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Voice For Liberty
Individual liberty, limited government, economic freedom, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas.
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Someone who is determined to disbelieve something can manage to disregard an Everest of evidence for it.
-- George Will
When a politician says, concerning an issue involving science, that the debate is over, you may be sure the debate is rolling on and not going swimmingly for his side.
-- George Will
An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today.
-- Laurence J. Peter
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
-- John F. Kennedy
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Metro Monitor evaluates the Wichita economy
Metro Monitor from Brookings Institution ranks metropolitan areas on economic performance. How does Wichita fare?
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Kansas Gubernatorial Candidate Dr. Jim Barnett
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.
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Greater Wichita Partnership asks for help
Wichita's economic development agency asks for assistance in developing its focus and strategies.
Click here for the full story.
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Another Kansas Teacher Busted on Sex Charge, When Will KNEA Speak Out?
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Not Taking Money from Citizens Is Not a Government 'Expense'
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Teacher Effectiveness, Not Funding Amounts, Most Critical to Kansas Schools
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Danedri Herbert, Editor of The Sentinel
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.
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Kansas Week, February 16, 2018
Panelists Russell Fox and Bob Weeks join host Pilar Pedraza to discuss the call for Swatting legislation, the reported abuse of medication in nursing homes, and Kansas election security. View here.
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Unemployment in Kansas
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ew Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer proudly cites the low Kansas unemployment rate, but there is more to the story.
Click here for the full story.
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Dale Dennis, sage of Kansas school finance?
Is the state's leading expert on school funding truly knowledgeable, or is he untrustworthy?
Click here for the full story.
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KASB school funding statement misses important perspective
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Sound money and private governance
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.
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Kansas GDP growth
Kansas ranks low among the states in growth of gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2017.
Click here for the full story.
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School district debt exceeds $6 billion
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: WATC and WSU Tech President Sheree Utash
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.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio Host Andy Hooser
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.
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In Wichita, three Community Improvement Districts to be considered
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Kansas State of the State for 2018
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.
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Kansas personal income
The Bureau of Economic Analysis, an agency of the United States Department of Commerce, released personal income figures for the states for the third quarter of 2017.
For the country as a whole, personal income grew at the annual rate of 0.7 percent from the previous quarter. For Kansas, the rate was 0.3 percent. That was the forty-seventh best rate. This continues the trend of Kansas underperforming the nation in recent years.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Looking back at 2017
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.
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Year in Review: 2017
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?
Click here for the full story.
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Naftzger Park project details
The city has finalized a proposal for a development near Naftzger Park. It includes a few new and creative provisions.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Radio Host Andy Hooser
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.
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From Pachyderm: KPTS Chief Victor Hogstrom
From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: KPTS President and CEO Victor Hogstrom. Listen
here. This was recorded December 15, 2017.
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Naftzger Park project details
The city has finalized a proposal for a development near Naftzger Park. It includes a few new and creative provisions.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Judicial selection in Kansas
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.
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Panhandling in Wichita
The City of Wichita cracks down on panhandling. Is it too much?
Click here for the full story.
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School choice, good news in tax credit expansion
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Senator Jim DeMint and Convention of States
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.
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Spirit expands in Wichita
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita school student/teacher ratios
During years of purported budget cuts, what has been the trend of student/teacher ratios in the Wichita public school district?
Click here for the full story.
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District staffing decisions reduce teacher pay by $13,700
School lobbyists routinely cite low teacher pay as rationale for more school funding but a new school staffing study shows how districts' staffing decisions have diverted money from teacher salaries. According to The Sentinel, a nationwide study by Dr. Ben Scafidi and published by EdChoice.org shows the average Kansas teacher could be paid $13,708 more per year if non-teaching personnel had been added at the same pace as enrollment has grown since 1992. From Kansas Policy Institute.
Click here for the full story.
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Spirit Aerosystems incentives reported
Opinions vary on economic development incentives, but we ought to expect to be told the truth of the details.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita check register
Wichita spending data presented as a summary, and as a list.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita school revenue
Revenue for the Wichita public school district continues its familiar trend.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas tax receipts
News about Kansas tax receipts for November 2017, along with an interactive visualization.
Click here for the full story.
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Who oversaw Wichita schools when this happened?
Teachers 'fearful' about escalating violence at Southeast High(
Wichita Eagle, December 1, 2017): Some employees at Southeast High School in Wichita say they have 'grave concerns' about escalating violence and unruly behavior at the school, and they're urging leaders to take 'decisive and strong actions' to combat it." This continues a theme from this summer, as further reported in
Behavior is getting worse in Wichita classrooms, data shows. (
Wichita Eagle, June 16, 2017): "Discipline problems have increased substantially in Wichita schools over the past four years, particularly among the district's youngest students, according to data obtained by The Eagle. The situation is frustrating teachers, prompting some of them to leave the profession, and has inspired a new program aimed at teaching elementary school students how to pay attention, follow directions and control their emotions."
I was surprised to learn of these problems that have been developing in the Wichita Public Schools. That's because
John Allison, the immediate past superintendent, was universally praised by the school board and district administration. Allison left at the end of June after serving eight years to become superintendent in Olathe. Hopefully that district will not experience the erosion in discipline that Allison presided over in Wichita.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Ron and Susan Estes
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.
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School cash reserves nearly triple state budget requirement
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.
Click here for the full story.
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PEAK benefits across Kansas
The use of PEAK, a Kansas economic development incentive program, varies widely among counties.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Kansas Representative John Whitmer
In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Kansas Representative John Whitmer joins Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks to discuss current issues in state government, and why he supports Wink Hartman for governor. View
here. Episode 173, broadcast November 18, 2017.
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PEAK, or Promoting Employment Across Kansas
PEAK, a Kansas economic development incentive program, redirects employee income taxes back to the employing company.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita personal income up, a little
For 2016, personal income in Wichita rose, but is still below 2014 levels.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita employment up
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.
Click here for the full story.
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From Pachyderm: Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle
Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle addressed members and guests of the Wichita Pachyderm Club on November 10, 2017. School finance and the Kansas Supreme Court was a prominent topic.
Click here for the audio presentation.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau
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.
Click here for the full story.
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In Wichita, the surveillance state expands again - and again
In Wichita, we see another example of how once government starts a surveillance program, the urge to expand it is irresistible.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Matt Kibbe of Free the People
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.
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Wichita to look outside for management of engagement
Wichita decides to have someone else conduct public engagement.
Click here for the full story.
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Cost per visitor to Wichita cultural attractions
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
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas school spending
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.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita school board member Joy Eakins
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.
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Living in downtown Wichita
Wichita economic development officials use a circuitous method of estimating the population of downtown Wichita, producing a number much higher than Census Bureau estimates.
Click here for the full story.
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Downtown Wichita report omits formerly prominent data
The new State of Downtown Wichita report for 2017 is missing something. What is it, and why is it missing?
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita public school district transparency
Transparency issues surrounding the Wichita public school district are in the news. There are steps that are easy to make, but the district resists.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas school fund balances
Kansas school fund balances rose this year, in both absolute dollars and dollars per pupil.
Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.
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Wichita economy shrinks
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.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: John Fund, National Review Columnist
In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: National Review columnist John Fund joins Bob Weeks and Karl Peterjohn to discuss elections and their security. View here. Episode 168, broadcast October 8, 2017.
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Tax collections by the states
An interactive visualization of tax collections by state governments.
Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.
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WichitaLiberty:TV: Wichita economy, Kansas schools
In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Karl Peterjohn and Bob Weeks discuss some statistics regarding downtown Wichita and then the Kansas school finance court decision. View here. Episode 169, broadcast October 14, 2017.
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Downtown Wichita jobs decline
By the measure of jobs used by the City of Wichita, downtown jobs declined in 2015.
There is, however a serious problem with this data series, as it includes workers whose "administrative home" is downtown, even though they work somewhere else.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita, youthful and growing from the core
A letter writer tells Wichitans that "We have an opportunity to show the country the future of Wichita is youthful and bright, and its growing from the core out."
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas hotel tax collections
Kansas hotel guest tax collections presented in an interactive visualization.
Of note, while Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, Overland Park collects the most hotel guest tax. Of the largest markets in Kansas, Wichita has experienced the least growth in hotel tax collections since 2010.
Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.
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Kansas highway spending
A look at actual spending on Kansas highways, apart from transfers. Many criticize Kansas government for slashing highway spending, letting our roads crumble. While total spending on these four programs has been falling (after adjusting for inflation), the decline is minor compared to the hysterical claims of those with vested interests in more government, and especially highway, spending.
Click here for the full story.
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Voting to raise taxes in Kansas
Here are printable tables of voting on legislation that raised taxes in Kansas.
Click here for the full story.
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Sales tax incentives yes, but no relief on grocery sales tax
Is it equitable for business firms to pay no sales tax, while low-income families pay sales tax on groceries?
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita job growth
Wichita economic development efforts viewed in context.
The efforts of our economic development machinery are responsible for small proportions of the jobs we need to create. This assumes that the data regarding jobs and investment that Greater Wichita Partnership provides is correct.
Click here for the full story.
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Century II: The consultant's disclaimer
The report produced for the City of Wichita on Century II has a disclaimer that absolves pretty much everyone from any accountability.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas composite and college ready ACT scores drop in 2017
The ACT scores for the graduating class of 2017 have just been released and results for Kansas graduates is not encouraging. The overall composite of 21.7 is lower than the 21.9 achieved in 2016. A look inside the composite provides a portrait of consistently lower scores across all academic areas. From Kansas Policy Institute.
Click here for the full story.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Wichita and Kansas economies
In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Bob Weeks and Karl Peterjohn discuss issues regarding the Wichita and Kansas economies. View here. Episode 163, broadcast September 3, 2017.
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In Wichita, not your tax dollars
At a Wichita City Council meeting, citizens are told, "These tax dollars are not your tax dollars."
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita employment trends
While the unemployment rate in the Wichita metropolitan area has been declining, the numbers behind the decline are not encouraging.
Click here for the full story.
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If you aren't getting email from Voice for Liberty
Troubleshoot why you aren't getting email from Voice for Liberty or other senders.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita WaterWalk contract not followed, again
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Metro area employment and unemployment
An interactive visualization of labor force, employment, and unemployment rate for all metropolitan areas in the United States.
Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.
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Naftzger Park tax increment financing (TIF)
Background on tax increment financing (TIF) as applied to Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita MSA employment series
Charts of employment in the Wichita metro area, along with Kansas and the United States.
Since 1990 the country has experienced three recessions. For the first two, Wichita was able to catch up with the employment growth experienced by the entire nation. For the most recent recession, however, this hasn't been the case. In fact, as time has progressed since 2010, the gap between Wichita and the nation has grown. Wichita is falling farther behind.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas Freedom Index for 2017
Kansas Policy Institute has released the completed Freedom Index for 2017. Did your legislators support or oppose economic freedom?
Click here for the full story.
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More Cargill incentives from Wichita detailed
More, but likely not all, of the Cargill incentives will be before the Wichita City Council this week.
In the past, economic development subsidies of this type were justified by local governments as necessary to
recruit new companies to the area. These subsidies, however, are used simply to
retain a company that is already located in downtown Wichita.
Click here for the full story.
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Decoding Duane Goossen
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Downtown Wichita jobs, sort of
The claim of 26,000 workers in downtown Wichita is based on misuse of data so blatant it can be described only as malpractice.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas employment by industry
An interactive visualization of Kansas employment by industry.
Click here for the full story.
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Airport traffic statistics, 2016
Airport traffic data presented in an interactive visualization, updated through 2016. A few observations regarding Wichita airport traffic as compared to the nation:
- Since 2014, passenger traffic at the Wichita airport has been level, while increasing for the nation.
- The number of departures has been declining in Wichita, while level and increasing for the nation.
- The number of available seats on departing flights from Wichita has been mostly level while rising for the nation.
Click here for the full story and interactive visualization.
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Wichita post-recession job growth
Since 1990 the country has experienced three recessions. For the first two of these, Wichita was able to catch up with the employment growth experienced by the entire nation.
For the most recent recession, however, this hasn't been the case. In fact, as time progressed since 2010, the gap between Wichita and the nation has grown.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita, Kansas, and U.S. economic dashboards
Dashboards of economic indicators for Wichita and Kansas, compared to the United States.
Click here for the full story.
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Census data for downtown Wichita workers
Is the presentation of the number of workers in downtown Wichita an innocent mistake, mere incompetence, or a willful lie?
Click here for the full story.
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Rich States, Poor States, 2107 edition
In
Rich States, Poor States, Kansas improves its middle-of-the-pack performance, but continues with a mediocre forward-looking forecast.
Click here for the full story.
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Medicaid expansion survey in Kansas
Should Kansans accept the results of a public opinion poll when little is known about it?
Click here for the full story.
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Downtown Wichita business trends
There has been much investment in Downtown Wichita, both public and private. What has been the trend in business activity during this time?
Click here for the full story.
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Fake government spawns fake news
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.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas revenue estimates
Kansas revenue estimates are frequently in the news and have become a political issue. Here's a look at them over the past decades.
Click here for the full story.
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Wichita property tax rate: Level
The City of Wichita says it hasn't raised its property tax mill levy in many years. For this year, the city is correct.
Click here for the full story.
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Downtown Wichita tax base is not growing
There's been much investment in downtown Wichita, we're told, but the assessed value of property isn't rising.
Click here for the full story.
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Kansas state school assessments
An interactive presentation of Kansas state school assessment scores at the state, district, and building levels.
Click here for the full story.
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Accountability in Kansas public schools
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.
Click here for the full story.
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In Wichita, the phased approach to water supply can save a bundle
In 2014 the City of Wichita recommended voters spend $250 million on a new water supply. But since voters rejected the tax to support that spending, the cost of providing adequate water has dropped, and dropped a lot.
Click here for the full story. |
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