Quick takes Archives - Page 3 of 19 Voice For Liberty

Dec

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday December 30, 2011

Year in review, Wichita Liberty-style. Here it is: A selection of stories that appeared on Voice for Liberty in 2011. Was it a good or bad year for the causes of economic freedom, individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and civil society? Patriots New Years Eve. Larry Halloran of Wichita -- South Central KS 912 Group is sponsoring for the second time a "Patriots New Years Eve": Taking time to relax in the company of Patriots as we dedicate ourselves to the important work ahead in 2012. This event is New Year's Eve from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm at…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday December 26, 2011

Kansas computer security. This month the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit released an audit looking at how well five Kansas state government agencies kept their computers up-to-date. The audit found: "Three of the five agencies had significant vulnerabilities because of inadequate workstation patching processes, and all five could make some minor improvements to their patching process." Patching refers to the process of keeping software updated. The most important updates, or patches, concern security vulnerabilities that have been discovered and fixed. Some of these vulnerabilities are serious and can lead to computers and networks being compromised. The report is at…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday December 19, 2011

Boeing tanker and Wichita. News reports from this morning's press conference held by U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Wichita indicate that Boeing will not use Wichita as the finishing plant for work on the new air refueling tanker project. It was thought that this work would require 7,500 jobs in Wichita. Political and union leaders speak of holding Boeing accountable to what they believe was a promise Boeing made to Wichita, but I don't know how they can do that. ... Pompeo's press release states: "... the work will be done in Washington state. Until very recently, it had been…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday December 16, 2011

Kansas school finance. Reactions to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's school finance plan are coming in. Dave Trabert, president of Kansas Policy Institute gives it a grade of "incomplete." "It's good to give districts more flexibility in deciding how to spend aid dollars and the formula may be easier to understand, but there is nothing in this plan to substantively address his laudable goals of raising student achievement. Excellence in Education requires laser-like focus on outcomes and those elements are missing from this plan. ... Funding is important but that's not what drives achievement. Total aid to Kansas schools increased from…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday December 14, 2011

Property rights in Wichita. At yesterday's meeting of the Wichita City Council, the city approved its legislative agenda. The city incorporates the agenda of the League of Kansas Municipalities. One plank: "We support increased flexibility for local governments to use eminent domain for economic development purposes, including blight remediation, without seeking legislative approval." Susan Estes of Americans for Prosperity appeared before the council, asking members to strike this provision, as the taking of property by eminent domain for the purposes of giving it to someone else is one of the worse violations of property rights and freedom. No council member…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday December 12, 2011

Kansas budget. The Kansas Policy Institute has produced a study looking at the future of the Kansas state budget. A press release states: "It's no secret that KPERS and Medicaid costs have been growing, but many Kansans may be shocked to learn that those two items could soon consume nearly half of all Kansas State General Fund (SGF) revenue. In 1998, Medicaid and employee pension costs consumed 5.9% of SGF revenue and are budgeted at 24.2% of 2012 revenue. But, even if SGF revenue grows at a slightly-above-average annual rate of 3.5%, KPERS and Medicaid will account for somewhere between…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday December 9, 2011

Ethanol subsidy. According to Wichita Eagle reporting, the head of an ethanol trade group says the subsidy for ethanol will likely disappear after January 1, but the change might be good for the industry. It has to do with image, said the speaker. The subsidy the speaker mentioned is in the form of a tax credit, and is one of the programs that would be eliminated by proposed legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo of Wichita. His bill would end tax credits for all forms of energy. ... The production tax credit is just one of three government interventions…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday December 7, 2011

Wichita petitions. At yesterday's meeting of the Wichita City Council, the invocation featured a Bible verse that contained the phrase "Petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be offered for those in authority." I don't think the speaker was aware of the irony, since petitions were delivered to city hall just the day before. These petitions seek to overturn an action of the city council, and city leaders are not pleased that citizens took to the streets to gather signatures in opposition to the council's action. Petitions being contested. Speaking of petitions, the developers of the Ambassador Hotel are calling those who…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday December 2, 2011

Wichita trip to Ghana. KAKE Television reports that Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer believes the recent trip to Africa by him and others may result in sales of beef and airplanes. I wonder, though: don't marketers of beef and airplanes know about Africa already? And who has the greater motive to sell, not to mention knowledge about the products that might meet African customers' needs: sales reps for these companies, or politicians? ... The most telling indication that this trip is more junket than anything else is that Brewer and Vice Mayor Lavonta Williams (district 1, northeast and east Wichita) paid…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday November 28, 2011

FHA risk. Today a Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook piece notes a government housing agency that has deteriorating finances. From What Housing Risk? The FHA says there's nothing for taxpayers to worry about. Oh-oh. "Mr. Gyourko notes that while the FHA's loan exposure has grown to more than $1 trillion this fiscal year from $305 billion at the end of 2007, the agency hasn't "increased its capital reserves commensurately." Sure enough, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported that the FHA's capital reserves are 0.24%, a far cry from the 2% statutory minimum." The FHA itself disagrees,…