To the editor:

Rep. Jenkins’ claim that her opponent’s University of Missouri education is inferior to her own Kansas education in order to serve the people of her district is disingenuous. It is shamelessly selective since her opponent graduated from the Kansas University’s law school. Would either UMKC or Northwest Missouri State be better? Both are closer to our district than K-State or Wichita State.

Jenkins implies that her opponent’s political views are better suited to San Francisco than northeast Kansas, a comparison Jenkins apparently hopes voters will find as disagreeable as the pits of hell.

Jenkins sent a flyer recently claiming she helped save Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit.  This program, established by Bush in 2006, denies Medicare the ability to bargain for discounts. This shifts general revenue taxpayer money to the drug companies. In contrast, the VA gets discounts up to two-thirds of what Part D participants get. The Part D program currently costs about $62 billion annually and will grow as the population ages. That means that up to at least $35 billion of our tax dollars are being paid to insurance and drug companies needlessly. Since she is a CPA she obviously is aware of this.

I’d like to hear this topic debated rather than the usual political homilies or that one candidate is more conservative or the opponent’s profession is “unworthy.” If our representatives cannot focus on serious and complex issues they should be voted out.