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Kansas can’t afford a cigarette tax hike
Read more: Kansas can’t afford a cigarette tax hikeThe Kansas Health Policy Authority’s recommendation to use a 75-cent cigarette tax increase to pay for health costs should be worrisome — not only to smokers, but also to non-smokers and fiscally responsible legislators as well. The approach may seem appealing at first, but such tax increases are notoriously unpredictable and regressive. Funding a high-profile…
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Smoking is healthier than fascism
Read more: Smoking is healthier than fascismThere’s a Facebook group named Vote NO on Statewide Smoking Ban (Smoking is healthier than fascism). Started by Wichita activist Wendy Aylworth, the description of the group starts with the rallying cry “We must stop this tyranny of the majority!” Yes, we must.
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Kansas historic preservation building tax credits discussed
Read more: Kansas historic preservation building tax credits discussedSometimes on blogs people don’t take the time to read comments left to posts. Sometimes those comments provide valuable discussion and illumination of public policy issues. So here I take a moment to elevate a few comments left to a recent blog post.
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Kansas school spending advocates exaggerate employment losses
Read more: Kansas school spending advocates exaggerate employment lossesYesterday I reported how Kansas school spending advocates lie about facts in order to score political points with their constituencies. Today we again see how the school spending lobby distorts facts, this time in a very substantial way concerning an important matter.
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The changing face of journalism
Read more: The changing face of journalismAs newspapers and other forms of traditional news media experience economic difficulty, a gap has been created that needs to be filled. One of the solutions is the rise of non-profit organizations that have stepped in to provide the watchdog service that investigative journalism provides. Jason Stverak, author of the piece below, is president of…
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Ad spotlights Kansas school spending
Read more: Ad spotlights Kansas school spendingA television advertisement is calling attention to some facts that Kansas school spending advocates don’t want you to know.
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Wichita downtown planners hosting events
Read more: Wichita downtown planners hosting eventsThe Wichita Downtown Development Corporation is holding two events in February that should be of interest to those concerned about the future of downtown Wichita and the city and region as a whole.
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The myth of the smoking ban ‘miracle’
Read more: The myth of the smoking ban ‘miracle’Supporters of comprehensive bans on smoking often point to research findings that heart attacks decrease when smoking bans are implemented. But is this true?
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Randal O’Toole on Wichita’s WaterWalk and government planning
Read more: Randal O’Toole on Wichita’s WaterWalk and government planningAs part of Randal O’Toole’s visit to Wichita, he recorded some remarks in front of a few of Wichita’s monuments to government planning. Paul Soutar of Kansas Watchdog recorded video and assembled the remarks. His reporting is Randal O’Toole on Wichita’s WaterWalk and Government Planning.
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‘Economic Freedom and the Wealth and Health of Nations’ lecture to be in Wichita
Read more: ‘Economic Freedom and the Wealth and Health of Nations’ lecture to be in WichitaDo you know where the United States ranks on the global index of economic freedom? (Hint: It wouldn’t get a medal.) The answer is in the latest edition of the Economic Freedom of the World report. Dr. Robert Lawson of Auburn University is co-author of this popular and widely cited report. He will be the…
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To Kansas school spending advocates, criticism comes fast and loose
Read more: To Kansas school spending advocates, criticism comes fast and looseAs the debate over the funding of Kansas public schools goes on, sometimes facts get lost in the shuffle, and school spending advocates sometimes invent “facts” in order to score political points by criticizing those working to bring inconvenient facts to light.