Tag: Regulation
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Taxation: it’s more pervasive than you know
Have you ever thought about how many taxes you are paying when you buy a product or a service? An amount is obvious when a sales tax is tacked on, but is that the only tax included in the price you pay? You know the answer — of course it is not, but the remaining…
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Wichita MAPC meeting mix of policy, politically correct
At yesterday’s meeting of the Wichita Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, a mix of politics and policy resulted in protection of a Wichita non-profit’s market, but at the loss of convenience to Wichitans. The issue is about 65 red clothing recycling bins operated by American Recyclers of Tulsa. These bins are in violation of Wichita city…
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Jeff Fluhr updates status of downtown Wichita
Last Friday, Jeff Fluhr, president of the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, addressed members and guests of the Wichita Pachyderm Club. His topic was the future of downtown Wichita and its revitalization. “It’s very important that we have a downtown that is very clear and very concise on where it wants to go,” he said. He…
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Citizen lawsuits won’t enhance chemical safety
Legislation currently under consideration in Congress will allow citizens to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they believe that chemical plants are not in compliance with new regulations. The new regulations — IST, or Inherently Safer Technology — are troubling enough, in that they may actually work against their stated goal of safety. Allowing…
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Chemical plant security should be based on technology, not politics
As Congress considers legislation that would force our nation’s chemical plants to make expensive changes in their processes and technologies, we need to make sure that we don’t cripple our economy just to appease a small group of environmental activists — all in the name of purportedly greater safety. That’s the danger we face from…
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‘Political capitalism’ explained in Wichita
In Wichita this Monday, Robert L. Bradley, Jr. explained the state of capitalism in America today, using his experience working in a high-level position at the failed energy conglomerate Enron as a backdrop. Bradley asked: What happened to business prudence? What has happened to capitalism? The answer is that what we have today is not…
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Chemical security bill passes committee
On Tuesday, the United States House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee passed H.R.2868, the “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009.” This bill contains provisions for Inherently Safer Technology (IST). These regulations seek to force companies to replace existing methods and raw materials with those deemed to be safer. But the legislation may…
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John Stossel urges reliance on freedom, not government, in Wichita
Speaking at Wichita State University on Monday, former ABC News Journalist John Stossel told a large crowd that free markets and limited government, not government, are the best way to increase our wealth and prosperity.
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Kansas protects its gambling interests
At one time states like Kansas prohibited its citizens from gambling because it was thought to be immoral. That attitude started to change when Kansas allowed a lottery. Now that the state actually owns casinos — that’s right, in Kansas the state owns the casinos that aren’t Indian casinos — thoughts of morality have been…
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Causes of global finance crisis explained in Wichita
Today, an audience of 600 business and civic leaders attended the 30th annual Economic Outlook Conference at Century II, sponsored by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) at Wichita State University. The featured speaker was John A. Allison, chairman and former CEO of BB&T Corporation, the nation’s 10th largest financial-holding company. Its…
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The good thing Senator Ted Kennedy did
John Berlau reminds us of the legacy of Senator Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy.