2.8.10 Kansas Policy Institute E-newsletter

Kansas Policy Institute

2.8.10

Commentary

State budget 'gap' is all about perspective

When businesses or individuals talk about cutting their expenses, it means they are going to spend less money that they did in the past. But when governments talk about budget cuts they often have a different perspective: they are spending less than they had hoped to but not necessarily less than the year before. (Read More)

In This Issue

Commentary

KansasReporter.org

KansasWatchdog.org

Public Policy Job Opportunity

Event: Law Liberty and Market Lecture Series

"Economic Freedom and the Wealth and Health of Nations"

An Evening with Dr. Robert Lawson

2.25.2010

Watch KPI and AFP Kansas's video on KansasOpenGov.org and Money Mangement:

___________________________________________________________

Kansas employment picture is little changed

By Gene Meyer, February 5, 2010
Kansas job markets continue to look soft for 2010 despite two unexpected wisps of good news reported from the Labor Department in Washington, a Wichita economist said Friday. (Read More)

House panel OK's budget; balance looks wobbly

By Gene Meyer, February 4, 2010
Kansas House Appropriations Committee members formally endorsed Gov. Mark Parkinson's current year budget cuts Thursday, but continued lower-than-expected tax revenues throw a balanced budget in doubt.

By Gene Meyer
(KansasReporter) TOPEKA, Kan. - State Rep. Steve Brunk of Bel Aire and more than a dozen of his fellow Republicans introduced a Kansas property tax reform proposal Thursday that they say is intended to rein in spiraling tax increases. (Read More)

Kansas Senate panel rebukes feds

By Gene Meyer, February 3, 2010
Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee members voted 10-1 Wednesday to approve a nonbinding resolution Wednesday telling the federal government to butt out of Kansans' everyday lives. (Read More)

U.S. unemployment help for Kansas to be curtailed this month

By Gene Meyer, February 2, 2010
Potentially thousands of Kansans who've lost jobs since August won't be eligible for extended unemployment benefits that have helped many of their neighbors weather the recession, state Labor Secretary Jim Garner said Tuesday. (Read More)

Legislators push back on federal health proposal

By Gene Meyer, February 2, 2010
A group of Kansas lawmakers are backing a proposed amendent to the Kansas Constitution that would exempt state residents from a potential federal regulation requiring everyone to buy health insurance. (Read More)

Kansas may waive proposed $25 tax fee for some filers

By Gene Meyer, February 2, 2010
Kansas Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon said Tuesday that she would be willing to support the elimination of a controversial proposed $25 filing fee for state income taxes. (Read More)

Improving Kansas economy still trails the region

By Gene Meyer, February 1, 2010
Kansas' economic prospects continued to improve in January, but still lag many of the state's Midwestern neighbors, a new economic survey found. (Read More)______________________________________________________________________________

An Interview with Joe the Plumber
By Paul Soutar on February 4, 2010
KansasWatchdog caught up with Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher while he was in Kansas last week. Joe was catapulted from playing with his son in the front yard of his Ohio home to national symbol after an impromptu exchange with presidential candidate Barak Obama. His questions about the American dream and Obama's answer about income redistribution were caught on video by an ABC camera and he quickly became known as "Joe the Plumber." (Read More)

Debunking Education Employment Claims
By Paul Soutar on February 2, 2010
A fresh report from the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD) shows that school district employment across Kansas is down, but nowhere near the 3,704 positions claimed in a survey delivered to the 2010 Commission in June. (Read More)

Kansas Republican Party Treasurer Explains FEC Reporting Problems
By Earl Glynn on January 31, 2010
On Saturday in Topeka treasurer Steve Fitzgerald explained a number of reporting problems facing the Kansas Republican Party (Read More)

LPA Audits Show Budget Savings Are Available
By Paul Soutar on January 28, 2010
Audits released Wednesday show Gov. Mark Parkinson and state Senate leaders are missing millions of wasted tax dollars when they claim they must raise taxes to balance the budget because spending cuts are exhausted.
Auditors presented two reports to the Legislative Post Audit (LPA) Committe. One found potential savings of $537,200 per year in the $4 million Ellinwood school district, USD355, budget. Another found $6 million to $8 million annual savings by reducing the number of judicial districts in Kansas. (Read More)_____________________________________________________________________

Live Webinar: Job Opportunity in Public Policy

Looking for a career path that will enable you to advance the ideas of liberty? Already in a position, but looking to gain the professional skills and management training to become more effective? I want to invite you to attend a live online presentation to learn about the 2010-11 Koch Associate Program, a job opportunity for professionals with up to ten years of work experience who are passionate about free-market ideas and want to become more effective at advancing liberty through their career.

Join us from your computer for one of the two live webinars on Wednesday, February 10th to learn more about this program. To attend, please register online for one of the following time slots. Remember to provide a valid email address in order to receive further information.

Wednesday, February 10th // 3:00pm EST: Register

Wednesday, February 10th // 7:00pm EST: Register

The program provides the opportunity to work in a full-time position at a free-market think tank, policy institute, or grassroots organization while receiving valuable management training once a week at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. Available positions range from entry- to director-level and cover a variety of roles, including policy analysis, new media, public relations, operations, and fundraising. This combination of practical work experience and continuing education creates a unique development opportunity unparalleled in the public policy arena.

For those of you who attend, you will have the opportunity to connect with Foundation staff following the webinar to have any unanswered questions addressed. Contact us directly if you aren't able to attend, but would like to learn more about the 2010-11 Koch Associate Program.

If you have any questions please contact Thom Russell at Thomas.Russell@cgkfoundation.org

Stay Connected

Connect with the Kansas Policy Institute Facebook Fan Page to review more media mentions.

Contact: information@kansaspolicy.org or 316.634.0218.

Kansas Policy Institute Focused Projects

____________________

Law Liberty and the Market LectureSeries at Friends University

The lectures are free and open to the public with receptions to follow each event.

The next lecture will be by Dr. Emily Chamlee-Wright
March 2, 2010
7-9 p.m., Science 100
Find out More