Under Gov. Sam Brownback’s school-finance proposal, local school districts would have unlimited ability to raise property taxes for public schools, subject to a protest petition forcing a local vote. But a SurveyUSA poll, sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12, suggests such tax hikes wouldn’t be an easy sell to voters: 52 percent said they wouldn’t be willing to pay higher property taxes if the money went directly to local schools, while 44 percent said they would. Fifty-five percent did favor the governor’s plan of giving local school boards more control in how much they spend on at-risk students and bilingual education.
If Newt Gingrich wants to be taken seriously as a potential president, he needs to stop his irresponsible attacks on the federal judiciary. He told reporters last week that, if elected, he would abolish entire courts if he thought their decisions were out of step with the country, the Washington Post reported. He then suggested on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he might send federal law enforcement to arrest judges who make controversial rulings in order to compel them to appear before congressional hearings. So much for judicial independence and the constitutional separation of powers. “It may be expedient to appeal to specific voters in primaries or caucuses, but it’s a constitutional disaster,” said Bert Brandenburg, an advocate for an independent judiciary. “Americans want courts that can uphold their rights and not be accountable to politicians.”
Given the financial woes of the Wichita Ice Center over the years, it was a relief to see it on the Wichita City Council agenda today for an encouraging reason: a proposal for Genesis Health Clubs, which has managed the center since March, to put a fitness facility on the center’s underused second floor, as well as for a 10-year extension of the management contract. Though the city would issue a 10-year general obligation bond to borrow $750,000 for Genesis to do the remodeling for the fitness center, Genesis would be responsible for paying off the debt and equipping the fitness facility. The proposal seems like a way to bring more people into the facility and promote fitness, as well as build on Genesis’ success so far in putting the rink on a sustainable financial path.
Under Gov. Sam Brownback’s school-finance proposal, local school districts would have unlimited ability to raise property taxes for public schools, subject to a protest petition forcing a local vote. But a SurveyUSA poll, sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12, suggests such tax hikes wouldn’t be an easy sell to voters: 52 percent said they wouldn’t be willing to pay higher property taxes if the money went directly to local schools, while 44 percent said they would. Fifty-five percent did favor the governor’s plan of giving local school boards more control in how much they spend on at-risk students and bilingual education.
