Paul Soutar Archives - Voice For Liberty

Oct

From Pachyderm: Economic development incentives

A look at some of the large economic development programs in Wichita and Kansas. Here's video of a presentation I gave at the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week on economic development incentives. The video was produced by Paul Soutar of Graphic Lens. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Following, articles that address some of the topics I presented: Industrial revenue bonds in Kansas: Industrial Revenue Bonds are a mechanism that Kansas cities and counties use to allow companies to avoid paying property and sales taxes. Wichita TIF projects: some background: Tax increment financing disrupts the usual flow…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Property under attack in Kansas

Local governments in Kansas are again seeking expanded power to seize property. In Kansas, officials of many city governments feel they don't have enough power to deal with blight. This year, as in years past, there is legislation to expand the power of cities to seize property. [1. Kansas Legislature. HB 2506. Rehabilitation of abandoned property by cities. Available at http://kslegislature.org/li/b2017_18/measures/hb2506/.] [1. Weeks, Bob. Power of Kansas cities to take property may be expanded. Available at https://wichitaliberty.org/kansas-government/power-kansas-cities-take-property-may-expanded/.] John Todd, along with Paul Soutar, made a video to explain the bill and the surrounding issues. It's just five minutes in length.…

A National Perspective on Kansas Fiscal Policy

Jul

By Bob Weeks

A National Perspective on Kansas Fiscal Policy

Jonathan Williams, Vice President in charge of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), addressed a luncheon gathering of the Wichita Pachyderm Club on July 22, 2016, presenting "A National Perspective on Kansas Fiscal Policy." View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Videography by Paul Soutar.

Wichita: A conversation for a positive community and city agenda

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Wichita: A conversation for a positive community and city agenda

Wichita City Manager Robert Layton held a discussion titled "What are Wichita's Strengths and Weaknesses: A Conversation for a Positive Community and City Agenda" at the February 26, 2016 luncheon of the Wichita Pachyderm Club. Notes were taken by an assistant and can be viewed here. View below, or click here to view in high definition at YouTube. Videography and production by Paul Soutar.

Video: Jeffrey Tucker, ‘Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World’

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Video: Jeffrey Tucker, ‘Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World’

Jeffrey A. Tucker, Director of Digital Development at the Foundation for Economic Education, talks about his new book, “Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World.” The book is an explanation of how Bitcoin type cryptocurrencies work as a “peer to peer” innovative payment network and an alternative exchange system. Tucker gave the presentation October 2, 2015, at the Wichita Pachyderm Club. View below, or click here to view in high definition at YouTube. Videography by Paul Soutar. Tucker's website is www.jeffreytucker.me. The book's page at Amazon is Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World. Liberty.me is…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

‘Trillion Dollar Economists’ presented

Last week Robert E. Litan delivered a very interesting talk to the Wichita Pachyderm Club. The talk was based on his recent book Trillion Dollar Economists: How Economists and Their Ideas have Transformed Business. View video below, or click here to view at YouTube. Video production by Paul Soutar.

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday May 17, 2012

Watchdog reporter at Pachyderm. This Friday (May 18th) the Wichita Pachyderm Club features Paul Soutar, Reporter for Kansas Watchdog, speaking on "The evolution of journalism and how the new media empowers citizens." The public is welcome and encouraged to attend Wichita Pachyderm meetings. For more information click on Wichita Pachyderm Club. ... The club has an exceptional lineup of future speakers as follows: On May 25th: Ron Estes, State Treasurer of Kansas, speaking on "A report from the Kansas Treasurer." ... On June 1st: Gary Oborny, Chairman/CEO Occidental Management and Real Estate Development, CCIM Designated member of the Storm Water…

May

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday May 2, 2012

When government pays, government controls. Although most liberals would not admit this, it sometimes slips through: When government is paying for our health care, government then feels it must control our behavior. The Wichita Eagle's Rhonda Holman provides an example of this, when she wrote in a blog post about Kansas relaxing its smoking ban: "Especially with Medicaid costs swallowing up the state budget, lawmakers should be discouraging smoking, not accommodating more of it." The moral case for capitalism. "Two main charges are typically marshaled against capitalism: it generates inequality by allowing some to become wealthier than others; and it…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Federal, United Nations planning imported to Wichita

Yesterday the Sedgwick County Commission voted to participate in a HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant. Republican commissioners Dave Unruh and Jim Skelton joined with Democrat Tim Norton to pass the measure. Below, Paul Soutar of Kansas Watchdog explains why this planning process is a bad idea. Local Planning Initiative Has Federal Strings, UN Roots by Paul Soutar, Kansas Watchdog The Sedgwick County Commission will decide Wednesday whether to give a consortium of South Central Kansas governments and organizations broad control over community planning funded by a federal grant and based on a United Nations agenda. The Regional Economic Area…

Feb

By Guest Author

Occupy Koch Town protestors ignore facts

Below, Paul Soutar of Kansas Watchdog provides more evidence that the campaign against Wichita-based Koch Industries regarding their alleged involvement in the Keystone XL pipeline is not based on facts. Besides this article, U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Wichita has also written on this issue in The Democrats continue unjustified attacks on taxpayers and job creators. Another inconvenient fact is that if the Canadian oil is not sold to the U.S., it will be sold to and consumed in China. If we are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions leading to climate change, it should be noted that it doesn't matter…