LETTERS 05/05/08

Kansas Citians are truly blessed to have so many wonderful theater companies in their city. That one company would, on such short notice, help another says a lot about the community spirit of Kansas City theater.

Leaving the performance, the crowd was abuzz about “The Musical of Musicals.” Kent Barnhart’s generosity deservedly garnered some new fans for Quality Hill Playhouse, and he has the Rep’s sincerest respect and gratitude.

Lili Shank

Fairway

Myra Siegel

Kansas City

Recently, my granddaughter and I took Amtrak to St. Louis for a family event. It’s a darned good thing we weren’t in a big hurry.

By the grace of God and the tender mercies of the Union Pacific, it only took us six hours and 35 minutes to get from Independence to Kirkwood. We arrived an hour and 40 minutes late. By my calculation, we averaged a ballast-scorching 38 miles per hour between our state’s two major metropolitan areas.

I would suspect that 60 years ago someone would have found themselves called on the division superintendent’s carpet for taking the currently scheduled time of four hours and 47 minutes with one of the Missouri Pacific’s Eagles. The consequences of the time it took us would have been too terrible to contemplate.

If gasoline approaching $4 a gallon is a problem, the passenger rail service is not a very good solution.

Ross Warnell

Liberty

John McCain’s rise to the top as the Republican presidential candidate was accomplished by his loyalty to President Bush’s important issues: permanent tax cuts; balanced immigration reform; winning the war against terrorists; right to life; rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina; preparing for future devastating disasters; and energy programs.

John McCain should not now distance himself from this president who, in my opinion, is right up there with Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan in honesty and courage. In spite of his opponents’ determination to upstage his presidency, he has been able to keep the economy going with tax cuts, replace two rogue governments and keep Americans safe here at home.

To win in November, McCain must stick with a proven winner.

James F. Westhues

Overland Park

I am actually surprised by the audacity of the Republican Party, my former party.

In 2000, they pushed W on us while destroying any competition with lies and half truths.

In 2004, they continued to promote a reckless, destructive agenda while destroying any competition with lies and half truths.

Now, in 2008, they are promoting the same agenda but with a different face, while establishing a new record deficit daily.

The American people deserve an apology from the Republican Party. To show their sincerity, party leaders should announce that since they don’t have the wisdom to choose a national leader who cares about all Americans, they will abstain from nominating any candidate for president.

John McCain claims everything is fine. Just stop and look at the millions of Americans who are just getting by. To think that so many voters will still check the Republican box is beyond comprehension.

Our economy will not improve all by itself. We need national leaders who can identify the problems and get America employed and functioning again, not another closed-eye career politician.

Paul Yeager

Lenexa

In these times of $4-a-gallon gasoline, carbon emissions and everyone seemingly in favor of saving the environment, why can’t Overland Park and Leawood learn to program the stoplight patterns to keep traffic moving?