Month: December 2008
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Kansas law requires Wichita to hold another public hearing
Recently, the Wichita city council passed a resolution announcing a public hearing on a TIF district and its project plan. The city then, on the day before the hearing, substantially changed the plan. This change means that the city must hold another public hearing.
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Newspaper journalism in Wichita: we need it
It’s almost impossible to overstate the dire economic condition in which newspapers find themselves. Falling circulation, reduced advertising, and a generational shift add up to bad news for this unique and important industry.
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In a time of crisis, don’t forget what they had to say
In his recent Forbes Magazine, Peter Robinson delivers three quotes from some great Americans: Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan, and William F. Buckley Jr. Two of the quotes made it to the “Featured thoughts” section of this blog. Robinson delivers some good analysis of the current economic situation, too. Click on In a time of crisis,…
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KU Study an Embarrassment to Sebelius
In the first study to measure the result of pouring all that money on the noggins of schoolkids, the University of Kansas’s Center for Applied Economics has released a study poetically entitled, “The Relationship between School Funding and Student Achievement in Kansas Public Schools.” The verdict? So far, the funding has produced “little evidence of…
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Is Taxation Voluntary?
In this video, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shows just how ignorant he is. The November elections have given this man even more power, as his party’s majority in the senate will soon be larger
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Wichita public school district’s path: not fruitful
One of the issues discussed during the campaign for the bond issue for USD 259, the Wichita public school district, was class size. A major reason given by the district for the need for the bond issue is the desire to provide smaller class sizes. Some opponents such as myself argued that the evidence that…
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Kansas Taxpayers Network, The End
The Kansas Taxpayers Network under the leadership of Karl Peterjohn has represented Kansas taxpayers for 15 years. Due to Karl’s election to the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners, change is coming.
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These Are the Barrels
It’s thought that Mark Twain said “Never pick a fight with a person who buys ink by the barrel.” These are the barrels (actually palettes) of ink at the Wichita Eagle.
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Records requests are not always easy
It seems that citizens all over the country have trouble with public school districts and records requests. Sometime you have to battle not only the school district, but also third parties such as teachers unions.
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What is the Future of News Distribution?
This week I attended an open house event held by the Wichita Eagle. As part of the event, I took a quick tour of their plant. This photo shows rolls of newsprint in the basement of the building, waiting to be turned into newspapers. Ink distribution systems are in the background.
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Who is Responsible for Inflation?
Walter Williams explains the difference between counterfeiting and monetary policy. He explains that “inflation results from an increase in the supply of money relative to the demand for money.” He asks who, then, is responsible for inflation? In the United states, who is able to create money? The answer, of course, is the Federal Reserve…
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Some Wichita communications breakdowns are more important than others
At the December 16, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Mayor Carl Brewer scolded interim city manager Scott Moore for failure to communicate effectively with council members. The process, according to the mayor, “made a complete mockery of the entire process and everything we actually do.”