Letters to the editor

Fence repairs

A good chain link fence was removed recently from the north side of McClure Elementary School, 2529 S.W. Chelsea Drive. An 18-inch strip of concrete was then poured. New posts were installed that will support another chain link fence. Quite a lot of labor was needed to do this entire job. Why?

A neighbor who inquired told me it was done so grass would not grow up into the bottom of the fence.

The concrete alone cost $1,000. Topeka Unified School District 501 has terminated teachers due to financial problems. Wouldn't a fast application of Roundup have solved the problem with much less expense?

Perhaps someone at the school district, who must be much smarter than me, would care to explain the reasoning here. I have heard it said that when dollars are few, you just don't buy T-bones.

JAMES L. BERTRAM,Topeka

Save Social Security

To those who have been worrying about the national debt in relation to gross domestic product, some number crunching shows our gross federal debt is about 88 percent of GDP, which is certainly a very high figure.

But the figures were similar, or even higher, during the Great Depression. The gross national debt climbed to a high of about 120 percent of GDP during President Franklin Roosevelt's administration as the country pulled itself out of a depression while fighting World War II.

I don't recall any history lessons where there was a major debate about the survival of Social Security during the Great Depression or World War II.

So I wonder quite a bit when I hear Republican leaders like Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, suggest raising the retirement age for Social Security to 70. Others would eliminate the program because of debt woes.

The government raised Social Security withholding taxes in the 1980s to accommodate baby boomers who are coming to retirement age now.

Unfortunately, various branches of the government have been "borrowing" from the fund in vast amounts over the last decades.

The last time I checked, the fund was still being raided.

Instead of meekly letting our leaders tear down and steal our Social Security, how about we choose to fight, tooth and nail, anyone who would take it from us after we have paid our dues into it literally all our lives?

Fighting for what is ours is a much better course than working at Walmart when we're 70.

DAVID HEWITT,Topeka

Tiahrt misleads

I have long been a fan of Reps. Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran, two good, conservative House members now running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Sam Brownback. In recent weeks, I've been disappointed by purposefully inaccurate and misleading advertising by Tiahrt's campaign.

A Tiahrt ad claims Moran is not anti-abortion because he voted against parental notification for abortion legislation two decades ago. The truth is he voted against the legislation on the advice of Right to Life of Kansas and several other strong anti-abortion legislators because he was advised it might result in more abortions due to parents pushing their daughters to abort.

Other anti-abortion groups felt the legislation would prevent more abortions. Kansans for Life, for instance, disapproves of Moran's votes on that matter. With anti-abortion advocates disagreeing, he chose to vote upon the advice of Right to Life of Kansas. For Tiahrt to claim Moran is for abortion rights because he voted against legislation he believed might result in more abortions is absurd.

As an anti-abortion activist and past officer of Coffey Countians for Life, I'm disappointed when any anti-abortion legislator turns on another to garner votes.

Moran has a strong record of anti-abortion votes. He is endorsed by the very conservative Family Research Council. He helped pass the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and many other pro-life bills.

I would not be supporting him if I did not believe he was reliable on anti-abortion issues. I would not have a "Moran for Senate" sign in my front yard if I did not trust that he would continue to legislate on the side of the unborn.

DALE FREE,Burlington

Patriotic wash

On the Fourth of July, Eagle Auto Wash offered full car washes to all active military personnel and all retired veterans with valid identification. My husband, a retired veteran of World War II and the Korean conflict, found time between rain showers to go receive a free car wash.

What a wonderful gesture of appreciation for a business to open on a holiday and wash cars for no charge.

WINNIE PAYNE,Topeka