The Right's "Radical Fringe"

Just got this media inquiry posted to the Profnet service:

POLITICS/TODAY: The Far Right's 'Lunatic Fringe' -- WUSB 90.1 FM (NY)
For a live radio interview on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 1:15 p.m. EDT, I want to hear about how far this is this going. Is it damaging the GOP? Is it damaging the conservative movement? Is it dangerous? A brief pre-interview chat is required.

I wrote him back and asked exactly what "lunatic fringe" he's talking about. Does he mean the lunatics who got naked to protest the war? How do they damage the GOP?

(I, of course, presume he's referring to the patriotic tea partiers. It's nauseating the media obsession with portraying real Americans who want to preserve the nation the founders established and soldiers fought and died for are "lunatics" but those who want to "fundamentally transform" it are the good Americans.)

Tiahrt Meet-and-Greet Tomorrow

I am co-hosting a reception at my office (2850 SW Mission Woods Drive) for US Senate Candidate Todd Tiahrt tomorrow morning at 10 am. The commercials between him and Jerry Moran are really overwhelming in terms of their slinging of mud-coated facts. It's good to meet the candidate and ask him in person because it's way too confusing to sort it out based on ads alone. I've met Todd and, while I think we'll be represented by a conservative either way, Todd will champion conservative causes while Moran will more often than not vote the right way. That's fine in the House, but in the Senate you are only 1 of 100 members and we need a champion. Todd Tiahrt seems to be the guy who will not just vote right, but will fight right.

I hope you'll come out to meet him and ask him your questions.

These Numbers Don't Lie -- The Carnage of Democrat Rule

Here's a report from my friend Ken Daniel:

Unemployment vs. Employment

By Kenneth Daniel, TIBA Governmental Affairs Director

Unemployment statistics, to me, are confusing and usually misleading. They don't count people who have quit looking for work or have exhausted their benefits, they ignore population growth for the most part, and have other shortcomings. I'm interested in unemployment statistics only when I'm trying to figure out how much the State of Kansas is paying out in unemployment benefits and how it might affect my business in the future.

Usually, I concentrate only on employment statistics. This is true whether it is city, county, state, or national employment. Specifically, I concentrate on the seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment statistics tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. I also track total Government employment, which is included in the total nonfarm employment, but published in a subset so one can separate it out when desired.

Soon I will publish some employment information about Topeka and ShawneeCounty, which may contain some surprises for locals. Today I will concentrate on federal statistics.

EMPLOYMENT UNDER BUSH AND OBAMA

When George W. Bush was inaugurated in January 2001, total U.S. employment was at 132.469 million. The highest it had ever been was the previous month, when it was 16,000 higher.

When Bush was sworn in, the country was in a mild recession. Then on September 11, 2001 the WorldTradeCenter bombing occurred. In the 23 months between then and August 2003, the number of jobs shrank by 1.696 million.

Then jobs began to grow again and grew for 40 straight months, increasing by 7.245 million by January 2007 to 137.067 million or 4.6 million more than existed when Bush took office, notwithstanding Sept. 11.

In January 2007, the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives 233-202, and of the Senate 51-49. Note that many Senate issues require 55 votes to pass, so the 51-49 split is not a blank check.

With the Democrats in control, job growth continued slowly for five months, then leveled out for ten months, then began to plummet in April 2008, losing 4.16 million by the time Obama took office in January 2009, nine months later.

In summary, during the first 6 years of the Bush administration, 4.6 million jobs were gained in spite of 9/11. During those 6 years both the House and Senate were in Republican control.

During the first 3.5 years of the Pelosi-Reed Congress, 6.9 million jobs have been lost.

During the first 15 months Obama has been in office, 3.4 million jobs were lost. (There are not yet any final counts for any months after April 2010.)

Topeka Earns More Kiplinger Accolades

I was interviewed for this article on Topeka. Our city was the winner of Kiplinger's Readers' Choice designation as "Best City for Your Future" through a competition on Facebook.

The interesting thing is I just posted a comment on the Facebook page about an experience in Boston when a neighbor of some friends came over for a cookout and mentioned he'd read about Topeka in Kiplinger and began asking me some questions about the city. That post resulted in a call from the Kiplinger writer.

Anyway, great job Topeka! You pulled together once again and showed your positive attitude. Not long ago, this was a pretty negative town and this kind of thing wouldn't be possible. It's very refreshing to see an infectious positive spirit in the city!

City of Topeka: Here's Your Sign

I attended this planning commission meeting a week or so ago in which they discussed an ordinance banning large signage on commercial vehicles:




If you want to claim to be pro-business, then cities need to allow small businesses the ability to promote their businesses in the most cost efficient means possible. For plumbers, electricians, home construction companies, movers, etc., their vehicles are the best forms of advertising they may have!

You may notice in that news story the back of my own little Business Center mobile...which was never in violation of this ordinance because the ad on it is so tiny. Still, I support small businesses and when neighbors complain because a small business owner parks his signed vehicle in his driveway but doesn't seem to care when someone parks their RV on the street, that says you either just don't like small businesses (and don't appreciate their impact on the community) or you don't want business in your neighborhood (which is more understandable, but would you rather have a vacant, deterioriating home in your neighborhood?).

No More Texting in Kansas

Don't type letters with a Selectric II typewriter while driving.
Don't drink excessive alcohol and then drive.
Don't change your clothes while driving.
Please don't make out while driving.
Don't pick lint from between your toes while driving.
Ladies, don't apply your makeup while driving.
Dudes, don't shave while driving.
Ladies, that goes for you too.

And, finally, don't type text messages on your cell phone while driving.

Duh.

John Paul Stevens, Part 2

It looks like John Paul Stevens, the annoyingly liberal justice appointed by a REPUBLICAN (!!!!) will continue serving on the court for another 30 years --channeling himself through Obama's appointee, Elena Kogan.

Elections have consequences people, and this is the biggest one. To me, other than protecting the homeland, the most important role of the president is selecting Supreme Court nominees. This role is more important than ever as these unelected justices not only interpret the constitution, but create law through their own revisioning of what the Constitution says.

A big problem I'd have with Kogan, other than knowing what she's all about based on the person nominating her, is this statement she made -- a recitation of Thurgood Marshall's declaration that "the Constitution, as originally drafted and conceived, was 'defective.' ... The Constitution today ... contains a great deal to be proud of. '(B)ut the credit does not belong to the Framers. It belongs to those who refused to acquiesce in outdated notions of 'liberty,' 'justice,' and 'equality.'" Kagan said, "Our modern Constitution is (Marshall's)."

Yep, she's a re-writer alright...and thinks that is the job of the court. If you can't appreciate the brilliance and forethought of the Founders and view the Constitution that set this nation on its course to becoming the world's greatest nation that ever existed, then we don't need you anywhere near the Supreme Court. But what shall we expect from a nominee of the president who believes our nation needs to be "fundamentally transformed"?

Another gripe I have is that Democrats don't nominate candidates that become more conservative over time, but Republican presidents consistently nominate justices like Stevens and Souter who reveal their liberalism once on the bench.

Thank God for the Bush II justices! And I can only hope that this is the final seat Obama gets to fill during his only term in office.

The Disincentive to Prosper

My kids are both selling coupon cards as a fund raiser for school. The more you sell, the bigger the prizes. My daughter was telling me in the car on the way home tonight that she only wanted to sell 10 because there weren't any prizes she wanted for selling more.

So... my poor daughter got a lecture of how government discourages innovation and hard work when they tax success at a higher level. Why try harder when the prize for all that hard work isn't something you want? If the reward for more sales through an ingenious new product line is higher taxes and a reduced amount of profit, why work hard and invest in it?

I don't think my brilliant analysis really sunk in with my daughter. "Dad, I didn't understand a single word you just said."

Oh well. She's 11. I still have time to properly mold her into a right-thinking young lady.

We're Chillin' is Kansas

The AP did a story on the 20 most and least economically stressed counties in the country. California has 7 of the Top Ten most economically stressed counties, while Kansas has 4 of the Top Ten least economically stressed counties.

In a related subject, I was talking to a guy the other day who moved here from Boston. He sold his $450,000 house in Boston and came here with that cash-in-hand and used half of it to buy a much bigger house on a ridge overlooking our beautiful Lake Shawnee. How smart is that?

In a way, I wouldn't want everybody in these overpriced markets to figure that out and move here, but I sure would like to see some savvy business owners come to the realization that they could operate here at a fraction of the cost as they could on the edges -- and their employees could have a great life with a much lower cost of living.

And all of that without the STRESS too!

Anti-bullying law

The Massachusetts legislature just passed a statewide anti-bullying law that will require teachers to report bullying to the principal once they become aware of it. Bully! But I doubt it will change anything.

When I was in elementary school, I was a bully magnet. Heck, that magnetism kept working through high school too. One time in 5th grade, some moron name Dale (my tormentor in chief) was strangling me in the corner (!!!) of the classroom while the teacher was down the hall. I saw the principal walk in, look around, and leave (!!!).

Now times have a-changed, and teachers are forced to sit through all sorts of sensitivity workshops and anti-bullying symposiums, but many don't want to get in between boys just being boys.

I appreciate the thought behind the new law, though.

Tax away in Kansas!

From a CJonline article on a proposal to raise sales tax to solve the state's budget woes. To raise or not to raise, that is the question:

The battle over Kansas economic projections intensified Monday with release of a Wichita State University study indicating closure of a state budget deficit with a $350 million tax increase would be less harmful to general economic vitality than an equivalent reduction in government spending.

The report adds to political debate raging in the 2010 Legislature on whether the state's financial deficit ought to be resolved by slicing at the edges of government spending or by imposing new taxes.

WSU's Center for Urban Studies and Kansas Public Finance Center outlined the influence on employment and economic output of a 1 percent increase in the state's retail sales tax. It follows a January report generated by a researcher at The University of Kansas' Center for Applied Economics.

A) What you tax, you get less of. Tax sales? You get fewer sales.
B) This study presupposes this tax increase would operate in a vacuum. With the spending spree of Congress and the President, big tax increases are coming to us all. I heard a retailer tax-apologist tonight on TV saying the same thing they said when campaigning to raise local sales taxes last year to fix roads. "It's only a little bit per person, and the government needs to the money." Sure, the same government that runs everything so efficiently needs MORE money to manage.
C) Sales taxes are the most regressive tax. They disproportionately impact the poor and elderly.
D) Our taxes are already higher than the states we compete with (primarily Missouri). Sure, let's give Kansans another reason to go support the Missouri economy.
E) Accomplish D, you drive Kansas businesses out of business, and you don't get the revenue you want. See my earlier post on the proposal to raise cigarette taxes.

In a so-called Republican state, the solution is still always the same -- RAISE taxes. Try lowering them for once and see economic activity increase, sales stay local, and revenues to the state actually increase!

The Future of Healthcare

ObamaCare is similar to RomneyCare in Massachusetts in many ways, so here's a peek into the future:

From the Boston Globe:

A half-dozen health insurers yesterday filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to reverse last week's decision by the insurance commissioner to block double-digit premium increases--a ruling they say could leave them with hundreds of millions in losses this year. . . .

The insurers' complaint alleges that the state Division of Insurance acted illegally in three ways: by imposing a "rate cap" that is arbitrary and capricious; by attempting to peg rates to a measure--the medical consumer price index--that does not predict future costs; and by violating a requirement to enable insurers to charge adequate rates based on their projected costs in covering medical care.

This is what we can expect when the government supersedes the free market in setting prices and letting competition work. Insurance companies will eventually go broke because they can't operate under the ObamaCare rate caps. At the same time, of course, they're forced to insure people with health problems who will cost more in pay-outs than they make in premiums. So our insurance companies that we may choose for ourselves will go out of business, and what are we left with? Government-issued, one-size-fits-all healthcare.

Outlandish Hypocricy

The attack on the Tea Party movement by the media and leftist/statist politicians is galling, because the events coordinated by the Tea Party are just ordinary citizens peacefully expressing their views. Does Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly no longer ring our liberty bell?

Most galling is the hypocrisy -- those who decry protest today was leading it against George W Bush.

Watch this video (beware the language...the kind of language you would NEVER hear at a Tea Party rally).

Rep. Maxine Waters is completely exposed as a fraudulent hypocrite, and of course the media she talks to doesn't point out the hypocrisy. It's left to Breitbart to bring it to light.

Google, I mean, Topeka, for info on Topeka, I mean Google

The ultimate kick-back for re-naming Topeka after Google for the month of March, Google renames itself Topeka for... (presumably April Fools Day?)

Well played gentlemen!

But now I'm confused because I have, if I've got this right, to Topeka for information on Google.

From Google's, er, I mean, Topeka's blog post this morning:

For 150 years, its fortuitous location at the confluence of the Kansas River and the Oregon Trail has made the city formerly known as Topeka a key jumping-off point to the new world of the West, just as for 150 months the company formerly known as Google has been a key jumping-off point to the new world of the web. When in 1858 a crucial bridge built across the Kansas River was destroyed by flooding mere months later, it was promptly rebuilt — and we too are accustomed to releasing 2.0 versions of software after stormy feedback on our ‘beta’ releases. And just as the town's nickname is "Top City," and the word “topeka” itself derives from a term used by the Kansa and Ioway tribes to refer to “a good place to dig for potatoes,” we’d like to think that our website is one of the web's top places to dig for information.

Healthcare: "Repeal and Replace"

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts: “The law needs to be repealed as soon as possible and replaced with a plan that would actually lower health care costs for all families, and prohibit cost controls that would interfere with treatment decisions between doctors and patients.”

Interesting press release: Local Chambers of Commerce throw businesses under the bus

An excerpt from a press release from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce that I found interesting:

"The Kansas Chamber of Commerce is disappointed to see a small minority of its members - 14 of 80 local chambers of commerce - send a letter to legislative leadership saying they believe their business members don't pay enough in taxes." Kansas Chamber Interim President & CEO Kent Beisner said.

Kent continued: "Our government affairs team in the Statehouse has personally witnessed first-hand many business members of local chambers appear before House and Senate Tax Committees opposing various, targeted tax hikes and it wasn't lost on them that the local chambers in question were not there in opposition, but the Kansas Chamber was.  As such, we have heard many of those business members are reconsidering their investment in their local chambers, which obviously means they feel they were 'thrown under the bus' by those very entities who are supposed to be representing them."

I don't know if Topeka's chamber is among those 14 who sent that letter, but one of the reasons I dropped my membership is that I wasn't convinced the local chamber was looking out for my best interest. Instead, I became a member of the Topeka Independent Business Association (TIBA) and have served on its board for a couple years or so.  Chambers that are supposed to represent small business should not advocate raising taxes on their members, especially during difficult economic times!

Prejudiced media

To conservatives, to use the words "liberal" and "media" in the same sentence is redundant. The reporting on political stories are tainted by the reporters' own liberal bias going into the journalistic process.

Oh, you say, that's just right-wing paranoia talking.

Oh yeah? Well, following is an inquiry posted to a service I subscribe to that feeds journalist inquiries looking for expert responses:

The GOP seems intent on bashing health care reform as an affront to freedom and democracy. There is talk of repealing the legislation, and there are threats and lawsuits. How will this affect the GOP's image among Latinos and other minorities in the low- and middle-income areas that will benefit from this reform? Are they further alienating minorities and others with this attitude? What does this say about the GOP's future in a majority-minority country?

You don't see any bias going into the story before it's even written?

10th Amendment Should Have Killed Health Bill (but who cares about the Constitution)

The lack of regard the Democrats in Congress have for the Constitution and "procedure" (even Obama who swore to defend the US Constitution in his oath of office the American people aren't concerned about procedure, only results) has been galling. The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution is not difficult to comprehend.

Hey! Is there a lawyer in the House? In fact, there's gobs of them, but it shouldn't take a lawyer to understand the Health Care Reform act is unconstitutional. It says: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

If the Constitution has not delegated to the federal government the power to force Americans to buy health insurance, then Congress and the president do not have that power.

And that power is not anywhere in the Constitution. That's where it needs to be attacked, and that's why several state AG's are filing lawsuit against the Federal government. The cost to the states for unfunded mandates will be astronomical.

Sen. Orin Hatch said "If that is held constitutional -- for them to be able to tell us we have to purchase health insurance -- then there is literally nothing that the federal government can't force us to do," he said. "Nothing."

Oh, and Obama has yet to sign his meaningless executive order about funding abortions. Hmmm.

Fail: Health Care Freedom Amendment

With the stroke of his pen, President Obama set back our health care system and struck our liberties as a nation. When I heard all the cheers, I couldn't help but think of the great words by Padme Amidala, "So this is how liberty dies...with thunderous applause."

Speaking of killing health care freedom... the Health Care Freedom Amendment failed to gain the necessary two-thirds support from the Kansas House to pass today. House Concurrent Resolution 5032 received a final action vote of 75-47, which was nine votes short of what was needed for the legislation to pass to the Senate. There is a 24-hour window of opportunity for the House to bring the legislation back up for reconsideration.

Mitt speaks on the health care bill

Quote from Mitt Romney:

"His health-care bill is unhealthy for America. It raises taxes, slashes the more private side of Medicare, installs price controls, and puts a new federal bureaucracy in charge of health care. It will create a new entitlement even as the ones we already have are bankrupt. For these reasons and more, the act should be repealed. That campaign begins today."

A time and place for everything...

On Saturday when me and many other KU fans were moaning and groaning and licking our wounds after the Jayhawks' loss, a lot of this "support group" activity was happening on Facebook.

Now, I'll say on a completely unrelated subject that I've been teetering between which Congressional candidate I would support - Tiahrt or Moran. I'm trying to figure out the difference.

I won't say which one, though, but a staffer for one of them tipped the scales in the other direction. During our darkest hour and in the midst of post after post of KU fans who were suffering at the unfortunate way the season ended, this staffer posted a non-KU related post about how proud she was of her candidate for being in touch with real Kansans. What??? You pick NOW to post such a purely political and really cheesy comment?

If you and your candidate was in touch with real Kansans, you would have been watching basketball with us on Saturday and suffering as much as we were afterward! C'mon gal!

Ok, I can be petty -- but don't tell me how in touch your candidate is and then issue a talking point unrelated to our pain and anguish!

Kansas Health Care Freedom Act

Providing health care for all is a noble cause, but if that was the mission of the health reform measure the House just signed, why wouldn't they just do that instead of messing around with everyone's health care?

They say there's going to be a trillion in savings? Sure, because Medicare and the other government health programs are run so efficiently, right? Doctors are dropping Medicare patients now because the reimbursements are less than the cost of the service.

If you insure 30+ million more people, there's going to be a greater demand for health services and thus you'll need more doctors. If doctors are getting paid less that the cost of service, you're not going to get more doctors in the market -- you'll get less, and the remaining doctors may not be the great ones.

There's just too much to hate about this bill to blog about it here. Blogs are supposed to be pithy, and I could rant for pages. Just a dark day in this nation's history if you ask me.

Listening to Obama speak on it earlier and hearing his adoring fans applaud to everything he said reminded me of the words of the great sage, Padme Amadala, who said "So this is how liberty dies...to thunderous applause."

In related news, Americans for Prosperity-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag issued the following statement:

“Today, the Kansas House sent a resounding statement to the White House and Congress in support of every individual of our great state by passing the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment. With this amendment, the Kansas Legislature hopes to fend off a dangerous Congressional bill that attacks the very fabric of which this country is made: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

“The Health Care Freedom Amendment does not deny any Kansan the opportunity to take part in a federal plan. Rather, it protects their individual right to make that decision from an ever-expanding and intrusive government.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans have asked Congress to keep government out of our health care decisions by signing AFP’s “Hands Off My Health Care” petition. Millions of Americans oppose this government takeover of our health care system, and we applaud the members of the Kansas House who recognize the need to preserve our right as individuals to make our own health care decisions, and we encourage them to vote for this amendment during tomorrow’s final vote.”

House members tentatively passed the amendment 76 to 44 during today’s debate. For final approval, the amendment must pass out of the Kansas House with 84 votes in favor.

Google Day at Washburn

Google, Kansas Day will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, on the main level, Memorial Union, to inform Washburn University of Google students about the Google Fiber project and how it will benefit students and Topeka...err...Google.

Seriously, SERIOUSLY, Slaughtering the US Constitution

I'm as aghast as many Americans at how little Democrats in Congress care about our Constitution and freedoms in their quest for universal health care and other infringements on our freedoms. Now comes word that they may use the "Slaughter Rule" (named for the Congresswoman who proposed the nonsense).

What is the Slaughter Rule? They don't even vote on the thing. They "deem" the Senate version to have passed and then they set about passing modifications to get more of the stuff the House wants in it. It is an abject subversion of the check-and-balances of our Constitutional system!

Word on the NRO blog is that Republicans will bring forth a measure to block the Slaughter Rule from being used.

I keep hearing the White House saying the "people don't care about process, they care about results." So, I say, let's bring back lynch mobs! Who cares about due process when justice can be served so swiftly?

All Kansas Championship!

For the first time since the early 80s, it's both Kansas teams in the Big 12 conference basketball championship!

Can KU take down K-State 3x in a row? If I was a betting man, I'd say...yes!

But KU doesn't have as much to play for as KSU does, other than pride. KU is already pretty much guaranteed a 1 seed.

I just LOVE this time of year!

Google, Kansas

Change the signs on the highways as you enter our city limits (but use construction paper and duct tape). The mayor of Topeka has proclaimed the city shall be known throughout the month of March as Google, Kansas. The PR move is also aimed at encouraging Topekans to recognize and support continuing efforts to bring Google's fiber experiment here.

I previously blogged about this effort to attract Google's plans for naming Topeka as one of its test sites for uber-high speed fiber networking.

Since we'll never be able to campaign for the Olympics to come to Topeka (er, excuse me, Google), this is the first of its kind in my memory of the community (citizens and government alike) working together to get the city picked for something substantial. Let's all continue rowing together, my fellow Googlians!

Another way to drive business to Missouri

Looking for more revenue in all the wrong places, Gov. Parkinson has proposed spiking the tax on tobacco sales by 55 cents per pack. Now I'm sure everyone is thinking I'm some shill for smokers, but I don't give a hoot about smokers to be honest. It would be better for them and me and my family if they'd quit. Still, people smoke and it's their right to do so. Dramatically raising the taxes on cigarette sales will simply mean a mass exodus of consumers going to nearby states with lower cigarette taxes to purchase their death sticks (got that from Star Wars II).

Americans for Prosperity has set up a new website, StopTheWarOnSmokers.Com, to educate Kansans on the effects of tobacco tax increases on Kansas businesses.

“History has shown us that raising the cigarette tax has not increased the revenues coming into the state over the long run,” said AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag. “There may be an initial boost, but with nearby states like Missouri only adding a 17-cent tax per pack, more Kansas smokers are likely to cross the state line to purchase cigarettes.

“This means Kansas retailers are losing out on those sales, as well as the sales of other items smokers may purchase when buying tobacco products.”

I don't know if the governor has taken note or not, but we are competing with nearby states for sales, and what we gain in revenue from the new tax will be lost (or neutralized) by all those who take a short drive for cheaper cigs. I predict, at best, this being revenue neutral to the state -- but damaging to small business owners who depend on those sales.

More nanny statism in Kansas

It looks like the governor will be signing a statewide smoking ban into law. Today, the House voted 68-54 to concur with the conference committee agreement reached between select members of the House and the Senate. Governor Parkinson has already issued a statement confirming that he will be signing House Bill 2221 into law.

I'm a non-smoker, and think smoking is a nasty habit, and I hate the smell of it in restaurants. This issue brings out the libertarian in me. Smoking is a perfectly legal activity, and while not healthy, who is the government to tell owners of private property which perfectly legal activities they can do on their own property?

Oh yes! Please protect me from second hand cigarette smoke Nanny Kansas! Or how about if I just don't frequent businesses that allow smoking?

Well, at least gamblers will be free to kill themselves slowly by ingesting smoke while pulling the levers of the one arm bandits at casinos. Yes, there's an exemption for casinos. How absolutely hypocritical!

How long will it be before Big Macs are banned from McDonalds?

Do drugs? No dough!

Sometimes common sense rears its beautiful head at the statehouse. Rep. Kasha Kelley (R, Ark City) is advocating for a bill requiring random drug testing for adults applying for or receiving cash assistance from the state.

From this article in the Capital Journal, Kelley "deflected harsh criticism last year accompanying her sponsorship of legislation, rolled into House Bill 2275, designed to improve oversight of aid distributed by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Agency officials estimated 3 percent to 8 percent of those in the targeted assistance programs would test positive for marijuana, cocaine, crack or some other illegal drug. Kelley said legislators should stand up for the well-being of children in homes where drugs were abused."

The plan is for SRS to establish drug testing for recipients of Temporary Assistance to Families and General Assistance. About one-third of people in these programs would be screened annually.

Kelley said the state had an obligation, especially in the downtrodden economy, to hold adults accountable for use of tax dollars and to actively direct violators to treatment programs.

It's so sensible thinking anything else would be just silly. But of course the politically correct other side thinks it's "crazy and mean" to test "poor people." Seriously? If you're poor and need government aid, there's a few hoops to jump through anyway, and it's not asking too much to be sure you're clean before we write you a check! If these poor people are feeding their drug habits with the money we as taxpayers provide to them, they're not using that money to feed and clothe their children.

To me, THAT's crazy and mean.

I hope this bill makes it through.

Obama Sinks in Kansas

It's not like he stood much of a chance of winning the hearts of Kansans to begin with, but as President Obama struggles with his approval nationwide, he's suffering even worse here in Jayhawk Nation (sorry Wildcat fans). A Survey USA poll released Feb. 16 indicates that 35 percent of Kansas residents approve of how President Barack Obama is executing his duties as president while 62 percent of Kansans disapprove of the president.

Hmmm...I wonder what parts of the president's attempts to radically transform our healthcare, massive government spending, and returning to Pre-9/11 thinking my fellow Kansans aren't approving of? C'mon! He promised change people! He said he wanted to spread our wealth! He's keeping his campaign promises! Isn't that admirable?

Jobs Bill Introduced

I don't like the term "jobs bill" because it usually means more government largess and growing the public sector. That said, if a "jobs bill" will mean that the government will make it easier and more cost effective for the private sector to create jobs, then I'm all for it. Best: let the free market meet consumer demand, and the jobs problem will take care of itself.

Kansas State Representative Joe Patton (R-Topeka) today asked the House Committee on Taxation to accept his request for a jobs bill that would promote the creation of new jobs.

Rep. Patton told the committee the Kansas Legislature should focus on jobs. He said Kansas needs public policy that will get the state’s economy growing again, particularly in light of the current recession and declining revenues.

Patton said. “We know from history most new jobs coming out of a recession are created by new small businesses. However, the government hits these new small business with the same burden it applies to large corporations, as a result in part 90% of these business fail the first year.  This tax burden can make the difference between success and failure. If they can survive the first year, there is a large chance they will be around for a long time.”

As proposed by Patton, the bill would waive for the first year of operation the withholding tax and self employment tax for new small businesses, with 10 or fewer employees. Patton said the right public policy can put a new business on the path to success.

“My goal with this legislation is to give new businesses a head start by getting off their backs for one year. If the new small business survives the first year, chances are we will have the jobs and the revenue for the long term,” Patton said.

The committee agreed to introduce Patton’s bill. That's good -- getting off the backs of small business is the best way to stimulate job growth in Kansas.

Concealed Carry Law

A pet peeve of mine is entering the doors to my church and seeing a picture of a gun with a slash through it on the door. "Check your guns at the door, Baptists and Bad Guys!" It just seems so silly, because if a bad guy wants to come in and blaze away at a bunch of Baptists, that sign on the door isn't doing to anything to stop him -- in fact, it gives him comfort that he knows he's entering a gun-free zone. It's like posting a "No Guns" sign at the entrance to towns in the old west -- like Jesse James was really going to check his guns at the Sheriff's office. Representative Forrest Knox has introduced a bill that would alter the current laws dealing with any government owned, state or local, building posting a sign prohibiting the licensed carry of a concealed weapon.

House Bill 2685 requires that ‘adequate security measures’ be in place in any state or local publicly owned facility or premise if the facility or premise is posted prohibiting the carrying of a concealed weapon. Likewise, any properly licensed employee could carry a concealed weapon in his workplace at a publicly owned facility or premise unless the facility or premise provided adequate security measures.

Representative Forrest Knox, Altoona, asked for the introduction of this bill after considering the answer to the question, “Does the placing of a sign prohibiting the carrying of a concealed weapon in an unsecured facility cause the facility to be more secure or less secure?”

Knox stated, “Last year I asked this question to a Chief Judge who was testifying against a bill allowing prosecutors to carry concealed on the job. He would not answer the question.” The legislation allowing prosecutors to carry has since become law. Premises that provide adequate security measures are allowed to be exempt from the requirement of allowing prosecutors to carry concealed.

“Placing a sign”, Knox stated, “is sometimes perceived to provide some level of security. But it does the opposite. It becomes an invitation for criminals to a ‘gun free zone’.”

Knox questions whether liability issues need to be considered here. Does the placing of a sign imply an acceptance of responsibility for the provision of security? Does government owe the public more than this? These questions will undoubtedly be dealt with when HB 2685 is heard this week at the Capital in House Federal and State Affairs Committee on Thursday, February 25 at 1:30pm.

2010 Stimulus

Millions of dollars are going to be poured into the economy this year -- and I think it will really go a long way to stimulate the economy. These dollars are going to be spent trying to convince you to keep Democrats in their jobs. And it's going to take a LOT of money to do that.

In Memory of Ron Doole

In memory of Ron Doole, who I grew up watching as the weather guy on Ch. 27 (then KTSB, now KSNT), and then fell for his cute daughter at a Halloween party when she was dressed as a weather girl. I wish I would have had more time to get to know him. He would have been 75 today.

Topeka's Google Fiber Experiment -- Bring It!

Google announced they are "planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States."

So the "winning" cities will get Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.

Topekans have jumped all over this opportunity and have really demonstrated how they can pull together when the right opportunity comes along.

I, for one, did my duty to complete a nomination form to submit Topeka for consideration. Please do the same!

If you're on Facebook, be sure to join the "Bring Google's Fiber Experiment to Topeka!" group. As of right now, there are 2,265 members -- but we need many more if we're to impress Google!

You can also check Think Big Topeka's website for ways you can help bring the high-speed fiber optic network to Topeka!

Imagine what we could do! Topeka needs competitive advantages because, let's get real, we have our share of handicaps. But with this network, Topeka would be THE hot spot in Kansas with unparalleled access to the Internet. Speaking of competition, though, many other cities are campaigning and pulling together for the same thing -- so let's not be lax. Everyone needs to pull together and make this happen!

Texting bill passes Senate

The Kansas senate moved to outlaw texting while driving. Bully! Of course, I'm still free to fiddle with my GPS, change radio stations incessantly, and pop my boy on his head for bugging his sister. Seriously, my kids are more distracting than my phone. Are you going to outlaw transporting children under the age of, say, 15? I hear that kids over that age just sit there and sulk, so I can't imagine THEY'RE too bothersome.

Modernizing Access to Public Records

This just in...the Kansas Legislature approved a measure this week that will establish the Kansas Enterprise Electronic Preservation system (KEEP), a preservation process for maintaining the authenticity of state electronic records. Supporters of House Bill 2195 say it will give citizens the capability to actually access government records online and have them authenticated at a level that would be acceptable in a court of law.

My friend Rep. Mike Burgess (R-Topeka) says, “This legislation is cutting-edge and will help establish a digital repository for Kansas that meets national and professional standards.”

The House Committee on Government Efficiency and Fiscal Oversight introduced House Bill 2195. During testimony, supporters stressed the need to preserving and providing access to authentic electronic government records.

The bill now goes to the Governor for his consideration.

I really appreciate the intention behind this bill -- better preservation of records and transparency in government. There's too much hide-and-seek in government, and the PEOPLE should be able to better see behind the curtains.

Waiving bye-bye to marriage fees

Po' folk in Kansas can now get hitched without ponying up the marriage fee, thanks to HB 2585. This is a bill introduced by Topeka's Rep. Joe Patton (R).

“These are challenging times for Kansas families. I am pleased my fellow house members recognized the important role public policy plays in their success,” Rep. Patton said.

Currently the marriage fee is $69 which is split among various funds. Those that are unable to pay the fee will be able to file a poverty affidavit and have the fee waived much like Kansas courts currently do with docket fees.

Why do we care if poor people can afford to get married? Do we need more poor families out there? Yes! Well, no, but marriage is good! Married couples tend to provide stability for kids and the more the merrier when it comes to a strong society.

Way to go Joe.

Basketball Culture in Kansas

Let there be no doubt, this is basketball country. KU, ranked #1, is pretty much always ranked. K-State is now #7 in the nation!

Sure, it's an anomaly to have both teams ranked so high, but basketball brings this state alive. Even our Div II schools such as Washburn are solid programs.

But why doesn't that trickle down to high school? Prep basketball should be to Kansas what prep football is to Texas. It should be loaded with heated rivalries and huge turnouts, schools should pay plenty for the best coaches, and scouts from the major schools should all come here to find their future stars.

KU's Tyrel Reed of Burlington is one of my favorite players -- a smart player with speed and a great jumper...and he's a native. Speaking of anomalies, Tyrel shouldn't be one.

The founder of basketball coached here, our college teams are amazing, and yet the basketball culture doesn't kick off until kids reach their freshman year in college.

Then again, with the number of parents crowded into Sportszone here in Topeka on game nights, love for the game is on display. Let's get that enthusiasm pumped into the high schools too!

Happy Birthday Boy Scouts!

Yesterday was the 100th birthday of Boy Scouts of America. When I was in 5th grade or so, I joined a Boy Scout troop -- but I wasn't a very good one. My son is a Cub Scout, and since he started with his pack from its formation, he's forming friendships with other boys that I hope will last. I hope this group stays together.

What a refreshing organization in this age of political correctness and male bashing. The BSA teaches boys how to be boys, and then how to be men. It teaches what it means to be a true, God-fearing American. It's unabashedly male.

When I hear Girl Scout commercials talking about how girls will learn how to fix cars and go rock climbing, I'm thinking "that's great, I guess, if that's what girls today want to do," but I'm glad I don't hear Boy Scout commercials with boys talking about how they learned to sew and went shopping at the mall together. Yeah, I know, stop assigning stereotypes. But if boys want to sew (I think there may even be a merit badge for that) or go shopping (quite sure there's not one for that), they can do it on their own time. Troop time won't be wasted on anything but teaching boys the skills necessary to become exceptional men.

The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared," and with where our country is headed, we need many men who are fully prepared to tackle it. I'm thankful for the Boy Scouts and the role they play in building a generation of boys ready, able, and Prepared to be the leaders we will need. I hope my son will be one of them.

Happy 100th Boy Scouts!

An impersonal world with impersonal crimes against humanity

I heard a news story yesterday about thousands of credit card numbers stolen and for some reason it made me think of what kind of people could do that, would do that, and if I'd be capable of doing that. I don't mean technically capable, but morally capable.

If I could discard my moral code imprinted on me, and -- and this is key -- not think in terms of each of those numbers being real people, then I decided it would be easier. Once I thought of those numbers as grandmas and young parents like the people I know (like me too!) it makes the thought of doing such a thing impossible.

I wonder if the people who perpetuate such crimes are both computer gifted and completely detached from humanity because of it. Perhaps they can't personalize their crimes because their lives are spent playing video games and hacking into networks.

And that makes me think of all these kids who routinely murder video game characters and then go on to kill people in real life -- like this kid. Perhaps they can't humanize the people in the real world after casually killing people in their digital worlds.

In a completely unrelated line of thought, how about women who abort their babies? Without a sonogram, it's easier to de-personalize the "victim" -- but after a sonogram, a majority of would-be abortions are, well, aborted. This Washington Post article sourced a 2005 survey by Care Net which found that 72 percent of women who were initially "strongly leaning" toward abortion decided to carry their pregnancies to term after seeing a sonogram. Fifty percent made the same choice after counseling alone.

Read about the girl's story in that Washington Post article:

"As soon as I seen that, I was ready. It wasn't no joke. It was real," Makiba Smith, 16, said. "It was like, he's not born to the world yet, but he is inside of me growing."

In a world where people are more and more detached and isolated, we are all potential faceless victims. People who value life, respect it, and don't dehumanize it, will be much less likely to commit crimes against it.

The Orator in Chief

Obama is out speechifying again today after last night's State of the Union address. Because we haven't heard him enough to fully comprehend his wonderfulness. He's so convinced of his persuasive abilities that if the American people are opposed to his ideas, clearly he just hasn't communicated enough about it.

He's so over-exposed that I think Americans have just tuned him out -- for good.

Among the stuff that made my brain bleed last night, after the petty attacks on his predecessor and the Supreme Court (the most un-presidential address I've ever seen), was the whopper about lobbyists being banned from policy positions. How dumb does he think we are? I guess if he is convinced that the media isn't going to expose him, he can say whatever he wants.

Hello emperor? You're naked!

Erick at RedState lists the former lobbyists currently in policy decisions.

Time to milk the churches

This just in...

There has been a bill introduced into the Kansas Legislature that will repeal the sales tax exemption for churches. The exemption has been in place for 11 years and has saved churches approx. $18 million dollars per year. That is a total of approx $200 million that churches were able to use in their ministries to our communities the last 11 years.

The Kansas budget shortage has legislators looking for revenue and “churches are not that well organized and usually don’t put up much resistance” according to a former State Senator.

“The legislators do not want to go after exemptions that education/elderly/colleges/disabled presently have because those groups all fight back and have full time lobbyist.”

Therefore the church sales tax exemption money is low hanging fruit to them and in 2-3 weeks they will be acting on this.

Kansas City has a church ready to break ground on a $2 million dollar first building---if this legislation passes the cost to build this building just went up approx. $160,000.00.

Churches may differ on doctrine, but this is a cause that should unite them. Can they do it?

For additional information or to give additional input, please contact:
Tim Boyd
KNCSB Director of Communications
785-228-6800
tboyd@kncsb.org

Personhood

I like this point made by Cal Thomas in his column today:

"The ruling came the week of the annual March for Life, which draws thousands to Washington to mark that same court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The march has become not so much a protest as an affirmation of the value of all human life. What makes the ruling and the march ironic is that the 1973 court, in essence, downgraded a human fetus to the level of nonperson, while the modern court has invested "personhood" in corporations. Does anyone else see a contradiction or at least a moral inconsistency in these two rulings?"

37 years of Roe v Wade

Marchers walked through the streets of Topeka and many cities around the country to express their ongoing dismay over abortion rights in America.

I was conceived out of wedlock by two college students and put up for adoption in late '66. My mother had the "right" to kill me, but she chose to give me life and put me up for adoption. I was then adopted by a wonderful Christian couple who raised me as their own.

I'm alive. I'm breathing. I contribute to society. I have parented children. I am an employer. I'm a husband.

And none of that could have been possible if she chose instead to have an abortion. The result would have been the same as if someone went into the hospital nursery and smothered me with a pillow.

Is there any other way to look at it?

The pursuit of rewards

Sent to me from a friend...

In the movie Cool Runnings the Jamaican bobsled team is so desperate to win an Olympic medal, they're convinced none of their efforts matter if they end up without it. All the learning, joy, and growth they'd devoted themselves to are forgotten next to a piece of metal on a ribbon. Their coach is a four-hundred-pound man who won an Olympic medal bobsledding twenty years earlier and had been a complete loser ever since. He tells them, "If you're not enough before the gold medal, you're not enough with it."

Jesus talked a lot about rewards. But the pursuit of rewards can hurt us when we go after them for the wrong reason.A trophy is not the achievement itself - it's not the learning we gained, the muscles we've trained, or the courage we've developed. It's just a symbol of achievement. It's an external validation of our worth.

At best,the trophies in the showcase are little reminders, something to make us grateful for the past and keep us motivated for the future. At its worst, the trophy case becomes a shrine, a tool to prop up a false image of ourselves. Trophies bring momentary pleasure that can be addicting, but the pleasure always wears off. In the book of Revelation we see twenty-four leaders "lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God.'" (Revelation 4:10-11) When you give all the glory to God, your accomplishments bring joy, but when you try to take the credit for yourself your trophies tarnish, fade and become a burden.

Look at Enoch: his ultimate trophy was "that he pleased God."

It's KLINE...again!

Just to show you the price you'll pay for being a public pro-life official who had the temerity to take legal action and investigate the illegal activities of the abortion industry, today's headline screams "Kline accused of ethics violations."

They just won't leave that guy alone. He's been out of office for how long? They also continually go after Kline's right hand man, Eric Rucker. Now this is a man I personally know and hold in the highest regard. This is just a witch hunt so that no one in the future will ever dare to be another Phill Kline and take on the abortion industry.

Now Kline may have been zealous and enthusiastic -- but if you earnestly believe that babies close to full term are being slaughtered, I would hope you'd be zealous about stopping it! And if a clinic performing such "services" are not following standard health clinic laws, why wouldn't the chief law enforcement officer of the state pursue legal action and investigation against it?

Because most in the higher echelon of legal society hold abortion rights to be sacrosanct -- completely untouchable. If you dare go there, they will fry you to the point that no one will ever, EVER try that again.

Best wishes to Kline and Rucker. It seems that no amount of time between them and their time in office will free them from persecution from the abortion zealots in the state judicial system.

Our Pizza Sucks

I just watched Dominos Pizza's new video in which they admit how bad their pizza sucks. The crust is like cardboard and the sauce is like ketchup. Duh. We all knew that! But good for them for fessing up to it.

I feel bad for the chefs in the video, especially the guy who says he's been doing this for 20+ years. Seriously? You've been making pizzas for over 20 years and it took focus groups to tell you your product sucks? What kind of chef are you?

I love pizza first and politics second, so it's a good segue into whether or not the Republicans should do the same thing. "Hey, we've sucked and we know it. We spent like drunken Democrats. We didn't provide proper oversight to the financial sector. We dished out more pork than IHOP. But here's our new recipe...the new Republican recipe loaded with strong national defense, conservative spending and tax cuts that will truly stimulate the economy."

People like transparency and honesty. Dominos picked up on that and took the brave step to fess up to their crappy product with a promise to do better. It's time for the Republicans to do the same.

Speaking Tea Bag

NPR published an animated cartoon mocking the tea party movement as a bunch of stupid people who don't understand the terminology or issues so they simplify things down to socialism and Obama is a Nazi.

I'm trying to recall their cartoon mocking the anti-war/anti-Bush crowds who called him a Nazi. Hmmm? Can someone send me a link to it?

Considering that a recent poll had the Tea Party ranking higher in the esteem of the American public than either the Democrat Party or Republican Party, I wouldn't be so quick to ridicule them. Or perhaps that's why the left/media are doing so.

I had the opportunity to speak at a Tea Party rally, and the people that attended were true blue, patriotic Americans who understand the issues very well, thank you very much Mr. Hoity-Toity East Coast Elitist Cartoon Guy!

This cartoon is just another example of the elitist mindset of the cocktail party liberals. Conservatives, in their view, are too simple-minded to grasp such complex issues. We're not nuanced and educated enough (The New York Times' designated "Republican" David Brooks recently labeled the liberal media as "The educated class" -- like conservatives are toothless hicks who never made it past the 4th grade).

But really, are the issues that complicated? The free market, with proper oversight (not over-control) brings us products and services we want with competition that keeps prices in check. That's a pretty simple concept, and it works everywhere it's tried. Low taxes spur more investment in business, creating more jobs and, therefore, more tax revenue to the government. A certain president named Ronald Reagan proved that model to work quite nicely. Pretty simple. And health care works best when I get to deal with the doctor of my choice to make the health decisions for me and my family -- and it would be even better if I could comparison shop among doctors and health insurance providers (with any company based in any state) to make sure I'm getting a good value.

So, yes, I'm a simple-minded Tea Party member. Mock us at your peril.

It's Winter...still

The weatherman is telling us we'll have gusts of arctic wind (20 mph or more) with temps in the -12 degrees area.

When the puppy has to pee, I'm just throwing him out the door on a long rope and then yanking him back when he's done.

Here's a poem that was just sent to me:

WINTER Poem
It's winter here in Kansas
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Kansas
the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Kansas
I'm ...frozen to the ground!

This is the "talking point" someone has memoed out to the Global Warming people: "Don't confuse weather with climate." That way when your eye balls are frozen and you've got snotcycles dangling from your nose, you can't say this is proof against global warming because you're just experiencing a bout of cold weather. It has nothing to do with the climate.

Of course I never heard that refrain in the Summer time when it's hot and they can blame your SUV and hairspray. Then the hot weather is evidence that global warming is caused by...you! (so shape up!)

What's the difference between weather and climate? Here's what NASA says:

The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

The problem with the argument that we can't consider the blizzards we are currently experiencing because that's weather and not climate is that climate studies only go back so far as when they started using instruments to evaluate it. Which, in the big scheme of things, hasn't been very long.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: when they can show me what the cavemen did to bring about an end to the Ice Age, I may care more about the impact our human activities have on the "climate."

Happy New Year!

What a lovely, lazy day. I might as well not have even gotten out of my PJs today. This is what New Years Days were made for.

I did manage to get out for an hour or so to take the kids over to Quinton Heights Hill, the famous Topeka sledding hill. I hadn't been there for probably a dozen years or so. It's where I spent a great deal of time during the heavy winters of my childhood. I wanted to be sure my kids had the memory of Quinton Heights in their heads too. During the past few years, we haven't had enough snow to warrant a trip over to the hill -- we're making up for lost snow this year apparently.

What I didn't remember from my childhood is how to successfully climb a hill coated in ice after I've had my thrill ride down it. Twice my feet flipped out from under me and I landed on my rump-side to slide back down the hill without the comfort of a sled.

The few times I was able to sled from the top of the hill to the bottom were a blast. I have my childhood sled with the metal rails and, on ice, that thing zooms.

To me, winter has few redeemable values. KU basketball is the main one. Otherwise, Topekans are probably left with the thrill of sledding down Quinton Heights Hill.

I'm not huge on New Years Resolutions because I'm not huge on keeping them for more than a few weeks, but I do know that in 2010 I want to be a better citizen and a better Christian -- which means I want to be the best I can at doing what I think God wants us to do. I hope I not just study the Bible, pray and go to church, but actually live what I learn and make a difference in people's lives.

I hope you have a successful, prosperous 2010, and you too will fulfill God's purpose for your life in a new and fresh way.