Kansas news media Archives | Voice For Liberty

May

New Kansas blog: Cold Friday

I've noticed a new conservative blog in Kansas, Cold Friday. It describes its goal as "to provide thoughtful opinions on current events and the moral issues of the day." The founder is J. Christopher Pryor of Topeka. He has been published with the Journal for the Study of Antisemitism, David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News among others. He has a J.D., M.B.A. and B.A. in Philosophy. Pryor writes predominantly on issues of antisemitism, philosophy, current events and his hobbies of science and ham radio. To view the blog, click on coldfriday.org.

WichitaLiberty.TV: Danedri Herbert, Editor of The Sentinel

Feb

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Danedri Herbert, Editor of The Sentinel

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: The Sentinel's Danedri Herbert joins Bob Weeks to discuss the upcoming gubernatorial debate, the Kansas Legislature's website and transparency, and accountability in government. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 184, broadcast February 17, 2018. Shownotes The Sentinel Inside Kansas GOP The debate rules and Garden City Telegram editorial The Kansas Legisature website

From Pachyderm: KPTS Chief Victor Hogstrom

Dec

By Bob Weeks

From Pachyderm: KPTS Chief Victor Hogstrom

From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: KPTS President and CEO Victor Hogstrom. This was recorded December 15, 2017.

May

By Bob Weeks

Coverage of Downtown Wichita workers

The Wichita Eagle's coverage of the number of workers in Downtown Wichita isn't fake news, just wrong news. A recent Wichita Eagle article reported on the number of workers in downtown Wichita, designated as zip code 67202: "The 67202 ZIP code had lost nearly 15 percent of its businesses and 20 percent of its employees in the decade ending in 2015, according to the U.S. Census’s County Business Pattern data. The loss of the State Office Building in 2016 and the Wichita school district’s downtown office this summer -- employees are moving to the former Southeast High School -- will…

May

By Guest Author

Breaking the statehouse budget deadlock

By Karl Peterjohn The budget deadlock has begun at the Kansas statehouse. The legislature cannot leave Topeka until they have approved the next biennial state budget that will begin July 1. Usually, this includes the governor’s signature on that legislation. That might not happen this year. That’s the issue. Governor Brownback is not willing to fund a multi-year, multi-billion spending bill demanded by the liberal legislative majorities in both houses. Earlier this year he vetoed a record-breaking income tax hike scheme. So far, the governor has been successful in having his vetoes sustained. The pressure is going to be applied…

Apr

By Guest Author

Shocking News about Kansas Education!

By Paul Waggoner. This column first appeared in the Hutchinson News. Listening too often to Topeka politicians and administrators can leave a normal person feeling rather jaded, even used. Or maybe it’s the reporting, sometimes I just don’t know. Such was the case Tuesday reading the News report of Kansas Dept of Education Deputy commissioner Dale Dennis speech to the local Rotary club (Hutchinson News, April 18, “Ed Official: Fund Gap numbers shocking”). His talk was filled with boilerplate and themes typical of the education establishment. Mr. Dennis made multiple comparisons and statements of fact to prove his points. In…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Fake government spawns fake news

Discussions of public policy need to start from a common base of facts and information. An episode shows that both our state government and news media are not helping. A recent Hutchinson News article[3. Clarkin, Mary. Department of Education’s Dennis: Shocking number when looking at funding gap. Hutchinson News. April 17, 2017. http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local_state_news/department-of-education-s-dennis-shocking-number-when-looking-at/article_4abe359e-8421-53f9-a8d7-1eaa56e95423.html.] started with this: Once you wake up to where Kansas was in 1992 at funding schools and what it needs to do to get caught up, said the Kansas Department of Education’s Deputy Commissioner Dale Dennis, it’s a shocker. In 1992, base state aid per pupil was…

WichitaLiberty.TV: The Sentinel’s Danedri Herbert

Apr

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: The Sentinel’s Danedri Herbert

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Danedri Herbert of The Sentinel joins Bob Weeks and Karl Peterjohn to discuss news reporting and politics in Kansas. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 148, broadcast April 23, 2017. Shownotes The Sentinel Inside Kansas GOP

For Wichita Eagle, no concern about relationships

Mar

By Bob Weeks

For Wichita Eagle, no concern about relationships

Should the Wichita Eagle, a city's only daily newspaper and the state's largest, be concerned about the parties to its business relationships? It's a question that the Wichita Eagle should be considering. But the newspaper's top executives seem to have no concern. On February 14 I sent a message to the publisher and executive editor of the Wichita Eagle expressing my concerns about the newspaper's future landlords. That letter appears below. After several follow-up attempts by email and telephone, neither would respond. Sent I sent this message, I've found I was mistaken about the ownership of the building to where…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Year in Review: 2016

Here are highlights from Voice for Liberty for 2016. Was it a good year for the principles of individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas? Also be sure to view the programs on WichitaLiberty.TV for guests like journalist, novelist, and blogger Bud Norman; Radio talk show host Joseph Ashby; David Bobb, President of Bill of Rights Institute; Heritage Foundation trade expert Bryan Riley; Radio talk show host Andy Hooser; Keen Umbehr; John Chisholm on entrepreneurship; James Rosebush, author of "True Reagan," Jonathan Williams of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); Gidget Southway, or Danedri Herbert;…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

The Joseph Ashby Show, revived

He's no longer on AM radio at KQAM, but people still want to hear him. So for now there's the Joseph Ashby Show podcast. There are several ways to listen: Like The Joseph Ashby Show on Facebook. Click here for this. (Be sure to ask for notifications, or at least for posts to show at the top of your newsfeed.) Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean. Click here for this. Follow The Joseph Ashby Show on Twitter. Click on @JosephAshbyShow.

WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita and Kansas economics, and government investment

Oct

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita and Kansas economics, and government investment

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita sells a hotel, more subsidy for downtown, Kansas newspaper editorialists fall for a lobbyist's tale, how Kansas can learn from Arizona schools, and government investment. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 131, broadcast October 30, 2016. Shownotes Article: Wichita, give back the Hyatt proceeds. Instead of spending the proceeds of the Hyatt hotel sale, the city should honor those who paid for the hotel -- the city’s taxpayers. Article: In Wichita, developer welfare under a cloud. A downtown Wichita project receives a small benefit from the city, with no mention…

Topeka Capital-Journal falls for a story

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Topeka Capital-Journal falls for a story

The editorial boards of two large Kansas newspapers have shown how little effort goes into forming the opinions they foist upon our state. Here's a quote from a recent opinion piece in the Topeka Capital-Journal, the second-largest newspaper in Kansas: "If the past year is any indication, Totten is right about the harmful effects of KDOT sweeps on the construction industry in our state. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between July 2015 and July 2016, Kansas lost 4,400 construction jobs -- a 7.3 percent decline. This means Kansas ranked 49th in the country for construction job growth." [1.…

From Pachyderm: Martin Hawver on Kansas Politics

Aug

By Bob Weeks

From Pachyderm: Martin Hawver on Kansas Politics

From the Wichita Pachyderm Club this week: Martin Hawver briefed members and guests on the state of Kansas politics. Judge Phil Journey provided the introduction. Recorded August 19, 2016. Hawver is the dean of Kansas Statehouse press corps, having covered the beat longer than any current Statehouse reporter -- first for 17 years as a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal and since 1993 for Hawver’s Capitol Report, for which he is the primary reporter/writer. He also writes a column syndicated to Kansas newspapers, is interviewed about Kansas government and politics on TV and radio shows, and is a speaker…

WichitaLiberty.TV: News media, hollow Kansas government, ideology vs. pragmatism

Jul

By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: News media, hollow Kansas government, ideology vs. pragmatism

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: New outlets for news, and criticism of the existing. Is Kansas government "hollowed out?" Ideology and pragmatism. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 124, broadcast July 17, 2016. Shownotes Kansas Memo on Facebook A short video on using Kansas Memo and other pages of Facebook The Honest Media on Facebook Renee Erickson's Facebook post Article: In Wichita, Meitzner, Clendenin sow seeds of distrust Article: Kansas government ‘hollowed-out’ Prager U: Free Courses for Free Minds

Kansas City Star as critic, or apologist

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Kansas City Star as critic, or apologist

An editorial in the Kansas City Star criticizes a Kansas free-market think tank. Kansas City Star editorial writer Steve Rose penned a column accusing Kansas Policy Institute of lies and distortions in its analysis and reporting on Kansas government.[1. Rose, Steve. Phony numbers meant to smear superb services. Kansas City Star, July 2, 2016. Available at www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/steve-rose/article87288257.html.] Here, we take a critical look at a few accusations. Rose: "To what end does the institute spew out its gross distortions? Its stated goal is to shrink government and to dramatically lower taxes. I would add: Regardless of the possible negative effect…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Center for Economic Growth

Kansas Center for Economic Growth, often cited as an authority by Kansas news media and politicians, is not the independent and unbiased source it claims to be. When supporters of more government spending and taxation in Kansas want to bolster their case, they often turn to Kansas Center for Economic Growth (KCEG). Portraying itself as a "nonprofit, nonpartisan organization," KCEG says its mission is "to advance responsible policies by informing public discussion through credible, fact-based materials." It says it conducts research and analysis to "promote balanced state policies." [1. Kansas Center for Economic Growth. About Us. Available at realprosperityks.com/about-us/.] As…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Wichita Eagle, where are you?

The state's largest newspaper has no good reason to avoid reporting and editorializing on an important issue. But that's what the Wichita Eagle has done. In November 2014 Wichita voters rejected a proposed Wichita city sales tax. The largest portion of that tax, $250 million, would have gone towards expanding the capacity of the Aquifer Storage and Recharge, or ASR, project. The Wichita Eagle editorial board urged voters to approve the tax. It told readers that spending $250 million on ASR would "assure a future for Wichita with enough water." "The needs are clear," the editors wrote, adding "Investing in…

Mar

By Guest Author

Math quiz on Kansas spending

The average Kansan is misinformed regarding Kansas school spending, and Kansas news media are to blame, writes Paul Waggoner of Hutchinson. Math Quiz on Kansas Spending By Paul Waggoner Math questions, one would think, are very straight-forward and easy to answer. At least easy to guess the right answer in a simple multiple choice test. Such is not the case however with the average Kansan who follows state issues relying on the headlines in the Kansas press. The reality of how poor a job the Kansas press is doing with numbers is found in a December 2015 SurveyUSA study of…

Steve Rose and Jim Denning on the Kansas economy

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Steve Rose and Jim Denning on the Kansas economy

Kansas City Star editorialist Steve Rose visits with Kansas State Senator Jim Denning. It's helpful for Kansans to have commentary and factual injection accompany a Steve Rose editorial in the Kansas City Star. In this case let's look at a column based on his interview with Kansas State Senator Jim Denning. Steve Rose: "The numbers can be sliced and diced to make a positive or negative picture, but it is undeniable that Kansas government itself is virtually bankrupt, and Brownback’s tax policies are responsible." A government can balance a budget by taxing more or spending less. We see the clear…