Showing posts with label State of Kansas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label State of Kansas. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2021
The Kansas Legislature is Broken
What you don't and won't hear from more mainstream media in the area like the Kansas City Star, KCUR, KCPT or certainly not from the local TV news stations.
This is from Davis Hammet @Davis_Hammet of the organization Loud Light today including the headline above:
--Legislators are hiding who actually wrote bills.
--Public hearings are being scheduled with less than 24 hrs notice or entirely skipped.
--The day waiting period between debate and the final vote is constantly being suspended.
#ksleg
Saturday, April 11, 2020
BREAKING, GREAT NEWS, KANSAS!!
From David Hammet tonight at Loud Light.
Kansas Supreme Court finds Republican Leadership had no legal authority to revoke Governor Kelly’s executive order limiting gatherings due to COVID19.
The revocation is null. The Governor's executive orders can only be revoked by the entire state legislature not the small leadership council.
Great, great news!
As it should be!
For the people!
I hope it's not too late to get the word out to all the churches.
It's all here:
Monday, March 23, 2020
Kansans: The Topeka Statehouse, the Coronavirus and You
From our friend and hard worker Davis Hammet over at Loud Light.
Follow Loud Light here:
Loud Light
And maybe contribute, if you can.
Be safe out there, campers.
And be good to one another.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
David Hammet And His Loud Light Do It Again for Kansas and Kansans
Davis Hammet, once again, gives Kansas and the area, the region, fantastic information on Kansas' state legislation, sure, but also, now, on the Coronavirus, too, and its effects in Kansas.
Kansans--and even Missourians--would do well to follow Mr. Hammet at his organization, shown here below.
Loud Light
You can also follow them on Facebook.
Meanwhile, this news broke today in the Star.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
How Much More Can----and Will---Kansans Take?
Everything Republican Governor Sam Brownback and his political party cohorts have touched, fiscally, financially and dealing with taxes, it seems, have turned to debt and red ink.
We've all been following them for these few years now and watched the debt rating be downgraded and debts rise and budgets be slashed, sure. But the latest budget cuts, now to the schools, are being the unkindest and even worst, the most painful and even hopeless, of all.
I saw this last evening:
And that, I thought, was horrible, for one not-that-large a school district.
But then I saw this:
Schools could lose $197 million under spending
cut scenario
Truly horrible.
Just short of 200 million dollars, nearly one quarter of a billion dollars, to be cut from the school budgets across the state.
How do you have hope for your children, for the future, for your state, if you don't--hell, can't--invest in the next generations?
Friday, June 1, 2012
The craziness and desperation that has become our nation
Yesterday, last evening, actually, I saw and heard three different stories and facts that rather blew me away, when I realized how devastating they are and how changed we are, as a people and as a nation.
Herewith are those three:
--First, I heard on NPR that the unemployment rate for those who have been without work four months or longer is 40%.
A 40% unemployment rate for this segment of our country.
Funny thing was, they announced it very calmly and cooly, too, as though either we knew it already or it was no big thing.
It certainly shocked me. No way I thought it was that high.
--Second, this story:
Extreme Poverty In The U.S. Has Doubled In The Last 15 Years
Seriously, that is stunning.
It goes on:
"According to the latest Census Bureau data, nearly 50 percent of Americans are either low-income or living in poverty in the wake of the Great Recession. And a new study from the National Poverty Center shows just how deep in poverty some of those people are, finding that the number of households living on less than $2 per day (before government benefits) has more than doubled in the last 15 years..."
Again, I don't think this is common knowledge for the average American so I don't think people realize this is who we are and that this is what we've become, where we're living, so to speak.
--Finally, there's this, more localized, dealing as it does with Kansas and their very controversial, if not short-sighted, Governor, Sam Brownback:
Kansas tax act most regressive in nation
For clarification, a regressive tax system means it punishes the middle and lower classes and rewards the upper class--the rich and wealthy.
Lovely, huh?
Note, too, that the source of the article is the Lawrence Journal-World.
There's two things that need to be highlighted about this being the source.
For one, you might think the Lawrence, Jounal-World, being, as it is, in Kansas, might want to only say glowing, positive, complimentary things about the state's governor, in hopes it would somehow be rewarded, one way or another.
They couldn't here. The facts say otherwise.
Secondly, this paper gets awards for its excellent journalism and reporting. It's no slouch when it comes to reporting like this and others so it's likely not off the mark, here, in case someone would like to debate this or them.
Just a little from the article:
"The nonpartisan Legislative Research Department has estimated that the act will reduce Kansas government revenues by $4.5 billion over the next six years. Inevitably, there will be major reductions in the government services Kansans have come to expect — especially education.
Equally important, the act dramatically changes the Kansas tax system, shifting the income tax burden from the wealthy and prosperous to working people. The act provides that all income of business owners is tax-free (except in the unusual case where a regular corporation is used). Although the act was promoted as a boost to small business, there is no limit on the size of business that can be exempt from tax.
Income of professionals — such as doctors, lawyers, architects, and accountants — practicing in partnerships will be tax-free. In a law firm, for example, the partners will pay no tax, while the clerical staff will continue on the tax rolls."
(Bold type added for emphasis).
So isn't that just lovely? If you're middle class or just out-and-out poor in Kansas, your tax rate is going to be higher than that of the wealthy, as a percent of what you both earn.
I don't think Governor Brownback is familiar with Christianity, it would seem. Or Jesus Christ, for that matter. Or anything He said, according to the Bible.
Seriously, it is shocking what we have become in these United States as a nation and a people.
And this, the above, doesn't even touch on our gross, disgusting war spending as evidence of our priorities nationally, both internally and externally, to the rest of the world.
Links: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/06/438907/extreme-poverty-doubled-15-years/?mobile=nc;
Herewith are those three:
--First, I heard on NPR that the unemployment rate for those who have been without work four months or longer is 40%.
A 40% unemployment rate for this segment of our country.
Funny thing was, they announced it very calmly and cooly, too, as though either we knew it already or it was no big thing.
It certainly shocked me. No way I thought it was that high.
--Second, this story:
Extreme Poverty In The U.S. Has Doubled In The Last 15 Years
Seriously, that is stunning.
It goes on:
"According to the latest Census Bureau data, nearly 50 percent of Americans are either low-income or living in poverty in the wake of the Great Recession. And a new study from the National Poverty Center shows just how deep in poverty some of those people are, finding that the number of households living on less than $2 per day (before government benefits) has more than doubled in the last 15 years..."
Again, I don't think this is common knowledge for the average American so I don't think people realize this is who we are and that this is what we've become, where we're living, so to speak.
--Finally, there's this, more localized, dealing as it does with Kansas and their very controversial, if not short-sighted, Governor, Sam Brownback:
Kansas tax act most regressive in nation
For clarification, a regressive tax system means it punishes the middle and lower classes and rewards the upper class--the rich and wealthy.
Lovely, huh?
Note, too, that the source of the article is the Lawrence Journal-World.
There's two things that need to be highlighted about this being the source.
For one, you might think the Lawrence, Jounal-World, being, as it is, in Kansas, might want to only say glowing, positive, complimentary things about the state's governor, in hopes it would somehow be rewarded, one way or another.
They couldn't here. The facts say otherwise.
Secondly, this paper gets awards for its excellent journalism and reporting. It's no slouch when it comes to reporting like this and others so it's likely not off the mark, here, in case someone would like to debate this or them.
Just a little from the article:
"The nonpartisan Legislative Research Department has estimated that the act will reduce Kansas government revenues by $4.5 billion over the next six years. Inevitably, there will be major reductions in the government services Kansans have come to expect — especially education.
Equally important, the act dramatically changes the Kansas tax system, shifting the income tax burden from the wealthy and prosperous to working people. The act provides that all income of business owners is tax-free (except in the unusual case where a regular corporation is used). Although the act was promoted as a boost to small business, there is no limit on the size of business that can be exempt from tax.
Income of professionals — such as doctors, lawyers, architects, and accountants — practicing in partnerships will be tax-free. In a law firm, for example, the partners will pay no tax, while the clerical staff will continue on the tax rolls."
(Bold type added for emphasis).
So isn't that just lovely? If you're middle class or just out-and-out poor in Kansas, your tax rate is going to be higher than that of the wealthy, as a percent of what you both earn.
I don't think Governor Brownback is familiar with Christianity, it would seem. Or Jesus Christ, for that matter. Or anything He said, according to the Bible.
Seriously, it is shocking what we have become in these United States as a nation and a people.
And this, the above, doesn't even touch on our gross, disgusting war spending as evidence of our priorities nationally, both internally and externally, to the rest of the world.
Links: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/06/438907/extreme-poverty-doubled-15-years/?mobile=nc;
Sunday, March 14, 2010
No ethics in Kansas government?
You know you have problems as a state if you don't even have rules regarding conflicts of interest and ethics regarding your representatives.
Such is the case in Kansas right now.
According to KMBC: "House rules don't spell out what constitutes misconduct worthy of a reprimand, censure or expulsion."
And yet House Speaker Mike O'Neal is "representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state."
Check that out--the House Speaker, whose job is to represent the State and the people in it, is also representing business groups AGAINST the State of Kansas, in a lawsuit.
And there's no rules against this seemingly crystal clear conflict of interest.
If you're a business that wants to file or has filed a lawsuit against your own state, can you imagine having any more preferred attorney representing you than the Speaker of the House of Representatives?
That is, if you can make that fly.
And/or there are no ethics rules against it in your state.
Notes to the citizens of Kansas:
1) You need conflict of interest rules for your legislators;
2) Your legislators should have written them a long time ago (again, quoting KMBC: "The House last appointed a committee to review a member's conduct in 1951.";
3) You need them quickly. Now would be a good time;
4) In words from the Broadway play "Avenue Q": "It sucks to be you".
Such is the case in Kansas right now.
According to KMBC: "House rules don't spell out what constitutes misconduct worthy of a reprimand, censure or expulsion."
And yet House Speaker Mike O'Neal is "representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state."
Check that out--the House Speaker, whose job is to represent the State and the people in it, is also representing business groups AGAINST the State of Kansas, in a lawsuit.
And there's no rules against this seemingly crystal clear conflict of interest.
If you're a business that wants to file or has filed a lawsuit against your own state, can you imagine having any more preferred attorney representing you than the Speaker of the House of Representatives?
That is, if you can make that fly.
And/or there are no ethics rules against it in your state.
Notes to the citizens of Kansas:
1) You need conflict of interest rules for your legislators;
2) Your legislators should have written them a long time ago (again, quoting KMBC: "The House last appointed a committee to review a member's conduct in 1951.";
3) You need them quickly. Now would be a good time;
4) In words from the Broadway play "Avenue Q": "It sucks to be you".
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