Daily Archives: June 9, 2007

Open thread 6/9

June 9, 20071:05 a.m.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Open thread | Comments (32)

Tiahrt has had better weeks

June 9, 20071:04 a.m.

Two measures closely associated with Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, soon may be history.
In 1998, Tiahrt pushed through a measure preventing the District of Columbia from funding a needle-exchange program aimed at fighting HIV-AIDS, because he said such programs promoted drug abuse and threatened children. On Tuesday Rep. Jose E. Serrano, D-N.Y., stripped that ban from legislation making its way through the House, earning praise from the Washington Post for taking the "first step toward ending this nuttiness."
And Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who chairs a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, said Thursday that she would strip the Tiahrt amendment that restricts access to gun-tracing data from a spending bill now in her committee. "It is time to remove this provision to help bring corrupt gun dealers to justice," Mikulski said, drawing praise from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Monday should see work on both issues in Capitol Hill committees. Both rollbacks have a long way to go legislatively, but the seven-term congressman has had better weeks.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (55)

In Kansas, still no pride of plate

June 9, 20071:03 a.m.

Fortunately, Kansas’ license plate design is like Kansas’ weather: If you don’t like it, don’t worry — it will change soon enough. No tears here for the passing of the Statehouse plate, with what looked from a distance like a mushroom cloud over the dome. But it’s hard to imagine the spare new "Ad Astra Per Aspera" design will prove very popular either, with its slice of our state seal that looks like a moonrise. Why don’t Kansans have input on plate designs, which, after all, present an image of the state across the country? The best news is that a new three-year transition to the plate will save the state $4.2 million of the $6 million authorized for the plate change.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Kansas government | Comments (37)

Treat the Keeper with respect

June 9, 20071:02 a.m.

The public has been enthusiastic about the dramatic improvements around the raised Keeper of the Plains sculpture, with reports of visitors even thanking city workers on site. But not everybody is treating the new Keeper with the respect it deserves: City officials say skateboarders, cyclists, off-the-path walkers and unwatched children have done $3,500 to $4,000 in damage to landscaping, handrails and stonework, despite the video surveillance system. In response, the city is installing two more monitoring cameras capable of spotting and following the movements of vandals.
Disheartening as the damage is, the alternative — a city without such amenities — would be much worse. As Vice Mayor Sharon Fearey told The Eagle editorial board this week, it’s sad that some people don’t recognize that the Keeper and other public artworks are "there for everybody to love, and keep your mitts off."
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Wichita events | Comments (40)

Leaders had to think big on McConnell-area height limits

June 9, 20071:01 a.m.

The Wichita City Council and Sedgwick County Commission took some expected flak this week before establishing the renamed Air Force Base Force Protection Overlay District, which will limit to about two stories the height of new buildings within a half-mile of the base.
It’s painful to see residents negatively affected by the district, but the height limits were recommended by no less than the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management as a way to limit opportunities for espionage or attack. In response to neighbor complaints, planners rescaled the size of the district last month. City and county leaders had to balance property owners’ remaining concerns against the potential catastrophic economic impact of losing the base. And surely buying property near a military base always carries risk.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Wichita government | Comments (1)