Voice For Liberty

Author: Bob Weeks

  • Kansas schools fail to make cut for grants

    Last year Secretary of Education Arne Duncan created a program named “Race to the Top” which would make grants to states that are willing to make certain reforms. Two such reforms prominently mentioned by Duncan and President Barack Obama are charter schools and merit pay for teachers. We now know that Kansas was not selected…

  • Chemical safety bill testimony heard

    This week the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs heard testimony on S.2996, titled “Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2010.” This bill would extend the effective date of current chemical security regulations until 2015.

  • Tour of Register of Deeds office offered

    Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, Wichita Chapter, will hold an informational tour of the Sedgwick County Register of Deeds Office on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at 11:30 am in the lobby of the Sedgwick County Courthouse at 525 N. Main in Wichita.

  • Kansas historic preservation tax credits should not be expanded

    The Kansas historic preservation tax credit system should not be expanded beyond its current limit. We must recognize that a tax credit is an appropriation of Kansans’ money made through the tax system. If the legislature is not comfortable with writing a developer a check for over $1,000,000 — as in the case with one…

  • The stimulus evidence one year on

    Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported a piece that analyzes whether the Obama stimulus plan, after one year’s time, can be judged a success. (See The Stimulus Evidence One Year On) Robert J. Barro, who is professor of economics at Harvard University and a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, writes that the…

  • Wichita schools present case for spending to public

    Last night USD 259, the Wichita public school district, held two meetings with the public seeking ideas on how to deal with a budget shortfall. I attended the meeting at Southeast High School.

  • Artificial turf meets Wichita public schools board

    Here’s a citizen-contributed report from one of last night’s meeting of the board of USD 259, the Wichita public school district, with the public seeking ideas on how to deal with a budget shortfall. There were two meetings, one at Southeast High School, and one at West High School. This is a report from someone…

  • Wichita school employee-student ratio drops

    For the 1998-1999 school year, there were 8.55 Wichita public school employees for each full-time equivalent enrollment. For 2007-2008, that number dropped to 6.74 employees per student. That’s an increase of 21% over a period of nine years.

  • Wichita aviation leaders endorse Pompeo

    At a luncheon meeting on February 25, Wichita aviation leaders — dubbed “Wingmen for Pompeo” — endorsed Mike Pompeo for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas.

  • Political celebrities stump for Anderson, Kelsey

    Recently two political celebrities visited Wichita to campaign for candidates for the Republican Party nomination for the United States House of Representatives from the fourth district of Kansas.

  • Strange happenings in Kansas at Washington Days

    Lobbyists were talking about one of the stranger receptions that they’ve attended in recent memory: one organized by Parkinson to introduced lobbyists and political operatives to Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, who is seeking the governorship

  • Kansas long-term debt on the rise

    On Saturday in Arkansas City, Kansas House Member Kasha Kelley gave an overview of the Kansas budget. One of the topics she presented was the rise in long-term debt issued by the state. I investigated, and found these figures from the Kansas Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2009. As you can see, the debt in…