Opinion Line (Aug. 14)

Are the egos of Kansas Republicans so large that they’d rather accept unchecked gun violence and unfathomable financial disaster for their state (all created by their governor and his Legislature) rather than admit there have to be some sensible alternatives?

It is interesting that the same people (including The Eagle editorial board) who criticize Brownback and the Legislature for taking money from road projects to balance the budget were suggesting that Sedgwick County commissioners do the same to fund social programs to balance the budget.

You have to wonder if any of our three “cash only” county commissioners has a mortgage, a car loan or a credit card.

The county budget machinations by Commissioner Dave Unruh revealed he is not conservative but really a RINO with few, if any, conservative values like safeguarding taxpayers’ money. He has the option of personally contributing to the funding of many community programs such as Exploration Place.

If some company had created the Colorado river spill, the EPA would have fined it out of business. Instead, all we get from those responsible is, “Oops.” Heads should roll.

The spill of toxic waste from the Colorado mine is the sole responsibility of the EPA. The EPA budget should be cut by the same amount as it would have fined a private enterprise.

The invisible hand is the one picking your pocket, not the government.

Don’t blame our president for the racial divide in this nation. Look to those who have been hating him irrationally and unrelentingly for six years just because of who he is.

Bernie Sanders can’t even keep control of the podium when a dissident group takes it over. It would be even worse if he tried to deal with unfriendly foreign leaders or negotiate anything. He won’t get my vote.

I’m from New York, and in the few days I’ve been here you’ve had deadly shootings on Lorraine and Minnesota and at a dorm, plus gun violence at a Kia dealership, an AT&T store and in an 88-year-old man’s home. Wake up: You people have a serious gun problem.

Making guns more easily accessible to cut down on crime is kind of like placing more cars on the public roads to cut down on traffic deaths.

Oil hits six-year low. Wichita gas prices rise. Must be the free market self-correcting again.

Is there a bona fide financial or public policy reason for why none of our major streets in downtown Wichita has synchronized traffic signals? What a waste of time, energy and money.

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Opinion Line (Aug. 14)."