Kathleen Sebelius State of the State 2009: Collectivism Lite

by Bob Weeks on January 13, 2009

In Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius‘ 2007 State of the State address collectivism was the theme: “Only a failure to act as ‘One Kansas’ can compromise our future and dash our hopes.” As shown in my post The Collectivism of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, this drive towards collectivism is a threat to liberty and the individual.

This year, her State of the State speech was not so heavily-laden with collectivist themes. But they’re still there.

She reminded members of the legislature of the “heavy burdens can be lifted when all of our hands lift together.”

To the people, she said “Let us come together, as we have in the past, to find common ground and to work for the common good.”

Perhaps invoking president-elect Obama’s recent speech, she promoted the role of government: “Ultimately, the role of government is to use our collective resources to do what individuals cannot do alone.”

“In all of our endeavors, we recognize that jobs and capital are best expanded in the private sector. But without resources and workers from government, the massive undertakings needed to promote the common good would likely fail.” I don’t think she really values private sector jobs over government jobs. For many years of her term, most of the job growth in Kansas was in government.
“Working together, we can succeed.” … “Yes, these are difficult times and we face difficult decisions, but by working in a bi-partisan fashion we’ll once again find answers and experience success.”

Fortunately the “One Kansas” theme is gone, but collectivism remains the goal in Kathleen Sebelius’ Kansas.

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Tagged as: Kansas state government, Kathleen Sebelius, Liberty

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Government is essentially the negation of liberty. — Ludwig von Mises
It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government. — Thomas Paine
It does not take a majority to prevail, but an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires of freedom in the minds of men. — Samuel Adams
You do not know, and will never know, who the Remnant are, nor where they are, nor how many of them there are, nor what they are doing or will do. Two things you know, and no more: first, that they exist; second, that they will find you. — Albert Jay Nock
A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that ... it gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. — Milton Friedman
As the coercive power of the state will alone decide who is to have what, the only power worth having will be a share in the exercise of this directing power. — F.A. Hayek
The kind of rules we should have are the kind that we'd make if our worst enemy were in charge. — Walter E. Williams
Your principle has placed these words above the entrance of the legislative chamber: “whosoever acquires any influence here can obtain his share of legal plunder.” And what has been the result? All classes have flung themselves upon the doors of the chamber crying: “A share of the plunder for me, for me!” — Frederic Bastiat
This was all before politicians gave us the idea that the things we could not afford individually we could somehow afford collectively through the magic of government. — Thomas Sowell
While the short-run prospects for liberty at home and abroad may seem dim, the proper attitude for the Libertarian to take is that of unquenchable long-run optimism. — Murray N. Rothbard
Barbra Streisand told Diane Sawyer that we're in a global warming crisis, and we can expect more and more intense storms, droughts and dust bowls. But before they act, weather experts say they're still waiting to hear from Celine Dion. — Jay Leno
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Increasingly, it seems that the biggest difference between conservatives and liberals is that the conservatives know government is force. But that doesn't stop them from using it. — John Stossel
One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license. — P.J. O'Rourke
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Here’s Williams’ law: Whenever the profit incentive is missing, the probability that people’s wants can be safely ignored is the greatest. — Walter E. Williams
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Liberty is not a means to a political end. It is itself the highest political end. — Lord Acton
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And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then ... they came for me ...
And by that time there was no one left to speak up. — Pastor Martin Niemöller
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People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the publick. ... It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary. — Adam Smith
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