“It looks like some kind of pregnancy for south Wichita, I’m telling you.” — Vice Mayor Jim Skelton (in photo), arguing that the state should not allow the Cornejo & Sons construction and demolition landfill to grow
“What we don’t need to happen in Kansas is for an extremist brand of the out-of-touch politics of the Bush years moving into the governor’s office.” — Lt. Gov. Troy Findley, surprising people at the recent Demofest in Wichita with an obvious jab at Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
“We’ll have good candidates. There’s plenty of time.” — State Treasurer Dennis McKinney, on Kansas Democrats’ prospects for 2010
“If you’re running for Congress or statewide office, you needed to start working last January.” — Rep. Scott Schwab, R-Olathe, questioning how Democrats can be competitive
“Thank goodness my GOP doesn’t look like old white guys who stand for bailouts, the French tanker and amnesty-McLame indeed!” — Vicki Tiahrt, wife of Rep. Todd Tiahrt, in a Twitter comment critical of Sen. John McCain and other endorsers of Rep. Jerry Moran for U.S. Senate
It’s hardly great news for Kansas drivers that the Kansas Turnpike tolls went up last week for all but K-TAG users — now costing a motorist $10.75 in cash to travel the turnpike’s entire 236 miles, up from $3.80 when the turnpike opened in 1956. But, as Topeka Capital-Journal columnist Ric Anderson noted, “the toll would now be $30.15 if it had risen at the rate of inflation since 1956.”
– “In hindsight, thank goodness that I lost. My life would have been incredibly different.” — Gov. Mark Parkinson, reflecting on losing his first legislative race by 36 votes in 1978 when he was a junior at Wichita State University
– “Apple pie doesn’t get that.” — Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., speaking in Hesston, about a Gallup Poll showing that 80 percent are satisfied with the quality of their health care
– “Yo Westboro Baptist Church! I’m happy for you and Imma let you finish, but Adolf Hitler was the best anti-Semite of all time!” — A sign (inspired by Kanye West) countering the Topeka church’s recent protests outside Brooklyn synagogues
– “If everybody in this country didn’t smoke, ate right and exercised, we would have plenty of money to cover health care in this country.” — Former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, while at KU to accept the 2009 Dole Leadership Prize
It may be “too early to panic” about the state’s budget problems, as Gov. Mark Parkinson said Wednesday. But it’s not too early to prepare for cutting budget allotments. According to preliminary figures, the state collected $67 million less in revenue in September than forecast. If revenue is down significantly again next month, Parkinson should move to cut funding, rather than wait until the Legislature convenes in January. Delaying the cuts only makes them more difficult to absorb.
Lawmakers chose not to advance last spring’s proposal by state Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, to repeal the Kansas death penalty because of its cost, which has been estimated at 70 percent greater than non-death penalty cases. But McGinn’s bill deserves another look next year. Noting McGinn’s efforts and those of lawmakers in other states including New Mexico, which abolished its death penalty in March, the New York Times editorialized: “If lawmakers cannot find the moral courage to abolish the death penalty, perhaps the economic case will persuade them to follow the lead of New Mexico.”
Some state budget cuts are causing real pain and regrets. Yet a reasonable one is drawing complaints: the Kansas Department of Revenue’s decision to save $57,000 (and two jobs) by no longer including a return envelope with its vehicle registration renewal mailings. “It’s a change, but we wanted to be budget smart and we knew that this was one thing we could do,” Carmen Alldritt, director of vehicles in the Kansas Department of Revenue, told the Hutchinson News. Surely it’s not too much to ask Kansans — at least those who prefer not to renew online or in person — to contribute their own envelopes to the cause of getting the state through this budget crisis.
Nearly $713,000 in extra Medicaid funds went to Community Living Opportunities of Lenexa last year without going through the process required of other groups that serve Kansans with disabilities. That sounds like a good enough reason for Attorney General Steve Six to investigate, as he was newly asked to do last week by some state lawmakers. The situation looks more suspect because the group’s board included Democratic Party chairman Larry Gates and others with ties to then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Such a side deal looks especially bad because other groups were told no money was available. Rep. David Crum, R-Augusta, said that the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services’ “decision sidestepped the normal funding process and put the integrity of the system at stake. It is even more disconcerting if Medicaid funding rules were not followed.”
“Don’t do that right now.” — Gov. Mark Parkinson’s advice to those school districts considering litigation over state funding
“It’s not too late.” — Mayor Carl Brewer, in the Boston Globe, urging the makers of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz “Untitled Wichita Project” to reconsider their decision to film Wichita scenes in Massachusetts
“As the overweight person said as he crawled through a barbed-wire fence, one more point and I’m through.” — Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., trying to argue for a 72-hour delay between the Senate Finance Committee’s markup and vote on its health reform bill
“It’s like writing a big fat check on an overdrawn bank account.” — Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., speaking in Olathe about the Obama administration’s spending plans
It’s an overstatement to say, as a report from the University of Kansas’ Center for Applied Economics did this week, that the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System is “bankrupt.” But KPERS, which lost $2.9 billion in worth last fiscal year due to stock-market declines, clearly is facing long-term financial challenges. As a result, KPERS needs some significant reforms, including possibly increasing employee contributions and reducing benefits. Lawmakers can’t rely on more wishful thinking, as they did in 2004, when the state borrowed $500 million for KPERS to invest in the stock market.
Gov. Mark Parkinson stirred concerns when he said recently that the long-term solvency of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System is such an issue that “everything has to be looked at” — including possible changes to current benefits for retirees. Parkinson later regretted his words, writing on his blog: “Because I said that we would consider changes for people that are already in the system, I may have scared tens of thousands of retirees who are already receiving benefits, and even more current state employees who are counting on this fund for their future. I said it, but it’s not what I meant. What I should have said — and meant to say — is that we don’t want to cut any benefits and we are analyzing all our options.”
He attributed that and “other mistakes that day” to the four hours of sleep he’d had the night before because of “some pet issues” at 3:30 a.m. “I’ll try to not let that happen again,” he wrote.
Leaders of the Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal districts are expected to meet today with the Schools for Fair Funding attorneys to discuss recent K-12 spending cuts and what to do about them. “The Legislature cut funding to education by 22 percent, and more cuts are expected in the coming session,” Wichita attorney Alan Rupe, who won more money for schools in 2005 in the Montoy case, told the Dodge City Daily Globe. “Nobody wants to go back to court, but those kinds of cuts leave districts with no choice.” One option, of course, is further litigation. “They can either fight the Legislature now to increase funding, or shift the burden to individual school boards,” Rupe said. “And if that happens, those districts that simply can’t afford to shoulder the huge burden will have no choice but to raise taxes.”
Noting that state employees’ salary information is now available at the KanView Web site, Topeka Capital-Journal columnist Ric Anderson asked readers to guess the order of salaries, from largest to smallest, of Kansas State University president Kirk Schulz, Kansas Board of Regents president Reginald Robinson, regents vice president Diane C. Duffy, Kansas Lottery executive director Ed Van Petten and Gov. Mark Parkinson. “Correct answer: You’re looking at it,” Anderson wrote. The site lists Schulz’s salary at $350,000; Robinson’s at $193,000; Duffy’s at $139,124.96; Van Petten’s at $133,250; and Parkinson’s at $110,707.22.
“The next two years will make that look like child’s play.” — Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh (in photo), on the budget troubles of the 2009 legislative session
“I don’t know exactly how you define hypocrisy, but this may be close.” — Ellis County Democratic Party chairman Glenn Staab, on Sen. Sam Brownback’s touting the $1.7 million for a rail spur for the Siemens plant in Hutchinson from the stimulus package, which he voted against
“I thought the 11th Commandment might be, ‘Thou shalt not socialize.’” — North Newton resident Bruce Bradshaw, writing in the Newton Kansan about the talk of socialism at a recent Tiahrt town hall
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was asked by the Washington Post whether there should be some federal funding of abortions. “The president has made it pretty clear that Congress and the new health insurance plan will not provide federal funds for abortions,” Sebelius said. She also was asked what she thought about the archbishop of Kansas City, Kan., having told her when she was Kansas governor that she shouldn’t take communion because she was a pro-choice politician. “Well, it was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced in my life,” Sebelius said. “I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state, and I feel that my actions as a parishioner are different than my actions as a public official and that the people who elected me in Kansas had a right to expect me to uphold their rights and their beliefs even if they did not have the same religious beliefs that I had. And that’s what I did: I took an oath of office and I have taken an oath of office in this job and will uphold the law.”
“It’s become a game between two teams: the Republican team and the Democratic team.” — Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, about the political struggle in Washington, D.C.
“I am interested in hiring you as my marketing agent. You are very good.” — Moran again, after his accidental introduction as “Sen. Moran” at a Lawrence event
“I was brainwashed.” — Lucero Costillo, an Emporia High School student, joking after President Obama’s school speech
“If we had a 4,000-person waiting list for kindergarten this year, someone would do something about it.” — Tom Laing, executive director of InterHab, decrying that more than 4,100 Kansans are on waiting lists for home-based services
Remarkably, considering the heat of the August town halls, Kansans may be feeling a little better about President Obama. In the late-August SurveyUSA poll, co-sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12, 45 percent of Kansans said they approved of the job he’s doing, up 4 percent since July. The approval ratings for Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback were 58 and 54 percent, respectively, and 49 percent for Gov. Mark Parkinson. Those numbers represented one-month gains of 9 points for Roberts, 4 points for Brownback and 8 points for Parkinson.
Like his predecessor, Gov. Mark Parkinson supports a statewide smoking ban in public places. He said this week that he also may push for an increase in the state’s 79 cents-a-pack cigarette tax. Both moves could help lower the yearly toll that smoking-related illness takes on Kansas, including 4,000 deaths and $200 million in Medicaid costs. And the statewide public ban makes sense, given the proven health risks of secondhand smoke. But with so many communities now having their own indoor clean-air ordinances, passing a statewide ban becomes more complicated. In Wichita, for example, some businesses that chose last year to continue to allow smoking spent money to create smoking rooms with separate ventilation. Will public health trump local control?
Kansas Republicans let their party split ruin their chances to elect a governor in 2002 and 2006. Every few days bring another reason to think they’ve learned their lesson for 2010, also bringing Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., closer to his goal of becoming governor. His campaign committees include the biggest GOP names in the state. On Monday Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a moderate Republican, endorsed the conservative Brownback, saying, “Sam will work diligently to promote job growth and high-quality education, the cornerstones of a vibrant Kansas economy.” And Thursday Brownback holds a public event with Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh, who recently scrapped his own gubernatorial bid, that has people speculating about a possible Brownback-Thornburgh ticket.
One month of slightly better-than-expected revenue collections does not an economic recovery make. And the new Business Conditions Index of the mid-America region released Tuesday warns that the economic recovery is subdued and fragile. Still, it was a relief that the state collected $6.9 million more in taxes than it estimated for August. July revenue was about $5 million below estimates, which means the state revenue is right on track so far this fiscal year — though delays in paying income-tax refunds in order to help cover last fiscal year’s shortfall mean that the state’s revenue this year is down by $29.3 million.
“If whoever did that were a student of mine, I would have failed him,” Kansas Board of Regents vice chairman Gary Sherrer said about what he called a “dim-witted” report issued recently by the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy. The report said that the state had $2 billion in unused funds that could be used to cover the state’s budget shortfall and cut taxes. Sherrer and regents chairwoman Jill Docking said that many university funds are designated and can’t be raided for other purposes.
“If Gary Sherrer runs for governor, I’ll run for lieutenant governor.” — Kansas Board of Regents chairwoman Jill Docking, kidding (we think) during a visit with former Lt. Gov. Sherrer to The Eagle
“I think you better calm down this argument between the mayor and us.” — Sedgwick County Commissioner Gwen Welshimer, to The Eagle, on the city-county confusion over a July 29 meeting
“We need taxes to support their protests.” — Rep. Dale Swenson, D-Wichita, about how Friday’s anti-tax tea party was held at the county-owned and taxpayer-supported Sedgwick County Park
“I’m on socialized medicine. It’s called Medicare. I never have to wait, I choose my own doctors, and I get excellent care. Why should younger people be denied the same thing?” — Dodge City school board president Dan Reichenborn, to Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., at a town meeting last week
A few days after one developer dropped out, the two others vying to build a Sumner County casino spared state officials from having to choose between Mulvane and Wellington, coming together on the Chisholm Creek Casino Resort at the Mulvane exit of the Kansas Turnpike. Lakes Entertainment joined Foxwoods Development in the Mulvane proposal, effectively ending Wellington’s long-held dream of being home to the casino and its economic development. That’s tough. But all of Sumner County will see revenues, jobs and other benefits from the casino (as well as some negatives, it should be said), and the casino’s best chances of success have always seemed to be in Mulvane. Of course, after 2½ years of big announcements followed by scrapped plans, many will believe in a Sumner County casino resort only when they see it.
State Budget Director Duane Goossen asked state agencies last week to look for an additional $250 million in future budget cuts. Some GOP lawmakers think the deficit next fiscal year could be twice that size. Either way, it will be difficult to trim that much out of the state budget when many programs and services already have been cut. And if everything is really on the table, as officials often say, then lawmakers also should consider revenue options, such as delaying the phase-in of tax cuts and eliminating some sales-tax exemptions.
Perhaps the downturn has Kansans, like many other Americans, unusually down on their leaders this summer. The SurveyUSA approval rating for Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., dived to 49 percent last month from 61 percent in June, while Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., dipped 4 percentage points to 50 percent in July. Gov. Mark Parkinson’s approval ratings declined over the summer, too (from 52 percent in late May to 41 percent in July).
When state health officer Jason Eberhart-Phillips briefed the Kansas State Board of Education on the H1N1 virus last week, board member Kathy Martin of Clay Center asked him whether human embryonic stem cells were being used in the vaccine’s development, suggesting that people might refuse vaccinations if that were the case. He assured her the vaccine is being developed using chicken eggs. A Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman later told The Eagle editorial board in an e-mail: “Current supplies of seasonal influenza vaccine are manufactured by growing the influenza virus in eggs. The novel H1N1 virus has been reported as growing well in eggs, and the same manufacturing techniques are being used as with seasonal influenza vaccine.” Although the research on some vaccines has involved components derived from human fetuses, to the consternation of the Vatican, that’s not the case with the vaccines for either seasonal or H1N1 flu.
