Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday November 12, 2010

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Dilts drops campaign for city council. Jason Dilts has announced that he is ending his campaign for a position on the Wichita City Council. He had been running for the district 4 position currently held by Paul Gray, who is precluded from running again by the city’s term limit law. While Dilts’ politics are liberal and might have been expected to depart from those of the incumbent, Gray voted for nearly every spending measure that came before the council. … Dilts’ departure leaves this district without any publicly declared candidates. The filing deadline for city and school board elections is January 24, 2011. The primary election is March 1, and the general election is on April 5. These elections are non-partisan, meaning that candidates run without party identification, although everyone who cares knows who belongs to which party. In the primary, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.

OTB: One-term Barack. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics predicts a dim future for President Barack Obama and his chances for reelection. Sabato’s most recent “Crystal Ball” column starts off with “The wreckage of the Democratic Party is strewn just about everywhere. President Obama’s carefully constructed 2008 Electoral College breakthrough is now just broken, a long-ago memory of what might have been a lasting shift in partisan alignment.” After presenting the evidence, Sabato concludes: “There’s only one logical conclusion to be drawn: President Barack Obama is down for the count, will have an early lame duck presidency, and will be out of the White House in two years.”

Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita. The “final draft” version of the plan for the revitalization of downtown Wichita is now available. Click on Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita. Perhaps after the “final draft” comes the “first permanent version?” Next week the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of the plan. The meeting is at 1:30 pm Thursday Nov. 18, in the tenth floor conference room at Wichita City Hall, 455 N. Main. This is an opportunity for the public to comment on this project. I’m thinking I’ll be there.

Wichita city hall garage closing. Letter to Wichita Eagle, in part: “The bureaucrats reserve for themselves convenient services, while those they are supposed to serve do without and are exposed to parking-meter violations and parking fines. Wichita government has a history of poor service to its citizens. Recent examples include the mismanagement of the Wichita water utility and resulting increases in our water bills, and the increased fees assessed to homeowners for home protection alarms. Yet we see good-old-boy deals on below-market rate loans and tax incentives to every project that comes before city officials, worthy or not.”

Some Kansas counties voted against judges. Last week’s elections in Kansas offered voters the opportunity to vote whether several Kansas Supreme Court and Kansas Court of Appeals justices should be retained in office. Voters decided to retain all by roughly a two-to-one margin. But some Kansas counties voted against retaining the judges. In particular, some western Kansas counties, Cherokee county in extreme southeastern Kansas, and Coffey county in east-central Kansas voted against the judges. A Kansas Watchdog story asked Fort Hays State University political science professor Chapman Rackaway for his analysis. He said “I think you’re seeing more an expression of a philosophy than a particular agenda against these particular justices.” He noted “A more libertarian streak runs strong in western Kansas, and along with that comes a philosophy of ‘throw the bums out.’” He also says that “I think if you ran a correlation of votes you’d find that the strongest Libertarian and Republican results would come from some of the counties you’ve pointed out. In the end, then, this is more about general change than it is a specific policy or judge.”

Health insurance profits. Watching liberal media so you don’t have to: Cenk Uygur, who appears on the liberal television network MSNBC, reported on the profits of health insurance companies. He said that health insurance companies earned $9.3 billion in profits for the first three months of the year, up 41 percent in the last year, adding “Do we really want to leave decisions about our health and our lives to a corporation whose sole purpose is to make money off of us? They get billions in profits by taking in more money from us than they pay out for our care. I’m not sure that makes a lot of sense.” First: citing a number like these profit figures without providing context means very little. Health insurance company profits — in terms of the industry’s size — have been low in recent years. Second: Have the insurance companies figured out how to the “game” the Obamacare plan? It wouldn’t be the first time large companies have co-opted government regulation for their own profit. Third: Do you — as does Uygur — trust the government to make decisions regarding your health care? The idea of a benevolent government paternally caring for our best interests is dangerous. Profit is a more reliable motive. The problem is that health insurance companies compete in a highly regulated market, where the profit motive is not fully able to express itself. Contrast the market for automobile insurance, where companies compete vigorously for business. In that industry, complaints of companies refusing to pay legitimate claims are rare. That’s because with auto insurance, consumers have a wide variety of companies to select from. That’s not the case with health insurance, where the choice for many people is made by their employer. Dissatisfied consumers have little ability to switch to another company.

KansasOpenGov.org revamped. The Kansas Policy Institute announces a major revision of its government transparency website KansasOpenGov.org. I’ll have a longer article about this website next week.

Comments

15 responses to “Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday November 12, 2010”

  1. Susan

    Open up the garage!!!

  2. BobTheBuilder

    The Beagle is censoring the truth, but people need to know about the cynical connection between Nancy Pelosi and militant homosexual activist Jason Dilts. She flies him out to San Francisco all the time on her big fancy jet at tax payer’s expense! He was just there before the election and bragging on his Twitter account about all the lavish meals Nan-Nan was feeding him. Pelosi knew her days in power as Speaker were numbered, but she plucked Dilts out of Kansas so her socialist agenda could continue from Wichita City Hall.

    It makes me wonder why he dropped out, though, because he would have had all of her lefty money. He was also a rising star within in the homosexual movement and I’m sure they’d funnel all of their money to him. In fact, it was national gay money that funded the now defunct ROK ICT, which he was using to launch his political career. I heard that he and that bald guy broke up, though, and that complicated things. Perhaps Pelosi has new plans for him, though. Coincidentally, his announcement paralleled her decision to run for minority leader. If that don’t make you go “hmmm”, I don’t know what does!

  3. June

    You can judge a lot about a person by the company they keep, and I was just waiting with glee for south wichita to be introduced to Jason Dilts’ “family values”. Of course, being a homosexual, he doesn’t have a REAL family, but he aligns himself with some very odd characters. First, there’s his campaign captain, Tom Witt. He’s the fattest and meaniest homosexual in Kansas and threatens members of the Democrat Party who don’t back his pro-homosexual policies. Then we have Levi Henry and Lynette Chapman, who are quite proud of flaunting the fact that they are having a baby out of wedlock. They call the baby “twitterfetus”, which must be some odd pro-abort joke. They are employees of the Democrat Party, just like Tom Witt. Chapman is actually liberal legislative queen bee Judy Loganbill’s campaign treasurer. She pretends to be a realtor, but she’s really just on the Pelosi payroll!

    Then, there are Dilts’ “non-political” friends, who include a flower-power hippie yoga instructor, her lesbian girlfriend who happens to be Raj Goyle’s cousin, and a bar tender from a seedy establishment who ran off with a Jew. They are super liberal and have been spotted all over town partying. They call themselves “The Queens”. We have pictures of them “gaying it up” with Dilts. I’m sad that we won’t be seeing these in campaign mailings now.

  4. Ron Bailey

    He’s not really gay! I have a friend who tried to date Jason Dilts, but he’s always around women. It’s all a sham to get political money. I frequent a bar right across from where the guy lives…I watch him come home every night. He’s always alone. Not gay, I tell you.

    Oh, and June, get your facts srtaight on his friends. None of those girls are lesbians. Two of them live together in Lawrence, but they’re friends. The Indian girl is of no relation to Goyle, as far as I know. She goes to KU and the other one works at a call center. Not sure why they matter to you.

  5. Anonymous Mike

    Hi, I went to Dilts’ website and he reminds me too much of Perez Hilton. He might or might not be homosexual, but he sure looked flamboyant. Wichita needs a quiet person that just votes no on new spending, especially any “special” projects that only help a certain developer. Not knowing who I’m comparing him to, I’m still not real upset that he left.

    later

    Mike?

  6. […] Rumors  abound, so let’s get the record straight! […]

  7. Adam

    Omg this is some of the funniest fiction writing I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Jason is a good guy. He has no evil “gay militant” agenda. You really need not waste anymore of your creative writing skills. WE GET IT. You are a homophobe. You’re not the first and won’t be the last.

    Also, anyone who doubts Jason’s sexuality obviously has NO IDEA who he is.

  8. Kelley Hoffman

    Wow.
    I am one of several gay republicans around town, and I can NOT believe some of you people would slander a young man that simply wants to help Wichita be a better place. I personally don’t know Mr. Dilts, but I do know he commits a tremendous amount of time to benefit organizations and benefits that are for EVERYONE in this city. Read about or google the kids name-he at least tries to make a difference!
    If this is the way we repay our youth for caring, and trying to at least get involved in the political process, it is no wonder so many are leaving the area. Learn a little respect people.
    Kelley H.

  9. Thomas Witt

    The number of mistaken assumptions (at best) and outright lies in these comments is truly amazing. Bob Weeks, these are your friends? The people you roll with politically? Does their bigotry make you proud?

  10. As you know, Thomas Witt, I apply only light censorship to comments here, and anyone may comment. Over the years I have even let your unfounded and uninformed comments stand just as written, even when they were insulting to me. Here’s another example: your accusation that I know the identity of these comment writers, that they are my political allies or friends, and that I agree with their claims. See how that works?

  11. Thomas Witt

    Bob – who said anything about censorship? You know as well as I that exercising editorial control over your blog isn’t “censorship,” as true censorship can only be imposed by government coercion.

    If these aren’t your friends and allies, hey, that’s great! I’m glad to see you put distance between they and you. Whoever they are, it’s clear they’re a bunch of gutless cowards who don’t have the courage to post their drivel under their own names.

  12. MurphyBrown

    Jason does not not know, nor has he ever met Nancy Pelosi. And judging by these posts, none of you people have ever met Jason either, except for that big meanie, Thomas Witt. ;) And what’s with all the commentary on his friends? Do you spend your days stalking him on Facebook? Creepy! You would do better to get out from behind your computer and actually, you know, do something besides engaging in online voyeurism. Again I say, creepy, super, super creepy.

    He’s out of the game, he’s not running for anything, he’s backing away from politics entirely, so you narrow-minded bigots can stop hypothesizing about his personal life, friends and ambitions now. Move on.

    Just as a quick note, people who screech from the hilltops about the “gay agenda” are usually queer as a three dollar bill themselves. So see ya at the next Pride Parade!

  13. Big Gay Jay

    Dear June, I know for a fact that Tom Witt is not the fattest nor is he the meanest homosexual in Kansas. I am. Known as Big Gay Jay, as the most corpulent and misanthropic queer mafia enforcer serving under Elton John.

    Tom and I go back a ways and while pleading the fifth, I can say we know where the bodies are. We have had to go on many “Pick and Shovel” missions. Take it from Big Gay Jay, you don’t want to F**K with the queer mafia. People who cross the queer mafia can attest if they can still be found that they have never received a good rinse and set, perm, or hair style after they crossed the gay consortium. Home owners wanting new decorating and design are cursed with taupe. Have you ever had to live with taupe day in and day out?

    So, just don’t do it. Never cross the gay community. You will never see us coming unless we want you to.

  14. This is my first visit to this website, and I have to say, it appears to be run by RINOs. I’m really disappointed by the obvious lack of an American flag, bald eagle, and anti-Muslim icon. Who runs this site? Show yourself.

  15. Giant Gay Jay

    There is nothing — NOTHING — I enjoy more in this world than a fine cocktail with a side of fine cock while soaring across the Kansas prairies in the Pelosi-jet.

    And gosh damned if I’ll ever do it on anything but big gay money from the Big Gay Agenda Fund. All the better if my buddy Jason Dilts is there with me! (he is yet another Big Gay Jay)

    Oh, and it’s not true what they’re saying about that bald guy from ROK ICT. Jason and he were never together. Although I can say from personal experience – Jason wasn’t missing out on much. What a fantastic let-down in the sack!

    Oops… gotta run, the Pelosi-mobile just honked for me outside.

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