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For Wichita Public Schools, Even Simple Information Requests Seem a Problem
Read more: For Wichita Public Schools, Even Simple Information Requests Seem a ProblemOn June 16, 2008, I asked officials of USD 259, the Wichita public school district, two simple questions. At least I thought they were simple. One question had to do with some figures about violent acts in the Wichita schools. The number of violent acts seems high, but before I could understand the meaning of…
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No New Sedgwick County Sales Tax Without Property Tax Elimination: Taxpayer Protection is Needed
Read more: No New Sedgwick County Sales Tax Without Property Tax Elimination: Taxpayer Protection is NeededA press release from the Peterjohn for County Commissioner campaign 23 July 2008 The Wichita Eagle’s lead story July 23 mentions a new county proposal to raise a new local sales tax to cover a variety of new spending programs. A variety of new or expanded county spending projects were mentioned in this article. There…
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Wichita City Council’s misunderstanding of tax increment financing
Read more: Wichita City Council’s misunderstanding of tax increment financingOn July 8, 2008 I testified at a public hearing at a Wichita city council meeting. Afterward, a council member told me that I had a “glaring error” in my arguments. I won’t identify this member in order to avoid embarrassing the member. The minutes of the meeting don’t identify the member who said this,…
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Wichita School District: Tax Rates Not Increasing, But Taxes Paid Are
Read more: Wichita School District: Tax Rates Not Increasing, But Taxes Paid AreAccording to the Wichita Eagle article School board plans no tax increase for coming year, USD 259, the Wichita public school district, does not “plan to raise property taxes” to pay for school operations next year. Now if you read that and that alone, you might want to congratulate Wichita school officials for respecting the…
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KEEP’s Goal is Predetermined and Ineffectual
Read more: KEEP’s Goal is Predetermined and IneffectualEarlier this year, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius created the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group, or KEEP. Its goal, as stated in the press release announcing its creation, is to “…explore opportunities in all sectors of our economy to accomplish the goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions…” Nancy Jackson of the Climate and…
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At Least We’re Not Johnson County
Read more: At Least We’re Not Johnson CountyCommentary from Kansas Liberty about trouble at the Kansas City Star and the miserable Johnson County Sun. All the gas, but none of the warmth. What does the Kansas City Star have in common with the Johnson County Sun? Right! They’re both named, appropriately, after masses of incandescent gasses. Also, they hate conservatives. The Star…
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Efforts to Regulate ‘Wild West’ Markets are Long Overdue
Read more: Efforts to Regulate ‘Wild West’ Markets are Long OverdueA Christian Science Monitor article Efforts to regulate ‘Wild West’ markets are long overdue contains a number of misstatements. For one thing, characterization of the American West as “wild” in the sense that mayhem prevailed, and that life and property were not safe, is not correct. An article in the Journal of Libertarian Studies titled…
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Defending the American Dream, or RightOnline in Austin 2008
Read more: Defending the American Dream, or RightOnline in Austin 2008I just returned from Austin, Texas, attending a conference put on by Americans For Prosperity partnering with Sam Adams Alliance, Heritage Foundation, Leadership Institute, and Media Research Center. Thank you to my friend Erik Telford for inviting me to this conference. We had some great speakers. Robert Novak is a favorite person of mine. I…
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Wichita Smoking Ban: Authoritarian, Elitist?
Read more: Wichita Smoking Ban: Authoritarian, Elitist?Here’s some good commentary I received from a citizen. Wichita’s smoking “ban” will take effect before too long.? Smoke ’em while you can, I guess. Wichita’s Smoking Ban and the latest authoritarian arrogance emitted by elitist professor University of Kansas School of Medicine professor Dr. Rick Kellerman is?on the front page of the May 30…
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Government Art in Wichita
Read more: Government Art in WichitaDo we really want government art in Wichita? David Boaz, in his recent book The Politics of Freedom: Taking on The Left, The Right and Threats to Our Liberties writes this in a chapter titled “The Separation of Art and State”: It is precisely because art has power, because it deals with basic human truths,…
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Happy Cost of Government Day
Read more: Happy Cost of Government DayAccording to Americans for Tax Reform today, July 16, 2008, marks national Cost of Government Day: On July 16, Americans mark the national Cost of Government Day (COGD), the date on the calendar year when the average American finishes paying off his or her share of federal, state and local spending, and the regulatory burden.…
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Jack Pelton, Leader of Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group
Read more: Jack Pelton, Leader of Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory GroupEarlier this year, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius created the Kansas Energy and Environmental Policy Advisory Group (KEEP) and appointed Cessna Aircraft Company chairman, president and chief executive officer Jack Pelton as its leader. This was a smart political move by Governor Sebelius. She appears to have put the planning for our state’s energy future in…