Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s inability to get the GOP-controlled Legislature to fall in line behind his reform agenda raised a question for Kansas City Star columnist Steve Kraske: “If he was to one day become President Sam Brownback, how adept would he be at working with a divided Congress – or at least one with a healthy number of Democrats?” Brownback made a name for himself in the U.S. Senate as a guy who sometimes would cross the aisle to get things done.
Let it be said that Westar Energy has done an outstanding job getting the Wichita area back on line (in photo) after last weekend’s tornado damage. But it was disappointing Wednesday to see the Kansas Corporation Commission approve a settlement deal, which had been worked out by Westar and KCC staff and blessed by big industrial users, allowing the company a $50 million rate increase. Though the hike is less than the $90.8 million Westar had wanted, the deal is Westar’s 13th rate increase from the KCC since January 2009, it disproportionately burdens residential and small-business customers, and its 10 percent shareholder profit is too rich in a time of job loss and rising living costs across the board.
