Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Karl Peterjohn was being principled in not voting to raise residential trash fees by $1.66 per year. But his vote also showed how ideology can be taken to silly extremes. Peterjohn said he promised during his campaign to push for voter approval of tax increases, and he considers the fee a tax increase — even though state law says otherwise. But while voters could appreciate being asked to approve a tax increase of some significance, most of them likely trust and expect commissioners to decide whether a fee increase of 14 cents a month is needed.
There are some good ideas in a proposed new city ordinance aimed at better safeguarding children on inflatable bounce rides. Among the proposals are requiring anyone using inflatables to receive training in setup, safety and emergency procedures; requiring owners or operators to inspect inflatables more often than once a year; and establishing more specific requirements for ride inspections. The death of a Wichita boy who fell from an inflatable ride in March brought to light the lax oversight and regulation of inflatables. As Kurt Schroeder, Wichita’s superintendent of central inspection, noted, these proposed new regulations are a “good start and a big step forward.”
Noting that Justice Clarence Thomas is silent on the Supreme Court bench but “charismatic and compelling” in other public settings, writers David Lat and Kashmir Hill urged him to challenge President Obama in 2012. “Thomas could be the GOP’s new standard-bearer,” they wrote. “He has enviable name recognition, both as a long-serving justice and as the author of the best-selling 2007 autobiography ‘My Grandfather’s Son.’ And he has already survived the nasty political attacks that marked his 1991 confirmation hearings.” His poor childhood, experience as a Missouri assistant attorney general and in the Reagan administration, and even his summer RV vacations around the country further qualify him, they added. “And, if he won in 2012, Thomas could appoint conservative justices of his choosing,” they wrote.
The Sedgwick County Commission should support a proposal to keep the Kansas Coliseum pavilions open until at least 2016. The fate of the pavilions has been in some doubt since the county mothballed Britt Brown Arena earlier this year and the commission declined to pursue private proposals to redevelop the complex. Last year, County Manager William Buchanan suggested closing the pavilions to save money. The pavilions have been a bit of a financial drain on the county, but raising fees could lessen that. The county also needs to value the larger economic benefit that the horse and dog shows and other events at the pavilions bring this community.
