Rule of law Archives - Voice For Liberty

Mar

Power of Kansas cities to take property may be expanded

A bill working its way through the Kansas Legislature will give cities additional means to seize property. The bill is SB 338, titled "Rehabilitation of abandoned property by cities." This bill has passed the Senate by a vote of 32 to eight. It has had a hearing in the House of Representatives. Wichitan John Todd is opposed to this bill and provided oral and written testimony this week to a House committee. In his testimony, Todd made these points, among others: Senate Bill 338 appears to provide local governmental units with additional tools that they don’t need to “take” properties…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Rebuilding liberty without permission

A forthcoming book by Charles Murray holds an intriguing idea as to how Americans can reassert liberty: Civil disobedience. Make the federal government an "insurable hazard." I think it's a great idea. For an easy introduction to this concept, listen to the Cato Institute's seven-minute podcast of Murray speaking about these ideas. From the publisher: American freedom is being gutted. Whether we are trying to run a business, practice a vocation, raise our families, cooperate with our neighbors, or follow our religious beliefs, we run afoul of the government—not because we are doing anything wrong but because the government has…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

For Wichita’s Longwell, flipping in the face of an election

Campaign season provides an opportunity to see just how malleable candidates' positions can be, leaving us to wonder if some have any firm and guiding principles. When Wichita City Council Member Jeff Longwell was asked about citizens exercising their constitutional right to challenge an ordinance passed by the council, Jeff Longwell said it was "disappointing," and a "stunt." He said that using this fundamental aspect of democracy causes citizens to "lose credibility." (Wichita Eagle, September 14, 2011) Now that Wichitans are voting on controversial matter that was placed on the ballot using a similar procedure, Longwell told the same newspaper…

Feb

By Guest Author

Who decides? When it comes to planning, is it the people, the politicians, or the bureaucrats?

By Karl Peterjohn, Sedgwick County Commission The Wichita Eagle editorial page is unhappy with the county commission’s decision to terminate the county’s participation in the federal government’s “sustainability planning grant.” When this controversial grant was first voted upon by the county in 2010, it was rejected by a vote of three to two. This also led the county to withdraw from the Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP). In 2011, a new county commission reversed this decision and decided to participate in this joint federal grant from three often controversial national agencies: Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Blubaugh, Mayor vote for licenses for undocumented workers to drive to their illegal jobs

The Wichita city council voted to recommend that the Kansas Legislature create drivers permits for undocumented workers so they could drive to their jobs. In December the Wichita City Council voted to include drivers permits for undocumented workers in its legislative agenda. The item as presented to council members read: "RECOMMEND: The Wichita City Council supports legislation that provides a driver’s permit to undocumented workers for the sole purpose of obtaining vehicle insurance for work-related transportation." In his remarks, as presented in the meeting minutes, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer stated "he has given this a lot of thought and he…

Jan

By Guest Author

The Overcriminalization of America

The Overcriminalization of America How to reduce poverty and improve race relations by rethinking our justice system By Charles G. Koch and Mark V. Holden As Americans, we like to believe the rule of law in our country is respected and fairly applied, and that only those who commit crimes of fraud or violence are punished and imprisoned. But the reality is often different. It is surprisingly easy for otherwise law-abiding citizens to run afoul of the overwhelming number of federal and state criminal laws. This proliferation is sometimes referred to as “overcriminalization,” which affects us all but most profoundly…

Hate crimes should not be enhanced in Kansas

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Hate crimes should not be enhanced in Kansas

A bill in Kansas proposes to toughen penalties for hate crimes, thereby judging people on their thoughts and beliefs rather on their actions. When a person commits a crime against another, the crime itself ought to be enough to earn the criminal a trip to prison. What the criminal was thinking, or even saying, at the moment ought not to be relevant in determining the severity of punishment or whether a crime was committed. That's because in America we have the right to free speech, even hateful speech. We do not have, of course, the right to harm others, but…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

The odd ethics of Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer

The Wichita city council should repeal a law that the council doesn't follow. As he has done previously, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer decided not to vote on a matter involving Spirit Aerosystems at the November 4, 2014 meeting of the Wichita City Council. The mayor didn't give a specific reason for recusing himself, but it's probably because he was formerly an employee at Spirit. So it's good that he did this. But if we're going to observe ethics protocols like this -- and we should -- let's go all the way. The mayor should have announced at the start of…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Wichita seeks to correct an oversight, finally

A request to modify an agreement with the City of Wichita raises the question of why, finally, is the city dealing with an apparent oversight? As I reported earlier this year: Last year the Wichita City Council selected a development team to build apartments on the West Bank of the Arkansas River, between Douglas Avenue and Second Street. But city leaders may have overlooked a Wichita City Charter Ordinance that sets aside this land to be "open space, committed to use for the purpose of public recreation and enjoyment." This week the developers of the apartments seek city council approval…

Questions for the next Wichita city attorney: Number 4

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Questions for the next Wichita city attorney: Number 4

Wichita's city attorney is retiring, and the city will select a replacement. There are a few questions that we ought to ask of candidates, such as: Can the city disregard charter ordinances when they inconvenience the council's cronies? In awarding a contract for an apartment development, city leaders seem to have overlooked a Wichita City Charter Ordinance that sets aside the development area to be "open space, committed to use for the purpose of public recreation and enjoyment." But the land was desired by a group of campaign contributors, friends, and business partners of Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer. Many of…