Even with a holiday-shortened week, there was quite a bit of activity in Kansas blogs.
At the Kansas Republican Assembly blog, the post Sebelius: Slattery needs help raises questions about U.S. Senate candidate Jim Slattery’s acquisition of certain email addresses, and the etiquette of using them. In Democratic delegate shunned for endorsing McCain over Obama, the anonymous writer of this blog wonders whether the Democratic Party is really the big tent party.
The Kansas Trunkline reports that U.S. House of Representatives candidate Nancy Boyda is not shy with her support for increasing motor fuel taxes in Nancy Boyda: Yes, new taxes! Also, reporting on Kansas Republican Party chairman Kris Kobach and his remarks in Slattery fundraising wilting, DSCC bailing.
This week, the Kansas Meadowlark has posts on judicial nominating commissions in Kansas. First, can campaign contributions of $13,000 to Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and covering some airplane expenses purchase a seat on the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission? The post Did $13,000 given to Gov. Sebelius play part in Supreme Court Nominating Commission appointment? answers. Second, the title of the post Political makeup of Third District Court Nominating Commission doesn’t reflect district? asks the question that needs answers. This district is Shawnee County, where Topeka is located.
The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission seems to fall short of fulfilling its duties in these two posts: Kansas Ethics Commission can’t find political activist, who didn’t file PAC report, but newspapers can? and Kansas Ethics Commission ignores missing $25,000 payment by PAC?
The anonymous blogger Stay Red Kansas supplies in Talk around T-Town some political gossip obtained from some “power players.” It’s hard to know how much weight to give to posts like this from an anonymous blogger. Is the information real, or just the sowing of the seeds of rumor? Unless we know who the blogger is, or unless you read the blog enough to form an opinion as to the writer’s reliability, it’s hard to treat these posts seriously.
In the post Is Congress shilling their constituents?, The Patriots (news from citizen advocates) blogger Allen Williams wonders about U.S. Energy policy.
Kansas Federalist blogger Currie Myers comments on the difference between Iowa Floods versus New Orleans Floods.
At the Joyful Cynic, the very fine post Charity at a Distance explains the difference between charity and “legally mandated charity,” although I believe Sharon is too mild in describing government activity as anything resembling charity.
Just when I think I’ve become aware of all blogs with a Kansas connection, I find out that I’ve been missing out on a very good blog. The Blog About All Things MBM (market-based management) is a blog that I’m sorry I’ve overlooked. One of its contributors is a Kansan, and market-based management was developed by Wichitan Charles Koch. The post Did Adam Smith Hate Businesspeople? contains the sentence “MBM considers any form of political profit completely unacceptable.” When you read my Voice For Liberty in Wichita post Wichita and the Old Town Warren Theater Loan, you’ll realize why I am glad I found this blog.
At The Quite Conservative, the post When the Republic Hung by a Thread comments on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and the right to bear arms.
At In Media Res the interesting post Ten Things I Like About Canada (In Honor of Canada Day) contains this good thing about Canada: “Relative avoidance of sugar processed from high fructose corn syrup.” Why in the U.S. do we use corn syrup instead of sugar? Do government tariffs have anything to do with it? If you don’t like the government meddling with the way we sweeten soft drinks, how will you like another “good thing” in Canada, which is number four in this list: socialized medicine.
At the Voice For Liberty in Wichita, Karl Peterjohn of the Kansas Taxpayers Network contributed the article Socialism And Big Government Expand In Kansas.
In Wichita, big news this week was the Wichita City Council’s giveaway to a theater owner. My remarks to the council are in the post Wichita and the Old Town Warren Theater Loan. John Todd testified too; his remarks are here: Wichita Old Town Warren Theater Public Hearing Remarks. Some follow-up analysis is here: In Wichita, is Economic Development Proven Public Policy?, and you may read of Wichita city council member Jeff Longwell’s unfortunately low opinion of Wichitan’s interest in these civic matters in the post Wichita Council Member Jeff Longwell: We Can, and Do, Read.
Some Wichita news media outlets revealed some sloppy reporting and bias in these posts: Wichita Business Journal: Where is the Increasing Enrollment in Wichita Schools?, Wichita Business Journal: Please Explain the Wichita School Bond Impact, and Wichita Eagle Reporting Bias.
Some coverage of a candidate forum is here: Kansas School Board Candidate Forum, June 30, 2008.
How is former Wichita public school superintendent Winston Brooks doing at his new post in Albuquerque? Someone there doesn’t have too high of an opinion: In Albuquerque, Someone Already Doesn’t Like Winston Brooks.
An important series of posts at the Voice For Liberty in Wichita deal with the involvement of Earthjustice, a radical environmentalist group, in Kansas energy policy. This, to my knowledge, has not been covered by Kansas news media util very recently. The post Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius at Earthjustice reports on the governor’s recent talk an at Earthjustice event. Earthjustice in Kansas: What is Their Agenda? contains a fellow blogger’s interpretation of the motives of Earthjustice. In Earthjustice in Kansas: The Press Release I report on how I have made a records request to the governor’s office so that Kansans can learn more about the activities of this extremist group and its relationship to our governor.