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.

What's The Problem In Kansas?

When commenting on the State of Kansas’ budget shortfall, House Speaker Ray Merrick is quoted as saying, “We do not have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem." In Mr. Merrick’s mind the fact that you, as a Kansas citizen, want drivable highways, is a problem. The fact that you want restaurants inspected before you contract e-coli is a problem. The fact that you would like BTK and the Carr brothers to remain incarcerated is a problem. What is definitely not a problem, in his view, is the fact that owners of “S” Corporations have been excused from paying state income taxes. The Speaker believes that it is not a problem that the employees of those corporations, and all the other workers, are expected to pick up the revenue shortage.
Governor Brownback and his GOP minions will have a difficult time solving the state’s financial mess because they are incapable of recognizing that the actual problem is Governor Brownback and his GOP minions.


Note: The photograph does not depict Mr. Brownback or Mr. Merrick, it is just a generic guy failing to recognize problems.

Welcome to Kansas, Pat and Sarah !

Headline: Sarah Palin to appear at pancake breakfast with Pat Roberts in Independence, Kansas
Note of welcome to the state from the TTFFIATT(IAT):

So happy that you and Mrs. Palin are visiting Independence! I have made a Google map that highlights some things you two can look at. I've marked a car dealership that employs local people selling cars built in America. Remember how you wanted to all those people to lose their jobs? Then swing by the hospital where people who can now afford health insurance go when they are sick or injured. I have also marked the location of one of the cemeteries will people will end up if you "repeal and replace" Obamacare. I realize that deaths from treatable disease will never affect you or Mrs. Palin, so maybe you should go take a look at the graveyard. I've shown on the map a block in a "working class" neighborhood, just in case you never see these in Virginia. The people here are much less likely to be unemployed, now that that the GOP is no longer in the White House. Also, many of these people have 401k retirement plans that are in good shape now (remember how you railed against the "failed stimulus"). The citizens of Independence, Mrs. Palin, and you have all benefited from the huge increase in the Dow-Jones, so drop on by the stock brokers and check your portfolios. Sen. Roberts, enjoy your visit to Kansas. https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0...

Hey, State of Kansas, send me some information

The State of Kansas is one of the stingy states that has decided not to expand Medicaid to cover those citizens who do not qualify for subsidies under "Obamacare"; you know, one of the states that has an excuse to let citizens of low to moderate means get sick and then die.
We here at the Think Tank have written the following letter/Open records request to agencies in Topeka as small reminder to those in charge that we have noticed what they have done. A tiny reminder that they have publicly displayed their disregard for certain groups of potential voters.
Letters have gone to the Governor, the Department of Revenue, the Insurance Commissioner, and the Secretary of State.

Sir:

I am requesting information under the Open Records Act. There are citizens of the State of  Kansans who, because of their income level, fall into a health care dark zone. They make too much money for Medicaid in the State of Kansas but, they are too poor to receive subsidies to help pay for private insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Please send me list of all Kansans who do not qualify for Kancare and make less than 138% of the poverty line. Include their addresses and phone numbers so that I can contact these people and point out that elected officials in Topeka are deliberately making their lives more difficult. I will also make sure they know that they have the right to register to vote and elect officials who do not hate citizens who make less than 138% of the poverty line.

Thank  you.

Sincerely,

AB Campbell

I expect to get letters of denial but maybe I'll get audited, or maybe my voter status will be revoked, or maybe I'll get a speeding ticket whenever I leave the house. Such occurrences would only confirm what the refusal to expand Medicaid has shown us; the government of Kansas hates the citizens of Kansas.

I Would Rather Talk About Obamacare, Thank You

My latest letter designed to annoy the Foxwatchers who also read the Hays Daily News.

A co-worker told me that Obamacare is “messing up the country”, I replied that making health care available to more of our fellow citizens is actually “fixing up the country”. I was struck by how nice it is that we were discussing the minutia of the insurance industry, as opposed to subjects that concerned us in the near-recent past.
It has been some time since we analyzed the plummeting Dow-Jones index. We no longer have to discuss the body bags returning from Iraq. Despite the wishes of some of our Senators, we do not currently have to talk about body bags returning from Iran or Syria. This is undeniably a good thing for everyone.
Most people would rather have our most pressing issue be health insurance rates; as opposed to when we were concerned with collapsing buildings and the resulting thousands of casualties. We should be happy that we no longer have to talk about the economy shedding thousands of jobs each month.
Given the alternative topics from recent history, I am glad to discuss the changes taking place in our health care system; changes which will make health care better. Recent newspaper coverage leads me to believe the Hays Medical Center shares my outlook concerning the future of American health care, as they expand buildings and services. I am glad Senator Moran was in town to see this optimism first hand.


Published Dec 15, 2013

We Need Representation

The following letter was published in the Hays Daily News, another in a series of letters wherein the Think Tank For Freedom in America to Think (In A Tank) tells the world how to behave. We suggested the headline, Damn, Tim Huelskamp Sure Does Suck, but the newspaper had their own ideas.

The agreement ending the recent government shutdown included a provision that a conference committee will meet to work out a budget, based on the differing budget bills passed in each of the houses of Congress. This is the process described in the Constitution, which differs from the recent practice of passing Continuing Resolutions that just extend an old budget bill. This House/Senate committee should produce a bill that work to satisfy the citizen’s needs and concerns (national debt,  economic growth, individual liberties, etc., etc. etc.). This important budget bill will then be voted upon by the entire Congress, including our Representative in the House, Tim Huelskamp.
Tim’s voting history and public pronouncements tell us that no budget will be austere enough, no budget will cut your Social Security enough, no budget will close national monuments enough. His input will be neither sought nor considered, because everyone knows Congressman Huelskamp will vote “NO”. That means that we, the voters of the 1st District of Kansas, will not be represented in this budget process; just as we are no longer represented in the House Agriculture Committee.
We don’t like it when drug peddlers are in the Sheriff’s Office, we would not want an arsonist running the Fire Department, and we would not select an atheist to be our parish priest. So why did we elect a person who dislikes government and is a person who believes the “government is the problem”? Should we be surprised that Washington has problems when we sent a government-hater to help run the place?
Let’s send someone who believes government can work for us and will endeavor to make sure government will work for us; as opposed to sending someone who believes in obstruction, destruction, and vandalism.
No word yet from any of Rep. Tim's many offices.
This letter points out a problem, but does not lay out any possible solutions. Who could better represent us in the House of Representatives? I don't know.
In this respect, I am similar to the GOP, with their "Repeal and Replace" suggestion for health care. Replace Obamacare with what? We don't know.