Opinion Line Extra (Sept. 19)

This planet is mankind’s lifeboat in space. Only a fool would ignore a leak in a lifeboat. Climate change and overpopulation are both ever-increasing leaks in our planet’s ability to support life. If we don’t act soon, our fate will be sealed.

From his latest TV ad we now know that Sam Brownback’s parents don’t trust him to run the combine or plant the crops on the family farm. If Paul Davis is not funding these ads, he should be.

Do we really want a man governing our state whose own father doesn’t even trust him to drive a combine? Brownback’s father knows best.

I don’t particularly care for Sam Brownback or Pat Roberts, but electing Democrats like Paul Davis and Greg Orman would be a mistake.

Gov. Brownback: The sun will always shine in Kansas because a higher power than you controls that, thank God.

When your Republican presidents invade a country like Iraq on a lot of deceptive advice, what you see now is what you get. That country never attacked the United States, and its leader kept that part of world in order. But that’s OK. We can blame Obama.

The label of “president” does not guarantee he is a military strategist, just as my initials of “M.D.” do not make me a brain surgeon. Obama must listen to his generals.

Why would anyone vote for a person who says government has gotten too big?

I’ve never been without a job, recession or not. Some may say I’m lucky, but really it’s because I work hard to be the best at whatever I do. Do the same, and you won’t have much to worry about.

Apparently to the Sedgwick County Commission, animals are more valuable than the rehabilitation of wayward young people since it decided to fund the zoo’s elephant exhibit instead of the Judge Riddel Boys Ranch.

Sorry, can’t afford the elephants. Just Google photos. And close the public library. Just Google a subject. Let it all come from businesses or donations.

No self-respecting zoo can call itself a real zoo if it does not have elephants.

There was never a doubt in my mind that the elephant money would not be approved. The city and county both should adopt a new motto: “I never met a dollar I wouldn’t spend immediately.”

KU’s football team continues to lose in dramatic fashion. And deservedly so. It had a great coach and fired him because he was tough on the players. Then it hired a coach who could not win at Notre Dame even with all the talent available there. Go figure.

Do you Kansas football fans remember when you wanted Mark Mangino dismissed? You won. And then we all really, really lost.

This story was originally published September 18, 2014 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Opinion Line Extra (Sept. 19)."