Opinion Line (Jan. 5)

Is it a surprise the area surrounding the downtown arena hasn’t developed? How can businesses grow in a costly building area where business only blooms when acts are booked occasionally or during hockey season? We need destination activities other than Gander Mountain, conventions and distant Old Town frivolity.

The problem isn’t with any speed limit. The problem isn’t the 5 percent going 80 mph nor the 90 percent going 75 mph. The problem is the self-righteous 5 percent who insist on going “the speed limit” to feel morally superior to the 95 percent flowing with traffic.

OK, drivers – the holidays are over, and you can slow down a bit. All of you can go back to your half-fast style of driving.

Wichita drivers are always in a hurry – tailgating, turning into the far lane and gunning around you, or running red lights. I’ve noticed they are often waiting for the light to turn when I get to the next stoplight. Hey, Bud, what’s your hurry?

Riding my bumper isn’t going to make me drive any faster. I’m not going to speed so you can. Leave the house sooner.

It is ridiculous for hospitals to use an ER call-in app to reduce your wait time. These apps do nothing but make people expect more than they deserve. I’d hope my child would never have to wait while others go ahead with a minor problem because they called ahead.

There have been a lot of opinions lately about how “safe” and “beneficial” GMOs are. For those of you who believe that, I own a bridge back east that I would like to sell, and I could make you a really good deal on it.

All of our foods have been genetically modified by evolving since the beginning of time.

Sitting on your fat butt in a warm, cozy house munching on chips containing GMO corn and trying to prevent the rest of the world from using fossil fuels and GMO foods sounds good. How many starving people in underdeveloped countries would trade places with you in a heartbeat?

While recently attending a funeral of a former Boeing Wichita colleague, I noticed the audience composed of so many talented former Boeing employees who were tossed aside with layoffs. What a loss to the industry, the city and the state.

Are state child-welfare officials monitoring the use of all these children on commercials to make sure that all child-labor laws are being followed? Better yet, stop using these screaming kids on commercials.

This story was originally published January 4, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Opinion Line (Jan. 5)."