So is state Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, one of those state lawmakers allegedly auctioning off their votes for the coal-plant bill? “I don’t play that game,†she told The Eagle editorial board. Landwehr voted against the bill last week because she wasn’t comfortable with it yet, she said. In particular, she had concerns about whether the new Holcomb plants might end up increasing electric rates. But Landwehr thinks new power plants are needed in western Kansas and that Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby overstepped his authority in rejecting the plant proposal. “He used an emergency statute when there wasn’t an emergency,†she said. So is she likely to switch and vote to override the expected veto of the bill by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius? It’s pretty possible, she said.
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23 Comments
She auctioned off her vote on the casino bill, so why not the coal bill? Landwehr has taken _thousands_ of dollars from Harrah’s and Potowatomi Nation, just to keep Kansas casinos from being built outside the Topeka area.
Brenda Landwehr: FOR SALE
Nobody can seem to get it through their head that Bremby acted outside of his authority in rejecting the permit. He has to abide by current law – not by what laws he thinks may be coming down the pike. It’s the old “we can’t afford not to act” mentality utilized by people to support their unproven theories.
If Bremby ruled in contravention of the law, then the judicial review underway will so determine. That’s what the judicial branch of gov’ment is for. I just love how many times some legislators like Landwehr have tried – unsuccessfully – to circumvent the law of the land.
Say, buh bye, Brenda.
You will soon join your pal Bonnie Huy for some serious cribbage . . .
Should be a heroic golden statue of Mr. Bremby on the Capital lawn praising him. Bremby so far has managed to block more draw down of the Ogallala aquifer that provides Kansas its best drinking water. If this water is not protected from new power plants and ethanol plants … it won’t be long until all Kansans are drinking regurgitated, recycled sewage effluent from surface streams and rivers.
Historians say the Civil War began in Kansas … now looks like the Great Water War is starting here also.
Greenland anyone?
Good points, JWink. While you’re at it, don’t forget to applaud the Wichita City Council for its rejuvenation of the aquifer program – about a million gallons a day are being restored? I’m not certain about that gallonage number, but clearly this is forward-thinking governmental action that more communities need to emulate.
““I don’t play that game,” she told The Eagle editorial board.”
oh Jesus WEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hell, she INVENTED the game.
But ya know, heh heh heh, I hear she gives it away sometimes too….
A rose by any other name. Now we are just quibbling about price?
I seriously hope she and susan and todd will soon join bon bon on the loser heap of Kansas politics.
Did he or did he not exceed his statutory authority?
Regardless of whether or not you agree with his decision. I don;t really know, I just thought it should be addressed.
KFG -
All of them will be opposed by Democrats. No free walks toward another term for any of them.
lj – that is why we have Courts.
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) — A longtime Republican district fell Saturday to the Democrats when a wealthy businessman and scientist snatched former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s congressional seat in a closely watched special election.
Democrat Bill Foster won 53 percent of the vote compared to 47 percent for Republican Jim Oberweis. With all 568 precincts reporting, Foster had 52,010 votes to Oberweis’ 46,988.
“Tonight our voices are echoing across the country and Washington will hear us loud and clear — it’s time for a change,” Foster told cheering supporters Saturday evening.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen said Foster’s win is a rebuke of the Bush administration and of the GOP’s apparent presidential nominee, John McCain, who helped raise money for Oberweis.
“This is going to send a political shockwave across the country in this election year,” Van Hollen said.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who made a TV ad praising Foster, said in a statement that voters “sent an unmistakable message that they’re tired of business-as-usual in Washington.”
Any bets on whether McCain will be invited to come to Kansas to speak and raise money for Roberts? He did have the audacity to have bush come and collect money for him. With bush and mccain on his side how can he lose. This is Kansas.
Ben-
No, the legislature is for making the law. Not some politically appointed buerocrat. The executive branch is for upholding the law. Bremby is in the executive branch, and therefore responsible for upholding the law the legislature passes.
lj – but when it is alleged that the executive is incorrectly applying the law then the Courts step in.
I think the objection to the commissioner’s ruling was that he made his assessments on carbon levels not made into law yet. That 1990 level carbon thing was established by Kyoto treaty, but the U.S. never adopted it or ratified the treaty.
Looks like it will be Brenda “I voted against it before I voted for it” Landwehr.” Flip-Flop!
Sorry Kelly, I’m not ready to agree with your applause to the Wichita City Council as you suggested in your comment on this thread at 10:51 AM this morning. The City of Wichita’s Equus Beds recharging program from occasional overflow in the Little Arkansas River up near Halstead has several flaws.
1) It only works when the Little Arkansas River is in flood mode.
2) The Little Arkansas River is already polluted with agricultural pesticides, sodium chloride (salt) and other chemicals which cannot be easily removed. So Wichita is polluting the underground Equus Beds aquifer from which we get part of our Wichita drinking water.
3) Only a few miles east of the recharge plant, near Newton, is a new Ethanol Plant (I don’t know if its even in production yet) which will gulp out many more times as much water from the Equus Beds aquifer as is put in by the City of Wichita’s vaunted multi-million dollar recharge system.
So it looks like the vaunted new multi-million dollar Little Arkansas River Water Recharge System is part of the usual spin and dance by the City of Wichita to attempt to look like it is
doing something politically correct “for the people.”
Bottled water anyone?
JWink -
My understanding is that the river water is cleaned before it is pumped underground. Is that true? Why didn’t you mention that?
kelly – yes, there is a treatment system. And salt levels in the LITTLE Ark are much lower than the Big Ark. That is one of the reasons they are doing it.
‘Feds Halt Financing for New Rural Coal Plants’
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/2008-03-05-091.asp
Cap and KSFG – keep trying. You have not been able to take her out. You talk a lot but no action. She has a democrat opponent and she beats them everytime. May have something to do with the fact she listens and votes her district.
Kelly and Ben: Yes, I do know the water is treated somehow before putting it into the equus bed aquifer but don’t know how extensively. I presume the treatment basically removes large limbs, debris, dead animal carcasses, cardboard, plastic sacks and other similar materials that float down any stream. I doubt if the treatment removes chemicals, salt, animal and human urine which in turn is now reported to contain remnants of prescription medicines.
I attended the legislative meeting at Valley Center city hall and talked briefly there to Jerry Blain, the City of Wichita’s expert on sources of our drinking water. However, I didn’t drive from there north to the water recycling pump plant on the Little Arkansas River. I would like to see it and learn more about it’s capabilities. Mr. Blain did say the water is pumped downward about 250 feet into the Equus Beds aquifer.
As I have said before, the new ethanol plant a few miles east around Newton has the potential to pump out all of the recharge water and more. This needs to be investigated. I hope the City of Wichita isn’t inadvertently providing the millions of gallons of cleaned water needed by the ethanol manufacturing company. If we are, we need to save tax money by piping the water directly to the ethanol plant.