Missouri can’t let Spire raise Kansas City gas rates again to rake in higher profits

Unjust hikes

Spire’s proposal to hike natural gas rates for higher profits once more is outrageous. (Oct. 20, KansasCity.com, “Kansas City residents speak out against Spire rate increase. What could happen to gas bills”) After increasing rates last winter, the utility wants to raise our rates again by an average of more than $120 a year.

After the questionable construction of the STL Pipeline to keep Missourians hooked on fracked gas, and the resulting legal battles, Spire wants to put the financial burden onto its customers.

Low-income senior citizens should not have to pay for Spire’s misdeeds and greed so that the gas monopoly’s investors can continue raking in a greater profits. We need to tell the Missouri Public Service Commission to stop Spire from a major increase in its rates. Jackson County residents, especially elders on fixed incomes, are already strapped paying huge water bills because of KC Water rate increases to cover decades of mismanaged storm sewer infrastructure. The same with the increased electric rates.

More must be done to protect Kansas City’s senior citizens who have contributed to the city’s tax base for decades. It’s wrong that older residents are being forced out of their homes because of skyrocketing utility and property tax increases. Cap property taxes for seniors, and use federal infrastructure money for sewer projects

- Andrea Young, Kansas City

Housing needs

Kansas City is at a crossroads. The World Cup, NFL draft, streetcar expansion and a potential downtown baseball stadium — these are big-city moves that have profiteers swooping in, ready to build luxury studio apartments at rents we can’t afford.

What does this mean for us, the people who breathe soul into this place? It could mean that we get priced out, displaced, left behind. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and that’s why we’re organizing to pass Question 2 in the Nov. 8 election.

On the ballot, we will be asked to vote on a $50 million bond (that won’t increase our taxes) to fund truly affordable housing. Just this month, we passed a resolution to direct every dollar of that money to the housing our city needs, with rents around $581 for a one-bedroom and $726 for a three-bedroom.

We are the citywide tenant union. We love our city and our neighbors. We often ask ourselves: What can we do today so that tomorrow, we can do what we cannot do today? Today, we can win $50 million for truly affordable housing so that tomorrow, Kansas City remains our home.

Vote yes on Question 2 to house the people.

- Kaylove Edwards, KC Tenants leader, Kansas City

More than abortion

It is obvious the Democrats want to keep the voters focused on abortion (pro-life = bad; pro-abortion rights = good). They do not want the voters to look at the big picture when it comes to the state of our nation.

Until Joe Biden took office, the nation was on a better energy path. Now Biden is going hat in hand to oil-producing countries, begging them to increase petroleum production. If the U.S. had promoted nuclear power plants instead of polluting the countryside with wind turbines, the climate crisis could have been mitigated. I am of the opinion that if we had kept our robust energy production, we could have assisted Western Europe in thwarting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s blackmail of cutting off petroleum supplies.

The economy is in the tank. Inflation and shortages are rampant.

Our nation’s southern border, or lack of it, is a humanitarian and security disaster.

Our position as the strong and vigorous leader of the free world is questionable.

Our disastrous pull-out from Afghanistan had to encourage the world’s dictators (China, Russia, Iran) in their adventures.

So, when you go into the voting booth, it would be in the nation’s best interest to consider something besides abortion.

- Bud Frye, Overland Park

Look over here

Both political parties seem to be heading toward a “come to Jesus” moment, perhaps one sooner than the other. The degree of Republican doublespeak recounted in Mark Leibovich’s recent “Thank You for Your Servitude” is breathtaking. The book is a scathing indictment of politicians exhibiting self-interest and control over principles — and let’s not even mention morality or truth.

I hope there is a more principled “silent majority” who understands the importance of voting this year and does so, not along party lines as much as for the future of our republic. It’s important for us to remember that just because consequences aren’t immediate, that doesn’t mean they aren’t inevitable. Unfortunately, I think we may see this play out very soon, and perhaps not in a good way.

Voting does matter. This year it may be the only way to catch politicians’ attention about the direction we want this country to go.

- Marilyn Schaeffer, Kansas City