Kansas news media Archives - Voice For Liberty

May

Coverage of Downtown Wichita workers

The Wichita Eagle's coverage of the number of workers in Downtown Wichita isn't fake news, just wrong news. A recent Wichita Eagle article reported on the number of workers in downtown Wichita, designated as zip code 67202: "The 67202 ZIP code had lost nearly 15 percent of its businesses and 20 percent of its employees in the decade ending in 2015, according to the U.S. Census’s County Business Pattern data. The loss of the State Office Building in 2016 and the Wichita school district’s downtown office this summer -- employees are moving to the former Southeast High School -- will…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Fake government spawns fake news

Discussions of public policy need to start from a common base of facts and information. An episode shows that both our state government and news media are not helping. A recent Hutchinson News article[3. Clarkin, Mary. Department of Education’s Dennis: Shocking number when looking at funding gap. Hutchinson News. April 17, 2017. http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local_state_news/department-of-education-s-dennis-shocking-number-when-looking-at/article_4abe359e-8421-53f9-a8d7-1eaa56e95423.html.] started with this: Once you wake up to where Kansas was in 1992 at funding schools and what it needs to do to get caught up, said the Kansas Department of Education’s Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis, it’s a shocker. In 1992, base state aid per pupil was…

Topeka Capital-Journal falls for a story

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Topeka Capital-Journal falls for a story

The editorial boards of two large Kansas newspapers have shown how little effort goes into forming the opinions they foist upon our state. Here's a quote from a recent opinion piece in the Topeka Capital-Journal, the second-largest newspaper in Kansas: "If the past year is any indication, Totten is right about the harmful effects of KDOT sweeps on the construction industry in our state. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between July 2015 and July 2016, Kansas lost 4,400 construction jobs -- a 7.3 percent decline. This means Kansas ranked 49th in the country for construction job growth." [1.…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

GetTheFactsKansas launched

From Kansas Policy Institute and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, a new website with facts about the Kansas budget, economy, and schools. GetTheFactsKansas.com aims to provide Kansans with factual information about our state. Sometimes this is in short supply, so this effort is welcome. As an example, when explaining school spending, the site notes: "At $13,124 per-pupil, 2015 marked the third consecutive year of record-setting funding according to the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE). And if the Department’s estimates hold, another new record will be set when the 2016 final results are reported. Record funding is not the result of…

May

By Bob Weeks

Brownback derangement syndrome on display

A newspaper op-ed illustrates some of the muddled thinking of Kansas newspaper editorialists, not to mention Brownback derangement syndrome. Recent discussion about restricting the ability to spend welfare benefits has lead one newspaper editorialist to compare elected politicians with welfare recipients. The writer is Dave Helling of the Kansas City Star, and his target is Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. Attempting to paint the governor as a government-paid freeloader, Helling wrote: "He’s earned his living from taxpayers almost all his life. He’s worked in state government, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and now as governor, where he earns around $100,000…

WichitaLiberty.TV: The Wichita Eagle fails the city and its readers

Nov

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: The Wichita Eagle fails the city and its readers

In this excerpt from WichitaLiberty.TV: In its coverage of the recent election, the Wichita Eagle has failed to inform its readers of city and state issues. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. For more on this topic, see In election coverage, The Wichita Eagle has fallen short and For Wichita Eagle, no immediate Kansas budget solution.

Newspaper editorialists with an ideology? Not in Kansas, surely.

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Newspaper editorialists with an ideology? Not in Kansas, surely.

Caution, Kansas newspaper editorialists. Your ideology is showing. Seeking to minimize the fallout from this week's elections in Kansas, Kansas City Star editorialist Yael T. Abouhalkah warns the governor that this election didn't really mean much, after all. (See No, Sam Brownback, Kansans didn’t give you a mandate for more tax cuts.) This op-ed, like many others that appear in Kansas newspapers, are useful for exposing the ideologies of their writers. Here's an example from Abouhalkah: "Already, the first round of tax cuts have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in anticipated revenues." The corollary of this is…

In election coverage, The Wichita Eagle has fallen short

Nov

By Bob Weeks

In election coverage, The Wichita Eagle has fallen short

Citizens want to trust their hometown newspaper as a reliable source of information. The Wichita Eagle has not only fallen short of this goal, it seems to have abandoned it. The Wichita Eagle last week published a fact-check article titled "Fact check: 'No' campaign ad on sales tax misleading." As of today, the day before the election, I've not seen any similar article examining ads from the "Yes Wichita" group that campaigns for the sales tax. Also, there has been little or no material that examined the city's claims and informational material in a critical manner. Someone told me that…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Recommended: Kansas Meadowlark

It's been around for a long time, and is the best site for aggregation of Kansas-centric news and opinion. It's Kansas Meadowlark, run by Earl Glynn of Overland Park. I recommend you take a look.

Kansas City Star’s dishonest portrayal of renewable energy mandate

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Kansas City Star’s dishonest portrayal of renewable energy mandate

Commentary from Kansas Policy Institute. Kansas City Star's dishonest portrayal of renewable energy mandate By Dave Trabert A recent Kansas City Star editorial criticizing opponents of Kansas’ renewal energy mandate for being disingenuous was itself a fine example of disingenuity. Kansas law mandates that utility companies purchase specific levels of renewable energy, which means that Kansans are forced to purchase wind energy and pay higher energy prices. The degree to which it is more expensive is a matter of dispute, but even the Star admits that wind is more expensive than fossil fuel alternatives. The Star describes this mandate as…