Politicians and the public may be starting to wake up to the realities of health care reform. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) recently said that she wasn’t sure if there were enough votes in her own party to support the proposal. Recent polls showed that the public has less interest in the issue than at a comparable period when President Bill Clinton advanced the issue in 1993. This is not good news for those who would like to create a universal health insurance system run by government. But neither is it a reason for those who oppose a centralized government run health care program to be complacent. For more of Greg Schneider's editorial click here.
Kansas Needs Independent Charter Schools
Flint Hills Center
Abraham Lincoln is said to have told this story: If you call a horse’s tail a leg, how many legs does it have? Four. Calling a horse’s tail a leg won’t make it one.
That’s what I thought of when I read a report by
, my colleague at the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy. Soutar, an investigative reporter, looked at the Maurice R. Holman Academy of Excellence charter school, in Kansas City, Kansas.
In case you’re not familiar with charter schools, they are public schools that, like traditional public schools, receive taxpayer money and admit all students. Click here to read more of this editorial by
.
KAC Calls for Tax Increase
Flint Hills Center
Flint Hills Investigates....
A child advocacy group says the answer to fixing the budget gap in Kansas is more taxes. Taxpayer advocates and a top economist disagree.
State government spending in Kansas increased 42.2 percent from fiscal years 2004 to 2008 but that’s not enough according to a recent report by Kansas Action for Children. Their report calls for a state tax system overhaul to collect more taxes to close the budget gap between revenues and spending. The report claims the level of state spending hasn’t really increased because the tax burden is relatively unchanged since 1960. Click here.
Moving Kansas Schools from Monopoly to Free Choice
Flint Hills Center
Flint Hills Investigates... The state-run K-12 school system in Kansas is essentially a monopoly. School choice – and the competition it brings – could improve school efficiency and quality.
Kansas spent more than $5.6 billion on K-12 education in the last school year. State and local tax collections provided 93 percent of that money but state law offers no way for taxpayers to direct even a penny of it to a school of choice, unless that school is run by the government. They can choose to send their child to a private school but they’re going to pay the state either way. For families living on a tight budget that’s no choice at all. No vouchers. No tax credits. No real choice.
"The Next Great Depression and the Attack of the Watermelons?"
Flint Hills Center
Kansas Meadowlark has a great report on Dr. Mark Hendrickson's presentation of “The Next Great Depression and the Attack of the Watermelons?” Hendrickson explained how government intervention created the Great Depression and how recent government action is following the same path. Hendrickson addressed a Flint Hills Center for Public Policy luncheon in Kansas City, on Thursday, June 18.
So, what's the point about "watermelons?" Think green on the outside, red on the inside. Hendrickson also explained how elitist environmentalists are using lies to instill fear and gain governmental control. Hendrickson is a professor of economics and international business at Grove City College in Pennsylvania and a contributing scholar with the Center for Vision & Values. Read the full report at: “The Next Great Depression and the Attack of the Watermelons?”
Open Records Law Needs an Overhaul
Flint Hills Center
“An open and transparent government is essential to the democratic process. Under Kansas law, citizens have the right to access public records and observe many meetings where decisions are made that affect our state.” This quote is taken from the Kansas Attorney General Website. Click here to read more of Dave Trabert's Editorial.
K-12 Spending Increase Fails to Produce Results
Flint Hills Center
A new study from the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy, “K-12 Spending and Achievement in Kansas,” finds that per-pupil spending has increased 104% over the last fifteen years, but student achievement scores remain unacceptably low. Click on the following links to learn more: News Release and John LaPlante Policy Paper
Kansas Loses Private Sector Jobs as Government Grows
Flint Hills Center
Flint Hills Investigates...
Kansas continues to lose jobs in the private sector as the number of government employees grows. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kansas lost another 10,500 private sector jobs in April but added 800 state and local government jobs.
Over the past 12 months Kansas added 2,300 local and 100 state government jobs; during the same period the state lost 26,500 private sector jobs. BLS includes public school administrators in local government totals. Teachers are included in private sector totals. Click here for this story by Paul Soutar.
Determination and Preparation for a Lawsuit Slowly Extract Public Data
Flint Hills Center
Flint Hills Investigates...
Seven weeks after the original request, Saline County’s appraiser, under pressure from an impending lawsuit, delivered some of the property tax data sought by the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy from all Kansas counties. As of May 29, 44 of 105 Kansas counties have not provided all the requested data.
What started out as research into property valuations in Kansas has turned into a frustrating protracted battle over differing perspectives on open government. Denials and delays have slowed or prevented examination of government fiscal policy as budget and taxation issues were being addressed in the legislature. Access was further frustrated by decades-old computer technology. For the entire story click here.
Schools Need to Be More Productive
Flint Hills Center
The U.S. Department of Education just released the latest long-term results of
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP, an
important diagnostic tool for measuring the performance of America’s schools,
divulged some good new and some bad news regarding scholastic performance.
"The Next Great Depression and the Attack of the Watermelons?"Kansas Meadowlark has a great report on Dr. Mark Hendrickson's presentation of “The Next Great Depression and the Attack of the Watermelons?” Hendrickson explained... Full Story
Open Records Law Needs an Overhaul “An open and transparent government is essential to the democratic process. Under Kansas law, citizens have the right to access public records and observe many meetings where... Full Story
A Self-Imposed Spending Cap for the LegislatureThe Kansas State Legislature is spending out of control. What does this really cost Kansans? Full Story
Proposition K
Making Property Taxes Fairer and More PredictableA new property tax initiative—known as Proposition K—seeks to stabilize property taxes in Kansas and make local government budgeting more... Full Story
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Politicians and the public may be starting to wake up to the realities of health care reform. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) recently said that she wasn’t sure if there were enough votes in her own party to support the proposal. Recent polls showed that the public has less interest in the issue than at a comparable period when President Bill Clinton advanced the issue in 1993. This is not good news for those who would like to create a universal health insurance system run by government. But neither is it a reason for those who oppose a centralized government run health care program to be complacent. 
Flint Hills Investigates....
Flint Hills Investigates...
Kansas continues to lose jobs in the private sector as the number of government employees grows. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Kansas lost another 10,500 private sector jobs in April but added 800 state and local government jobs. 
The U.S. Department of Education just released the latest long-term results of
