-
Kansas income has large drop in 2004, says census report
Read more: Kansas income has large drop in 2004, says census reportKansas Taxpayers Network (KTN) expressed dismay at the latest Census Department income figures that show Kansas income dropping at the second worst rate among the 50 states in 2004. The U.S. Census Department released this data at the end of August in their report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States:…
-
Revenue Growth Lags As Kansas Falters
Read more: Revenue Growth Lags As Kansas FaltersRevenue Growth Lags As Kansas Falters By Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network In early August Governor Sebelius issued a news release praising the economic growth that had allowed state tax revenues to grow significantly in the fiscal year that ended June 30. In the state’s general fund revenues were 7.1 percent or $322 million above…
-
From Karl Peterjohn to Ann Mah
Read more: From Karl Peterjohn to Ann MahHere’s an open letter from Karl Peterjohn of the Kansas Taxpayers Network to Kansas Representative Ann Mah, a Democrat from district 53, which is southeast Topeka and areas southeast of there. Rep. Mah scored 12.5 on KTN’s 2005 Legislative Vote Ranking, which places here very near the left end of the spectrum. In other words,…
-
Augenblick perhaps cheap by comparison
Read more: Augenblick perhaps cheap by comparisonBillions of dollars are riding on the outcome of the state’s two education finance studies, one by the Legislative Division of Post Audit, the other by the national firm of business analysts at Standard & Poors. The Kansas Supreme Court is putting great reliance on the results of these studies in deciding how to resolve…
-
Consider carefully all costs of gambling in Wichita
Read more: Consider carefully all costs of gambling in WichitaIn a free society dedicated to personal liberty, people should be able to gamble. But that’s not what we have, as in a free society dedicated to personal liberty, people wouldn’t be taxed to pay for the problems that others cause in the pursuit of their happiness. How does this relate to the issue of…
-
What to do about gasoline prices
Read more: What to do about gasoline pricesAlmost anything the government does in response to the recent high gasoline prices is bound to fail.
-
Why I Voted Against the Amendment
Read more: Why I Voted Against the AmendmentOn April 5, 2005, the State of Kansas voted on an amendment to our constitution. The amendment would prohibit same-sex marriage. I voted against this amendment. I don’t think we want a government that cares who we decide to marry. Before the election, The Wichita Eagle published a list of over 1,000 benefits that arise…
-
How to decide arts funding
Read more: How to decide arts fundingIn an editorial in The Wichita Eagle on August 9, 2005, Randy Schofield wrote, explaining why government should support culture: “Because cultural amenities make Wichita a more desirable place to live, work and visit, and thus help realize Wichita’s quality of life and economic development goals.” We might examine some of the ideas and reasoning…
-
Untold and Under Reported Stories From the Kansas Special Session: Part II
Read more: Untold and Under Reported Stories From the Kansas Special Session: Part IIThank you, Karl, for this insight into the character of our leading Kansas politicians, and for another example of how Kansas newspapers and other news media aren’t giving us the information we need. Untold and Under Reported Stories From the Kansas Special Session: Part II By Karl Peterjohn, Executive Director, Kansas Taxpayers Network Early in…
-
Pricing a Car, Pricing a School?
Read more: Pricing a Car, Pricing a School?Only when value is determined by a voluntary exchange does the price send reliable messages to producers and consumers. Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman observed that “Anything that prevents prices from expressing freely the conditions of demand or supply interferes with the transmission of accurate information.” In utter disregard of this principle, Kansas is now…
-
Favorite Internet and computer things
Read more: Favorite Internet and computer thingsGoogle Alerts Google Alerts let you “save” a Google search and have the results emailed to you as new web pages that match your searches are found. This is an invaluable way to keep up-to-date on topics you are interested in.
-
Book Review: Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy
Read more: Book Review: Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the EconomyThis book is a general introduction to economics written in a non-technical way. It provides excellent coverage of many introductory topics in economics, and you don’t have to be a mathematical sophisticate to understand it. It is very readable by anyone who is interested in this topic.