Rep. Henry Waxman (in photo), D-Calif., recently expressed concerns that a government agency helping to finance Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s proposed Holcomb coal-fire plants had not adequately accounted for the costs of future carbon regulation.
In response, Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and House Speaker Melvin Neufeld invited Waxman to tour the existing Holcomb plant.
Waxman declined in a follow-up letter last week, citing scheduling difficulties, but he restated his principal concern, asking “whether RUS (Rural Utilities Service) analyzed the financial risks associated with climate change when it agreed to allow Sunflower and its partners to take on $3.6 billion of new debt to build coal-fired power plant units with large greenhouse gas emissions. I am concerned that if this financially risky project faces costs that were overlooked in the initial financial assessment, American taxpayers and Kansas ratepayers will be left to make up the difference.â€
He added, “I’m sure you would agree with me that safeguarding taxpayer dollars is one of the most important responsibilities of elected officials.â€
In his State of the Government address, Wyandotte County Unified Government Mayor Joe Reardon was able to ponder what to do with all the casino and slot machine revenue that county sees ahead. He said he wants to “ensure that every dollar of gaming revenue we receive from the new casino†— an estimated $7 million to $10 million per year — “goes directly toward property tax reduction.†He’s also talking about funding a college scholarship program and improving neighborhood infrastructure. Of course, Wyandotte County’s current property tax rate is about 12.5 percent higher than the combined rates in Wichita and Sedgwick County. Reardon even spoke of making his county’s property tax rate competitive with that of Wichita and Sedgwick County.
Kansas needs to develop much more wind energy. But a temporary power shortage last week in Texas is a reminder that wind can be unpredictable. A sudden decline in wind energy production in west Texas occurred at the same time as colder temperatures moved into the state, causing both a drop in energy supply and an increase in demand, Reuters reported. As a result, some power was curtailed to some industrial customers that are paid to reduce power use when emergencies occur. Their power was fully restored in about 90 minutes.
As Black History Month came to an end, state Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, took a few minutes to pay homage to African-Americans elected to state office in Kansas, including his father, former state Sen. George Haley. Doing so also meant celebrating a number of Wichitans, from former Sens. Curtis McClinton and U.L “Rip†Gooch (in photo) to current Sen. Donald Betts. “Since 1964, with the exception of two years fulfilling an unexpired term, a senator of color has represented part of Sedgwick County until this day, almost 45 years later,†Haley observed. And “the longest elected tenure of a black statesman to date,†he said, was that of Wichita’s Billy McCray, whose House and Senate service spanned 1967-84. Haley also noted that to win, every African-American elected in Kansas has relied upon votes of some white constituents. “To me, this underscores the character of Kansas and what Kansans really believe in: that it is more about what each person can bring to the Legislature and their content instead of their race and culture.â€
“Yesterday, Ralph Nader announced he’s running for president again. Immediately after the announcement, the guy sitting next to Nader on the park bench told him to shut up.â€
— Conan O’Brien
Fidel Castro’s “retirement will not change the relationship Cuba has with the United States. Cubans will still not legally be allowed to enter the United States unless they have an overpowering fastball.â€
— David Letterman
Rep. Henry Waxman (in photo), D-Calif., recently expressed concerns that a government agency helping to finance Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s proposed Holcomb coal-fire plants had not adequately accounted for the costs of future carbon regulation.
