Legislator Train Wreck

In February, some members of the Kansas Legislature were so upset with the judiciary that they introduced to bill to impeach judges who "usurp the authority of the legislature"; but then this month, the legislature gave away their precious authority to make a budget. They had the Governor make the decisions how to cut $97 Million. More cuts to services, following cuts made in previous years. Cuts that were necessary despite increases in sales taxes, property taxes, license fees. Some have likened the state of the Kansas economy to a "rolling dumpster fire", I prefer the more traditional "train wreck".

Before the upcoming election we need to ask incumbent legislators, "Were you complicit in the train wreck or were you too weak or just unwilling to stop it? Either way, why don't you give someone else a chance to do the right thing?"

 

MERIT PAY FOR LEGISLATORS

A system for Merit Pay for Kansas legislators is being debated by a committee of teachers meeting this week in Topeka. “There should be a way to reward the good ones with bonus pay and a way to run out the bad ones,” said Mrs. Brown, a veteran teacher from Elm Heights Elementary. The committee seemed divided on a method of determining the legislators who deserve merit pay.
“It would be easy to measure statehouse excellence,” argues Mr. Jenner, a P.E. teacher at small rural school, “grade them on attendance, proper attire, and number of bills introduced. Highest score gets extra pay.”  “That not a equitable method; some House Members serve on committees that handle a small number of complex bills, while others may crank out many bills naming state buildings after famous Kansas veterans,” replied Mr. Pascal, the committee’s Special Ed representative.
A few members seemed tired from the amount of thought that Merit Pay creation task was requiring and suggested the Governor and the Majority Leader of each chamber could hand out the extra pay as they saw fit. The German instructor, Herr Hogan, felt that this method would be the easiest because those in charge of the Legislature know who is most deserving of the extra pay. “Dedication, innovation, extra effort are nice, but a truly effective politician is one who gets along with superiors. Where we having lunch?”
“Wouldn’t this create more problems?” asked a concerned Sister Lois, “We might have Senators literally and figuratively stabbing each other in the back to get this merit pay. Can we assess them all based on cumulative outcomes for the whole Legislature?”
“That sounds like communism. And I should know, I’m in Social Studies.” said Dr. Camus.
“Don’t you teach Philosophy?”
“I may or I may not be the Philosophy Instructor, “ replied Camus, lighting cigarette as he sat beneath a  No Smoking Sign.
“If we give all the Legislators a pay raise, that would signal that we as teachers value their work, their contribution to the State of Kansas? And we sure wouldn’t want that!”
“Let’s forget this merit pay thing and concentrate on paying them less, taking away job protections, and making it easy to fire them,” said the Chairman, Mr. Walker. “You know, like we always do.”
“All right, meeting adjourned. Where we having lunch?”

Planned Parenthood Investigation

The Kansas Board of Healing Arts announced that an investigation of Planned Parenthood in Kansas found no violations of the laws concerning fetal tissue donation. This comes soon after Governor Sam Brownback's order that Planned Parenthood be punished with a loss of Medicaid funds for "selling baby parts"; actions which we now have confirmed, never occurred.
In other Brownbackistan news, motorists who do not exceed the speed limits will be ticketed by the Kansas Highway Patrol, homeowners who pay property taxes on time will be fined, and prisoners who do not escape will have their sentences extended.

Islamaphobe Cartoon Contest

Our Muslim radio friend, Dean Obeidallah, sponsored the Draw Your Favorite  Islamaphobe Contest (you can hear Dean's show Saturdays, Ch 121 Sirius/XM). We here at TTFFIATT(IAT) can not pass up a contest, so we had two entries,  lampooning Lindsay Graham and Pamela Geller. One a professional fright-monger and the other a professional hate-monger. Not that there is anything wrong with mongers; no one has trouble with fishmongers or ice cream conemongers. The important difference is the commodity  that is being peddled.

I didn't win. Didn't even make the final eight. Dean is still my only Muslim friend (despite his error in cartoon judgement).

KS Legislature april 15

GOP stands up for individual rights - unless  you are poor 

 "25 bucks is all you get, scum! (Although many ATMs give out cash in multiples of $20) so, $20 is all you get, scum, because of FREEDOM!"

Cash is fungible, you won't be able to tell if a recipient is using his/her benefits "correctly". A person who uses TANF cash to pay rent will free up money earned at work to pay for cruises, diamond rings, municipal bonds, bail bonds, or contributions to political candidates.  (You were aware TANF requires recipients be employed). This is about government punishing poor people. If you truly cared about doing something for poor people, you would raise the minimum wage so that there would be fewer poor people.

P.S. Concerning HCR 5010 - If the Constitution gives state governments the right/duty to "protect the liberty of our People", then legislatures around the country, and in particular, the Kansas legislature, have done a pretty poor job. In particular, the efforts to making voting more difficult, the denial of health insurance to low income citizens, the shifting of tax burden from state government to local governments, and the embrace of the Laffer curve, and the creation of a system of legalized bribery called campaign contributions. Thankfully, there is a Federal government that, in some cases, can save us from our neighbors at the state capitol.

Could Something of Interest be Happening Somewhere Other Than Kansas?

Minnesota                            Kansas

Just in case you didn’t read this in the news, in 2010 the people of Minnesota elected a Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, an heir to the Target fortune.  Gov. Dayton raised income taxes on individuals making more than $150,000 a year, and on couples earning more than $250,000. He also began raising the State minimum wage, it will reach $9.50 an hour in 2018.
I am sure that at the time, some said, “You can’t raise taxes on the Job Creators or force them to pay employees more!  The Corporations and small business owners will stop hiring, shut down, and then move away!!”
However, what they saw in Minnesota was an increase in tax revenue, an increase in employment, and an increase of the median income. Not only did the richest citizens not move away, the improving economy has increased the number of tax payers in the $150,000 + tax bracket. The state has a $1 Billion budget surplus as of January 2015. The Governor is going to apply one third of the surplus to public education. That’s right, an increase in school funds. Minnesota  also set up a State exchange under the Affordable Care Act and they expanded Medicare to make health insurance available to the poorest of it’s citizens. (Which cost the state $0).
Compare those facts to what you have read in the news. The State of Kansas stopped collecting taxes on it’s richest citizens, it has refused to increase wages for the lowest earning citizens. Budget deficits are forcing the State to delay/renege on pension promises made to employees. Funds intended for highway projects are being detoured to cover budget shortfalls. Expenses once covered by the State are being shifted to local governments who have had to raise property taxes. Public education funds that were promised are being sliced in the middle of the school year. Some Kansans who had no healthcare coverage were able to buy coverage through the Federal exchange, but the refusal to expand Medicaid has left some of our fellow citizens in a black hole of health insurance; too rich for Kansas Medicaid but too poor for subsidized coverage.
During the last election Sam Brownback said that the “Sun is shining in Kansas, don’t let anyone tell you different.” Well, facts are telling us that the sun IS shining, but apparently in Minnesota. Here, not so much.

NCIS: Gilligan's Island

Inside sources are telling me that CBS is adding to it's multi-platform NCIS franchise. NCIS: Gilligan's Island is currently being cast. Eric Stonestreet is regarded as the favorite for the lead role of Chief Investigator Thurston Howell V. Other names mentioned are The Rock, Vern Troyer and that "You can call me Ray, you can call me Jay" guy who, despite what you thought, is still alive.
The producers are denying that the role of Goth/Nerd forensics gal has been offered to Lisa Minelli. Queen Latifa, J Lo, J Law, or Kim Kardashian's cloths-wearing sister are more likely to win the role.
Old Wise Doctor will be played by Mr. Barbra Streisand James Brolin, who got his TV medical license on Marcus Welby M.D.
Filming is scheduled to begin April 31, next year.