Kansas Reporter Archives - Voice For Liberty

Mar

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday March 8, 2012

Candidate representatives at Pachyderm. This Friday's meeting (March 9th) of the Wichita Pachyderm Club features Republican presidential candidate spokespersons. In addition, Lora Cox, Executive Director of the Sedgwick County Republican Party will be on hand to answer questions regarding the mechanics of Saturday’s Republican Party Caucus. ... The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wichita Pachyderm meetings. For more information click on Wichita Pachyderm Club. Sedgwick County pre-caucus rally. Friday afternoon (March 9th) Kansans for Liberty is producing a pre-caucus rally at Century II. Ron Paul is scheduled to appear. There will be other speakers and live entertainment, say…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday November 22, 2011

Ghana junket. A reader writes with information and opinion about the trip by Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Lavonta Williams (district 1, northeast and east Wichita) to Ghana, Africa: "I found it interesting that the City Council $15,000 plus junket to Ghana was first advertised as a Sister City recruitment trip (And after the Police Chief and others were identified) the trip mission changed to Economic Development. I have no idea how Ghana can help us when 56% of their economy is agricultural and in 2002 the government opted for debt relief under the "Heavily Indebted Poor Country…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday October 17, 2011

Government job creation. Reason editor Matt Welch introduces the magazine's November issue, which contains articles on free-market job creation. After citing the litany of failures, he concludes: "Such persistence in the face of repeated failure suggests that some powerful myths continue to hold sway among politicians and many of the people they represent. Among the most stubborn of these is the notion that passing a bill to fix a problem is the same as actually fixing the problem. This assumption -- which reaches its illogical conclusion during times of national panic, when do-something busybodies like Michael Bloomberg will say that…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday October 13, 2011

Wichita city leaders too cozy with developers? Yesterday I participated in a KAKE Television news story where I explained the need for pay-to-play laws in Wichita and Kansas. These laws generally restrict officeholders from participating in votes or activities that would enrich their campaign contributors. In the story I said "What I, and some of my political allies object to, is what is happening in plain sight: In that there is a relatively small group of people -- and their spouses and people who work at their companies -- who regularly contribute to a wide variety of city council members,…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Tuesday August 16, 2011

Future of Kansas insurance exchange. "TOPEKA -- A federal appeals court ruling in Georgia that overturned a portion of the nation's latest health insurance law Friday did little to end confusion over how to follow that law in Kansas. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which requires all Americans to carry health insurance or face penalties, is unconstitutional. The Court ruled that Congress exceeded its constitutional powers by requiring people to buy health insurance when they choose not to do so." At issue is whether the…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Sunday July 10, 2011

Wichita city council. This week the Wichita City Council considers these major items of interest: Capps Manufacturing, Inc. seeks to avoid paying property tax on an expansion of its plant. Under the city's Economic Development Exemption (EDX) Program, the company, according to city documents, is eligible to avoid paying 80 percent of the property tax on the expansion for a period of ten years. The documents state: "Based on the 2010 mill levy, the estimated taxable value of exempted property for the first full year is approximately $38,387." I believe this is incorrect; that figure is the amount of property…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

KPERS solution not likely this session

With little time left for the Kansas Legislature to meet this year, and with the budget still not passed, it's not very likely that action will be taken to reform the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS). Especially when there's a study commission waiting in the wings to take the pressure off lawmakers to take action now. It should be noted that the "best" plan, in terms of making a start on the reforms KPERS needs, still falls short of making the fundamental reforms that are required. Below, Kansas Reporter provides details of the political wrangling. Lawmakers spar over Kansas…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday April 11, 2011

Social security entitlement. In today's Wichita Eagle Opinion Line, this comment was left: "Please stop calling my Social Security an 'entitlement.' I paid into it all my working life, and I just want my money back." Two points: The writer seems to believe that just because people pay into Social Security, they're entitled to benefits as through there was a contract in place. But there is no contract. Social Security benefits are what Congress says they are, and Congress can make changes at any time. ... Second, the writer wants his money back, as though the money was paid onto…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday March 28, 2011

Wichita Eagle endorsements. Yesterday the Wichita Eagle released its endorsements for Mayor, Wichita City Council, and Wichita school board. It is no surprise that in each case the newspaper editorial board recommended that voters select the candidate most likely to support the board's big-government interventionist policies, thereby (unwittingly?) providing a guide as to who not to vote for, if you value limited government and economic freedom. Wichita City Council this week. As it is the fifth Tuesday of the month, the Wichita City Council will not meet. While some might say the mayor and council members need to get to…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday March 23, 2011

Owens still blocks judicial selection reform. Kansas Reporter writes that one man, Senator Tim Owens, an attorney and Republican from Overland Park, is still blocking judicial selection reform. But a move by the House gives Senate President Stephen Morris a chance to let Senators vote to concur with the reform measure passed by the House. Or, Morris could refer the measure to Owens' Judiciary committee, where it will die. See New way of picking appeals judges gets second shot. Greed is killing Detroit. Greed is often portrayed as a negative quality of the rich. But Investor's Business Daily tells what…