Selective time management at Legislature

Both The Eagle and the Lawrence Journal-World have done articles this week about the Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s new push, including full-page newspaper ads, for legislation to prevent Kansas from becoming “a hotbed for frivolous asbestos lawsuits.” Even the chamber notes these suits aren’t a problem in Kansas. Some have wondered if Wichita’s Koch Industries — which recently purchased Georgia-Pacific, a defendant in several asbestos lawsuits — is behind the effort (chamber president S. Lewis Ebert denies any connection).
Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth, couldn’t help but be struck by the contrast between the attention given this bill and the inattention given one taking Wal-Mart to task over its employee benefits. “Let me get this straight: We don’t have time for a bill that would have told Wal-Mart to quit dumping its employees’ health insurance on the state? But we do have time for a bill that as far as anybody knows doesn’t affect anybody in Kansas?” Ruff marveled to the Journal-World.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

6 Comments

  1. Nick
    Posted March 31, 2006 at 1:15 am | Permalink

    You mean the Koch industries that was found guilty on over 22,000 counts of felony fraud? Koch industries that sponsored the entire legislative section of the Capital Journal? The same Koch industries that is world famous for their primary business..the buying and selling of politicians?Naw, it simply couldn’t be. They would never do any such thing.

  2. flike
    Posted March 31, 2006 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    The same Koch Industries that’s waged war on the EPA for years now? The one with 2 Kansas senators and at least 3 Kansas US Congressmen in its pockets?

    BTW, do you think that if Koch moved its entire operation to Houston then it would find its lobbying clout severely diluted and its lobbying costs severely raised? You get far greater effectiveness at far less cost when yer buyin’ yer Congressional representatives in Kansas vs. Texas.

    I’ll never forget my microecon prof’s lecture on economic profits (ie, profits that exceed all costs including the cost of capital). What do you do with economic profits in the US? he asked. Answer: pack them up in a big suitcase and march them straight to Washington, DC, to be distributed smartly forthwith.

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted March 31, 2006 at 8:29 am | Permalink

    Rep. Candy Ruff is wrong. That is all I have to say.

  4. Ben Huie
    Posted March 31, 2006 at 8:39 am | Permalink

    Koch has invested its money well.

  5. steve
    Posted March 31, 2006 at 2:39 pm | Permalink

    Time to get some Congressmen that aren’t bought and paid for!

  6. Ted Harrison
    Posted September 29, 2007 at 8:18 pm | Permalink

    Koch is full of contradictions. It claims to promote 10,000% compliance — that’s 100% of the employees complying 100% of the time. What a crock! They have been convicted repeatedly of environmental pollution, bribing politicians and generally bending the law to get what they want.