Voice For Liberty

Category: Politics

  • Pompeo, Huelskamp given nod by Club For Growth

    Kansas Republican congressional hopefuls Mike Pompeo (fourth district) and Tim Huelskamp (first district) have been endorsed by the Club For Growth PAC.

    Club For Growth is a conservative organization that advocates for a pro-growth tax policy: “The goal of tax policy should be to raise the amount of money needed to fund legitimate functions of government while doing the least amount of damage to the economy and respecting the principle of treating taxpayers equally.”

    It also argues for cutting federal spending, expanding trade freedom, personal retirement accounts to replace social security, and choice in education through expanded charter school and voucher programs.

  • The problem with Sarah Palin

    Not everyone is enthusiastic about the rise in popularity of Sarah Palin. I didn’t vote for her when I had the chance, and nothing has happened since November 2008 that would lead me to change my mind.

    Leslie Carbone, author of the recently-published Slaying Leviathan: The Moral Case for Tax Reform says it better than I can myself:

    With the popular outrage sparked by the Bush bail-outs, I’ve become more hopeful about the future of economic freedom than I’d been in 20 years. And the tea parties and town-hall protests just buttressed my optimism.

    I’m still optimistic, but the reflexive, relativistic, populism-as-the-new-elitism near-worship showered upon Gov. Palin by supposed conservatives and libertarians — people who profess to believe in economic freedom — tempers my optimism.

    The full post is The Problem with Palin.

  • Some Kansas Democrats are reluctant to show their party affiliation

    Over the weekend the Wall Street Journal had an online piece (Kansas GOP Could Be Its Own Worst Enemy) that mentioned how Raj Goyle, candidate for United States Congress from the fourth district, doesn’t mention his party affiliation on his website or campaign materials.

    It’s not only Goyle that omits this information. A short while ago I received notice of a young man running for the Kansas House of Representatives for the 96th district. That district, currently represented by Republican Phil Hermanson, covers parts of south-central and southwest Wichita.

    This candidate — Brandon Whipple is his name: what party is he running in? I’ve looked pretty carefully at his campaign website, and just like Goyle’s, I don’t see any political party affiliation mentioned.

    Whipple apparently hasn’t yet filed for office, as the Sedgwick County election office doesn’t have him listed. So his party affiliation isn’t available there.

    But his Facebook page gives it away. He’s a Democrat.

    Why don’t Kansas Democrats like Goyle and Whipple prominently mention their party affiliation?

  • At Kansas Days, the fourth district Congressional campaign is on

    At the annual Kansas Days festival in Topeka, the Kansas fourth district Republican candidates all hosted hospitality suites, looking to boost their chances with Kansas Republican voters. On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal ran an online piece titled Kansas GOP Could Be Its Own Worst Enemy, giving a run-down of the current political scene in Kansas.

    Of particular interest to Kansas fourth district voters, the piece said this:

    The Democrats’ best hope for retaining a seat in the Kansas delegation may be a two-term state legislator named Raj Goyle, who is running in the fourth district encompassing Wichita. On his Web site and in campaign literature, Mr. Goyle colors his first name blue and his last name red, emphasizes his concerns about the struggles facing businesses and avoids any mention of “Democrat.”

    “I’m not a party label kind of guy,” said Mr. Goyle, a high-tech entrepreneur, Harvard-educated lawyer and Wichita native.

    But his greatest advantage may be that he has no fewer than five Republicans campaigning for the chance to run against him — with more expected to enter the race by August.

    (I looked at Goyle’s campaign site, and the article is correct: As far as I can tell, none of the material generated by the Goyle campaign mentions that he is a Democrat. You have to read a Wichita Eagle news story that the site reprints in order to learn his party affiliation.)

    So on Saturday I individually asked the candidates about the article. Will a vigorously-contested Republican primary in August be an advantage for Goyle — assuming he is the Democratic nominee — in the November general election? Will Republicans spend all their money and energy in the primary?

    In his hospitality suite Dick Kelsey said no, that the Republicans are committed to running a positive race. He said he’s running a positive campaign. Kelsey said that the Republicans will be broke after the primary, but that the party will be able to quickly raise the funds needed to run a campaign against Goyle, the likely Democratic nominee.

    An operative from the Anderson campaign was spending time in the Kelsey hospitality room, and added that with a primary contest, the Republicans will be exercised. Kelsey added that Republicans will have made contacts and friendships.

    At the Mike Pompeo hospitality suite, the candidate said we have a competitive primary, and that the winner will come out ready to go in the general election. He added that when Republicans start talking about Goyle and his liberal agenda, they’ll do fine in the election. Pompeo said he’s raised a lot of money, close to as much as Goyle, and the ability to raise funds is important.

    In the Hartman suite, candidate Wink Hartman said it’s good for citizens to have an opportunity to select from five candidates, adding that it’s important to go through the political process to arrive at the best candidate. He mentioned the large amount of money that Goyle has raised from outside of Kansas, and that he believes that he is the only Republican candidate with the ability to raise the money necessary to win in the general election.

    In the afternoon in the Jim Anderson hospitality suite, the candidate said the primary will energize and organize the Republicans. Besides the candidates, citizens are getting organized and are starting to pay attention to the issues. This will add to the strength of the candidate who wins the Republican primary.

    Jean Schodorf said that a contested primary causes people to become more aware of the Republican candidates, because the Democratic candidate, not having an opponent to campaign against, doesn’t have a forum. She said that in the first debate, the Republican candidates stated publicly that they will all support the winner of the primary election in the general election. She thought that was very important, as she believes it is important to have a Republican follow Todd Tiahrt. Having five candidates makes it a healthy debate, she added.

  • Real estate development to be topic at Pachyderm Club

    At the Wichita Pachyderm Club this Friday, Wichita real estate developers Steve Clark and Johnny Stevens will speak to members and guests on “The Waterfront, A History of a Private Development.”

    All are welcome to attend Pachyderm club meetings. The program costs $10, which includes a delicious buffet lunch including salad, soup, two main dishes, and ice tea and coffee. The meeting starts at noon, although it’s recommended to arrive fifteen minutes early to get your lunch before the program starts.

    The Wichita Petroleum Club is on the ninth floor of the Bank of America Building at 100 N. Broadway (north side of Douglas between Topeka and Broadway) in Wichita, Kansas (click for a map and directions). Park in the garage just across Broadway and use the sky walk to enter the Bank of America building. Bring your parking garage ticket to be stamped and your parking fee will be only $1.00. There is usually some metered and free street parking nearby.

  • ‘Keeping Kansas Conservative’ forum with Joe the Plumber, Todd Tiahrt, Mary Pilcher-Cook

    A news release from the Great American Forum.

    WICHITA, KS – On Friday, January 29, 2010, the Great American Forum Steering Committee will host its fifth public forum. The forum will feature Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher “Joe the Plumber,” who made his appearance on the national radar during the last presidential campaign. He believes that elected officials should be held accountable for what they say and what they do. ep. Todd Tiahrt and Kansas Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook will complete our panel. This forum will focus on the core beliefs of the Great American Forum. These principles are limited government, low taxes, personal responsibility, strong national defense, and the obligation to protect every human life from conception to natural death.

    WHO: Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher “Joe the Plumber,” U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt, Kansas State Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook
    WHAT: Keeping Kansas Conservative Great American Forum
    WHEN: January 29, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
    WHERE: Ramada Inn, 420 SE 6th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66607

    Admission is free for this event. For more information, please contact Event Chairman Ben Sauceda at 316-640-2065 or GreatAmericanForum@gmail.com. Honorary Chair of the Great American Forum is Mrs. Vicki Tiahrt.

  • Kansas news digest

    News from alternative media around Kansas for January 25, 2010.

    Kansas Republicans and Democrats agree Massachusetts upset could benefit Kansans

    (Kansas Liberty) “Republican Senatorial candidate Scott Brown made history last night when he defeated Democratic candidate Martha Coakley in the election for Sen. Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts seat. Kansas Republicans are lining up to proclaim how this victory could signal a change in the tide for the Democratic Party and for the Democrats health care plans.”

    Rally members frustrated by mainstream media coverage

    (Kansas Liberty) “Last Friday, approximately 400 liberty-minded Kansans flocked to the Statehouse to support a Senate Concurrent Resolution that claims state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. The resolution serves notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates, provides that certain federal legislation should be prohibited or repealed, and it directs distribution of the resolution to Congress and the President. … According to legislators and organization members who were present at the rally, the grassroots support for the amendment was substantial, but many of the mainstream media outlets painted a watered down picture of the outpouring of support. Several reports also focused in on the sole opponent who testified during the hearing, an educator at Wichita Collegiate School, which is a private K-12 school.”

    New coalition plotting to lobby legislators for tax increases

    (Kansas Liberty) “Roughly a dozen tax-increase advocacy groups have banned together to form the Kansans for Quality Communities Coalition. According to its mission statement the organization’s key goal is to ‘ensure the prosperity of Kansas communities through the responsible investment of taxpayer dollars.’ To achieve this goal the group is heavily lobbying for tax increases, an action already sanctioned by Democratic leaders, including Gov. Mark Parkinson.”

    AG Six requests Kansas Supreme Court to refrain from reopening Montoy case

    (Kansas Liberty) “Attorney General Steve Six has asked the Kansas Supreme Court to deny the Schools for Fair Funding coalition’s request to reopen the Montoy v. State of Kansas lawsuit. “The Court in 2006 issued its mandate directing the district court to dismiss the case, and on the stipulation of all parties, the district court did so,’ Six said in a statement issued to the Kansas Supreme Court yesterday. ‘This case is over.’ Six referred to the request as ‘unprecedented’ and said that it ‘achieves no efficiencies, and is merely an attempt to circumvent the procedures for initiating new cases.’”

    Kansas Senator Chris Steiniger on County Consolidation and His New Campaign

    (State of the State KS) “Kansas Senator Chris Steiniger (D) talks about county consolidation and his recent announcement to run for Secretary of State.”

    Legislators Speak at Energy Conference in Wichita

    (State of the State KS) “House Assistant Minority Leader Jim Ward (D) and Kansas Senator Carolyn McGinn (R) spoke at an energy panel hosted by City of Wichita’s Dale Goter.” Full video of the conference is at Wichita Energy Conference Legislative Panel .

    ProPublica predicts insolvency for Kansas’ unemployment insurance fund

    (Kansas Watchdog) “Propublica, a national independent non-profit investigative journalism organization, on Wednesday reported that two dozen states have unemployment funds in the red, with nine more to be in the red within six months.”

    U.S. Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance won’t affect Kansas much

    (Kansas Watchdog) “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that businesses and unions may spend freely on political campaigns, but this ruling only affects federal races in Kansas. ‘It won’t affect us at all’ was the response from Carol Williams, the executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Williams said that 24 states had corporate and union contribution bans but Kansas did not.”

    Wichita Chamber Will Lobby Against Income Tax

    (Kansas Watchdog) “The Wichita Business Journal reported in today’s edition that the Wichita Chamber of Commerce is beginning what will likely be a multi-year effort to repeal the personal and business income taxes in Kansas.”

    Furlough idea for legislators is dropped

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Furloughs for the Kansas Legislature are off the table until late in the legislative session, at the earliest, state Senate President Stephen Morris said.”

    More budget cuts would hurt Kansas for years, tax backers say

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas school children, the state’s elderly and its most fragile citizens simply cannot afford any more state budget cuts, proponents of a proposed one-percent sales tax increase told a Kansas House tax policy committee Thursday.”

    School’s reserves total at least $1.4 billion

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – In the fight over school funding, both sides agree that school districts in Kansas are sitting on at least $1.4 billion in cash reserves. The battle over whether that money is available to spend played out during two competing presentations Thursday morning in front of the House Appropriations Committee.”

    Kansans speculate on future of federal health reform

    (Kansas Health Institute News Service) “TOPEKA – The shockwaves emanating from Republican Scott Brown’s U.S. Senate victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday are being felt beyond the Bay state and Washington, D.C. They’re registering in state capitals across the country, including Topeka.”

    Senate GOP leaders say some tax increases will be necessary

    (Kansas Health Institute News Service) “TOPEKA – Senate leaders today said a combination of tax increases and spending cuts would be the best way to balance the state budget. Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, said he thought a plan to close sales tax exemptions and increase the tobacco tax could win legislative approval as lawmakers try to close a projected $400 million budget gap. Senate Vice President John Vratil, R-Leawood, said balancing the budget solely with more spending cuts would be ‘catastrophic.’”

  • Another Republican Congressional candidate forum

    This Friday, January 22nd, the Sumner County Republican Party sponsors a forum for candidates for the Republican Party nomination for the United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas.

    Due to a previous speaking engagement, candidate Wink Hartman will not appear at this event.

    Doors open at 6:00 pm with the debate starting at 7:00 pm.
    The location is Belle Plaine High School, 820 North Merchant Street in Belle Plain. Here’s a Google map of the location. Google says it’s 25 miles and a 33 minute drive from downtown Wichita.

  • Kansas news digest

    News from alternative media around Kansas for January 20, 2010.

    Letter form the Newsroom — Tax Exemptions Edition

    (State of the State Kansas) “This week we will also look at the issue of tax exemptions where we will hear from a number of people, including, Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon, Representative Marc Rhoades (R) and the Kansas National Education Association.”

    Republican Candidates For Congress In The 4th District Debate

    (State of the State Kansas) “The Great American Forum hosted the first debate between the Republican 4th Congressional District Candidates Friday night. We put in a word from each of them here starting with ladies first in reverse alphabetical order.”

    Investments alone won’t restore KPERS deficit

    (Kansas Reporter) “LAWRENCE, Kan. – Better investment results alone will not pull battered government pension plans out of the financial ditch, according to some new research by a University of Kansas economist. Fundamental reforms will be needed in both how investment targets are calculated and how individual states determine what will be required to keep promises made to retirees.”

    Don’t expect another $40 million from tax settlements

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas legislators shouldn’t count on millions of dollars more from tax settlements to balance the budget, Kansas Department of Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon told House Appropriation committee members Tuesday.”

    Sales tax rates go up in Kansas, not down

    (Kansas Reporter) There’s a danger in “temporary” tax increases: “TOPEKA, Kan. – What goes up in Kansas doesn’t always have to come down, especially when it comes to the sales tax rate, according to research on the history of sales tax increases.”

    Gov. Sebelius assisted AFSCME-CCPT in unionizing child care providers in Kansas

    (Kansas Watchdog) “Gov. Kathleen Sebelius helped the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) unionize as many as 7000 family child care providers.”

    Spending limit proposal quietly makes the rounds

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – With a projected budget deficit of nearly $400 million on the horizon, there is a lot of talk around the Kansas Capitol of a constitutional amendment to set up a rainy day fund to have money set aside for when the next recession arrives. But the most prominent proposal — introduced by state Sens. Jon Vratil, a Leawood Republican, and Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat earlier this month — is not the only one.”

    Waiting lists for state services expected to grow

    (Kansas Health Institute News Service) “TOPEKA – More than 5,700 Kansans with physical or developmental disabilities are waiting for Medicaid-funded services designed to help keep them out of a nursing home or state hospital. About 2,000 people on the waiting list are developmentally disabled children or adults who are receiving some government-funded services but are waiting for others for which they are eligible.”

    Taxpayers Shouldn’t Be Burdened with Solving Government’s Spending Problem

    (Americans for Prosperity, Kansas) “‘Considering that over a six-year time frame, from FY 2004 to FY 2009, spending increased by a staggering 40 percent, it was disappointing to once again hear Gov. Parkinson fail to identify excessive spending as being the real reason why Kansas is facing a budget shortfall,’ said AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag. ‘The budget crisis we are currently experiencing is a direct result of our state government living beyond its means, thus it is simply unacceptable for Gov. Parkinson to call for tax increases on Kansas families and businesses.’”