Unfettered Letters

Proposition C

Some of the assumptions in an Aug. 20 letter on the Proposition C vote in Missouri are incorrect and, thus, misleading. The writer correctly states that 70 percent of Missouri voters approved the measure, and then goes on to say seven out of 10 people in Missouri disagree with the health care plan.

The population of the state of Missouri is about 5,900,000. Only 669,000 residents actually voted (a shame in itself). Therefore, that 70 percent is actually less than 12 percent of the Missouri population.

This, coupled with the fact that there was a large Republican turnout because of primaries and the Prop C naysayers, makes the vote not only invalid but serves to make Missouri look pretty dumb to the rest of the country.

Figures lie, and liars figure. We should not let incorrect numbers stand as facts.

Judy Sherry
Kansas City

Health care reform

The Star’s Aug. 18 editorial, “Without individual mandate, it isn’t reform,” on individual mandates for health insurance, is correct in many matters. Guaranteed “insurance” can’t work without a mandate that everyone must purchase it.

Where the editorial board got it wrong is the last paragraph. This description is not insurance. Insurance must have three characteristics:

•The event being insured against must be relatively rare.
•The event being insured against must be relatively expensive.
•The premium being paid must be commensurate with the risk.

Going to the doctor is not a rare or expensive event, and should not be “insured.” It encourages overuse. When you charge premiums that are not commensurate with risk, it is not insurance. It is a taxation (redistribution) system being forced on the people through private enterprise.

What this program actually comes down to is forcing younger and healthier people to pay for the costs of the older and less healthy, whether they think it’s an appropriate use of their money or not. Taking money from people against their will and giving it to other people, or using it to pay for other people’s rightful expenses is theft, not insurance. That’s why this program will fail.

Rich Reese
Lenexa

Driver education

Perhaps a recent letter writer has forgotten lessons learned in driver’s education classes. Perhaps he has failed to see longstanding signs that read, “Slower traffic keep right.” Perhaps he dislikes having to move to the right to allow emergency vehicles to pass.

In any event, one reason for such congestion and improper lane changing is the lack of knowledge or respect for keeping right, except to pass. The left lane on restricted access highways is for passing. Pass, then move back to the right.

The “risk from blind spots” is also addressed in the driver’s manual. Look over the shoulder. The risk from huge semis (is there a small semi?) “kicking up windshield-destroying rocks” must be unique and overwhelming for the letter writer. I have had this happen once in more than 15 years of driving.

Perhaps the writer’s fears could best be channeled into energy as an advocate for light rail, thereby reducing or eliminating his worries of needing to keep right.

David Thompson
Independence

Bush tax cut

Demonstrating a lack of knowledge of economic history, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich in an Aug. 14 column, “Scrap the Bush tax cut for the very wealthy,” says that President George W. Bush’s top marginal tax rate cut should be allowed to expire at year’s end to help pay down the deficit. However, many economists believe that reducing tax rates on the “wealthy” brings corresponding economic growth, which leads them to pay more taxes and increases Treasury revenues.

Punishing the wealthy with higher taxes hurts mostly the middle class and poor because the economy slows. The wealthy already pay most of the taxes, and they own the businesses that hire people.

Unless they put their money in a private safe, it goes back into the economy through savings, investments and purchases. This creates wealth. It is wealth creation and not government spending that brings actual job creation.

As President John F. Kennedy said, “Rising tide lifts all boats.”

Mark S. Robertson
Independence

Good neighbors?

I object to the view that brushes off the wishes and concerns of those who object to the proposed construction of a modern office building on the ground that “Highwoods owns it.” That is why there is zoning.

Those of us who own homes near the Country Club Plaza have always felt there has been a mutual benefit. We shop there and dine there, enjoying the ambience of this beautiful, vibrant district. It is clearly the defining image of Kansas City.

Accordingly, the Plaza’s owners enjoy the surrounding framework of beautiful and unique homes, which have been lovingly — and at an ungodly cost — maintained and restored.

We homeowners abide by our zoning rules to maintain the historical significance of our properties. Highwoods should be required to do the same.

Karen L. Shelor
Westwood Hills

Oil addiction

While running for office, Barack Obama promised that he would get us off OPEC oil within 10 years. Two years are gone, and we still don’t have a plan. In fact, there is some evidence that we’re going in the wrong direction. In July 2010, we imported 388 million barrels of oil. That’s the single largest import month since President Obama was inaugurated.

The Natural Gas Act will create jobs, clean up the environment and improve our national security by providing tax incentives to organizations that operate fleets of vehicles running on domestic natural gas.

Election Day will soon be here. Those who are running for office need to take a look at this legislation and make promises to reduce our need for OPEC oil a central part of their campaigns.

Fred Roll
Lecompton, Kan.

KC schools improve?

The Star’s series “Saving 17,000 Kids” about the Kansas City School District covered what Superintendent John Covington and his people have done. There were references of priority given to the needs of adults over the children and accounts of phantom workers, no-bid contracts, favoritism, nepotism, patronage jobs and graft.

For years no one did or said anything about this. Even now, when change has come, there is no word of grand juries, arrests, civil suits or other steps to recoup some of the millions of dollars that have been squandered, if not stolen.

Then we are told that next year the school board will seek an additional tax. What is to prevent another board from firing Covington and replacing him with someone more malleable? Will the same old rodeo start over again?

If you want the community to believe that this change is not only real but permanent, heads need to roll.

Right now, there is no way that I could support a tax for the school board to fritter away. But show me some indictments, and I’ll knock on every door in my ZIP code begging people to vote for it.

James B. Jackson
Kansas City

Westport football

I have been the wife of a football coach for almost 52 years. They have been good years, not always perfect, but filled with the joy of having young men as a part of our lives.

This year is one of the imperfect times. Westport High School was closed, and with the closing came the reality that there would be no football for Westport students. The need to close Westport High School is understandable, as is combining Westport with Southwest. But to deny the Westport students a football team this year is simply wrong.

At a recent school board meeting district officials gave the reason for not having football at Southwest: safety concerns about spinal cord injuries. If this is true, football should not be allowed at the other high schools.

We are sending a signal to Westport students that they are different and cannot have what the other schools have. Westport students deserve the same privileges.

Claudine Stanley
Kansas City

Bush tax cuts for rich

I grow increasingly frustrated hearing the Republican legislators and pundits whine that if the George W. Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire for the wealthy — defined as joint filers with taxable income of over $250,000 — then thousands of jobs will be lost. The mantra is that unemployment will increase because the increase hits small businesses, which create jobs.

This claim is both unprovable and illogical. Keep in mind that taxable income is adjusted gross minus your exemptions and deductions, so $250,000 may be $300,000 in adjusted gross income. At that level of income, the effect would be an additional $30 in federal income tax for every $1,000 of additional income — an amount that is not likely to affect anybody’s purchasing decisions.

But most importantly, an employer does not pay taxes on the money spent on employee salaries and benefits, so the tax rate you pay on what’s left is irrelevant to a decision whether to hire someone.

Any businessman who would decide not to hire someone because he would have to pay an extra 3 percent to 3.6 percent on his taxable income isn’t smart enough to be successful anyway.

David P. Troup
Manhattan, Kan.

Clean fuels needed

I commend a recent letter writer on his switch to an all-electric form of transportation. However, isn’t that just trading one fossil fuel for another?

The last time I checked, a good portion of this country’s electricity was being generated mostly by coal and nuclear plants. It is my opinion that our country needs to start taking bigger steps toward the use of other renewable energy sources — wind, solar and bio-fuels to name a few.

Only then will we truly be able to end our addiction to oil.

Scott Toepfer
Shawnee