Opinion Line (April 24)

You know why Kansas is in a financial crisis? Ask any of us who have to work for a living and pay taxes. This state encourages individuals to go on disability and welfare and receive handouts, etc. And the cycle just perpetuates itself.

What is the difference between Brownback and his cronies sweeping money from the state’s transportation, education and pension funds to keep their rich pals from paying taxes, and the Mafia taking money from union pension funds for their pals? Jail time.

Mike Pompeo should definitely run for Senate. Jerry Moran has had 30 years in politics to fix the system, and hasn’t even tried. Time to give someone else a chance. With our country in such distress, we need to have a strong leader in the Senate.

A year from now, after President Hillary Clinton announces her nominee for the Supreme Court, Sens. Moran and Roberts are going to really regret not approving Obama’s nominee.

As a registered independent, I find it sad that so many Republicans are mistaking loudness for strength, narcissistic bragging for accomplishment and shallow slogans for knowledge. The Democrats have their own terrible candidates, but I expected more of the Republicans.

I will grant that there are some well-meaning, albeit delusional, individuals in the Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter and open borders movements. But these are anarchist movements against private property, the rule of law and state sovereignty. Be careful what you “Bern” for.

I have spent thousands of dollars at Target over the years, and they just lost my business. I hope their corporate decision was worth it.

To relieve the concerns of Wichita shoppers, I volunteer to stand outside the restroom of your choice and check the genitals of each person wishing to use said restroom, including children and adolescents. Feel better now?

Picture the fine, upstanding citizens of our fair city who frequent pornography establishments. Now picture these same citizens spontaneously “self-identifying” as female and following your 15-year-old daughter into the ladies’ locker room at the gym. You think it won’t happen?

Many of my neighbors in the College Hill neighborhood are fighting wealth addiction, which is why they have such trouble with other people’s addictions (“College Hill residents voice concerns about recovery house,” April 20 Eagle).

Why is the Wichita City Council spending money that is badly needed for infrastructure repairs on improvements for bicyclists, when not even 1 percent of those bicyclists obey traffic laws?

Why would e-cigarettes be allowed in county buildings but regular cigarettes be banned? Smoking is smoking, even if proponents say e-cigarettes are “safe.” Rubbish.

Allowing vaping on county property is ridiculous. I have asthma and I don’t want any water vapors or smoke blown in my direction.

This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Opinion Line (April 24)."