Author: Bob Weeks
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Surveillance state arrives in Wichita
In an effort to control crime in Old Town, Wichita is importing the police surveillance state. Once camera use has started, it is likely to spread.
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Kansas school test scores should make us think
Kansas public school test scores have declined. This should cause us to ask two questions: why have the scores been rising, and does Kansas do as well as is claimed?
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At Kansas Board of Education, some questions aren’t allowed
At a meeting of the Kansas Board of Education, chair David Dennis uses his authority to bury topics the public school bureaucracy doesn’t want mentioned.
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Wichita economic development initiatives to be announced
Tomorrow the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce will announce, according to the Wichita Eagle, new economic development initiatives. Past history suggests that the efforts will not be fruitful for the Wichita area. The inclinations of the parties involved in this effort are for more government intervention and less reliance on economic freedom and free markets.
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Kansas lawmakers, including judges, should be selected democratically
While many believe that judges should not “legislate from the bench,” the reality is that lawmaking is a judicial function. In a democracy, lawmakers should be elected under the principle of “one person, one vote.” But Kansas, which uses the Missouri Plan for judicial selection to its two highest courts, violates this principle.
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Special interests will capture south-central Kansas planning
Special interest groups are likely to co-opt the government planning process started in south-central Kansas as these groups see ways to benefit from the plan. The public choice school of economics and political science has taught us how special interest groups seek favors from government at enormous costs to society, and we will see this…
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Open records again an issue in Kansas
Responses to records requests made by Kansas Policy Institute are bringing attention to shortcomings in the Kansas Open Records Act.
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For Wichita City Council, discussion is not wanted
Despite its claims, Wichita city government avoids accountability and transparency.
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For Wichita’s Block 1 garage, public allocation is now zero parking spaces
A downtown Wichita parking garage paid for by taxpayers now offers zero parking spaces to the public. That’s one way to interpret information contained in a budget request for the garage located at 123 South Topeka.
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NetApp economic development incentives: all of them
The Wichita City Council will consider economic development incentives designed to secure new jobs in Wichita at NetApp. Few Kansans, however, are probably aware of the entire scope of the incentive package and the harm it causes.