GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a slight lead over President Obama in a new CBS News/New York Times poll. Romney is ahead 46 to 43 percent. What’s most interesting is that Romney has a 2 percentage point edge over Obama among women. Other polls have shown Obama with a huge advantage among women. Those surveyed were divided on Obama’s overall job performance, with 50 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Based on what they’ve heard and seen so far, 31 percent of surveyed voters have a favorable opinion of Romney and 38 percent have an unfavorable view.
It seemed like the GOP infighting and resulting gridlock in Topeka couldn’t get worse. Then it did Tuesday, as the ill will between the chambers on tax cuts and redistricting newly infected budget negotiations and led to an angry confrontation in the GOP Senate caucus. Wednesday offered some hope for a better tax-reform bill. But the office of Secretary of State Kris Kobach “stands ready to submit valid plans” for redrawn House, Senate, State Board of Education and congressional districts to federal court, turning to judges to do what 165 duly elected state lawmakers have failed to do. On the 96th day of the 90-day legislative session, is there no statesman to be found in the House, Senate or governor’s office – someone with the leadership to make some deals and end this costly nonsense?
Their action was no cure, but Vice Mayor Janet Miller and three other City Council members get credit for finding more than $500,000 in other budget items to cut and sparing Wichita Transit for now. That invited some heat, as the cuts involve neighborhood cleanup and street maintenance. The emotional public comments at Tuesday’s council meeting reflected how vital the buses are for many riders, and how many people already view the limited hub-and-spoke service as unworthy of Wichita. An emerging proposal to ask voters to pay higher sales tax to fund the bus system went unaddressed by council members at the meeting, but they’ll soon have to decide if bus service is a nicety or a core service that justifies its own funding stream.
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a slight lead over President Obama in a new CBS News/New York Times poll. Romney is ahead 46 to 43 percent. What’s most interesting is that Romney has a 2 percentage point edge over Obama among women. Other polls have shown Obama with a huge advantage among women. Those surveyed were divided on Obama’s overall job performance, with 50 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Based on what they’ve heard and seen so far, 31 percent of surveyed voters have a favorable opinion of Romney and 38 percent have an unfavorable view.
