of Kansas. Please make your voices heard.

Don’t alter gun bill

As usually happens, organizations are ganging up to add amendments to Senate Bill 331 regarding discrimination against gun dealers (Jan. 29 Eagle). Because some of these could be the “poison pill” to prevent the bill’s passage, I urge the Senate to pass the bill as written.

This bill defends the right of a business (in this case the gun shop industry) to have its own banking relationship. Inspired by an overreach by our president, his “Justice” Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in what is known as Operation Choke Point, the bill would prohibit businesses and individuals from refusing to provide goods and services or ending an existing business relationship solely because someone is engaged in a business the government doesn’t like.

No matter what field the business is in, owners know how vital their banking and other relationships are to the vitality of their business. It is imperative that the federal government be stopped from this sort of discrimination and bullying.

Tax discrimination

I see that some Kansas senators crafted a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against gun dealers (Jan. 29 Eagle). If that is truly happening, then providing them some legal options seems appropriate.

While these concerned senators are busy crafting bills, how about making it illegal to discriminate against nonbusiness owners, such as most Kansans? Since the foolish tax exemptions given by the Legislature and the governor in 2012, the state is plainly discriminating against anyone who does not own a business. What is truly more important – the rights of a few hundred gun dealers, or the rights of a few hundred thousand hardworking citizens?

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on Air Refueling Wing, Medicaid expansion, step therapy, LGBT discrimination, gun discrimination, taxpayer discrimination."