Uncategorized

01
May
By Bob Weeks

In Kansas, is the problem spending or revenue?

Does Kansas have a spending problem or a revenue problem? One thing is for certain: spending in Kansas, as in many states, has risen rapidly in recent years. Tax revenue has too -- until recently. Americans For Prosperity — Kansas explains and illustrates the present budget situation in Kansas. Kansas State Spending Policy Primer April 2009 Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape kansas government af Kansas State Spending: A Policy Primer April 2009 Kansas Government is out of money. There are now no more hidden funds or accounting tricks that can hide this fact. How did Kansas…
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27
Mar
By Bob Weeks

Williams — King — Minnesota Guys connection raises concern

There's a triangle of influence and connections that should raise flags of caution as voters decide the makeup of the Wichita city council. At the center is Beth King, a Wichita public relations executive. She's well known in city hall, having managed the mayoral campaign of Carl Brewer in 2007. She's said to be a close advisor to him. Her name is so familiar that when her emails are forwarded among department heads in city hall, she's referred to as simply "Beth." No last name is necessary. The connection that voters should be aware of is this: King is the…
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25
Nov
By Bob Weeks

Toward a Free America

As our country works its way through a period of turmoil, we must remember that there is another way than what those on the left and right propose. That way, the way of liberty, is the subject of For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, by Murray N. Rothbard. (The book is available to read online in pdf format here.) From the book's description at the Ludwig von Mises Institute: "In For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, Rothbard proposes a once-and-for-all escape from the two major political parties, the ideologies they embrace, and their central plans for using state…
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29
Sep
By Bob Weeks

Wall Street Crisis Fruit of Government, Not Free Markets

Radley Balko writing about the activities of the United States Government in Reason Magazine: Many commenters have blamed all of this on capitalism. This isn't capitalism. It's a peculiar kind of corporatist socialism, where good risks and the resulting profits remain private, but bad risks and the resulting losses are passed on to taxpayers. There's nothing free-market about it. Also: Bailout plan splits free-market backers
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02
Nov
By Bob Weeks

Featured thoughts

Government is essentially the negation of liberty. -- Ludwig von Mises A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that ... it gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. -- Milton Friedman As the coercive power of the state will alone decide who is to have what, the only power worth having will be a share in the exercise of this directing power. -- F.A. Hayek This was all before politicians gave us…
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10
Aug
By Bob Weeks

A Few Random Quotes

Barbra Streisand told Diane Sawyer that we're in a global warming crisis, and we can expect more and more intense storms, droughts and dust bowls. But before they act, weather experts say they're still waiting to hear from Celine Dion. -- Jay Leno The great virtue of free enterprise is that it forces existing businesses to meet the test of the market continuously, to produce products that meet consumer demands at lowest cost, or else be driven from the market. It is a profit-and-loss system. Naturally, existing businesses generally prefer to keep out competitors in other ways. That is why…
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09
Nov
By Bob Weeks

Vincent Dubois, Organ

On November 8, 2005, young French organist Vincent Dubois played a recital as part of the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series at Wiedemann Recital Hall, Wichita State University. I attended his recital last year, and again a most remarkable thing about watching Mr. Dubois play is how effortless he makes it appear. He plays from memory, so there are no scores to fiddle with. He seems totally relaxed, his hands and feet merely skimming and floating over the keys and pedals. Managing the resources of the organ never seems to get in the way of making music, and wonderful music he…
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15
Oct
By Bob Weeks

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Book Review: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference Malcolm Gladwell Little, Brown and Company, 2000 Writing from Lexington, Kentucky (I picked up the book from the library because in a hurry, I thought it might be about my ragdoll cat whose name is Tippy. But I decided to read it anyway.) This is an interesting book that tells us that often the way to affect change is not through heavy-handed techniques, but by paying attention to small things that can make all the difference. Mr. Gladwell tells us about the Law of the Few (connectors,…
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