Letters on root of Kansas’ problem, Laffer, anti-American protesters, elder abuse

Fix the root of the problem: tax breaks

If you were bleeding profusely from a wound, the doctor might need to give you a transfusion to keep you alive, but then would quickly close the wound to stop the bleeding. If your boat sprung a leak, you would begin bailing out the water to avoid sinking but also look for a way to plug the leak.

It always makes sense to deal with the cause of a problem rather than just the effects.

Gov. Sam Brownback recently called a special legislative session so the Legislature could provide equitable funding for our schools. However, our state has been operating in the red for the past several years by “borrowing” from its reserve accounts to balance the budget. Last month we experienced another “income shortfall” and will probably have another shortfall this month.

I hope the Legislature has the sense to fix the real problem – the 2012 tax breaks for businesses – so it will be able to properly fund not only schools but also health care, highways and other important services of the state.

Started with Laffer

The state’s budget only got worse with a shortfall in May of $74.5 million, and the Republicans in Topeka seem incapable of either dealing with reality or dealing with a dysfunctional governor.

All of this started with a $70,000 state payment to a man whose bad advice has led to trillions of dollars in national debt since 1981. I am speaking, of course, of the economist Arthur Laffer, a man no one elected and few really want anymore.

Those Republicans incapable of admitting that the 2012-13 tax cuts have been a disaster aren’t fiscal conservatives at all; they are social conservatives more interested in carrying the Holy Bible around rather than the Kansas Constitution. The question is whether Kansas voters are wise enough to know this and to throw them out of office in the next general election.

If not, then the rest of us need to ask Almighty God to give wisdom and strength that they are so lacking. Otherwise, Kansas will continue to suffer from the horrible math of a debunked economist and an extremist governor who is so far to the right of common sense that a flock of carrier pigeons couldn’t find him.

Same treatment

In response to “A universal right” (June 10 Letters to the Editor): I concur that we should apply the same treatment of all those expressing free speech. I propose that anyone who shows up to a presidential campaign event waving the flag of another nation while burning ours should have a taxpayer-funded one-way ticket to the nation whose flag he appears loyal to. This policy could apply to all, regardless of the color of their skin, their appearance or the language they speak.

I have lived through many election cycles and shared both disappointments and successes. Though I agree that all the options this round may be considered disappointing, it is sickening to see anti-American sentiment and the physical assault of supporters of political opponents.

Stop elder abuse

Wednesday is National Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Plan to attend our local awareness event at the Sedgwick County Extension Center, 21st and Ridge. This free event is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes lunch.

Area banks, police, sheriff and community organizations will provide information. During lunch, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter, Sedgwick County Assistant District Attorney Robert Short and Sgt. Santiago Hungria from the Wichita Police Department’s financial crimes division will give tips on how to protect ourselves and others from abuse, fraud and scams.

Every day, seniors are abused, neglected and exploited, often by people they trust the most. Abusers may be family members, acquaintances, professionals in the community or opportunistic strangers.

Research indicates that more than 1 in 10 elders may experience some type of abuse, but only 1 in 23 cases is reported. This means that very few seniors who have been abused get the help they need. In Sedgwick County, that means 49,000 seniors experience some type of abuse, but few are helped.

Join us at Elder Abuse Awareness Day and learn how to protect yourself or your loved ones.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 12:03 AM with the headline "Letters on root of Kansas’ problem, Laffer, anti-American protesters, elder abuse."