Author: Bob Weeks
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Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday May 10, 2012
Today: Kansas tax reform; School funding; Separation of art and state; Stimulus spending; Elizabeth Warren; Drug court to be Pachyderm topic; Failure of socialism to be shown; Yes we can! No they can’t!
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Intellectuals vs. the rest of us
Why are so many opposed to private property and free exchange — capitalism, in other words — in favor of large-scale government interventionism? Lack of knowledge, or ignorance, is one answer, but there is another.
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Political cronyism has become the way
Cronyism is the practice of seeking business success through government rather than through markets. The difference is that business succeeds in the market by providing goods and services that people are willing to buy. Political cronyism, on the other hand, results in people being forced to buy from, or to otherwise involuntarily subsidize, certain business…
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Despite superintendents’ claim, Kansas schools have low standards
Kansas school district superintendents write “Historically, our state has had high-performing schools, which make Kansas a great place to live, raise a family and run a business.” The truth is that when compared to other states, Kansas has low standards.
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Kansans uninformed on school spending
As the Kansas Legislature debates spending on schools, we have to hope that legislators are more knowledgeable about school spending than the average Kansan. Surveys have found that few Kansans have accurate information regarding school spending. Surprisingly, those with children in the public school system are even more likely to be uninformed regarding accurate figures.…
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Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday May 2, 2012
Today: When government pays, government controls; The moral case for capitalism; Moran to address Pachyderms; Funding pet projects without earmarks; Harm of taxes; Role of prices.
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Sedgwick County will hold Southfork TIF hearing
Sedgwick County will hear from the public on an issue, despite the desires of commissioners Tim Norton, Jim Skelton, and Dave Unruh to avoid public debate.
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Kansas school test scores
Kansas scores on the nationwide NAEP tests are unchanged or falling at the same time scores on Kansas tests are rising — “jumping,” in the recent words of Kansas Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker.
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Classical liberalism: Liberty, individualism, and civil society
In a short video, Nigel Ashford of Institute for Humane Studies explains the tenets of classical liberalism.
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Walter Williams on government in a free society
Economist Walter E. Williams spoke on the legitimate role of government in a free society, touching on the role of government as defined in the Constitution, the benefits of capitalism and private property, and the recent attacks on individual freedom and limited government.
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Wichita to hold public hearing, again
The City of Wichita must conduct a public hearing for a second time, another example of a long line of mistakes made by the city in the administration of its policies.
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Kansas state spending is not, itself, a good
In the debate over reducing and eventually eliminating the income tax in Kansas, those who oppose income tax reduction say it will simply shift the burden of taxation to others, in the form of sales and property taxes. This is true only if we decide to keep spending at the same rate. We could cut…