Editorial: Fall ushers in Hispanic Heritage Month
The U.S. is heterogenous by nature. Long before European colonization, the peoples occupying this land were socially diverse. According to the federal government, 574 different American Indian tribes and Alaska Native societies called what’s now the 50 states home.Throughout succeeding centuries, millions of immigrants arrived from all over the globe, bringing their customs and cultures. […]
Editorial: Time to legalize longtime immigrants
Most of our 11.5 million undocumented residents have been here for decades, reported the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute Aug. 29. Over the years, American taxpayers have bankrolled immigrant kids’ formal education up to and oftentimes including college. They’re now serving Americans professionally through careers in education, medicine, science, the arts and more. The Deferred Action […]
Editorial: Homelessness & low-wage workers
Kansas City ranks 17 on a list of best cities with affordable rent, according to Policygenius. And yet, there are 1,798 homeless individuals locally on any given night, reports the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness. And of those, 438 spend nights unsheltered. Not all are unemployed or mentally ill or suffer from addiction. […]
Editorial: No power doesn’t mean powerless
Power outages are a fact of life. Twice within the past month, most recently on July 30 and before that July 14, severe storms caused customers to lose power. Thousands of metro area homes were without electricity, some for two or more days. Excessive energy consumption during heat waves can also strain power grids and […]
Editorial: Change in the wake of tragedyEditorial:
José Rodolfo Garcia-Sanchez came to Kansas City with high hopes. A temp agency, Infinity Resources Enterprises had hired him to perform asbestos abatement work on a downtown office building.It was an ill-fated move that cost the young Nicaraguan his life. On July 17, the 34-year-old worker fell 14 floors down an elevator shaft and died.Now, […]
Editorial: Debating Kansas HB2350
Immigrant rights advocates, attorneys and community service agencies are troubled by a new law that took effect in Kansas July 1. Since lawmakers passed House Bill 2350 in April, legal experts have worked to correct misinformation circulating about the law and reassure immigrants.The Kansas Hispanic and Latino Affairs Commission and other groups organized educational workshops […]
Editorial: Drinking & guns: Rx for tragedy
Last Saturday in Houston, Ebony Vallian and her 21-year-old daughter, Autumn chatted about the birthday party they’d just attended. As they were leaving, an argument erupted, and gunshots exploded. Seconds later, Ebony shook in shocked disbelief. Sprawled on the ground was Autum’s lifeless, bloody body. Ebony’s “baby” was dead. Four others were wounded in what […]
Editorial: Were these taxpayer woes really unavoidable?
Rising property values inflate homeowners’ monthly budgets. Ever-higher assessments mean higher property tax bills and pricier insurance premiums. It’s putting at risk older homeowners and the working poor.Locally, 2023 property assessments put the issue front and center. The situation facing residents of cities within Jackson County Missouri is an ominous case in point. The average […]
Editorial: Deadly combo: kids in hot cars
A toddler is recovering, according to a Lenexa, Kansas police spokesman on July 10. The 22-month-old boy was hospitalized in critical condition after being rescued from inside a closed car on June 26. He’d reportedly been left there by his parents for about two-and-a- half hours. A bystander noticed the boy around 3 p.m. and […]
Editorial: Clean it up
Kansas City taxpayers rightly expect their municipal government’s public works department to build and maintain streets, sidewalks, bridges and parking infrastructure and to regularly remove solid waste (trash and recycling). That isn’t happening equivalently across Kansas City neighborhoods as evidenced in random cruises through various parts of the city. Taxpayers there aren’t getting their money’s […]