Letters to the Editor: Readers debate the future of traffic, buses on Nicholasville Road

Op-ed off target

Barry Saturday’s recent op-ed frightens readers that bus rapid transit will ruin their way of life. He focuses on how few people use the bus system in Lexington, claiming it is a waste of our tax dollars. But the poor performance of our current public transportation is not an argument against creating good transportation options. Those who are unhappy with Lextran should be in favor of improving it. While Barry correctly connects transportation and housing, he comes to the wrong conclusion. Expanding the urban service boundary is not good for the city, and Barry mistakenly undervalues the agricultural economy of our county — which accounts for $2.3 billion in economic activity. Expansion is a bad option when there is so much vacant or underdeveloped space within the boundary. Lexington should reallocate and redesign space accordingly so there is more space for housing, public use and enjoyment.

In response to a letter to the editor, arguing against socially engineering bus transportation is a fallacy when streets like Clays Mill are being expanded, generating induced demand. I won’t even touch on how distorted and insensitive it is to compare a failure of public transport to child support and population control.

Elizabeth Greenwell, Lexington

Op-ed hits home

Barry Saturday’s op-ed is right and Blake Hall’s op-ed is wrong. The new proposed “vision” for the Nicholasville Road corridor would eliminate a lane of auto traffic and replace it with a dedicated bus lane. That is insane. “Dedicating” a lane for buses means not allowing cars to use it. So while those buses are not using it, it would have no traffic. The road is already crowded. Removing a lane of travel would only increase the volume of cars trying to use the remaining lanes.

Thomas H. Glover, Lexington

Missing info

A recent op-ed by Amanda Claire Starbuck published in the Herald-Leader was an objection to carbon pricing, where industries that produce carbon have to buy permits to do so from other entrepreneurs — in particular, farmers.

I don’t disagree with what is said, but have issues with what is left out. The intent of carbon pricing is exactly to force companies to pay to pollute, where in the present system they profit by pollution. The goal is to tilt the playing field towards carbon-free energy and to give a profit motive for avoiding processes that produce CO2. It has the advantage that it doesn’t require the federal government to figure out how to do this; it would be extremely difficult and contentious to attempt to regulate every industry towards lower carbon.This is one-size-fits-all and (so far as the feds are concerned) costless.

The essay complains that the wrong people benefit; OK, that should be fixable; tell us how to improve the system. It’s just a taste of what any other scheme for lowering our carbon footprint will run into. Any system will have transaction costs. What the author misses is that the carbon offsets are not intended to be an agricultural support program.

Joseph P. Straley, Lexington

Expand religion coverage

I have been an ancient regular reader of Herald-Leader contributing columnist Paul Prather’s Sunday commentaries since sometime after the Resurrection. I have sent Pastor Paul occasional responses, most of them complimentary, and he has responded in turn to some; a courtesy and concern rarely offered these days by those in or on publications, professorships, pulpits and pedestals.

All of us, believers, agnostics, and atheists, need dialogue on the place of religion in these times of great peril to our democracy and humanity. Therefore, I implore the Herald-Leader to add more commentaries and letters from Kentucky religious leaders and theologians.

This is not to diminish or challenge Prather’s input. As a former teacher I found the best classes were those supplemented by the presence of other teachers or professionals in the field of the day’s topic; as well as the uninhibited contributions from the students. The Herald-Leader could be enhanced to the benefit of all readers.

Ernest Henninger, Harrodsburg

Visual arts coverage

The Herald-Leader should consider a Facebook post by Kate Savage last month regarding the article by contributing writer Kevin Nance about her and her arts organization in the Herald-Leader recently. There were more than a hundred likes and extremely positive comments, all in support of her influence on the awareness of visual art and artists in this community. Unlike politics and sports, no one said anything negative at all. In casting about for some way to connect with community awareness, please consider a sudden broadening of interest in visual art, especially from local studios.

John Kenneth Galbraith, eminent economist of the 20th century, prophesied in the ’90s, in his 90s, that the time of tech would pass and in the next century the world would be moved by art. History has hiccuped and it’s time to evolve. Good luck in discovering a new need for information and commentary, and perhaps an avenue to remain locally relevant despite the ever-expanding competition for the old ones.

Clay Wainscott, Lexington

Barr makes it worse

The 6th District has seen 299 gun deaths, 844 gun injuries, five mass shootings, 20 murder/suicides, 77 unintentional shootings and 50 defensive shootings since 2013 according to the Gun Violence Archive. The United States has one mass shooting per day (four or more people shot or killed by guns), at a national cost to treat victims of gun violence of $170 billion per year.

Congressman Andy Barr’s response: make the use of silencers easier (House Resolution 95 and HR 367); allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons across state lines (HR 38); funding to “study the problem” of mass violence (HR 1339); make it easier for gun dealers to sell firearms at out of state gun shows (HR 6624); and funding to help secure elementary and secondary schools from gun violence (HR 5107 and 4909).

Barr has voted against improving background checks (HR 1446; HR 8; HR 1112) and failed to support any of the hundreds of legislative efforts to hold gun owners, dealers, or manufacturers more accountable for these problems. We can’t solve our problem with guns when the person representing us refuses to demand those responsible for it be held accountable. Until Barr is out of office, our gun problem will continue to get worse, not better.

Peter Wedlund, Lexington

Police support

We can only hope Rep. Andy Barr will show more support for and trust in our local police officers than he has for those officers who guard him at the U.S. Capitol when push comes to shove. Apparently our local police force will need to wait until Barr hears from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump before they can count on any support from him.

Charles Myers, Lexington

Be careful, Mitch

Sen. Mitch McConnell is being asked to participate in an investigation of the events on Jan. 6. If he doesn’t participate there may be a point when former President Donald Trump is thrown under the bus. I hope that McConnell isn’t swept along with him. I wonder if he is willing to be put under investigation by some stray connection. He and his wife are vulnerable.

George Robert Leach, Lexington

What about truth

Congress should not investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection because 1. it was just another day, 2. doing so would take up everyone’s time, and 3. a probe would distract folks from what they should otherwise be doing. Too bad so many got injured, and five or so killed. Just move on.

The above logic creates a new defense of future criminals. A father who beats his child to death; a drug manufacturer that cuts corners and kills scores of patients; a molester who randomly kidnaps and rapes a child, or a drunk driver who steers his car into the path of a group of seniors, killing several, can now say they all should not be prosecuted because it was just another day. Investigations and a trial would just take up a bunch of everyone’s time, and attempted convictions would draw attention away from everyone’s other agendas for the next few months.

The actions of our two Kentucky senators indicate that they don’t care about truth, justice, and the American way now. They can’t be convinced of anything different because they, along with the rest of our Kentucky Republican delegation in Washington, don’t do the truth any longer. It’s all about money and power. Just move on.

Gene Lockhart, Lexington

Following orders

In response to a recent letter regarding the word “incite’‘. According to Google, these are the definitions of the word: //to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on // to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent // to encourage, or urge on; prompt to action // to urge to action; rouse. Those are from the first four definitions found on Google.

What’s missing from ALL of these (and other) definitions of “incite”? There is no mention of “force” or ordering force. Former President Donald Trump did not have the ability to force people to do what they did on Jan. 6. He did, however, have a homogeneous audience of devoted, amped up and deluded followers listening to him. They were told by “their” president that “their” election had been stolen and that he was the “real” winner. He told them that the only way to stop the farce was to prevent Congress from ratifying the vote of the Electoral College.

What did they do? They left his speech and attacked the Capitol building, just as they were told.

DH Smith Lexington

‘Christian’ puzzle

I pull out my Bible and review the Ten Commandments. These commandments and the New Testament doctrine of love are the foundation stones of the Christian faith. Those who call themselves Christians are to embody these God-given imperatives and live their lives accordingly. Then I review the life of former President Donald Trump. And I ask myself, how can those who call themselves Christians, get up in the morning, look themselves in the mirror, and support this man who has violated most of the commandments more than once. It defies common sense. It’s illogical. It’s the paradox of the decade. I don’t get it.

Jack Blanton, Lexington

VA praised

I have been a participant in the Veterans Administration medical system since 1994. Last month I spent four days as an inpatient at the Lexington VA hospital. It was an experience that I will remember until my last breath. The professionalism and compassion of all the doctors, nurses, and support personnel was Class A. No test was performed without first giving me a complete review of the test. Lengthy consultations of my problem were conducted daily with me and my wife. COVID-19 kept my wife in a room outside of the hospital and my doctor met with her in person and on the telephone every day. I want the city of Lexington to realize what a jewel the VA hospital is to its community.

Kenneth Hamilton, Campbellsville