Daily Archives: July 5, 2009

Franchise trash collections, don’t add fee

July 5, 20096:05 a.m.

trashmoneyWichita City Council members are considering making Wichita’s already sky-high trash rates even higher. Say it isn’t so. Rather than franchising trash collection — which could cut trash rates in half while adding curbside recycling and reducing wear and tear on streets and air pollution — the council reportedly is leaning toward charging companies a fee to haul trash. The haulers would likely just pass this fee on to households and businesses, which means Wichitans would throw even more money away along with their trash. With the recession, governments need to provide services more efficiently. Wichita needs to follow the lead of Park City, Bel Aire and other area towns and franchise trash collection — not make our dysfunctional system even costlier.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Wichita government | Comments (39)

Open thread 7/5

July 5, 20096:04 a.m.

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By The Editors | Filed under Open thread | Comments (157)

Tiahrt ad quotes software, not a site

July 5, 20096:03 a.m.

tiahrtadWe thought it odd that Rep. Todd Tiahrt’s first TV ad for his Senate campaign credited the statement “Obama loses 2.19 million jobs” to “WordPress.com.” David Weigel of the Washington Independent also noticed it and wrote: “WordPress.com isn’t a news site. It’s the launch page for WordPress blogging software. And while it’s possible that some blog used the phrase ‘Obama loses 2.19 million jobs’ in the last month, a search for that phrase on WordPress blogs and via Google comes up empty. This sort of stuff is a bipartisan problem. . . . It’s not a huge deal, but it’s strange.”

By Rhonda Holman | Filed under Kansas delegation | Comments (27)

So they said

July 5, 20096:01 a.m.

sebeliusboe2“I’m getting used to my new title, ‘Madam Secretary.’ First, no one would ever want me to be their secretary, and I’ve never aspired to be a madam. And now I’m both.” — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, addressing the American Health Lawyers Association

“So if they get hit by a bus, they’ll be OK. Well, not OK, but at least they’ll have insurance.” — Sebelius again, referring to the many Americans with only catastrophic health coverage

“The Legislature absolutely failed its responsibility.” — Gary Sherrer, member of the Kansas Board of Regents, on the Legislature’s decision to continue to phase out several taxes while cutting education funding, which forced tuition hikes

“I would feel good confessing my sins to Bob.” — Regent Dan Lykins, suggesting that retiring University of Kansas chancellor Robert Hemenway would have made a good priest

By The Editors | Filed under Health and safety, Kansas government | Comments (4)

YMCA remains committed to downtown

July 5, 20096:00 a.m.

ymcacentralIt’s too bad that it didn’t work out for the YMCA’s Central Branch to relocate along the Arkansas River. The new facility would have been a nice addition to the river corridor. But it is great that the YMCA remains committed to downtown and plans to rebuild at its current location at 402 N. Market, where the YMCA anticipates serving nearly 17,000 people annually and enhancing its youth outreach programs.

By Phillip Brownlee | Filed under Wichita | Comments (1)