Letters on Brownback’s words, ‘economizing’ school, school shutdown, Koch dark money, inspirational stories

Brownback should revisit his own words

When he was sworn into office in 2011, Gov. Sam Brownback took an oath to uphold the state and federal constitutions. In a speech that day, Brownback noted that he took “an oath required by and pledging fealty to our Constitution, for ours is a government of laws, not men.”

Brownback also said that he would balance the state’s budget without a tax hike, streamline government, retool the regulatory environment, inject life into the economy and respond to moral decay.

And the kicker, Brownback said: “Let us affirm the best of our state’s character – humility, foresight, thrift, courage, self-sacrifice, charity and optimism.”

I urge Brownback to revisit these words and lead the effort to address the funding problems in our schools. Kansas has been a national laughingstock for too long. Please, no more punchlines for comedians.

Don’t ‘economize’

In the midst of all the hoopla in the ongoing case of the school closings, here is a quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize.”

Are state lawmakers paying heed?

How to attract, keep?

The timing of “City growing, but not enough” (June 5 Eagle Editorial) could not have been better. The editorial concluded that Wichita needs “to attract and keep more residents.”

If the Kansas Supreme Court’s mandate to close the Kansas public schools is implemented on July 1, which would most likely be accompanied by national media attention, then exactly how does Wichita plan to attract and keep residents?

Koch dark strategies

A shrewd example of battle damage repair to a tarnished image was “Why free speech matters on campus” by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Charles Koch, published recently in the Wall Street Journal (and summarized in “Koch, Bloomberg on same page on campus speech,” May 19 Now Consider This).

By co-penning this commentary with a political opposite, Koch wanted to show that he had no hidden agenda and is sincerely concerned about the reader’s right to free speech. Yet the commentary’s information source, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, is a major financial recipient of the Koch network.

Numerous educational institutions have criticized the Koch financial web and its menacingly high levels of contributions that purchase the direction of scholarship. Nonetheless, many cash-strapped schools are readily accepting this dark money, as they surrender to Koch’s caveats, such as a say on faculty hires.

For Koch, learning institutions are a marketplace. Students are a commodity, universities are the refineries, and funding is seen as an investment to refine (brainwash) the commodity (the student) and, finally, produce an end product – well-indoctrinated libertarian soldiers.

Read Jane Mayer’s book “Dark Money,” about the dark strategies used by the Koch financial alliance.

Inspirational stories

I would like to thank The Eagle for the many inspirational stories it has published in the past few weeks.

I appreciate our local hero Julie Dombo, and her brave journey to building a new life without hands or feet (“For shooting victim, every day is a bonus,” May 29 Eagle). What an amazing story and an amazing woman. Bless all her family, friends and the medical staff who have supported and encouraged her along the way.

I so enjoyed the history lesson about our cemeteries (“Cemeteries a ‘who’s who’ of Wichita history,” May 29 Arts & Culture).

I was sad to see the presses stop but certainly enjoyed the stories shared by The Eagle’s dedicated pressmen (“The power of the press — and the people behind it,” May 29 Insight). I wish them the very best in finding new jobs.

And thanks for sharing the story from the Kansas City Star about the new museum in Fort Scott (“Kansas woman celebrated as ‘unsung hero’ at new center,” May 31 Eagle). It was good to be reminded that one person can change the world.

And farewell to Eagle editor Sherry Chisenhall. I appreciate her and all she has done for our community.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "Letters on Brownback’s words, ‘economizing’ school, school shutdown, Koch dark money, inspirational stories."