Letters: KC readers discuss Earth Day action, Kansas unemployment mess, court packing
Realistic action
Another Earth Day is here, and I think many of us feel relieved to be back in the Paris Agreement on climate. But is it doing the job we’ve hoped for?
A recent UN analysis shows the current pledged amount falls “far short of what is required” to achieve targets set out in the Paris accords. To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to do more.
A tax on carbon, paid by fossil fuel companies and returned to American families, would target emissions reductions on the scale needed. For most families, the dividend would more than offset the increased costs of carbon-based products.
By incentivizing people and corporations, we could reduce CO2 emissions by 30% in the next five years and be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Carbon pricing could financially influence other countries to adopt carbon fees, reducing emissions with our trade partners around the world.
This type of carbon pricing, embodied in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, was recently reintroduced in the House. If you want to have your voice heard, please join me in sending messages to Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, as well as your district representative and President Joe Biden, asking them to support this bill.
- Jennifer Brown, Prairie Village
No Kansas help
I really don’t understand what is going on with the Kansas Department of Labor. I was laid off more than a month ago and have been trying to get unemployment benefits since the day I lost my job. I have yet to talk to one person from the department.
I call time and time again all day, only to be told by the recording that “all agents are busy and the hold queue is full.” I have never even been put into the hold queue. I have applied online, only to have my account locked until my identity is proved. I sent all documents to prove my identity more than a month ago, and I have still not received an email reply acknowledging my documents were received.
I keep reading about how the system is being updated and new agents being hired, but all you have to do is read online to see nothing has changed at the department.
Every day that goes by, a person gets deeper in debt. I just want to be able to apply for my benefits. I’m a way older person and getting any job is not a possibility. Someone please help.
- Lawrence Escamilla, Kansas City, Kansas
Already packed
Michael Ryan’s Sunday column, “Supreme Court packing could destroy America” (17A) is full of opinions but doesn’t offer one cogent argument against increasing the Supreme Court to 13 justices. Fear of change or catastrophe are very weak arguments, and really no arguments at all.
When then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold hearings or a vote on Merrick Garland’s nomination, it in effect resulted in court-packing by the conservatives. Why weren’t they against it then?
Now, any effort to bring the Supreme Court back into ideological balance is met with cries of cataclysmic catastrophe. Maybe those crying should be more concerned about the ideological imbalance on the current Supreme Court, which doesn’t reflect the views of the people.
- Michael Hansen, Olathe
Encourage senators
Last summer, Missouri voters approved the expansion of Medicaid, meaning as many as 275,000 low-income children, women and men would get the quality health care coverage they need.
While Gov. Mike Parson included funding for this in his budget, Missouri House Republicans took it upon themselves to override the vote of the people and strip the funding. As I was once a proud Republican, I continue to shake my head in frustration, disappointment and despair at the behavior of these elected officials.
Medicaid expansion would create more than 16,000 new jobs per year. Ninety percent of the costs would be paid by the federal government and, under the newly enacted American Rescue Plan, the feds pitch in an extra 5% for new expansion states.
The Missouri Senate is considering this measure. Please encourage your state senator to support it. This is good for Missouri.
- Gina Bowman, Kansas City
