Dear editor,

As long as there are those who would take a stick and stir up a hornet’s nest, we will always have wars and rumors of wars.

No denomination or religion has “all” the truth. The truth is like a cut diamond, with many facets, but still a diamond. 

If people could see that, we would have a more peaceful world.

Rather, some are determined to “have it all,” whether it’s money or truth.

Only one person claimed to be the truth and the light, and it’s not us poor, ignorant mortals who love the attention of controversy as illustrated by those who made the film to stir up the Muslims and cause the death of our ambassador to Libya. 

Sincerely,

Jim Brownrigg,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

If you care about your grandmother’s life and health care in the future — vote for Obama.

If you care about your neighbor being able to keep his job and not losing it to communist China — vote for Obama.

If you care about America — vote for Obama.

This Republican is going to vote for Obama, not because I like him, but because America needs him now more than ever.

The Republican Party is filled with terrorists that are going to destroy America. They have been at it for 40 years!

It is more important to stop these terrorists now.

I live in an area of people who will vote Republican, right or wrong, because Grandpa was a Republican, Papa and Mama, too, so they always vote Republican, no matter what.

In my family, we vote for the person, not the party, even though we were listed as Republicans. We have been known to vote Republican in the primary, then by November, vote for the Democrat because the Democrat was a better choice.

This time around, my family is voting for Obama, to save America.

Thank you,

B. Curry,

Kincaid, Kan.

Dear editor,

The citizens of the county that want the ambulance to be run by the county had better be talking to their county commissioners, old and new ones.

Thank you,

Chuck Richey,

Iola, Kan.

Here’s an opportunity that pro-active citizens should seize.

The Kansas Department of Transportation will hold eight meetings across the state to discuss road projects and solicit comments about the way transportation dollars are being spent.

The closest will be in Chanute on Oct. 3.

Those who think that transportation dollars should be spent on transportation projects should attend and say so. 

The last grab of KDOT dollars for non-transportation purposes was made by the Legislature, and agreed to by Gov. Sam Brownback, just a few weeks ago. Then, as I recall, about $6 million was snitched from KDOT to spend on another phase of the remodeling of the state capitol building.

That was just a drop in a bucketful of dollars lawmakers have taken from money raised through the tax on highway fuels and dedicated sales tax revenue for KDOT over the past four years.

Taking tax money Kansans, in their innocence, thought they were paying to build and maintain bridges, highways and airports and spending it as general fund money is cheating.

KDOT’s executives know it is cheating but can’t say so because they are hired by the administration and paid by the Legislature. So it will help them a lot if a bunch of voters/citizens attend these public meetings and go on record as telling the Legislature and the governor to stop using KDOT money as a slush fund they can tap for whatever purpose.

Stay tuned. The time and place will be announced when available. 

— Emerson Lynn

Thursday the Federal Reserve said it would begin buying $40 billion worth of mortgage secured bonds each month until the unemployment rate fell and the economy showed a more vigorous recovery. At the news the stock market soared back to 2007 levels.

Stock market rises are fueled by people with money; that top 1 percent that both President Obama and candidate Mitt Romney represent. (Romney in spades.)  

The Dow Jones Index has been rising all year. It is reasonable to suppose that rich people are buying stocks because they believe the economy is recovering and will continue to do so. Increased investments in the U.S. economy are the most meaningful, most sincere, statements of confidence that rich people can make.

But there seems to be a disconnect here. The rich people and monied institutions that are investing more and more in securities are all very much aware that President Barack Obama will continue to advocate a return to Clinton-level taxes on the wealthy if he is re-elected. They also know that a rising stock market signals economic growth. If the economy continues to grow and employment picks up, the president stands a better chance of re-election.

So what gives? Are the rich deliberately working against their own best interests by bolstering the economy? Or, just maybe, do they remember that when the income tax rate was a little higher that the federal budget was balanced, unemployment was much lower and prospects for the nation were far brighter? Perhaps they concluded that betting on America by purchasing stock in American industry was wiser than playing negative politics with their dollars.

Just a thought.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.