Kansans’ opinion of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius suffered some in the days after her administration declined to allow two proposed coal-fired power plants near Holcomb, though it is still high. She dropped 5 points in a month to 64 percent job approval in the latest SurveyUSA poll. That’s her lowest statewide approval rating since May. The biggest drop was west of U.S. 81. In October, she had a 76 percent approval in western Kansas; this month, it plummeted to 53 percent. In the Wichita area, Sebelius’ approval dropped from 67 to 56 percent in a month. But, hey — she’s up 5 points in eastern Kansas (to 72 percent) and holding strong among liberals (76 percent).
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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22 Comments
“But, hey — she’s up 5 points in eastern Kansas (to 72 percent)”
And Rhonda, where are the votes concentrated? You got it. Eastern Kansas.
And as governor leadership’s chief of staff personally told me, in a discussion about water, “there arent enough votes in western Kansas to matter”.
I’d say she and her staff successfully calculated the odds in terms of votes, while this is a poll that is defined by geography, not votes.
She’s running for higher office. She went with the action that would get the most votes.
Smart. Not everyone out west thinks the plant was a good idea. But even those of us westerners who opposed the plant dont like the way she used the “finger in the wind” method of deciding, and we DO NOT like the way she used Rod Brembry as a human shield.
Calculated and smart. A real triangulator.
Who wants to bet she called the DLC to ask their advise, and then she called the pollsters?
In any event, I’m glad the plants have been stopped.
For now.
Maybe the drop in support for the governor in western Kansas and the rise by eastern Kansas can be equated with family values. Family values and responsibility. It is shortsighted to believe that in the 21st century we should continue to burn coal and belch out pollutants into the Kansas prairie, when we can invest in wind farms – an endless supply of renewable energy.
My family values clean energy and a clean Kansas. Responsibility is to plan for 5 and 10 years (at least) into the future and not burn a limited supply of energy that damages clean air and quality of life in Kansas.
The oil and gas industry has 5,000 unfilled positions in Kansas and bordering states. Call the program director of the oil and gas training program at Pratt Community College – they can’t find enough Kansans to fill the current job openings. These are jobs that pay $16-$24 an hour.
So the blather about coal plants creating jobs in western Kansas because the economy in western Kansas needs jobs is nonsense. Sure western Kansas needs jobs in other industries (especially medical)- but with 5,000 vacancies currently in the field of energy, I think that the job arguement is without merit.
Sebelius only does what will benefit her personally. She could care less about the state.
Word has it (not able to verfy yet) that she no longer owns a home in Kansas. She is preparing for moving east.
West of Hiway 81? There’s no one west of 81 except a few of the religious right, a couple of non-voting cows….that’s it. So who cares if the gov’s approval rating drops west of 81? She never was very high there anyway.
Ok, Rhonda?
What are you up to here?
A pic of the smiling gov. in front of a pollution spewing plant?
Ummm…her admininstration turned DOWN the plant. The decision was precedent setting even!
Now I grant you, she didn’t have the courage to make the decision herself, but your pic and your take here Rhonda is dishonest. Besides your incorrect and biased pic, what proof can you cite that the coal fired plant decision has ANYTHING to do with feelings as to Governor Sebelius?
More proof Rhonda dear has an agenda?
The file title for the pic is “Sebeliuscoalovin”
Did you photoshop this one yourself Rhonda? Or did one of the natural gas companies get it for ya?
You got the gov’ looking like she is leaning in to a shot of a coal plant that she did NOT approve. Not nice Rhonda.
Huh?
“Kansas has coal.”
Uh, no we don’t. The balance of your post is similarly flawed “AmenOmen”.
Evidently J R, Kansas geology isn’t one of your strong suits.
Evidently J R, Kansas geology isn’t one of your strong suits.
Posted by: Kansas
Nor is Kansas history.
Kansas does have coal. However our production and supply is limited and long past its peak.
I think the point here is Kansas does not have the coal capacity to supply plants like Holcombe.
If Kansas has coal, it’s shipped in.
Put Big Brutus back to work, and fire up the plants.
As I recall, the mulberry coal field,layer or whatever is called is still mined and mixed with other coals. I remember my Dad commenting on it one time when some coal cars were passing by on the way to a plant.
Kansas produces about 200,000 tons of coal per year but burns about 22 million tons. Most of the imports come from Wyoming.
The only active coal mines in Kansas are located in southern Linn County. These mines produce the Mulberry coal that is blended and burned with coal from Wyoming at the La Cygne Generating Station near La Cygne, Kansas. Kansas coal has a higher sulfur content that makes it less attractive because of the air quality problems. It has to be blended with low sulfur coals like those from Wyoming.
Like J R said…
Kansas is not the largest producers of peaches either J R. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have any peaches grown and produced in Kansas.
64% approval rating? That seems pretty damn good. Perhaps it went down as a result of Kansas wine drinkers.
However, if Rhonda hadn’t noticed her poll figures are the same as last year before the decision on the coal plants. Since the percentage is so close to the margin of error it’s not like she actually took a huge plummet in the polls.
It appears Rhonda is using some of that Fox News data interpretation.
Bush’s approval rating in Kansas is only 43%.
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=536a93cc-bc87-469e-8a56-6e51599908f1
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you havent read this, you should.
http://www.kansas.com/news/story/238832.html
Hear me now and believe me later. I’ve been blogging about this for over a year, only to be dismissed as a conspiracy theorist and sebelius hater.
Well, OK, I am both of those things. However….
Mark my words, ALL EVIL IN KANSAS HAS JOE HARKINS AT THE BOTTOM OF IT ALL!!!!!!!
It is no coincidence that Joe was sent to the Kansas Water Office as “interim” director when Clark Duffy was so unjustly and unceremoniously fired. He set things “right” according to the seblius supporters there, and then moved on.
Where? To the Kansas Rural Life thing. And if you look at it, a number of appointments to that group are HIS and his alone. Water cronies. And now? In retrospect, there were lots of folks he had appointed that somehow have WIND FARMS in their particular counties.
After he totally dominated and controlled the rural life thing, where did sebelius send her own Darth Cheney?
You got it. To the newly formed Kansas “Energy” Council. Directed by non other than governor leadership’s favorite republican, Mark Parkinson. Joe Harkins was the “head staff” for that group.
And when dealing with Joe, what that means is that Parkinson worked for Harkins, not the other way around. I’m not kidding you one damn bit.
Look at the KEC and what they have all said and done. Ethanol plants all over, a nice hat tip to big corn and big irrigation. And who secured the water wasting rights for big corn and big irrigation?
Joe Harkins during his reign at the Kansas Water Office.
And the KEC also, in addition to touting the water wasting ethanol industry… ALSO TOUTED WIND.
And put the farms in counties where, well, you know the rest.
I thought something smelled like week old fish when Harkins finished his dirty work at the Kansas Energy Council and then moved over to become a god damn MEMBER of the Kansas Corporation Commission.
You know, the one that sets utility rates? It stunk then and it ESPECIALLY stinks now that this story has surfaced.
http://www.kansas.com/news/story/238832.html
Yeah. I posted the link twice. You might have dimissed it earlier, but read it now.
ALL EVIL IN KANSAS HAS JOE HARKINS AT THE BOTTOM OF IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!
I dont give a rat’s ass if he recuses himself now. You can rest assured it is all a done deal, he has “softened up” the folks who needed softening, and he has THUGGED the ones who resisted.
Stink stink stink stink STINK!!!
I’ve said here before that you can track governor leadership’s next dirty and underhanded deeds and payoffs by watching Joe Harkins and his movements.
And I’ll be god damned if I wasnt right!
I can assure you, I wish I had been wrong…
Come to think of it, maybe Harkins isnt sebelius’ Darth Cheney.
He’s her Howard Hunt. Her Watergate Plumber. Except he seals the leaks and clears the money pipes BEFORE they become a problem.
GOD DAMMIT! I hope there is at least ONE journalist in Kansas who is willing to look at the WHOLE of the Harkins-Allegrucci-Sebelius axis of evil when it comes to the rape of Kansas.
But in all likely hood, no one will do more than make funny video out of it.
Kansas…as corrupt and STUPID as you think!
You could be on to something there kfg. :)
Kansas, I’m tellin’ ya, I have LIVED the truth about all this. They swift boated me like hell. Why? Because I could see this coming. And I’m right about it. I was then, and I am now.
There’s a Pulitzer in this for anyone who has the guts and/or body armour to REALLY do some investigative reporting on Joe Harkins.
Who knows? If some journalist did their job, we could see Joe do a perp walk someday….
Kfg
Paranoia stikes deep, into your heart it will creep