Opinion Line Extra (June 9)

Furloughs are what happen when our leaders and courts allow taxpayer-funded budgets to exceed the taxpayers’ ability and willingness to pay.

I did not realize how the Kansas Legislature had ignored technology until, watching the local news on TV, I saw a live elevator operator at the Capitol – the first one of those I’ve seen in 40 to 50 years. Would the state consider this position to be essential at furlough time?

Really want to know what’s wrong with Kansas? Look in the mirror. You know who you are. You have decimated our state. You voted for these legislators to get paid overtime to fix problems they created. Yes, you created this problem, by following a bankrupt Republican ideology.

For the past seven years, the only thing the Republicans have focused on is blocking Obama. Judging from the ineffective way our Legislature has tried to fix the problems in Topeka, they appear to have forgotten what it means to govern. The same goes for our U.S. Congress.

You’ve got to laugh at all the video of predetermined and prepared places that Hillary Clinton visits, and she fakes an expression of surprise that there are people there.

Liberal reporters who claim to know everything didn’t even recognize Marcus Luttrell of “Lone Survivor” fame standing beside Rick Perry at his presidential announcement. Sadly, if he had been transgender they’d have known him.

Cal Thomas derides the three declared Democratic candidates for president (June 3 Opinion). How laughable. When will he open his eyes to reality and admit that all the candidates in his beloved GOP are nothing but a bunch of cranky malcontents and smug moralizers?

I feel sorry for Obama spokesman Josh Earnest. He sounds like an doctoral grad from the Baghdad Bob School of Journalism.

It’s funny how these conservative “Christian” crusaders have tried to force their strict moral code upon everyone in America, yet have a separate set of rules for themselves.

It’s not a matter of which religion trumps another; it’s a matter of religion trumping the state. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It’s really quite simple.

The media tell us about the total cost of state legislators in terms of salary, car allowance, etc. Tell us about the total compensation for county commissioners and City Council members.

Our newspaper won’t give us a real comic strip like “Doonesbury,” but I guess locally it’s appropriate we have “Pearls Before Swine.”

Regarding the tragic death of Tanya Tandoc: I will not only miss her at Tanya’s Soup Kitchen but will also miss her reviews of local eateries on KMUW, 89.1 FM, which were always done with love and enthusiasm. My heart breaks for her family, co-workers and friends.

This story was originally published June 7, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Opinion Line Extra (June 9)."