Letters on Medicare counseling, EU vote, Second Amendment, Trump
Moran voted against program for seniors
An Eagle article reported that the Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted 29-1 to eliminate Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas, or SHICK, a program that helps seniors navigate Medicare Part D (June 22 Eagle). Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., was one of the 29 who voted against help for seniors.
Many seniors don’t own a computer and couldn’t navigate the Medicare program if they did. I have a computer and use it often, but I get an appointment with SHICK every year to see whether my wife and I need to change to another program.
It is so complex I doubt I would be able to do it alone. We have changed policies every year but one since the program started, because the insurance companies change the coverage and pricing every year.
The people helping us are volunteers who are trained to use the system, and without them most of us would be paying more than we should.
I suggest that since Moran voted against us, we should return the favor and vote against him in November. I know I will.
Wendell Turner, Wichita
EU vote only natural
Britain’s referendum vote to leave the European Union seems to have taken everyone by surprise. It shouldn’t have.
The members of the British middle class have the same problem with globalization that we have. The workforce in their manufacturing facilities is forced to compete against a workforce with a far lower standard of living, and the service industry workforce is forced to compete against immigrants who also have a lower standard of living. This causes unemployment and lower wages.
By being part of the EU, you have less control. So when given the option to leave, it would seem only natural that they would take that option.
What is surprising to me is that the elite would think otherwise. Maybe they have lived in a different world from the rest of us working folks. After all, globalization has benefited them quite well. I can understand why they would not want to do away with it.
If they can’t get a handle on the negative effects of globalization, they are in for many more surprises.
Mike Hubbell, Kingman
Out of context
Am I the only one who believes the Second Amendment is being taken out of context? It was written at a time when there was no standing military complex like we have today, and citizens with guns were needed to defend our country.
A bunch of people at random, many of whom are paranoid, does not make a “well organized militia,” which I think was the intent of the amendment.
When will our people come to their senses and do something about all the senseless killing? More guns in the hands of almost anyone who wants them is not the answer.
Jim Laney, Wichita
Trump a hero?
I think I’ve finally figured out what Donald Trump is up to, and if he pulls it off, he may well go down in history as a national hero.
Despite his ignorant and consistently outrageous non-presidential behavior, Trump is bright enough to know he can’t possibly win the presidency once he goes before mainstream America in the election. But like any good CEO, he’s also astute enough to know that in some cases, the best way to kick-start a business is to gut it and start over.
In this case, the business is Congress.
President Obama is consistently blamed for being a weak president, but his detractors refuse to acknowledge that this is partially because of the consistently obstructionist Congress. If it was Obama’s idea, it was no good, regardless of how good it would have been for the country.
Trump knows that if he runs for president, continuing his display of bigotry and ignorance, he will lose the election but take a lot of GOP incumbents and hopefuls down with him. If so, the veto block is gone. The obstructionists would be replaced with people who, we can hope, will place the needs of the country before party politics. The U.S. can move forward again. Problem solved.
If he pulls this off, Trump’s achievement will make him America’s greatest loser.
JT (Zak) Manuszak, Wichita
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This story was originally published June 30, 2016 at 12:04 AM with the headline "Letters on Medicare counseling, EU vote, Second Amendment, Trump."