Kansas Governor

09
Jul
By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs creation numbers in perspective

This week the administration of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced job creation figures that, on the surface, sound like good news. But before we celebrate too much, we need to place the job numbers in context and look at the larger picture, specifically whether these economic development wins are good for the Kansas economy. The governor's office announced that since January 10th, almost exactly one-half year ago, the Brownback administration is taking credit for creating 3,163 jobs. These jobs, according to the governor's office, are in companies that are moving to Kansas or expanding their current operations. Some of the…
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31
May
By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday May 31, 2011

Pachyderm to feature DA Foulston. This Friday (June 3) the Wichita Pachyderm Club features Nola Tedesco Foulston, District Attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial District of Kansas, whose boundaries are coincident with Sedgwick County. Foulston's topic will be "An office overview and current events at the Eighteenth Judicial District of Kansas District Attorney’s office." Foulston, a Democrat, was elected to her office in 1988 and has served continuously since then. ... Appearances by speakers other than Republicans at Pachyderm often generate controversy, and this week is no exception. Pachyderm is a Republican club, and the mission statement of the national organization…
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23
May
By Bob Weeks

In Kansas Legislature this year, opportunities for saving were lost

This year the Kansas Legislature lost three opportunities to improve the operations and reduce the cost of state government. Three bills, each with this goal, were passed by the House of Representatives, but each failed to make through the Senate, or had its contents stripped and replaced with different legislation. Each of these bills represents a lost opportunity for state government services to be streamlined, delivered more efficiently, or measured and managed. Kansas Streamlining Government Act HB 2120, according to its supplemental note, "would establish the Kansas Streamlining Government Act, which would have the purpose of improving the performance, efficiency,…
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29
Dec
By Bob Weeks

Wind power again reaps subsidy

The editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is at the forefront of letting Americans know just how bad an investment our country is making in wind power, as well as other forms of renewable energy. A recent Review and Outlook piece titled The Wind Subsidy Bubble: Green pork should be a GOP budget target holds these facts: The recent tax bill has a $3 billion grant for wind projects. The 2009 stimulus bill had $30 billion for wind. Wind power installations are way down from recent years. The 2008 stimulus bill forces taxpayers to pay 30% of a renewable…
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27
Dec
By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday December 27, 2010

This week at Wichita City Council. This week, as is the usual practice for the fourth Tuesday of each month, the agenda for the Wichita City Council features only consent items. These consent items are thought -- at least by someone -- to be of routine and non-controversial nature, and the council votes on them in bulk as a single item, unless a council member wishes to "pull" an item for discussion and possibly a separate vote. One such consent item is "Payment for Settlement of Claim -- Estate of Christopher Perkins." As Brent Wistrom reports in the Wichita Eagle's,…
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21
Dec
By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday December 21, 2010

Steineger switches teams. Chris Steineger, a Kansas State Senator from Kansas City, has switched to the Republican Party. As a Democrat, Steineger had compiled a voting record more conservative than many senate Republicans. On the Kansas Economic Freedom Index for this year -- recognizing that supporting economic freedom is not the same as conservatism or Republicanism -- Steineger had a voting record more in favor of economic freedom than that of 15 of the senate's Republicans. Kansas school funding reform to wait. Incoming Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says that the Kansas economy comes first, and then school finance, Medicaid, and…
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08
Dec
By Bob Weeks

Brownback appointments a mixed bag

Incoming Kansas governor Sam Brownback has made some appointments to his economic team. Two of the appointments illustrate why Kansans need to maintain a cautious watch on Brownback as he takes over the governor's office. A third gives us hope that the Kansas budget can be fully understood and managed. The major mistake made by the new governor is retaining Deb Miller as Kansas Secretary of Transportation. Miller promoted the very expensive and largely unneeded highway plan that passed the legislature and was signed by the governor. She also promotes the expansion of passenger rail service in Kansas, which is…
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26
Oct
By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday October 26, 2010

Karl Rove. "Former George W. Bush aide Matt Latimer was there to observe the dealings of Karl Rove during the previous administration, and he writes that there’s no secret why most conservatives have now come to view Rove as a fraud. Latimer says that Rove has become symbolic of a GOP establishment that’s known for its utter betrayal and ruin of the Party that Reagan had left so strong. Now that his secret is out, Rove’s influence will only continue to diminish as time goes on and the Tea Parties take over." A fascinating look at the legacy of Rove,…
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24
Oct
By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Sunday October 24, 2010

Surprise endorsement from Wichita Eagle. Today the Wichita Eagle endorsed Republican Mike Pompeo over Democrat Raj Goyle in the race for the Kansas fourth Congressional district. Surprising. Still, the Eagle editorial board can't help reveal its preference for big, expansive government by taking a few digs at Pompeo, describing his free-market, limited government views as "overly idealistic at times." Continuing, the Eagle wrote "For example, he believes that there wouldn't be a need for farm subsidies or economic development incentives if there were lower tax rates and a friendlier and more stable regulatory environment. That's not the real world." The…
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