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Wichita leaders are proud of our region's economic growth. Here are the numbers.

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Dave Trabert of Kansas Policy Institute joins Bob and Karl to discuss his new book What Was Really the Matter with the Kansas Tax Plan -- The Undoing of a Good Idea. View here. Episode 186, broadcast March 3, 2018.

Local governments in Kansas are again seeking expanded power to seize property. Here's a short video that explains. 

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Tax relief opponents have repeatedly pointed to the 2012 Kansas tax plan as their primary example of why tax cuts do not work. But, other states like North Carolina, Indiana, and Tennessee contemporaneously, and successfully, cut taxes. What was different about the Kansas experience?

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It would be rash to credit a 13 percent annual drop in crime at the University of Kansas to six months of legalized campus carry, but the new law certainly did not cause an increase in crime or a spike in weapons violations. From The Sentinel.

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The disparate way the media treat alleged sexual abuse by a pastor and by a public school teacher was on full view this week for anyone who cared to see. From The Sentinel.

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Metro Monitor from Brookings Institution ranks metropolitan areas on economic performance. How does Wichita fare?

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Dr. Jim Barnett is a candidate for the Republican Party nomination for Kansas Governor. He joins Bob Weeks to make the case as to why he should be our next governor. View here. Episode 185, broadcast February 24, 2018.

This is the first in a series of appearances by gubernatorial candidates for 2018. We hope that all major candidates, of all parties as well as independents, will accept our invitation.

Wichita's economic development agency asks for assistance in developing its focus and strategies.

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The last time the Kansas National Educational Association (KNEA) spoke up about pornography, it was to attack Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook's anti-porn legislation. From The Sentinel.

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The Wichita Eagle published a lengthy story about a myriad of tax exemptions in the state of Kansas this weekend. It's an interesting read, but it falsely gives readers the idea that every dollar in the Kansas economy belongs to the state. From The Sentinel.

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Eric Hanushek doesn't buy the conventional wisdom on education. Spending more doesn't equal better outcomes, smaller class size doesn't mean students improve, and teachers should be evaluated and fired if they can't produce gains in the classroom. From The Sentinel. 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: The Sentinel's Danedri Herbert joins Bob Weeks to discuss the upcoming gubernatorial debate, the Kansas Legislature's website and transparency, and accountability in government. View here. Episode 184, broadcast February 17, 2018. 

Is the state's leading expert on school funding truly knowledgeable, or is he untrustworthy?

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A February 9 blog post by Mark Tallman outlining the KASB school funding positions on some funding elements left out critical perspective that legislators and taxpayers need to understand. From Kansas Policy Institute.

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Professor Edward Stringham joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss Bitcoin, sound money, and the role of markets in private governance. View here. Episode 182, broadcast February 10, 2018. 

Kansas ranks low among the states in growth of gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2017.

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New data from the Department of Education shows outstanding school district debt set a new record at $6.1 billion last year.  The average debt per-pupil (only counting enrollment at districts with debt) is $14,715. from Kansas Policy Institute. 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita Area Technical College (WATC) has formed an affiliation with Wichita State University, to be called the Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, or WSU Tech. Sheree Utash, president of WATC and future president of WSU Tech, joins Karl Peterjohn to discuss these institutions. View here. Episode 181, broadcast January 27, 2018. 

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio Host Andy Hooser of the Voice of Reason appears with Karl Peterjohn to discuss the simulcast of his radio show on KGPT 26, the legislative session, and whether President Trump's tax breaks can save Kansas from the recent tax hike. View here. Episode 180, broadcast January 20, 2018. 

In Community Improvement Districts (CID), merchants charge additional sales tax for the benefit of the property owners, instead of the general public. Wichita may have an additional three, contributing to the problem of CID sprawl.

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Vice president and policy director of Kansas Policy Institute James Franko joins Karl Peterjohn to discuss Governor Brownback's State of the State Address for 2018. Topics include schools and Medicaid expansion. View here. Episode 179, broadcast January 13, 2018. 

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks look back at some stories from 2017, and take a peek at the year ahead. View here. Episode 178, broadcast January 6, 2018. 

Here are highlights from Voice for Liberty for 2017. Was it a good year for the principles of individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas? 

 

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The city has finalized a proposal for a development near Naftzger Park. It includes a few new and creative provisions. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio Host Andy Hooser of the Voice of Reason appears with Bob Weeks to discuss issues in state and national political affairs. View here. Episode 177, broadcast December 23, 2017. 

 

From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: KPTS President and CEO Victor Hogstrom. Listen here. This was recorded December 15, 2017. 

The city has finalized a proposal for a development near Naftzger Park. It includes a few new and creative provisions. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Attorney Richard Peckham joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss judicial selection and other judicial issues in Kansas. View here. Episode 176, broadcast December 16, 2017. 

 

The City of Wichita cracks down on panhandling. Is it too much? 

 

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As things in life come to a close it is natural to take stock. The end of a year is no different and 2017 gave Kansans plenty of poor policy outcomes to review - not the least of which was a staggering retroactive tax hike. But, the expansion of a tax credit scholarship for low income children in Kansas is a piece of school choice good news that bears mentioning as 2017 wraps up. From Kansas Policy Institute. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Former United States Senator Jim DeMint joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to talk about the Convention of States. David Schneider, regional director for Citizens for Self-Governance also appears. View here. Episode 175, broadcast December 9, 2017. 

 

It's good news that Spirit AeroSystems is expanding in Wichita. Let's look at the cost.

One thing that would also increase the credibility of economic development efforts is for Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell (and others) to stop making claims of "no more cash incentives." The city explicitly offers cash in this proposal. The city also offers to cancel a debt, which is just like cash. Forgiveness of future taxes is as good as cash, too. 

 

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During years of purported budget cuts, what has been the trend of student/teacher ratios in the Wichita public school district? 

 

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Opinions vary on economic development incentives, but we ought to expect to be told the truth of the details. 

 

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Wichita spending data presented as a summary, and as a list. 

 

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Revenue for the Wichita public school district continues its familiar trend. 

 

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News about Kansas tax receipts for November 2017, along with an interactive visualization. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: United States Representative Ron Estes joins Bob Weeks to talk about the tax bill, his op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, and Susan Estes tells us what Mrs. Smith does when Mr. Smith goes to Washington. View here. Episode 174, broadcast November 25, 2017. 

State legislators are legally required to keep cash reserves equal to 7.5 percent of General Fund spending but the average Kansas school district had nearly three times that level - 19.3 percent - in reserve at the beginning of the 2017 school year.   That disparity should prompt considerable discussion in the upcoming legislative session.  A state efficiency study recommended capping school cash reserves at 15 percent and doing so would produce one-time savings of about $255 million based on this new data, but legislators have been unwilling to seriously consider the matter in prior years. From Kansas Policy Institute. 

 

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The use of PEAK, a Kansas economic development incentive program, varies widely among counties. 

 

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PEAK, a Kansas economic development incentive program, redirects employee income taxes back to the employing company. 

 

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For 2016, personal income in Wichita rose, but is still below 2014 levels. 

 

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Employment in the Wichita metropolitan area is on an upward tick. But be careful when considering the unemployment rate, as it hides a larger story.

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss Sedgwick County government issues, including allegations of misconduct by a commission member and the possibility of a Tyson chicken plant. View here. Episode 172, broadcast November 11, 2017. 

 

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In Wichita, we see another example of how once government starts a surveillance program, the urge to expand it is irresistible. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Matt Kibbe of Free the People joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss FreeThePeople.org and our relationship with government. View here. Episode 171, broadcast November 4, 2017. 

 

Wichitans might be surprised to learn the cost of cultural attractions. The price of adult admission to the Wichita Art Museum is $7.00, or free on Saturdays thanks to the generosity of Colby Sandlian, a Wichita businessman.

But the cost of admission is much higher. For 2016, Wichita city documents report a cost per visitor of $54.71

 

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New data for spending in Kansas schools is available. State and local total spending, per pupil, adjusted for inflation, has been remarkably level since 2013. At the same time, schools are telling us spending has been slashed. 

 

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In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita school board member Joy Eakins joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss important issues facing the school district. View here. Episode 170, broadcast October 28, 2017. 

 

Wichita economic development officials use a circuitous method of estimating the population of downtown Wichita, producing a number much higher than Census Bureau estimates. 

 

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The new State of Downtown Wichita report for 2017 is missing something. What is it, and why is it missing? 

 

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Transparency issues surrounding the Wichita public school district are in the news. There are steps that are easy to make, but the district resists. 

 

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Kansas school fund balances rose this year, in both absolute dollars and dollars per pupil. 

 

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The Wichita MSA economy produced fewer goods and services in 2016 than in 2015, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In real (inflation-adjusted) dollars, the Wichita metropolitan area gross domestic product fell by 1.4 percent. For all metropolitan areas, GDP grew by 1.7 percent.

Since 2001, GDP for all metropolitan areas grew by 29.3 percent, while Wichita had 12.3 percent growth.

 

An interactive visualization of tax collections by state governments. 

 

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Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.

 

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Here are printable tables of voting on legislation that raised taxes in Kansas.

 

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Troubleshoot why you aren't getting email from Voice for Liberty or other senders.

 

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Wichita city hall failed to uphold the terms of a development agreement from five years ago, not monitoring contracts that protect the public interest.

Beyond this, we now know that neither the city nor the WaterWalk developer followed the terms of the deal. The annual reports were not supplied by the company, and they were not requested by the city. As it turns out the annual reports purport to show that the city was owed no money under the profit sharing agreement.

But that's not the point. The issue is that the city did not enforce a simple aspect of the agreement, and the private-sector company felt it did not need to comply. Taxpayers were not protected, and we're left wondering whether these agreements were really meant to be followed.

 

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Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.

 

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When reading the writings of former Kansas State Budget Director Duane Goossen, it's useful to have a guide grounded in reality.

For example, Goosen wrote: "We became famous, the poster state for bad tax policy."
No, Kansas became the poster state for bad spending policy. Our legislature and governor had several years to find ways to reform spending, but there was not the will to do so. One example: The budget for next year contains $47.2 million in spending because the legislature did not adopt a recommended plan to save money on purchasing health insurance for school employees. That number rises to $89.0 million the following year. 

 

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The claim of 26,000 workers in downtown Wichita is based on misuse of data so blatant it can be described only as malpractice. 

 

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An interactive visualization of Kansas employment by industry.  

 

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Airport traffic data presented in an interactive visualization, updated through 2016. A few observations regarding Wichita airport traffic as compared to the nation:

Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.

 

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Is the presentation of the number of workers in downtown Wichita an innocent mistake, mere incompetence, or a willful lie? 

 

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In Rich States, Poor States, Kansas improves its middle-of-the-pack performance, but continues with a mediocre forward-looking forecast. 

 

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Should Kansans accept the results of a public opinion poll when little is known about it? 

 

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There has been much investment in Downtown Wichita, both public and private. What has been the trend in business activity during this time? 

 

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Discussions of public policy need to start from a common base of facts and information. An episode shows that both our state government and news media are not helping. 

 

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The City of Wichita says it hasn't raised its property tax mill levy in many years. For this year, the city is correct. 

 

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An interactive presentation of Kansas state school assessment scores at the state, district, and building levels. 

 

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Critics of school choice say there is no accountability outside the traditional public schools. Here are the standards Kansas used to hold its schools accountable.

 

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