Maybe lawmaking in general is out of favor. A new SurveyUSA poll, sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12, found that only 23 percent of Kansans approve of the job performance of the Kansas Legislature, while 44 percent approve of Gov. Mark Parkinson’s performance (down from 47 percent last month and a high of 53 percent last September). Meanwhile, 57 and 50 percent of those surveyed approve of the job performance of Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, respectively. Kansas lawmakers shouldn’t feel singled out, though: Other recent SurveyUSA polls found the job approval ratings of the Legislatures in Washington state, Oregon and California at 20, 18 and 9 percent, respectively.
When health insurance reform became law, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius became more powerful. Politico’s Mike Allen noted that “one of the most common phrases in the health reform bill is, ‘the secretary shall.’” The former Kansas governor, who acknowledged that the reform will require the hiring of hundreds of new HHS employees, tried to assure worried governors that this is “the most state-friendly Washington-designed bill I’ve seen in a very long time.”
Wrong-way accidents on the Kansas Turnpike are rare. But they do occur and often are tragic, as when four Wichitans died in a crash during spring break. The unwillingness of turnpike officials to make simple and relatively inexpensive changes to try to prevent such accidents is callous and unacceptable. Installing bigger “Do Not Enter” signs, lowering such signs, and putting reflective tape on ramps would not be major expenses, but have proved to be effective deterrents, even when a driver is drunk — as was the case with the spring break wreck. Yet Kansas Turnpike Authority president Michael Johnston dismissed the need for such changes, citing how when drivers use the wrong ramps “it’s only a small percent of the time that things deteriorate.” But when it does happen, people end up dead, such as Kyoung Yeon Chae, Yuna Choi, Seo Won Choi and Greg Davis. How is trying to prevent such deaths not worth the cost of a few extra signs?
“I don’t go out and have 1,000 town hall meetings so that I can get re-elected. I’m there to fight for Kansas, for our future, for our kids.” — Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, in Johnson County, taking a swing at U.S. Senate primary rival Rep. Jerry Moran
“She is a fanatical Jayhawks fan. She’s a maniac when it comes to the Jayhawks. Talks trash all the time.” — President Obama, acknowledging that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius influenced his pick of KU to win the NCAA Tournament
“Even though I’m disappointed in the game, there’s a lesson: It’s never about the pundits. It’s never about the polls.” — Sebelius, with Obama in Iowa last week, still stinging from KU’s loss to Northern Iowa
“The-Kansas-doesn’t-need-health-care-reform-according-to-what-they-said-on-Fox Act” — Wichita Branch NAACP president Kevin Myles’ name for the Kansas Health Freedom Amendment, which fell short of the needed House votes last week
