01.01.70

Has it really been 74 games since David Beckham signed with Major League Soccer?

And therein lies an explanation why Sunday’s MLS Cup against the Houston Dynamo should be the last game in which Beckham wears a Los Angeles Galaxy uniform.

Seventy-four games is two years in most other leagues around the world, but that number covered five years in MLS. That’s less than 15 games per season.

If the reason were something other than Beckham’s best interests, there would be no problem. Sign him for next year and pay him anything you want. But Beckham’s best interests did not often match the Galaxy’s, and the team always came out second-best.

When Beckham signed with MLS on Jan. 11, 2007, it was the biggest coup in league history. Not only did MLS get an exceptional talent, it also received all the perks that came along with him. News and entertainment shows, which never gave MLS a sniff in its first 11 years, suddenly were reporting on his every move.

Source: The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

<span class="subhead">Chiefs need better quarterback</p><p></span>Because it is highly unlikely we will get to the playoffs with Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko, why not find out if Chiefs rookie quarterback, Ricky Stanzi, is capable of being the quarterback of the future?</p><p> <span class="bold">Fred Crowder</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Leavenworth</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Supercommittee super-letdown</p><p></span>I am a retired Navy OEF/OIF Persian Gulf veteran. I was glad to see the Nov. 22 editorial, &#x201C;The duty of sacrifice should extend to all.&#x201D;</p><p>It talked to our men and women in uniform. Their comments are right on.</p><p>It appears that Congress, the nation and the super committee have options on whether to complete their mission or not, unlike our men and women in uniform. Their job is to complete the mission at all costs, including sacrificing their lives for our freedom.</p><p>So why does the supercommittee think it can just quit working toward resolving the $1.2 trillion deficit? Get the mission done.</p><p>The supercommittee members should remember the men and women dying for this great country while getting the mission done so people can go home and sleep in a warm bed. </p><p>Supercommittee and Congress, sleep tight. Men and women of our armed forces, stay focused, stay grounded &#x2014; and unlike Congress and the supercommittee, get the mission done. Godspeed.</p><p> <span class="bold">Paul Brewer</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Kansas City</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Poor financing</p><p></span>Suppose a spouse loses his job and does not want to tell the other spouse about it. So every other week he goes to the bank and takes out a loan that equals what he had been bringing home while still employed.</p><p>Twice a month he turns over the money to the other spouse, who spends it the way it had always been spent. </p><p>Is the money a debt or is the money income? The politicians in Washington, D.C., think it is income.</p><p> <span class="bold">Mike Hellige</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Olathe</span></p><p><span class="subhead">KC judge&#x2019;s residency</p><p></span>The editorial board of The Star, along with the city government of Kansas City, embarrass themselves with their diatribe in the matter of the residency of a municipal judge (11-25, Editorial, &#x201C;An embarrassing residency case&#x201D;). </p><p>The facts are clear: she owns a home in Kansas City, pays taxes on that home, votes in that district and it is her official residence.</p><p>Who cares where she otherwise spends her time, including her bedtime? </p><p>In the vernacular of the street, The Star needs to get another life.</p><p> <span class="bold">Robert Meegan</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Overland Park</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Thugs, hooligans</p><p></span>As is their custom when faced with strong opposition, Fox News and its ilk are yet again trying to scare us into submission &#x2014; this time by attempting to discredit the &#x201C;Occupy&#x201D; movement, labeling them as thugs and hooligans out to do us bodily harm.</p><p>I recall not so long ago a movement started by right-wing conservatives that contained members who sometimes carried racist signs at their rallies, yelled vulgar obscenities at those who disagreed with them and on more than one occasion threatened the life of President Barack Obama and others within the Democratic Party. That group called itself the tea party.</p><p>I didn&#x2019;t hear a whimper then from the GOP or their mouthpieces at Fox News about who were thugs and hooligans.</p><p>If and when the Republican led threats to cut or kill Social Security and Medicare comes to fruition and we seniors correctly respond with a campaign of organized public dissent on a massive scale, I suppose we will then become the new thugs and hooligans in the eyes of Fox News.</p><p> <span class="bold">Eddie L. Clay</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Grandview</span></p><p><span class="subhead">GOP vote anti-women</p><p></span>Republican House leaders have passed legislation that addresses their political beliefs and hurts women. The dangerous anti-women&#x2019;s health bill, HR358, bundles together several proposals that undermine women&#x2019;s health care.</p><p>It eliminates protections for women in emergency situations. It would allow a hospital to deny lifesaving abortion care to a woman even if a doctor deems it necessary. It would also take comprehensive health care away from women. </p><p>How can people be so uncaring for the lives of women? It seems outrageous that this could pass in this modern age, especially when we have reached a population of 7 billion people and one out of seven in the world don&#x2019;t have enough food or water to be healthy.</p><p>We need to learn to take care of the functioning people on the planet, half of which are women.</p><p> <span class="italic"> <span class="bold">Patty Brown</span></span></p><p> <span class="italic"> <span class="bold"> <span class="italic">Independence</span></span></span></p><p><span class="subhead">Sharing wealth needed</p><p></span>&#x201C;For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle&#x2019;s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.&#x201D; This is the warning that Jesus issued to his would-be followers after a certain rich man decided that being rich was more important than entering the Kingdom of God.</p><p>It is important to note that the rich man was not condemned simply for being rich. His fate was sealed when he placed a greater value on being rich than on doing that which is a prerequisite for spiritual salvation.</p><p>The greatest attribute of capitalism in a democracy is that entrepreneurs can obtain wealth and at the same time provide employment opportunities that not only sustain the middle class but provide an avenue for the poor to become middle class. However, history has shown that political participation by the middle class and the poor was needed to move the government to bring fairness between the interests of the rich and the interests of the majority.</p><p>Sadly, only a few rich Americans have shown they understand and value the need to sustain the middle class and to provide an avenue for escaping poverty.</p><p> <span class="bold">Eddie J. Thomas</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Wichita</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Beware housing plan</span></p><p>The federal government now tells banks to refinance mortgages by reducing monthly payments and interest rates only &#x2014; not the principal mortgage balances. </p><p>Should you swallow the bait? The answer, of course, is no. The banks will not reduce your principal mortgage balance. So you will go deeper and deeper into mortgage debt and never pay off your house.</p><p>Unless the federal government forces banks to reduce principal mortgage balances consistent with today&#x2019;s fair market value of these &#x201C;underwater&#x201D; houses, there will be a new wave of foreclosures.</p><p>In permanently blighted areas of our city where house values will never exceed the inflated and overpriced appraisals of the past, this new federal program defies common sense. The banks are shooting themselves in the foot. Eventually, they&#x2019;ll own these houses &#x2014; vacant.</p><p> <span class="bold">Sidney L. Willens</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Kansas City</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Truth about Brownback</p><p></span>Why should an 18-year-old adult be forced to apologize to the governor of Kansas for telling the truth (11-24, A1, &#x201C;One joke creates capital fracas&#x201D;)? </p><p>A Shawnee Mission East High School student tweeted that Gov. Sam Brownback &#x201C;sucked.&#x201D; Well, she&#x2019;s right &#x2014; about his performance as senator and now as governor.</p><p>If anyone should apologize, it is Brownback for what he has done to the public education of Kansas. But then he is only doing what he and his extremist right wing colleagues from Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida and other states have pledged to do for those who bought them their positions.</p><p>As long as there is an ill-educated populace, the Koch brothers and others of their ilk will always have a cheap labor force. </p><p>Wake up, Kansans. Brownback isn&#x2019;t doing you any favors. I&#x2019;m 69 years old, retired and don&#x2019;t have a school principal who can force me to apologize for telling the truth. Long live the First Amendment.</p><p> <span class="bold">Warren C. Allen</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Raytown</span></p><p>&#x2007;</p><p>So now we know that Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback&#x2019;s office trolls social media sites looking for mentions of the governor&#x2019;s name. (11-24, A1, &#x201C;One joke creates a capital fracas&#x201D;). My sympathies go to the state-paid worker responsible for compiling the negative comments.</p><p>That poor soul must work some long hours.</p><p> <span class="bold">Jennifer Jarrell</span></p><p> <span class="italic">Leawood</span></p><p><span class="subhead">Gifts from teaching</p><p></span>This is not the letter I planned to write. It was to be a reminder to students to say thank you to teachers who were special to them.</p><p>The reason was three former students took time to write, call or just recognize a former teacher. It was a special time for me.</p><p>That was the plan until the morning paper reminded me who should be saying thank you. There was a &#x201C;Tribute&#x201D; to a former student, Chris Goldman (10-25, A10, &#x201C;He loved people and words&#x201D;).</p><p>As I read about Chris and his family, the memories came. Those were wonderful years enriched with great people and communities.</p><p>Therefore, thank you for the memories of 39 years with students, parents, staff and communities....

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by will

The owner of the long lost ring was Lt. Claude H. Weid, co-pilot of the doomed C-46.

by Dorian de Wind

This is a story about how a Christmas card to the sister of a local veteran started a chain of events that led to a ceremony in France and a monument to a forgotten plane crash in World War II.

Oak Hill resident John Tschirhart was a B-17 bombardier who flew 35 combat missions over Nazi occupied Europe. The 91 year-old is proud to be a member of the Oak Hill Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4443, and is also proud of his younger sister who he says is “a great patriot, who through diligent research solved a 60 year-old mystery.”

As we observed Veterans Day recently and honored all the men and women who have worn the uniform of our Armed Forces, what could be more appropriate than to share a story of patriotism, sacrifice, dedication and of a Ring of Honor—in this case an almost forgotten pilot’s ring found by a young boy in a small town in France.

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