KNEA Archives - Page 11 of 11 Voice For Liberty

Apr

KNEA, the Kansas teachers union: more taxes are needed

The public education spending lobby in Kansas is always looking for more tax dollars. A recent edition of the Kansas National Education Association newsletter Under the Dome for March 30, 2009 lays out the education spending lobby's plans. This group is fearful that an upcoming meeting of the consensus revenue group may produce bad news for Kansas revenue. It's thought that the state may need to reduce spending or increase taxes. Spending, according to this newsletter, has "already been cut to the bone." So the KNEA proposes "adjustments to the revenue stream" as follows: Reject all new tax cuts. Freeze…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

In the Wichita school district, supplies must be really tight

On the front lines in Wichita KS (Blake West on Blake's Blog at the Kansas National Education Association) This post describes West's visit to Hamilton Middle School in Wichita, where, because of an architectural issue, students have to attend classes in a different building. He writes "all of the educators forced to leave their old classrooms were not allowed to reenter their old building to retrieve ANY of their teaching supplies (many purchased at their personal expense.) ... Most amazing to me was the tremendously positive attitude of the educators. They actually shouted for joy when United Teachers of Wichita…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

KNEA doesn’t care for Proposition K

You can often tell how good a measure will be for taxpayers and prosperity by how strongly the people who live on government spending protest. When they distort arguments to the point of lying, you know it's going to be really bad for them if a measure passes -- and really good for everyone else. Proposition K, a proposal to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas, is such a case. An example is the Kansas National Education Association. This organization is one of the most powerful lobbies in Kansas, and across the nation, for that matter. Their document Proposition K…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas school lobby: not enough spending, not enough taxation

In Topeka, the Kansas Association of School Boards rarely misses an opportunity to complain that spending on government schools is too low. The same goes for the Kansas National Education Association, the teachers union. Also, taxes aren't high enough, they say. A recent note from KNEA regarding a possible sales tax holiday in Kansas stated: "Our primary concerns are related to the bill’s fiscal note which indicates a loss of more than $57 million in revenue to the state should such a holiday be enacted." The message goes on to suggest some reforms in Kansas sales tax law, as long…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Education Lobby Always Prowling for Tax Dollars

In Topeka, the Kansas Association of School Boards rarely misses an opportunity to reach deeper into the taxpayer's pocket. The same goes for the Kansas National Education Association, the teachers union. Here's a report from one of these groups: "In the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee it was KASB lobbyist Mark Tallman representing both organizations in support of the reauthorization of the 20 mill statewide property tax levy for schools. This has to be done every two years. Tallman suggested that a one mill increase in the statewide mill levy would equal about $47 per pupil on BSAPP [base state…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Still more Kansas National Education Association candidate questions

The "Kansas Political Action Committee," a group associated with the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA, the teachers union) has a questionnaire it asks candidates for the Kansas legislature to complete. After reading a few of these questions, it became clear to me that the questions are formulated to advance the interests of the teachers union and others wrapped up in -- and profiting from -- the public school bureaucracy and its monopoly on the use of state education funds. Here's another question they asked: Legislators have recently proposed that certain teachers be given "bonuses" or "incentive pay" based on their…

Sep

By Bob Weeks

Kansas National Education Association candidate questions

Someone I know is running for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives, and as a candidate he was sent a questionnaire from the "Kansas Political Action Committee." This group is associated with the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA). A teachers union, in other words. This candidate asked me for help in answering the questions. After reading them, it became clear to me that the questions are formulated to advance the interests of the teachers union and others wrapped up in -- and profiting from -- the public school bureaucracy and its monopoly on the use of state education…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Regarding School Finance from Senator Karin Brownlee

By Senator Karin Brownlee, Republican from Olathe What is the higher priority? Should the Legislature send $143 million more to schools or preserve the form of government our forefathers carefully designed over two hundred years ago? The separation of powers doctrine is fundamental to maintaining our free society because it maintains a balance of powers with the judiciary unable to control the budget. That is until last Friday when the Kansas Supreme Court blurred the lines and came out with a ruling that the Kansas Legislature should appropriate an additional $143 million to the K-12 schools, for starters. The Court…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

KNEA Tax Plan Would Hurt Kansas

From our friends at the Kansas Taxpayers Network. KANSAS TAXPAYERS NETWORK P.O. Box 20050 Wichita, KS 67208 316-684-0082 FAX 316-684-7527 www.kansastaxpayers.com March 1, 2005 Editorial For Immediate Release KNEA TAX PLAN WOULD HURT KANSAS By Karl Peterjohn The powerful and left-wing National Education Association's Kansas affiliate is working hard to raise your taxes. In a February Olathe News article Terry Forsyth, one of the Kansas National Education Association's (KNEA) lobbyists, is quoted claiming that there is no correlation between taxes and job growth. Obviously Mr. Forsyth seems unfamiliar with high tax and high spending states like New York that have…