Voice For Liberty

Tag: Politics

  • RightOnline in Las Vegas this week

    Later this week the RightOnline Conference takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    This is the third year for this conference. It’s held at the same time — and in the same city — as the Netroots Nation. Or NutRoots, take your pick.

    The event features a lot of training and some great speakers. Michele Bachmann will headline the Friday dinner, and the Saturday general session features speakers like Andrew Napolitano, Mike Pence, Robert McDowell, Herman Cain, Erick Erickson, and John Fund.

    RightOnline is sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Click on Podcast: Erik Telford Previews the RightOnline Conference to hear an interview with AFP’s Erik Telford. To keep up on Twitter, the hasthag is #ro10.

  • Sedgwick County Commission candidates Burtnett and Ranzau appear in forums

    On Thursday and Friday the candidates for the Republican party nomination for Sedgwick County Commission from the fourth district met in two forums. The Thursday forum was part of the monthly meeting of the Sedgwick County Republican Party, and on Friday the candidates met as part of the Wichita Pachyderm Club luncheon meeting.

    Unlike some campaigns, where voters complain they can’t tell the difference between the candidates, voters in this district should not have this trouble, as the two Republicans offer different perspectives in many areas. The district is currently represented by Kelly Parks of Valley Center, who decided not to run for re-election.

    For the fourth district, the two Republican candidates are former commission member and business owner Lucy Burtnett and physician assistant Richard Ranzau. The fourth district is diverse, extending as far south in Wichita to Lincoln and Broadway, and including College Hill, near northeast Wichita, downtown Wichita, Riverside, north-central Wichita, near northwest Wichita, Park City, and Valley Center. In the Democratic Party primary, Kansas Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau faces former Wichita City Council member Sharon Fearey.

    On Thursday, Burtnett started with her opening statement, telling the audience that she is a lifelong forth district resident, having grown up in Valley Center and then moving to Riverside after she married. She said she’s been extremely involved in community activities. Referring to her previous experience as a Sedgwick County commissioner, she said she learned a great deal about county government and how it works.

    She said there are many issues the county needs to deal with, including some that were there four years ago and have not been dealt with in the meantime, in her opinion.

    She is pleased with the current commission’s decision to keep the Kansas Coliseum — now named the Kansas pavilions — open. She said we need to make better use of the RV park there and also figure out what to do with the Britt Brown Arena.

    On Friday she expanded on her community involvement, telling the audience that at one time her printing business printed newsletters for 24 neighborhood organizations. She also told of how she was recruited by Kansas Senator Carolyn McGinn, then the commissioner for the fourth district, and how she was elected by the precinct committee process to fill the remaining two years of McGinn’s term.

    In his opening statement on Thursday, Ranzau said he grew up in the Valley Center area and has lived in Park City, north Wichita, and was a student teacher in Maize. He said he is married with three young children and works as a physician assistant. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars.

    He said he decided to get involved for three reasons — naming his three children — saying he is concerned about the direction of government at all levels, particularly spending and debt. He said he believes the economy will get worse before it gets better, and so we’re going to have to make some tough decisions, saying no to some programs. He said we need strong leadership at all levels of government, and that’s why he’s in this race.

    On Friday he said he would be very hesitant to expand the role of government, saying he believes in less government, not more government. He criticized Republicans who say they are conservative at election time, then raise taxes once in office.

    Questions for the candidates included these:

    Real estate taxes are rising. How can we keep taxes low and how do we give incentives for builders to build?

    Ranzau said first, stop raising property taxes at the county level. Second, address the problem at its origin, which he said is tax policy at the state level. Businesses pay property tax at the rate of 25% of assessed value, while homeowners pay at 11.5%. This difference should be eliminated, he said, which requires amending the Kansas Constitution. Taxes should be uniform, he said, rather then the system of abatements for some businesses only. “We do it for all, or it we do it for none.”

    Burtnett referred to a Wichita Eagle news story from last year that reported that Sedgwick County property taxes are low compared to other counties in Kansas. She said she believes we can keep property taxes low, but you have to pay a price for that. We need a tax base in order to run government, she said, adding that in order to keep taxes where they are, we will have to make cuts in some places in order to fund other projects.

    A question asked if the candidates lost the primary with they register as an Independent and run a write-in campaign. This question may have been directed at Burtnett, as when she finished in second place in the Republican primary for this office in 2006, she waged a write-in campaign.

    Burtnett said if she loses the primary, she will travel to visit her grandchildren. She said that in 2006 she did not register or file as an independent for the 2006 general election, but simply ran as a write-in candidate. Ranzau said he would not run as a write-in candidate.

    “Should we expand the jail?”

    Saying again that he expects the economy to get worse before it gets better, Ranzau said he would be reluctant to get involved in any big new projects, including projects he might favor in the future. He said the current commission has been able to manage the jail population without an expansion. He said that in the future if we need to expand the jail it could be done through user fees, suggesting a fee on bail bonds.

    Burtnett said that four years ago, the county commission took the advice of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and decided that the jail needed expansion and new programs to reduce the jail population. The commission voted 5 to 0 that the jail should be expanded and these programs undertaken. Three and one-half years later she said we are still overpopulated in the jail, she said, and while the programs have been started, they are doing some good, but not enough. She said an expansion will most likely have to happen at some time.

    A question asked about the future of the Intrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita: will it always be self-funding?

    Ranzau said that time will tell, and his goal will be to have the arena fund itself so that it does not become a drain on taxpayers. Burtnett said it will take a couple of years to see how the management company will do, and said the county should not be losing money on the arena.

    A question asked about specific areas in which the commission could reduce spending.

    Burtnett said it’s important for department heads to know what their costs are and to work to reduce those costs. She said it’s possible to reduce costs across-the-board rather than seeing one particular program canceled, adding that all programs are important and it’s very difficult to cancel them. She said she didn’t think that zero-based budgeting would be possible very soon.

    Ranzau said that department heads should prioritize employees and services. He recommended not filling positions as people leave, looking at sharing or consolidating some services, perhaps with Wichita, adding that this is a suggestion he often receives. He said we should get out of some things, like the subsidies for AirTran. Capital expenditures, especially those funded by debt, should be put off until the economy recovers.

    On Friday, a question was asked about the subsidies used to keep discount airline service in Wichita, thereby creating lower airfares on other airlines.

    Ranzau said that these subsidies are called revenue guarantees, and he does not believe it is the role of government to guarantee revenue for any business. He said that conservatives should act like conservatives, calling for less government intervention. “It’s not the governments job to make economic development happen, its job is to let it happen,” adding that we should be able to have good economic development without government subsidy.

    Burtnett said that the airfares subsidy is a good deal, but that the government needs to be careful in what it gets involved in. She cited cost-benefit studies that say every dollar spent on those subsidy produces six dollars of benefit.

    Another question on Friday asked about public-private partnerships such as TIF districts and STAR bonds.

    Burtnett said that in theory, TIF districts and star bonds sound great, but that they don’t always work in real life. She said the job of county commissioners and county staff is to do the research to determine whether a project is good.

    Ranzau said these programs are band-aids on the real problem, which is property taxes. He contrasted subsidized downtown development with other development taking place in the free market without the benefit of subsidy. He said that the way to create jobs and economic development is the free market, not government interference.

    Another question on Friday asked if the candidates would run county government like a business, looking to reduce costs. Ranzau answered yes, as did Burtnett, although she added that some county government programs must be funded, and that “government really shouldn’t be a business.”

  • Kansas fourth district candidates on spending and deficit reduction

    In a June 22nd forum of candidates for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas sponsored by the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, candidates were asked about their plans to reduce the federal deficit and national debt.

    The candidates and their campaign websites are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Wink Hartman, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, Latham engineer Paij Rutschman, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf.

    A question by moderator Steve McIntosh recited the current large debt and deficit figures, noted that Medicare and Social Security are headed down an unsustainable path, and said that Americans are worried about the negative effects of letting the Bush tax cuts expire. What is your plan for reducing the deficit and debt, while keeping taxes low enough to allow for economic growth?

    Answering first, Rutschman said we need to look at our government agencies and make sure they are operating effectively and efficiently. She said we should start balancing the federal budget. She told the audience that we should look at Social Security and Medicare to see where we can start reducing these programs, and develop a long-term plan for handling the upcoming retiring generation.

    Next, Schodorf said she had a plan for national economic development and growth, saying first that we need a balanced budget amendment. She said that the bipartisan commission on deficit reduction is really just a paper tiger, and what we really need are experts in different fields to work together to recommend how to reduce the deficit. She said the federal government needs to reduce its spending, recommending a 5% across-the-board cut if possible. She said we need to keep the Bush tax cuts in place.

    Anderson told the audience that we need to reduce the size of government, starting with an overhaul of the tax system by replacing their current income tax with the FairTax. The fair tax, he said, is the best way to generate revenue for limited government, noting that the current tax code is the source of many of our problems. States should take care of their own needs, he added, and we should eliminate the system of earmark spending. He also said we need to look at each federal program, and if it is not constitutional, it should be eliminated.

    Hartman said we need to get control of our government, and that one way to get started immediately would be a balanced budget amendment. He also believes in the FairTax. He said that 41 cents of every dollar government spends is borrowed and must be repaid at some time. The Bush tax cuts should be continued, he said, as they worked well once. He said he is also concerned about estate taxes, especially their impact on family farms. He said that a larger federal government has never — and will never — create jobs.

    Pompeo said that growing the economy, creating a tax base that is broader and larger, is the first way that we can reduce the deficit. The second way is to reduce spending. He told the audience he supports eliminating earmarks, but noted that earmarks are a relatively small part of the budget. Entitlements, he said, are the real problem, and that we should start by repealing the recently enacted healthcare entitlement. On Social Security, Pompeo said he supports a plan developed by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. For people 55 years of age and over, there would be no impact, he said, but benefits for younger people would be reduced, adding that the promised benefits may really be a false promise. On the federal Department of Education, Pompeo said it is incomprehensible to him that send a dollar to Washington, only to get $.64 back along with instructions on how to run our schools. He also said we should reduce capital gains taxes by at least 50%, to create an incentive for capital.

    Analysis

    Schodorf’s concern for spending and taxes must be balanced against her record in the Kansas Senate, which is a very liberal voting record. She voted for the big-spending budget this year, and voted to raise the statewide sales tax by one cent per dollar.

    The FairTax, which many of these candidates support, is probably a better tax system than the system currently in place, but it does not address the issue of spending. According to FairTax.org, “Bottom line is that the 23% rate works it replaces the revenue generated by the repealed taxes, and maintains the real value of federal spending.” In other words, the FairTax is calibrated to provide the same revenue to government. For those looking to reduce the amount government takes in taxes — no matter what form — and to reduce government spending, the FairTax is not the solution.

    The idea of eliminating federal programs that are not constitutional is also appealing to limited government advocates. The reality, however, is that every spending program that’s in place — with the exception of newly-passed legislation that hasn’t yet been challenged in the courts — has passed constitutional muster. The Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means, after all.

    Hartman’s concern for federal estate taxes is well-placed, especially, as he noted, in Kansas, where many families’ assets are in the form of land and other agriculture assets.

    Pompeo, as he has in other forums, said he supports the Paul Ryan plan, known as the Roadmap for America’s Future. This is a specific set of proposals promoted by Ryan, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee and a rising star among conservatives. The plan goes farther than Pompeo did regarding taxes on capital gains, recommending eliminating the tax on capital gains entirely.

  • Kansas first Congressional district fundraising

    In the contest to raise funds for campaigns for the Republican party nomination for United States Congress from the first district of Kansas, figures released this week show four campaigns raising substantial funds, with one campaign far ahead in available funds.

    The Republican candidates for this nomination and their campaign websites are physician and Kansas Senator Jim Barnett of Emporia, educator Sue Boldra of Hays, attorney and mediator Marck Cobb of Galva, farmer and Kansas Senator Tim Huelskamp of Fowler, Salina commercial real estate executive Tracey Mann, and Senator Brownback chief of staff Rob Wasinger of Cottonwood Falls.

    The figures show Barnett, Mann, and Wasinger in a tight group for funds raised in the second quarter of 2010, the months of April, May, and June. Huelskamp was close behind.

    In terms of cash on hand available to use in the sprint to the August 3rd primary, Huelskamp has over twice as much at his disposal. He reports $391,797 on hand, with Barnett, Mann, and Wasinger clustered around half that much cash available.

    Barnett lent his campaign $100,000 last year. If he is able and willing to do this again, that would close much of the cash gap.

    In a recent poll of the Kansas first district, Barnett and Mann are tied, with Huelskamp just behind, within the poll’s sampling error.

    David Ray of the Huelskamp campaign says it is in a good position for the last stretch of the campaign. Its internal polling shows the candidate doing well with conservatives, a group the campaign believes is under-represented in the recent public poll.

    Kansas third Congressional district Republican campaign funds for the second quarter of 2010:

                  Barnett  Boldra   Huelskamp    Mann   Wasinger
Contributions 174,235   4,367    128,091   172,901  160,659
Expenditures  342,369  13,406    266,877   251,886  183,567
Cash balance  214,691  10,271    391,797   183,259  190,865

  • Kansas fourth district Congressional campaign finance reports released

    Campaign finance reports just released by candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas show one candidate largely self-financing a massive spending program, and allegations of another candidate being dependent on financing by PACs and lobbyists are not supported by facts.

    The candidates for this nomination and their campaign websites are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Wink Hartman, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, Latham engineer Paij Rutschman, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf.

    Here are the figures reported for the second quarter, the months of April, May, and June, 2010. Anderson’s report was not available as of late Thursday night.

                         Hartman  Pompeo  Rutschman  Schodorf
Contributions         16,062  279,317       80    20,900
Loans to campaign  1,056,600            30,000     7,000
Expenditures         928,385  267,413   24,464    27,712
Cash balance         179,292  444,515    5,616    17,105

    Notes:

    First, Hartman spent a lot of money, almost 3.5 times as much as the second-largest spender. My analysis of the campaign’s spending shows $739,110 spent on television advertising for the three months of the second quarter.

    Nearly all of Hartman’s expenditures were financed by loans made by the candidate to the campaign. Of the $928,385 spent, only $16,062 (1.7 percent) was paid for by contributions.

    Rutschman’s campaign reported a $30,000 loan to the campaign from the candidate.

    Earlier this year a great deal of attention was paid to an April 20th fundraiser held in Washington DC on behalf of Mike Pompeo (Big D.C. names host Pompeo fundraiser, May 16, 2010 Wichita Eagle). Analysis of his contributions shows that for the second quarter, which covers the time period of this event, Pompeo received $15,000 in contributions from sources the FEC considers to be political action committees (PACs). This is about five percent of his contributions for the quarter.

    There are a handful of contributions from individuals in the Washington DC area, totaling about $7,900, according my analysis. These people may or may not be lobbyists.

    In an analysis of first quarter contributions from OpenSecrets.org, Pompeo’s contributions from PACs was three percent of his total contributions for that quarter.

    These numbers are important because Pompeo’s opponents — both in the Eagle article and in their campaign advertising — raise the issue of a candidate being a “Washington insider” with extensive ties to PACs and lobbyists.

  • Wichita Eagle voter guide available

    For the voter guide for the November 2012 elections, click here.

    The Wichita Eagle’s voter guide is now available online.

    This guide may be used in two ways: you can enter your address, and the system will show you information about the candidates that will appear on your ballot. Or, you can browse all the races and candidates.

    If you use the voter guide by entering your address, you’ll be presented with all the candidates for each office that will appear on your ballot. For each office, you can view information about the candidates, and you can optionally indicate who you intend to vote for. At the end of the process, you can print a ballot — with your selections marked — to take with you to the polls. Or, the system will email it to you.

    The information in this guide is provided by the candidates (except for a brief description of each office), and there is no editorial comment. Some of this information will probably appear in a printed version of the newspaper, but not for contests like precinct committeeman and committeewoman.

  • Activist training to be offered in Wichita

    American Majority is pleased to announce an Activist Training class will be conducted on Saturday, July 24, in Wichita, Kan., to provide citizens with the tools necessary to become effective activists.

    The training will take place in the meeting room at Mike’s Steakhouse located at 2131 S Broadway in Wichita from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Check in begins at 11:45 am. The cost is $25 per attendee and pre-registration is required. Lunch may be purchased at the time of the event, if desired.

    The training will be conducted by Laurie Skipper, a certified American Majority Mechanic Trainer.

    Topics to be covered during the Training include:

    • The System (an in-depth look at the system we’re in, how we got here, and what we can do about it)
    • Grassroots Action (ideas and practical steps to engage our communities and organize a coalition of volunteers)
    • Precinct Power (changing your community one precinct at a time with specific micro-targeting and focused action)
    • Patriots 2.0 (effectively utilizing social networking tools, blogs, wiki projects and other technologically-driven platforms)

    Training materials, samples and supplements will be provided to help you apply what you learn to your organization, candidate, cause or community.

    More information and registration is available by clicking on American Majority — Wichita Event. Online registration is required prior to the event.

    If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact Laurie Skipper at Laurie@AMMechanics.org or call (316) 686-2525.

  • Kansas fourth district poll shows Pompeo lead, Hartman drop

    A new poll of candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas shows Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo maintaining a lead over his chief rival, Wichita businessman Wink Hartman.

    The poll, produced by Oklahoma City consulting firm Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates on behalf of the Pompeo campaign and conducted July 6th through 8th, shows Pompeo leading Hartman 27 percent to 21 percent.

    While other recent polling has shown Pompeo’s support increasing, this poll is the first that shows a decline in Hartman’s support. That decline, according to the Pompeo poll, has taken place since the end of May, when the campaign had a previous survey conducted.

    These results are largely compatible with polls conducted by SurveyUSA, an independent agency not connected with any campaigns. These polls showed Pompeo increasing his numbers rapidly after starting in a near-tie with Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf and Kansas Senator Dick Kelsey, who has since withdrawn from the race for family reasons.

    Conducted near the end of June, the SurveyUSA poll showed Pompeo and Hartman in a statistical tie, with numbers far above the other candidates. A June poll released by the Schodorf campaign showed Pompeo and Hartman in the lead, but with a larger number of undecided voters than other polls showed.

    As with all such polls, we need to remember that polls produced and released by campaigns are just that, and the results would probably not be released by a campaign if the results did not portray the candidate favorably.

    Kansas fourth Congressional district poll resultsKansas fourth Congressional district poll results

    The candidates for this nomination and their campaign websites are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Wink Hartman, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, Latham engineer Paij Rutschman, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf.

  • Kansas Republican Assembly endorsements announced

    The Kansas Republican Assembly has released its endorsements for federal and state offices. The list of endorsed candidates may be viewed here.

    In the race for Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the first district of Kansas, the KRA endorsed farmer and Kansas Senator Tim Huelskamp of Fowler.

    In the fourth district of Kansas, centered around the Wichita metropolitan area, the KRA endorsed Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo.

    Of note, the KRA issued no endorsement in the second and third Kansas Congressional districts. This is because no candidate achieved the two-thirds majority necessary to earn the group’s endorsement.

    For the same reason, KRA is not making an endorsement in the race for United States Senate between Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran.

    The KRA warns of a group with a similar name that is making endorsements. Voters should be sure of the credentials of an organization that they rely on for endorsements.