Daily Archives: June 8, 2009

Roeder expects a lot of government he disdains

June 8, 200912:36 p.m.

roederSuspect Scott Roeder sure has a lot to say for himself, as if allegedly shooting George Tiller to death weren’t enough of a statement. Roeder, once associated with an anti-government group that objected to obeying laws and paying taxes, has contacted Associated Press multiple times from the Sedgwick County Jail to warn of additional threats, fret about his family and complain about “deplorable conditions” in jail. As one Eagle reader said in an e-mail: “It’s a bit ironic that Roeder, who denied the state’s authority and its taxing power, has a sense of entitlement that demands services from government despite his unwillingness to contribute to the commonweal.” Still, Sedgwick County Sheriff Robert Hinshaw and other authorities obviously need to ensure that Roeder’s treatment is by the book.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Abortion, Crime, Sedgwick County | Comments (138)

Parkinson ‘handing’ job to Brownback?

June 8, 20096:02 a.m.

ParkinsonKansas newly tops the list of states most likely to switch party control between now and next November, according to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza. That’s because neither Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson nor his handpicked successor as lieutenant governor, Troy Findley, plans to run for governor in 2010, and Republican Sen. Sam Brownback wants the job, as does Republican Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh. Cillizza wrote: “To say Parkinson is handing this seat to Brownback would be an understatement.” Other states where the governor’s job soon could change party hands: Rhode Island, Nevada, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Tennessee, Florida, California, Michigan and Virginia.

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas government | Comments (20)

Open thread 6/8

June 8, 20096:01 a.m.

thescream7

By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (260)

Why do many Indian-Americans spell so well?

June 8, 20096:00 a.m.

Spelling BeeThe pride of Olathe, 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar (in photo), recently became the seventh Indian-American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the past 11 contests, noted James Maguire in the Wall Street Journal. The secret of the success of any bee winner isn’t ethnicity, he wrote. It’s a “fierce and unswerving dedication” to studying for the bee, and to exceptional educational achievement generally — which parents of Indian-American spellers consistently have told him is of “non-negotiable importance” in their families.
Maguire concluded: “The shelf full of trophies won by the children of immigrants throws a challenge back at America itself. Can the country as a whole keep pace with their educational attainment? Can we bootstrap ourselves as we have in the past, this time leading a global marketplace? Can we view education not as an expense but as a critical investment?”

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Education | Comments (16)