State Senate candidate and Wichita City Council member Michael O’Donnell may blame his church’s new liability for back taxes on “a political agenda from the Wisconsin atheists,” as he put it. But the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s challenge to the tax-exempt status of O’Donnell’s home has been justified by the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office, which ruled last week that the former Grace Baptist Church parsonage is subject to property taxes from 2010 onward. As a foundation attorney said, “Sedgwick County taxpayers should not have to pay more taxes because a church and its leaders have falsely claimed an exemption.” And given that O’Donnell wants to be a state lawmaker, he should be more respectful of what the law says. He showed a similar disdain early this year, when he dismissed an ethics complaint against him as “a political hit job” – though the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission later fined him $500.
With a little more than a month to go until Wichitans decide whether to fluoridate the water system, the opponents appear to be gaining on proponents. In August, 62 percent of Wichitans polled by SurveyUSA said they would vote for adding fluoride, with 31 percent against and 7 percent undecided. In last week’s follow-up SurveyUSA poll, also sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12, only 46 percent said they were sure to vote “yes,” with 40 percent planning to vote “no” and 14 percent undecided. Support is strongest among self-described liberals (61 percent) and those who’ve spent at least four years in college (60 percent) and earn more than $80,000 a year (57 percent); opposition is strongest among self-described conservatives (51 percent) and those whose education ended with high school (53 percent).
Communities across the state are still reeling from the abrupt decision by the Brownback administration to end the successful Main Street program. Since 1985, the program has provided training, consultation and financial support to help smaller towns revitalize their downtowns. Areas communities involved in the program include Augusta, El Dorado, Peabody and Winfield. Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, said Main Street was “one of the most effective state programs there was.” The decision to cancel the program, which Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary Pat George blamed on “smaller state and federal budgets moving forward,” means that Kansas will be one of only about a dozen states without a state-level Main Street program, the Hutchinson News reported. The move also seems counter to Brownback’s goal of revitalizing rural communities.
“Obesity is 10, 15, 20 percent of the kids, depending where we’re at – but we’re going to put 100 percent of the kids on a diet. But not the kids of Mr. and Mrs. Obama.” – Rep. Tim Huelskamp (in photo), R-Fowler, referring to the school-lunch calorie limits and the fact that the Obamas’ daughters attend private school
“Refrain from using her official title at the event and in related press reports, and note that we will not be taking questions concerning her official responsibilities.” – President Obama’s campaign, prepping New Hampshire media for former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ first political appearances since she was cited for violating the law by campaigning while acting in her official capacity as health and human services secretary
