Several JetBlue flights at JFK Airport in New York were delayed on the tarmac Wednesday (see photo of one of them), with passengers waiting for up to 10 hours in their seats — reviving talk in Congress of a "passenger bill of rights."
Talk about airline hell. Don’t passengers deserve some assurance that they won’t be trapped in a plane all day? Do you bloggers have any airline horror stories? What should be included in a passenger bill of rights?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Our editorial today notes that lawmakers are unlikely to repeal Kansas’ death penalty law. But 14 years after reinstating it, Kansas has little to show for it but a growing death row and a lot of costly prosecutions — and more legal challenges to come. A new poll also showed waning public support: 57 percent of those Kansans polled think that the death penalty’s application is too arbitrary, 53 percent think that defendants who can afford good lawyers rarely get death, and 65 percent said that instead of being put to death, convicted murderers should spend their lives in prison, earning money and paying their victims’ families compensation.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
A politician doesn’t get to pick his opponents. Still, you have to think Norm Coleman (in photo) is wondering: “Why me?” First, the Republican’s 1998 bid to be Minnesota governor was narrowly aborted by novelty candidate Jesse Ventura. His 2002 Senate bid ended better, but only after incumbent Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash 11 days before the election. Now, Coleman is a first-term senator being challenged next year by Al Franken. That’s assuming that comedian and author Franken will survive the Democratic primary. Franken says he’s serious about “making government work better for the working families” of Minnesota. Still, his floor speeches would be must-see C-SPAN.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Good for Sedgwick County Commissioner Gwen Welshimer for watchdogging how much the county spends on consultants. Welshimer received a report this week on the consultants the county hired the past two years. There weren’t big red flags among the 24 consultants listed or the nearly $542,000 spent. But the county and city have seemed consultant-happy in recent years, so the scrutiny is justified to make sure the spending really is needed. One thing to evaluate: Have the consultants’ recommendations been implemented and made a positive difference, or have their reports mostly gathered dust on shelves?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Next month marks 18 years since the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, producing environmental destruction of massive proportions — the largest such man-made event in U.S. history. The oil covered more than 1,200 miles of beach, killed countless sea mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates, and adversely affected the fishing and recreation industries.
This week a study by research chemist Jeffrey Short of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science & Technology. Short’s results show that the spill has left toxins embedded in the sediment of Prince William Sound. “What’s left is going to be there a long time,” he said.
According to the Associated Press, Exxon estimates that it has spent $3 billion toward cleanup efforts, settlements, fines and compensation, “but still has not paid an unresolved punitive damage judgment, originally set for $5 billion by a federal jury in 1994.” Thousands of fishermen and others whose livelihoods were affected by the spill are still waiting for compensation from the oil giant.
Posted by Patrice Hein
NOTE: Patrice is a WSU graduate student and our new editorial department intern. We hope to have her photo and bio posted soon in the left rail. — Phillip Brownlee
Expect this to further fuel the bipartisan enthusiasm for tax cuts at the Statehouse: Legislative researchers reported this week that state revenues are $65.2 million, or 2.1 percent, ahead of the November projections, thanks to increased collections of individual and corporate income taxes.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
