Letters: KC readers discuss GOP’s Putin love, Amtrak in Missouri and US Senate race

Whose side?

I am old enough to remember bomb shelters for sale and plans in Popular Mechanics for how to build a shelter in your own basement. But those images suddenly came back as I heard our former president call Russian tactics “genius.” And now there are other Republican leaders doing the same.

Can this be happening — that a country that has threatened us with destruction and has meddled in our democratic elections is now being praised?

- Paul Budd, Sugar Creek

From within

Wednesday’s editorial “Insurrection, racism, appeasement: Call it the Hawley Trinity” (10A) quickly brought to mind that great prophet, Walt Kelly’s Pogo, who said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley seems to think that it is advantageous for him to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pet. Not to be outdone, former secretary of state and West Point graduate Mike Pompeo finds Putin “talented” and “shrewd.” (Feb. 23, 9A, “Pompeo praises Putin, criticizes Biden in Ukraine crisis”) Of course, Donald Trump has praised Putin similarly for years. And I thought that the Republican Party was anti-communism.

To top it off, we read that the IRS has been severely underfunded for at least a decade, resulting in a processing backlog of 24 million returns. It leads me to think that Republicans do not want taxes to be thoroughly and fairly collected.

- Cliff Schuette, Kansas City

Personal profit

It’s a sad day when politicians make posturing for a perceived personal media advantage their priority. Instead of making their call to actions the national interest of the United States, the rights of a sovereign nation such as Ukraine and the support of our allies, their primary interest is for a spot in the limelight.

Unfortunately, they offer only fluff, no substance.

- Jerry Joyner, Overland Park

Sign of respect

I was thinking that since the Trump Republicans love Vladimir Putin so much, they need to start addressing each other as comrade. Some examples would be Comrade Hawley, Comrade Graves, Comrade Hannity, Comrade Carlson — and, of course, Comrade Trump.

- William Kenney, Kansas City

To the rescue

Imagine this scenario: Donald Trump flies to Russia on his own. There, he meets with his friend Vladimir Putin, reminding him that if Trump were still U.S. president, he would have let Russia do what it may. Putin pulls back, and Trump is an international hero.

And who knows what comes next?

- John Nelles, Shawnee

Amtrak pays

Recently, passenger rail service on the Amtrak Missouri River Runner route was cut in half, to a single round trip daily. The elimination of services has resulted in economic and human consequences. The state and communities lose an important source of tax revenue.

Amtrak is a vital part of state transportation infrastructure, yet it has been subject to attack for more than 50 years in the halls of Congress, the media and the broader transportation sector.

All transportation infrastructure receives government subsidy, yet Amtrak is routinely singled out for elimination of funding that all others receive without question. Missouri legislators have mischaracterized the $2.5 million needed to restore the second frequency as “debt.” It’s debt only if Missouri doesn’t pay its bills.

MoDOT has determined that the River Runner generates $22 million in annual tax revenue. If the portion that flows to Missouri’s coffers isn’t used to maintain the River Runner service, then it’s being used to subsidize Missouri’s budget.

Missouri legislators: Amend MoDOT’s budget to include the $2.5 million needed to restore the second frequency on Missouri’s River Runner without delay. The money is already there.

- Deborah Fischer Stout, President, Northern Flyer Alliance, Inc., Kansas City

Also in the race

As amusing as Missouri’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate seat has become, I wonder why you are giving so much attention to the group. Is this race to the bottom like a train wreck you can’t turn away from? Why not let your readers know that there are two Democrats running for the seat as well? Both could use some attention.

Please don’t tell me you have assumed a Republican will win and so any coverage of the Democrats would be irrelevant. At least they are discussing issues instead of lashing out at each other and kissing Donald Trump’s whatever.

- Mark Johnson, Kansas City