Kansas Watchdog Archives - Page 3 of 5 Voice For Liberty

Sep

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday September 23, 2011

Downtown Wichita site launched. As part of an effort to provide information about the Douglas Place project, a proposed renovation of a downtown Wichita office building into a hotel, a group of concerned citizens has created a website. The site is named Our Downtown Wichita, and it's located at dtwichita.com. Keystone pipeline hearing, bus trip. On Monday the United States Department of State will hold hearings in Topeka concerning a proposed petroleum pipeline. Says Americans for Prosperity: "Our great country has an opportunity to complete a project that would provide billions of dollars in economic activity, create thousands of high-paying…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday August 15, 2011

Kansas economic development welfare promoted. An email from the Kansas Department of Commerce Business Development department informs us that "Kansas continues to add to its incentive tool box making it an even more competitive state for business." A link in the email leads to a list of incentives, which include (and I don't think this is a comprehensive list): Site location assistance; customized incentive proposals (including coordinating with local officials on local development incentives); Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK), which allows companies to retain up to 95 percent of the state withholding taxes their employees pay; wind and solar bonds,…

Aug

By Guest Author

Kansas budget director on budget, fiscal reform

By Paul Soutar, Kansas Watchdog. WICHITA — Budget Director Steven J. Anderson outlined how he and his boss, Gov. Sam Brownback, would like to improve the fiscal affairs and economic recovery in Kansas. But Anderson admitted the effort isn’t likely to win him many friends. His presentation to the Wichita Pachyderm Club Friday included much for fiscal conservatives to like, including efforts to reduced state spending, lower income tax rates and make state government more efficient. But some planned initiatives probably won’t sit too well with a portion of the Republican base. Anderson said he thinks the Fair Tax, a…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday July 20, 2011

Kansas budget director to be in Wichita. This Friday's meeting (July 22) of the Wichita Pachyderm Club features Steve Anderson, Director of the Budget for Kansas. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wichita Pachyderm meetings. For more information click on Wichita Pachyderm Club. ... Upcoming speakers: On July 29, Dennis Taylor, Secretary, Kansas Department of Administration and "The Repealer" on "An Overview of the Office of the Repealer." ... On August 5, the three newest members of the Wichita City Council will appear: Pete Meitzner (district 2, east Wichita), James Clendenin (district 3, south and southeast Wichita), and…

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…

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday May 19, 2011

Kansas growth clusters. H. Edward Flentje, Professor at the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University: "For starters, the Brownback economic plan sends a mixed message; it argues against state policies that target incentives to the lucky few but then proceeds to target individuals moving to 'rural opportunity zones' for special income-tax breaks and payoffs of student loans." The hope of the governor is that counties that have been losing population can be revived. But Flentje tells of the difficulties these rural counties face: "Rural Kansas relies much more heavily on state and federal assistance,…

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday May 6, 2011

Wichita downtown sites draw little interest. Wichita Business Journal: "Interest from developers in eight city-owned “catalyst” sites in downtown Wichita was minimal -- unexpectedly so. 'I was a little bit surprised how light the response was,' says Scott Knebel, downtown revitalization manager for the city of Wichita." With the city soliciting informal proposals for eight sites, only two proposals were received. KPERS. It appears that the Kansas Legislature will pass a pension "reform" bill that does not include a shift to a defined-contribution plan for new employees. Instead, the tough decisions that need to be made about the Kansas Public…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday April 25, 2011

American exceptionalism. This Friday (April 29) the Wichita Pachyderm Club features Kenneth N. Ciboski, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University. He will speak on the topic "American Exceptionalism: How and Why Are We Different From Europe?" The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wichita Pachyderm meetings. For more information click on Wichita Pachyderm Club. ... Upcoming speakers: On May 6, Dr. Malcolm C. Harris, Sr., Professor of Finance, Friends University on the topic "Shale gas: Our energy future?" On May 13, Craig Burns and Glenn Edwards of Security 1st Title Co. on the topic “Real…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday April 14, 2011

Kansas State Board of Education vs. Walt Chappell. There is another development in the tenure of Walt Chappell, Kansas State Board of Education member. Chappell holds some opinions that differ from the rest of the board, or at least the majority of the board, and they don't like Chappell expressing his opinions in newspaper columns, etc. The board would rather have a unified front, even if the position taken is incorrect. Of particular, the issue of the unspent Kansas school fund balances has been prominent. Kansas Watchdog reports on a recent meeting of the board where the issue of Chappell…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Friday April 8, 2011

Kansas Meadowlark blog recast. Earl Glynn of Overland Park has reformed his Kansas Meadowlark site from a blog to a news site along the lines of the Drudge Report. Glynn's full-time job is working for Kansas Watchdog. Economics in one lesson next week. On Monday, four videos based on Henry Hazlitt's class work Economics in One Lesson will be shown in Wichita. The four topics included in Monday's presentation will be The Lesson, The Broken Window, Public Works Means Taxes, and Credit Diverts Production. The event is Monday (April 11) at 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Lionel D.…