Letters to the editor

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Aug 21, 2008

Who's campaigning?

I'm sorry, but I couldn't let Donavene Liggett's selective outrage go unchallenged. In her Aug. 11 letter to the editor, "Who Obama really is," Ms. Liggett bemoans Barack Obama's "ego trip" abroad.

Amidst a flurry of charges, she expresses her clairvoyance. Somehow, she knows that Sen. Obama doesn't care for people who are suffering economically. She also has seen a lot of presidential campaigns in her lifetime, but, she claims, "This is the first I've seen taken to other countries."

Actually, Ms. Liggett, this is the second you've seen this year. Since becoming the presumptive GOP nominee in February, Sen. John McCain has taken three trips abroad, the first a mere four weeks after clinching the nomination. He mixed television interviews with photo-ops at such politically valuable locales as Jerusalem's Wailing Wall and Mexico City's Basilica of Guadalupe. Aside from these stops, he has traveled to Colombia, Canada, London, Paris, Jordan and Iraq -- all at taxpayers' expense.

While John McCain's staff and citizens like you complain that Sen. Obama appeared to campaign in foreign countries, Sen. McCain actually did just that. While in London, the Arizona senator hosted a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser.

While I never heard Sen. Obama say anything negative about his opponent while abroad, in Canada, McCain criticized Obama's free- trade positions. In Latin America, the flip-flopper called his opponent a flip-flopper. Is it just me, or does this sound like campaigning?

KEITH ARMSTRONG,Topeka

Ignoring the effort

I admit to being somewhat uninformed when I discovered on Aug. 5 that there were actually two Democratic Party candidates for senator from Kansas. My excuse: My job has kept me out of town for several weeks. Of course, I am not a member of the Democratic Party, so I hadn't really paid that much attention to the primary election.

I wonder what excuse Sen. Pat Roberts has for ignoring a fellow citizen running for office and running against Jim Slattery before Mr. Slattery was the Democratic nominee? I wonder what excuse can be made for disrespecting the election process, a fellow constituent and the entire Kansas electorate by a sitting senator?

Sen. Roberts owes all Kansans an apology for behavior unbecoming a U.S. senator. He owes Lee Jones an apology for the personal insult of dismissing his efforts out of hand.

LESLIE KENDALL,Topeka

Leave it to them

I wonder how much it cost the taxpayers when President Bush flew on Air Force One to the Olympics.

While we are on the subject, a Vietnam vet says that if we got all of our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, we could let these people blow themselves up, and that way they wouldn't be killing any of our troops. They could kill each other for the next five or 10 years.

RICHARD COX,Topeka

A vital service

Wake up, fellow citizens. We are about to forfeit a vital asset that we can't afford to lose. Topeka Transit, in particular the Lift, is in danger of becoming extinct because of a lack of support and funding from the powers that be.

The Lift services the disabled population in our community. It costs $2.50 for every ride. This sounds like a lot of money, but it doesn't even cover the price of fuel for the small fleet of buses. There are drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, schedulers and many other behind-the-scenes personnel who keep the buses going. Each one of these people works hard to ensure that the riders get to work, to their doctor appointments or to TPAC for a concert on time.

Let's consider this scenario: You suddenly become blind or become paralyzed, unable to drive a motor vehicle and without a friend or family member who has the time or finances to drive you where you need to go every day. How do you remain independent? If the community is fortunate enough to have a para-transit system, you are in luck. You will be able to maintain an independent lifestyle.

If there isn't a para-transit system in your community, be prepared to spend a fortune on taxis. If the taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle, you will spend at least $40 to get there and back.

We have an awesome para-transit system in Topeka. We must let our elected officials know how important it is to us. The Lift must be funded in order for it to be a viable resource for those who need it.

Think about it. You or someone you love may need to use it sometime.

CINDY F. COOPER,Topeka

Park it anywhere

It has come to my attention that if your vehicle is operable and legal, you have the right to park on any city street.

That's correct. The street in front of your home that you thought was for your personal convenience is not yours alone. Friends or relatives, instead of blocking your private driveway, can park along the city curbs wherever. These spots belong to anyone from anywhere, even another state or outside our country. Your property taxes do pay for the upkeep of the street directly in front of you but it belongs to everyone. Isn't that nice to know?

All can park a few blocks away from their residence, perhaps in a safer area, knowing it's perfectly legal. Maybe you'll find a shadier place across or down the street. Maybe a neighbor has a fenced in area with guard dogs that would also guard your vehicle while there.