Republicans can do whatever they want in Jeff City. Don’t let them gut Missouri schools

Cuts too deep

The Missouri Senate has taken the first step toward cutting individual income taxes in the current special session of the General Assembly, as Republican Gov. Mike Parson requested. It now goes to the Missouri House.

It’s great to go back to your constituents and say, “I cut your taxes.” The problem is, Republican lawmakers forget to add, “and I’ve gutted school budgets, too.”

Most of the state budget pays for education and services such as health care. And these departments have been running near empty. You can’t just keep cutting public education and think our kids will end up job-ready after high school.

Right now, Republicans can do pretty much whatever they want in Jefferson City. But I want them to do right by our kids and vote against these tax cuts that would hurt our schools.

I hope that the special session ends without giving politicians a political win while undermining our future.

- Helena Webb, Ballwin, Missouri

Ongoing threat

When a political party fails to trust or support the integrity of the electoral system, it is deliberately rejecting one of the key norms that make democracy work

But that is exactly what the MAGA Republicans are doing since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, even though every recount and fact check proved the Electoral College was accurate. The outcome was clear, and its acceptance is necessary for a democratic form of government to survive.

Yet with our midterm elections only weeks away, in a Washington Post poll of Republicans and Democrats running for Senate or governor, 12 of 19 Republican candidates in competitive states said they would not promise to accept the election’s results.

And what was obvious, if not specifically spoken, was that, like Trump, they would not promise to accept an outcome where they lost.

Simply put, if this is where the Republican Party is today, it is a clear message that American politics as practiced and honored over our lifetimes are seriously at risk.

The Jan. 6, 2021, effort to overturn the legitimate voice of American voters is not finished. Only the first attempt failed.

- Harold J. Schultz, Kansas City

The real record

My opponent for Platte County presiding commissioner is determined to define me as a far-right extremist and an election-denying racist, but I’ll continue to focus on my track record and my positive message. (Sept. 21, 14A, Letters)

My top priority for the county is to make sure that our law enforcement agents have the tools and resources they need to keep Platte County residents safe.

My commitment to public service is evidenced by the fact that I’ve been appointed to and served on three different county boards and one committee.

And as the owner of a small real estate investment business for the past 20-plus years, I have the experience necessary to understand the county’s complex budgets, build alliances and solve challenging problems.

I knock on doors, walk in parades and meet with Platte County residents every day. I speak at public events and I attend commission sessions. And you can find me every Friday morning until the election from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Fitti’s Espresso (adjacent to LC’s Hamburgers in Platte Woods). Come on by and let’s talk.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to stay focused on my positive message and to connect with as many voters as possible between now and the election.

- Scott Fricker, Parkville

Who decides

I have a simple suggestion to all the legislatures trying to decide how to best handle whether to permit abortions, and if so under what circumstances: Pass a bill making this an issue to be decided by female voters only.

I strongly suspect it would pass overwhelmingly in every state.

- Don Lysaught, Shawnee

A bad trade

Doesn’t it make your stomach churn to consider that we ousted Claire McCaskill from the U.S. Senate and replaced her with Josh Hawley? It does mine.

- Brian Casey, Kansas City