Opinion Line (Aug. 2)

Another break? How much of the year does Congress actually work?

Legalization of pot and alternative lifestyle, the array of presidential candidates – all these events foretell the coming of the Rapture.

If you wonder what the term “picking winners and losers” means, just watch Sedgwick County Commissioners Richard Ranzau, Karl Peterjohn and Jim Howell.

If Ranzau thinks there are thousands of people out there who support a smaller budget, why weren’t more than a couple of them at the meeting?

City-county squabbling does nothing but discourage investment by businesses that might want to locate here or expand present operations. It creates uncertainty about the future, which is never an incentive for investment.

Those who live within their means know that creating a budget means understanding the difference between wants and needs.

Ben Carson recently stated that borrowing money and giving it to foreign countries doesn’t make sense. Does borrowing money to maintain roads and other infrastructure of the county while giving money away to nonprofit organizations without oversight make any more sense?

Everything it takes to control and teach a classroom full of kids can be learned in two or three college courses. It’s not that difficult. Nontraditional teachers in Kansas can become proficient rather quickly.

It has been suggested that our heroic governor run for higher political office. He’s got the running part down.

Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director missed an obvious item to cut. The salary of the governor, his staff and the Legislature could all be cut or eliminated until they address the real problem – the huge revenue giveaway.

Isn’t it interesting that Brownback is using federal money, more than $17 million, to plug the hole he dug? Now he should take federal money to expand Medicaid. Oh, well – at least we know the sun is shining in Kansas and it’s Obama smiling on us.

With an unintelligent president trying to dodge a failed presidency and a political situation that almost guarantees votes along party lines, these are dangerous times. We have three branches of government that can all create laws. Does that seem right?

Persons angry at the dentist who killed a favorite African lion have a right to be angry. But where are the media and persons outraged even more over Planned Parenthood’s selling of baby body parts?

A body camera prevented a police officer from lying and getting away with murder in Cincinnati. All Kansans who choose to carry guns should be required to have body cameras as well.

Samuel DuBose was not unarmed. He possessed a deadly weapon called a car. Plus, he used it.

Phone solicitors: If you leave no message, your call was obviously not important enough to disturb a nap/dinner/TV program. If your reason for calling is legitimate, leave a message stating your business and how to reach you. Or does that leave too easy a trail for the attorney general?

This story was originally published August 1, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Opinion Line (Aug. 2)."