Why does GOP legislature keep wasting our time with nonsense about drag queens? | Opinion
Waste of time
I’m so tired of Republican lawmakers wasting our time with nonsense. The latest example of Republican nonsense is Senate Bill 115, which would ban drag shows from being held within 1000 feet of a school, church, library, residence, or other location where a child might happen to be. Besides the fact that such decisions should clearly be made at the local level rather than by the state legislature, how many Kentuckians are really that concerned about the negative impact of drag shows on children? A better question might be, “Why are Republicans allowing their children to go to bars?” since that’s generally where drag shows are held. If Republicans really wanted to protect children, they would concentrate their efforts on passing sane gun control legislation to keep them from being murdered at school. But, as usual, they’re more interested in putting on a show of caring about kids, than in actually doing something real to help them. They’ve got that in common with drag queens: they love to put on a show.
Greg Kring, Lexington
Immigrant Labor
While various commentators spread the alarm that our society is trending toward a “super aging society” (Don Gash’s Feb. 12 editorial, for example), thousands of healthy young workers, many with children, are being denied entry to this country at our southern border. This looks to me like the old adage “Cut off your nose to spite your face.”
Sally Wasielewski, Lexington
Hogwarts’ balloon
Republicans will surely accuse President Joe Biden of ineptitude for taking the advice of the military and ordering an unidentified object “the size of a car” to be shot down when it flew into Alaskan air space.
Actually, it was a flying car taking three students back to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their OWL exams. Fortunately, one of the students was an accomplished witch who used the “Arresto Momentum” spell to prevent the students from falling to their deaths. They landed softly in a snow bank, and “disapparated” to Hogwarts.
The driver of the car, Ronald Weasley, was placed on detention for failing to engage the car’s invisibility shield. When reporters at a press briefing asked a representative of the National Security Council why the students hadn’t just disapparated back to Hogwarts in the first place, he said, “We don’t know.” When asked who owned the object, he said, “We don’t know.” When asked if it was armed, he said, “We don’t know.” And asked why they shot it down if they didn’t know any of that he said, “Because it was flying at an altitude where it could collide with a loaded airliner.”
Excuses, excuses!
Glenn Rainey, Richmond
Hanson jersey
In the Sunday, Feb. 12 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader sports writer Mark Story posed the question, “Who should be the next player to have a jersey retired?” Mark then followed with his choices of eight, led in by Mike Casey (1967-71), a choice I totally agree with. Mike Casey’s retired jersey should definitely be hanging with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt!
But, Reggie Hanson (1989-91) is the missing player I have always felt should be considered as one of the “Unforgettables.” A Kentucky boy who showed his home state loyalty by staying with the Cats, that were “a sinking ship at the time!” Reggie, at 6-8, 228 lbs., had a strong inside presence of scoring, rebounding, defense, experience, and spirit, especially in that critical 14-14 year (1989-90). He help in “keeping the ship afloat,” followed by the 22-6 year - the solid foundation for UK’s return to glory!
Therefore, I respectfully submit for consideration, Reggie Hanson, two-time All-SEC, a 1,171 point all-time scorer; but, most importantly, a player who courageously rose to the occasion when needed most, as very deserving to have his jersey retired, and hanging from the Rafters of Rupp Arena
Don J. Dampier, Georgetown
Social insecurity
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created Social Security under the auspices of “The New Deal” in 1935. Roosevelt insisted on funding Social Security through dedicated payroll taxes because it would give recipients “a legal, moral, and political right to collect their pensions and their unemployment benefits.” To quote Roosevelt, “With those [payroll] taxes in there, no damn politician can ever scrap my social security program.” So now we have those “damn politicians” trying to scrap or cut Social Security.
Republicans squealed at the President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address when Biden called them out on it. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stood up and screamed “Liar” at the President. Actually, U.S. Congressmen Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as well as Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, are all on record advocating for the privatization of, or large reductions to, Social Security benefits.
As President Biden would say, “Here’s the deal.” They want to accomplish this by separating the financing of the program — FICA Taxes — from the program itself. Remember the federal government owes the Social Security Trust Fund almost $3 trillion! Republicans want to privatize or phase out the program so that money (collected by law from America’s workers) never has to be repaid! That is what’s behind their nefarious plan!
James Porter, Danville
Historic expectations
Expectations have always been high for Kentucky basketball and have been met most years. The great Adolph Rupp had his bad years though. The 1960’s were not kind to him. The 1960-61 season was W 19- L 9. The 1962-63 season went W 16- L 9. The 1964-65 season had a W 15- L 10 record. And the 1966-67 season was W 13- L 13.
I don’t remember anyone telling him to go back to Kansas.
Joseph Long, Lexington
Veteran compensation
Our disabled veterans are grossly undercompensated. This travesty of justice is causing enlistments to dry up.
During Fiscal Year 2023, a totally disabled veteran with no dependents is compensated at the ridiculous rate of $43,463.40 dollars annually. The National Average Wage Index (NAWI) for 2021 was $60,575.07 dollars per year and the median income for 2021 was $70,784. The per capita GDP in 2021 was $69,288 dollars, among the highest in the world. Huh?!
Veterans have been asking various Administrations and Congresses for fair compensation since the end of WWI in November 1918. That was 104 years ago!
In my opinion, the basic reason for the under compensation situation is because veterans are only compensated for projected loss of wages due to their disabilities. They are not compensated for their low quality of life which is the norm now in personal injury cases in court. This is done to keep taxation low.
This means that people that had their assets and overseas business interests protected the most by our now broken former troops pay essentially nothing to support them in their brokenness.
Congress must correct this now!
Tina Gadd, La Grange
(Editor’s note: On Feb. 16, U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) re-introduced legislation in Congress that would provide full benefits to combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service.)
Women’s rights
An open letter to the Kentucky state legislature, constitutional officers, Congressional delegation: I’ve had difficulty composing any message(s) to you because I am so disgusted, angry, and sick about the current Republican Party on local, state, and national levels.
I grew up in rural Republican Kansas, working in the fields as a farmer’s daughter. As a young adult, I became press secretary to the state GOP before moving on to the U.S. Senate. I started as a public school student and ended with an academic career in public universities.
As I became a female adult, I had to deal with “normalized” sexual enticement, harassment, and attempted sexual assault under white male domination, the notable thankful exception being my own encouraging and fair farmer Dad.
White male Kentucky GOP legislators, with a few supporting Queen Bees, have your own stories but I don’t think you grew up with what you are legislating onto (not for) your own constituents. How far back in U.S. history do you plan to take us? Why? Can’t you evolve to become a compassionate member of the human race as we attempt to thrive and be alive, in all our diversity, inclusion, and equity? It’s 2023!
Ramona Rush, Lexington
Medicaid unwinding
We are entering a period when many Kentuckians who receive Medicaid health insurance will no longer be able to get Medicaid insurance. This has been termed “Medicaid unwinding”. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that between 4 and 14 million Americans will lose their insurance coverage. Kentuckians will likely be hit harder than many other states. The Post Clinic, Inc. located in Mt. Sterling remains committed to providing FREE access to quality medical and dental healthcare to the uninsured and underinsured in Montgomery County, surrounding counties and eastern Kentucky.
The Post Clinic is composed of more than 50 volunteers and staff members. In 2022, we provided 1,800 patient visits. We will work with patients to help them continue to receive health insurance if they are eligible and stand ready to provide free care if they are not.
With a recession looming and the rising cost of medication, lack of dental care, and high-cost deductibles, there are many who still do not have access to needed healthcare. The Post Clinic is a critical part of Montgomery County’s and America’s safety net.
To schedule an appointment, volunteer or donate money, call 859-498-0231, or visit website www.postclinic.org.
Edward Roberts, Medical Director, The Post Clinic, Mt. Sterling
Economic meltdown
Congressional Republicans are threatening to hold hostage increasing the country’s debt limit to secure federal government budget cuts from Democrats. Increasing the debt limit is necessary to protect the full faith and credit of the United States. This could happen in June.
The dollar is the world’s primary dominant reserve currency. Not raising the debt limit would be catastrophic, possibly causing a U.S. recession and a global financial crisis. There is consensus the stock market will plunge impacting retirement funds/plans, increasing borrowing costs (including credit cards), and eliminating millions of jobs. Bond holders would not be paid and the U.S. credit rating will be downgraded costing billions of dollars. As long as the world continues to invest in the U.S. economy, particularly safe and secure US Treasury securities, the debt increase should not be a concern.
There is uncertainty if Kentucky’s five Republican U.S. House members will support the debt increase. Votes have been partisan over the last two sessions with minimum crossovers. Republicans have voted against legislation their states and districts would have benefited from. Legislation passed with Democrat votes. Kentucky’s Republican House members have embraced this strategy in support of their national party.
The debt limit was raised three times under past President Donald Trump.
Danny Shearer, Lexington
Gun violence
We are the “gun nuttiest” nation in the whole wide world. Oh, GOD, when will the evil gun violence end?
Our founding fathers did us great harm in today’s world (2023) via the outdated 2nd Amendment. It should have been amended many times over the past years to meet the different times’ situations.
The underlying cause of gun violence is the GREED of gun manufacturers and the LUST FOR POWER of legislators who take large sums of money from our country’s gun lobby. Our lawmakers, therefore, refuse to amend, or change, the Constitution’s 2nd Amendment. And the gun violence regrettably never ends. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate cannot even join together to pass a law to ban assault weapons, which is a no-brainer.
Why not just take the word “God” out of “In God We Trust,” and replace it with the word “Guns.”
Paul L. Whiteley, Sr., Louisville
