Daily Archives: July 27, 2008

Derby upstaging Wichita?

July 27, 20086:04 a.m.

smokingban2.jpgDerby has taken ribbing from Wichita for being behind the times or worse. But the community is busy busting the stereotype: On Tuesday the Derby City Council voted 5-4 in favor of a clean indoor air ordinance that, unlike Wichita’s weak compromise, bans smoking in all businesses and public places. It goes into effect Sept. 1. Only outdoor patios at bars and restaurants are exempt, and then depending on how far they are from the main entrance and ventilation unit. (Maize also passed a limited ban last week.) Last week also saw the first meeting of a Derby advisory board assigned to study and make recommendations on residential trash franchising and curbside recycling – two issues that Wichita’s leaders seem happy to willfully ignore.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Wichita government | Comments (49)

Open thread 7/27

July 27, 20086:03 a.m.

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By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Open thread | Comments (236)

Some good things about $4 gas — really

July 27, 20086:02 a.m.

gasoline3.jpgIs the gasoline tank half full or half empty? For a more optimistic take on the energy crunch, see Time magazine’s “10 Good Things About $4 Gas.”
Among the positive trends in higher gas prices:
Globalized jobs return home. “In more industries, such as steel, lawn-mower batteries and upscale furniture, doing business in the U.S. is starting to look slightly more feasible.”
Home buyers are moving closer to cities, putting a brake on urban sprawl.
Cleaner air. As fuel use drops, so does air pollution.

By Randy Scholfield | Filed under Economy | Comments (19)

No easy jokes about Obama — yet

July 27, 20086:01 a.m.

obamahandsup4.jpgThe New Yorker cover depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as fist-bumping terrorists inspired the New York Times to examine the challenge that comedy writers are having in trying to make fun of the Democratic presidential nominee. The comedic line about John McCain is set: He’s old. But Barack Obama’s race and politics complicate the funny factor. Mike Sweeney, the head writer for Conan O’Brien on “Late Night,” is optimistic: “We’re hoping he picks an idiot as vice president.”

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Presidential race | Comments (36)

Yard signs now legally protected

July 27, 20086:00 a.m.

yardsign.jpgHomeowners’ associations in Kansas may not like political yard signs, but they can no longer prohibit them, thanks to a law introduced by state Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, and approved unanimously in May by the House and Senate. The law limits the signs’ size to less than 6 square feet and their display to 45 days before the election and two days afterward. But it protects a homeowner’s right to state his political preference on his lawn. “I think it’s good public policy to let people participate in politics, and this is one way people can do that,” Journey told the Topeka Capital-Journal. However, a First Amendment scholar doubts such laws’ legitimacy, because free speech constraints apply to governments, not homeowners’ and condominium associations.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas government | Comments (98)