Prairie Village lacking

The Prairie Village City Council is correct and long overdue in addressing the need for a protest petition with special use permits. Under the current ordinance, a Special Use Permit allows developers to change land use dramatically without going through the rezoning process.

This amounts to nothing more than a “shortcut” to developers, and it deprives the neighbors of their due process. Further, it encourages chicanery and corruption.

The citizens of Prairie Village deserve better.

Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe, Mission, Fairway, Westwood, Roeland Park, Spring Hill, Shawnee, Edgerton, Gardner and even Johnson County itself provide for filing a protest petition in connection with the filing of a special use permit.

Why doesn’t Prairie Village do the same?

Whitney E. Kerr Jr.

Prairie Village

Wildcats deserve better

The Kansas State University Wildcats football team was recently No. 1 in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) poll, which is a first in school history. The Wildcats are having an amazing season and have received very little front sports page coverage.

The University of Kansas basketball team loses a single basketball game, and they receive two-thirds of the front page with a large photo layout. I guess we know what kind of fans work in The Star’s sports department.

Go Cats!

Casey Cooper

Overland Park

Post-election musings

While “abortion on demand” remains the law of the land — never in danger as the left would have had us believe — I will continue to advocate against abortion used as birth control.

While all people of goodwill who wish to come to the United States legally should be welcomed, I will continue to oppose those who show their disrespect for the U.S. by entering and living in this country illegally.

Using the “logic” of the left, the 61 percent of Caucasians who voted for Republican presidential nonomee Mitt Romney did so because they are racist against people of color. Conversely, the 80 percent of minorities who voted for President Barack Obama’s re-election must have done so because they are racist against Caucasians.

If people of faith who “lean right” are to be pilloried for political participation, then, conversely, “left leaners” such as U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver should be asked to resign.

Carol Carpenter

Overland Park

Real electric car costs

Those who would have us drive electric vehicles in order to reduce pollution seem to have forgotten that the electricity used to charge these vehicles is for the most part generated by coal fired power plants — one of the largest (if not the largest) contributors of CO2 to the atmosphere. It should be kept in mind that in a traditional power plant it takes nearly a pound of coal to generate 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Further, it should also be kept in mind with regard to cost savings that the price of electricity at a customers meter does not include road tax, a substantial part of the cost of gasoline. If all vehicles were electric who would take care of our roads?

Hugh J. Taylor

Overland Park

Benghazi: reality TV

On May 24, 2010, we watched, with disappointment, the last of 192 episodes of the television series “24,” easily the definitive modern espionage thriller.

On Sept. 11, two former Navy Seals saved two dozen embassy employees and, during the ensuing seven-hour firefight, lost their lives. Questions, possibly “tip-of-ice berg,” are swirling into an ever-tightening vortex.

Did the ambassador request additional security and, if yes, why was it denied? Why was no support sent to defend the defending former Seals during the seven-hour attack?

Was the CIA told to stand down and, if yes, by whom? Why was the bogus video story paraded in front of the American public?

Was the then-CIA director compromised by his personal relationships and, if yes, for what purpose? Who knew what and when and what leverages drive the discourse?

Why was Benghazi ignored by the media until a sex scandal become public?

Life is not a television series, and with the deepest respect to four American heroes, it now seems that we are watching episode 193 in real time.

Mike Looney

Overland Park

Hit, run wreck

I want to thank the woman who hit my truck on Nall Avenue and 148th Street this month and then skedaddled when I went to get a piece of paper to get her insurance information. You taught me (and hopefully other readers) valuable lessons when involved in accidents:

• Call the police immediately.

• Don’t trust any drivers.

• Don’t accept, “I’m so sorry” as a sincere statement.

• Use your camera phone to take pictures of other vehicle, license plate and driver.

• Keep your eyes wide open for distracted drivers.

By the way, in case the driver who hit me is interested, she cost me several hundred dollars in repairs that won’t be going to take care of my family, buy Christmas gifts or save for my grandchildren’s education.

Call the Leawood Police Department if you want to “fess up.”

Patrick McGarry

Overland Park