Unfettered Letters

New JoCo courthouse would uproot theater

I own and operate the Chestnut Fine Arts Center, a professional theater located on the proposed site for the new Johnson County courthouse.

I opened the Chestnut more than 10 years ago with the understanding that my property was situated in a protected area. In 2003, the city of Olathe announced a 30-year plan called “Envision Olathe,” a revitalization plan and a “tool to guide long-term decision-making to realize a shared future.” I was excited to be a part of the revitalization and thought the Chestnut was an asset and a perfect match to the long-term city plan.

The Chestnut is one of the few thriving businesses in downtown Olathe, with more than 13,000 patrons visiting our facility each year. We have more than 700 season ticket members, and 95 percent of our performances are sold out.

We are happy to provide entertainment and education in an area that has minimal opportunities, and we would like to remain in our location for many years to come.

Brad Zimmerman
Executive director, Chestnut Fine Arts Center
Olathe

JoCo should make do with courthouse

When this Olathe native reads that the Johnson County commissioners are ready to dump the existing courthouse (3/10, Local), which is barely five years older than Barbie, for a newer model that will cost considerably more, I’m reminded of the saying that was popular on the home front during World War II: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!”

Now the county’s fearless leaders confidently contend that this postwar beauty is essentially used up and worn out and can no longer handle the crowd (hey, even Barbie needs her space), and therefore must be abandoned. But given the warlike struggle for economic survival we currently face, I say, “Make it do or do without!”

Rick Nichols
Leavenworth

Time to vote out JoCo commissioners

I wonder how many people caught Johnson County Commissioner Ed Eilert’s nonchalant comment about raising our property tax 15 to 17 percent to pay for a new courthouse that most people never use (3/10, Local, “Johnson County takes early step to replace courthouse in Olathe”).
That’s another 15 percent on top of our already too-high rate based on falsely inflated home values that are mostly currently in decline. This is after threatening us with property tax increases if we did not pass the jail tax in November.
Does the average person realize that our commissioners make $50,000 a year for a part-time job? These people are like Congress — once they get voted in, they stay forever and spend our money.
They work for us, although they do not act like it, and it is time to vote them out in the next election.
If they need more space, there must be dozens of places available to rent for some of their offices.
Bruce Payne
Gardner

Kline deserves respect

The media’s perennial assault campaign against Phill Kline as he has dealt with the George Tiller abortion clinic is just an example of the tactics used to divert our attention from the real issue of abortion. We are a country that has legalized murder through a Supreme Court ruling and has further facilitated the slaughter of unborn children through the many laws passed to protect a woman’s “rights.”

Some of these lawmakers and Supreme Court judges who have ruled in favor of abortion have since died, and now they know who is the only author of moral law and our true judge.

If we really accepted God’s laws as the standards for those we enact, Kline would not be the whipping boy the media has made him. In fact, he would most likely get the respect he truly deserves. You see, he understands law as few in his profession do.

Ed Cronin
Shawnee

JoCo property valuations

Finn Bullers’ article “Johnson County delays raises” (12/19, Local) speaks a lot for hard economic times for the county.

But I must take issue with the appraiser Paul Welcome when he said property valuations were at historic lows. My annual notice of valuation from his office for 2008 does not reflect “historic lows.” In fact, it reflects an $800 increase.

I am certain that my home is not the only Johnson County property that reflects an increase. Are we making up for all those property lots that are worth nothing?

Bill Mace
Overland Park

Phill Kline doing his job

My ire has arisen as a result of seemingly endless Star articles designed to humiliate Phill Kline or create the idea that he is a loose cannon or a buffoon. His record as Kansas attorney general and Johnson County district attorney refute that to anyone who has taken the trouble to learn the facts. Kline has done one thing. He has tried to enforce definite existing laws, and nothing more. (My, my, why in the world would an attorney general do that?)

Other Kansas AGs deserve more criticism than Kline, but The Star is strangely silent. His successor, Paul Morrison, resigned in disgrace because of sexual harassment.

The Kansas Supreme Court got into the act by criticizing Kline because of the way he has kept copies of evidence in his suit against Planned Parenthood and Dr. George Tiller. If Kline had not kept those copies, that evidence would have disappeared long ago.

The court seems more interested in procedure than justice. It has been said many times that justice delayed is not justice served.

Thomas F. Loftus
Fairway

Local laughingstocks aren’t really funny

Sitting on the left side of state line, I was feeling a little smug about the fact that Mark Funkhouser was “their” problem, until I remembered that we had our own, Phill Kline. We locals don’t have to tune into Comedy Central to get our political jokes. Our jokes live among us.

These two have repeatedly demonstrated their contempt for the rule of law. That they hold political positions of substance is no laughing matter.

Mike Thompson
Leawood

GOP loyalty committee

Loyalty committee. Loyalty plank. Voting prohibition. Shades of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Except it’s not 1950. It’s 2008, and that’s what the Johnson County Republican party leadership believes in. State chairman Kris Kobach said it was one of his goals to keep party officers “from endorsing or giving money to Democrats” (11/18, Local, “GOP restricts members who gave to Democrats”).

According to the article, the loyalty committee reviewed 17 precinct leaders and determined that they didn’t kowtow to the party line. They contributed to various Democratic candidates, for various listed reasons.

Other than the obvious, that the state Republican party took the time and effort to investigate each party officer’s spending, doesn’t it bother anyone that this item was even approved? I could say that the members got bit by something they obviously knew of and approved, but that would be petty.

Why just restrict those who contributed to Democrats? What about those who might have helped a Libertarian? Or a Green Party candidate? There’s the Independent Party, the Reform Party and the Constitution Party.

The Republicans could have commanded, er, told their membership, “Support Republicans and no one else, or you’ll never vote again, at least not for the party leadership.”

Lane Sekavec
De Soto

A singular defeat in JoCo

In two distinct elections this season, the primary and the general, Johnson County voters have spoken clearly and with conviction. They have totally repudiated the single-issue philosophy by soundly defeating Phill Kline, Tim Golba, Kris Kobach and their coalition of zealots.

Kline was routed in the primary by Steve Howe, who won the general election as well. And the ballot Question 1 — election of judges — initiated and supported by Mr. Golba in order to get Kline elected to a judgeship, was soundly sunk. The defeat gave Kobach and the Johnson County Republicans a stout refusal.

It’s not that Johnson Countians are so dead set against what they want. It’s that they are so myopic that one single issue drives their entire agenda to the exclusion of all else. You cannot govern that way.

Mr. Golba has promised that we have not heard the last of this, either from him or from his followers. Perhaps not. But we have heard the last of this particular strategy for a good long while, at least in Johnson County. However, other Kansas counties should be on the lookout.

Reggie Marselus
Lenexa

Thanks from early JoCo voters

I apprehensively drove to the Northeast Johnson County Election Office at 6000 Lamar on the first day advance voting was available, bracing myself for a lengthy wait in line. Since the parking lot was full, I drove around several times to find a spot. I walked in the front door and looked to my right to see a roomful of folks taking advantage of their right to vote.

I want to thank those responsible for the smooth and efficient system that allowed those who entered to be moved from table to table, filling out forms quickly and having questions answered politely. In no time, I was at the voting machine casting my ballot.

Kudos to those responsible for the hassle-free operation at this polling location. During this lengthy negative campaign, it was refreshing to be a part of such a positive experience.

Marianne Weber
Roeland Park

I want to personally thank all the volunteers who worked the polls during advance voting in Kansas. I found the people at 95th and Metcalf to be friendly, helpful and quick at accurately answering questions to keep the lines moving. They must have been exhausted at the end of the day with the enormous lines they handled.

Advance voting is a privilege, and I appreciate their hard work and efforts to make it happen.

Roberta Newth
Leawood