In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Bob and Karl look at election results nationally, in Kansas, and in Sedgwick County. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 217, broadcast November 11, 2018. Shownotes Election results at Politico. This is one of the best sites for analysis of election results. Election results for Sedgwick County. Election resuts from Kansas Secretary of State.
Kansas taxpayers should know their tax dollars are helping staff campaigns for political office. As reported by the Wichita Eagle, it is perfectly allowable for some Kansas state government employees to work on political campaigns.[1. Lowry, Bryan. Taxpayer-funded campaign staff can knock at Kansans’ doors. Wichita Eagle, July 17, 2016. Available at www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article90179637.html.] Not all Kansas state government employees can work on campaigns while being paid by taxpayers. Only personal staff members of elected officials can. But this can be quite a large number of people. The Eagle reports that Governor Sam Brownback has 21 personal staff members. It's not…
News from alternative media around Kansas for June 25, 2010. Public sector grows along with KPERS dependency (Kansas Liberty) "Between April 2008 and April 2010, the private sector in Kansas has experienced an overall loss in jobs of approximately 5.89 percent, while the public sector has experienced an overall gain in employment of approximately .83 percent. ... As the public sector and its salaries continue to grow, so does the dependence on the state’s pension plan, KPERS." Kansas working toward implementing aspect of Obamacare (Kansas Liberty) "The Kansas Department of Insurance is working with the federal government to create a…
Today the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission is holding a hearing to consider changes to its rules regarding confidentiality. James Meier of Lawrence has experience with these rules, as he relates in Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in need of reform. Following is the testimony that Meier will deliver at the hearing this afternoon. Subject: Proposed amendments to K.A.R. 19-6-1 Madame Chairwoman and members of the Commission, I am here to testify against changes to K.A.R. 19-6-1 in their current form. Before considering changes to the confidentiality rules of the Commission, I believe it is vital that members publicly recognize why these…
News from alternative media around Kansas for December 21, 2009. KNEA uses incomplete funding data to argue for tax hikes (Kansas Liberty) "Kansas State Department of Education Deputy Commissioner says a common practice of legislators and school advocates is only citing the base state aid K-12 receives for gauging funding levels." Democrat drops out of governor's race (Kansas Liberty) "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wiggans announced yesterday that he was dropping out of the race amid allegations that he had acted in an ethically questionable manner at a previous job." Economist calls for scrapping state income tax (Kansas Reporter) "Kansas’ economy…
News from alternative media around Kansas for November 30, 2009. Parkinson balances budget as promised, but now gearing up for tax hike (Kansas Liberty premium article) Analysis of the governor's budget cuts, with a look forward: "Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson released a column yesterday illustrating how Monday’s cuts have devastated various state agencies. Parkinson argued that any possible inefficiency within state agencies has been eliminated through the latest round of allotments. ... Parkinson, in addition to some legislators, have already started to lay the foundation for tax increases and so-called 'revenue enhancements.'" Also from Kansas Liberty see Agencies react to…
Below, James Meier of Lawrence tells of the trouble (that's an understatement) he had trying to file an ethics complaint, and of a catch-22 that needs fixing. This story has been told on a Kansas conservative mailing list. Meier prepared this version as a special for Voice For Liberty in Wichita readers. The subject of the “ethics” of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission has surfaced recently. It’s a much more complicated story with many twists and turns that hasn’t been sufficiently explained by traditional media sources. Here is a quick synopsis to better understand my own story of interaction with…
In a victory for free political speech, Kristian Van Meteren has prevailed over the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Reporting by Tim Carpenter of the Topeka Capital-Journal is State ethics fine reversed. The Kansas Meadowlark has reporting, including the Kansas Attorney General's opinion, in Attorney General Says Kansas Ethics Confidentiality Rules are Unconstitutional. Kansas Liberty coverage is Ethics Commission caves on Van Meteren charge. I saw no coverage in the Wichita Eagle. Here's the statement from Van Meteren's lawyer: Perry, KS. Caleb Stegall issued the following statement today on behalf of his client, Kristian Van Meteren, in the wake of the…
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, Obama on education, tea parties, federal reserve Who investigates Carol Williams? (James Meier in Kansas Liberty, a subscription service) Does the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission benefit from a catch-22 in the law? "The moment you walk in this door and file a complaint, you are prohibited by law, a class A misdemeanor, of discussing the fact that you walked in here and gave us that complaint." -- Carol Williams, Executive Director, Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. "But what happens when the Ethics Commission doesn’t follow the law? ... Who investigates Williams for disclosing investigations to the press?…
A recent Wichita Eagle news story jogged readers' memories about the company that's the target of the story, Cornejo & Sons, Inc., and their campaign contributions a few years back. The company asked some of its employees to make campaign contributions, and then the employees were reimbursed. That's illegal. A Wichita Eagle story from April 27, 2003 states: "A former administrative assistant for the Cornejo & Sons construction firm says company executives sought campaign donations from employees and then walked around the office illegally reimbursing workers with stacks of $50 and $100 bills." In this story, Ron Cornejo, the company…
The Kansas Meadowlark has more coverage of a Kansas case with troubling implications: "The legal conflict in this case is between Kansas law and confidentiality of an ethics complaint, and the U.S. Constitution’s 1st amendment right to free speech. Oddly in this case, the one making the complaint, is the one being fined. This has a a chilling effect on free speech, and one’s right to bring a grievance against the government." See the post More Info on Van Meteren “Free Speech” Ethics Case.
The Kansas Meadowlark reports on a troubling situation at the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. As reported in the story, Kansans may be faced with two unpleasant options: If you uncover corruption of violations of campaign finance statutes, you will be forced to choose between two difficult options. 1. Either turn the matter over to the Ethics Commission and surrender your right to ever discuss the matter publicly again and risk having the Ethics Commission bury the matter forever; or 2. Preserve your right to discuss the matter freely but forego seeing the matter investigated and justice served. The entire story…
The Kansas Meadowlark is covering a case before the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission that has free speech implications. The Meadowlark's report is First Amendment Defense Thorny Issue for Ethics Commission.
Do different laws exist for Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the rest of us? (At least the conservatives and libertarians among us?) The Kansas Meadowlark reports this: "Apparently Sebelius is exploiting a loop hole in Kansas law in using her PAC to attack conservatives. The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission said a similar new 'Leadership' PAC with ties to conservative House Majority Leader Ray Merrick could not exist." Read the Meadowlarks's full report at Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund “Leadership” PAC attacks conservatives.
