Letters on impeachment bill, exploited workers, purpose of government, presidential candidates, Alzheimer’s

Impeachment bill would hurt Kansas

State lawmakers should oppose or reconsider their support of Senate Bill 439, regarding the impeachment of Kansas Supreme Court justices.

This is a dangerous, illegal bill. The ramifications will echo for years, regardless of what party occupies the governor’s residence. The ability of any branch of government to remove a large portion of another branch (even one justice is more than 10 percent of the Supreme Court’s membership) based on the easy-to-meet and politically manipulable standards set out in the bill can only lead to one-sided authoritarian rule.

Our system is designed to have tension between the branches, like a radio tower with guy wires. All of those supports pull against one another, resulting in a stable structure. If one side becomes too much tighter than the others, it will pull the whole thing down. If all of them are too tight or rigid, so that the tower cannot sway a bit with the wind, the same thing will happen.

Let me be clear: I am no fan of Gov. Sam Brownback. But I would oppose this bill even if that were not the case. Even if you agree with the governor’s policies and the current motivations for introducing this bill, consider the time when an administration that you don’t agree with has this power.

This bill can only hurt Kansas and Kansans.

Exploiting workers?

A letter said that the wealth generated by productivity is siphoned off by the wealthy while the workers who produce it lose economic ground (“Allegiance to donors, not the people,” April 11 Letters to the Editor). The New York Times produced a chart showing the professions of the most wealthy 1 percent in the United States. It was headed by financial brokers, lawyers, physicians and dentists. (Dis)honorable mention went to engineers, college professors, artists, athletes and insurance salesmen. Do the workers under these professionals really create the wealth these 1-percenters have siphoned off?

Support the people

The rationale in a letter about the purpose of government was absolutely illogical (“Turning blind eye,” April 3 Letters to the Editor).

There are problems with Washington, D.C. It is controlled by the 1 percent billionaires, aka the Koch brothers and others empowered by the Citizens United court ruling. They have made their billions off the backs of the citizens of this country. But the rules they instituted allow them to hide their fortunes.

We live in a large, multicultural society with laws to keep order and keep it functioning. It requires a soundly run central government with its main purpose of providing safety, security and services to its members.

Most people don’t readily accept help from the government; rather, they have to at times to survive. Without health services, illness will run rampant, threatening the health and lives of others. Without an ability to obtain food, survival instincts kick in, and people will steal to survive. And without a healthy, fed citizenry, productivity fails at all levels.

It would be great to just go “get a job.” I have a graduate degree, and it’s still very difficult to get a job. As you get older, you are competing with younger people who will work for less. As we become more technological, people are becoming less necessary for many industries.

Society has to adjust, but in the process it still has to support the people, or chaos will reign.

Trump is strong

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has made too many enemies in the Republican and Democratic parties to be president. I don’t know much about Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Though I disagree a lot with what Donald Trump says, I think he would get the job done that needs to be done. He is strong, and that is what we need in a president.

Hillary Clinton was a total failure as secretary of state. She is all for herself. When I see her on television, I picture those men who died in Benghazi on her watch. She is untruthful and not the president we need in the White House.

Alzheimer’s is expensive

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America. Nearly 48 percent of families and friends caring for those with Alzheimer’s or another dementia must cut back on their own expenses – including basic necessities such as food, transportation and medical care – to afford dementia-related care, while others must draw from their own savings or retirement funds.

In Kansas, more than 51,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s disease. The financial burden of dementia is compounded for many care contributors, as more than one-third reported having to reduce their hours at work or quit their job entirely while caring for someone with Alzheimer’s.

The financial burden of dementia is one of several reasons why 1,200 advocates traveled to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. Our message to Congress was to support research, care planning and palliative care. I urge Reps. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, and Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler/Hutchinson, to make Alzheimer’s disease a priority for Kansas.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on impeachment bill, exploited workers, purpose of government, presidential candidates, Alzheimer’s."