One must look no further for evidence of this than KAKE Channel 10′s website where a condensed version was published under the byline of the Associated Press with no mention of “Analysis,” “Opinion” or otherwise with it.

The fact is in the past decade, “Analysis” has become in vogue with the press to justify using opinion pieces as news. Some claim it to be the brainchild of the mainstream media attempting to further influence the electorate. More likely it is simply the symptom of a press corps seriously strapped for cash partly due to them being completely out of touch on how to report real news relevant to the public.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear they are written in an attempt to publish select facts and influence the public. In this instance, it appears Milburn is attempting to explain away Brownback’s superior proposals on education in Kansas. It’s interesting that in attempting to place blame on the courts rather than the politicians for out of control education spending, Milburn actually validates past arguments by conservatives that unelected judges in Kansas virtually control over half the state’s budget.

While in the actual piece this isn’t necessarily the explicit message, it’s interesting to note this piece from the KAKE Channel 10 revision.

Both Republican Sam Brownback and Democrat Tom Holland say they will focus on preserving what they see as an excellent system of K-12 schools. Where they differ is how they would steer the behemoth system that consumes more than 50 percent of the state budget.

History would suggest that it’s more likely that litigation, not pontification, will decide the course.

In the past two decades, action or the threat of from the Kansas Supreme Court has played a bigger role than activity in the Statehouse.

If these last two sentences are true, then that means that unelected and unaccountable judges control our tax dollars and how they are spent, not elected officials who represent the people. This stronger language by KAKE 10 shows the power of “Analysis” pieces by the press and how they can morph into a story of their own. It just so happens that KAKE happened to take the piece in a direction that highlighted past arguments made by conservatives.

The piece also once again highlights Holland’s curious stance against revising the state’s finance formula due to increased property taxes while simultaneously advocating for increasing a district’s local option budget.

In any case, the public can analyze this, “Analysis” is just another word for “Editorial.”

And will an un-elected Democrat Secretary of State give Republican candidates the run around?

State Representative Bill Light

State Representative Bill Light withdrew his candidacy for re-election to the Kansas House May 12. Light was facing a strong conservative challenge in the August primary by Dan Widder of Ulysses.

In a Hutchinson News article, Light claimed that his retirement had nothing to do with his conservative challenger, even claiming that he didn’t know Widder. However, the article notes that Light filed for re-election in January and told the Hutchinson News in November that he liked to file in January before the start of a legislative session, “so that all will know my intentions.”

When contacted, Widder stated that he had attended a legislative coffee a few weeks ago where he questioned Light about the upcoming budget debate. While he didn’t disclose his planned challenge to Light, he said that Light certainly knew who he was.

So apparently something happened during this legislative session that changed Light’s mind about serving another term. That something, I believe, is Light’s realization that voting for a massive tax increase and facing a serious conservative challenger meant his chances at winning another term were little to none.

When asked about Light’s withdraw, Widder reiterated that it changed nothing as far as he is concerned.

“I don’t plan to do anything differently,” Widder stated.

In his bid to be placed on the ballot, Widder and campaign volunteers collected the signatures of more than 175 registered Republicans in his district. Widder stated that he contacted the Kansas Secretary of State’s office prior to beginning to collect signatures and asked what the procedures were for being placed on the ballot via petition. Widder’s campaign then collected the signatures and submitted them to the Sec. of State’s office.

However the Sec. of State rejected the petitions stating that they needed to be signed by the volunteers that collected the signatures, according to Widder. So he directed all volunteers that collected signatures to sign the petition and resubmitted it to the Sec. of State’s office.

Once again, Widder said, the petition was rejected. This time another contact in the Sec. of State’s office said that each page of the petition needed to be signed on the back with the volunteer that collected those signatures. Widder stated that he simply put all the signatures together into one petition and had all volunteers sign together. Further, the Sec. of State’s office claimed that volunteers should have only signed and dated the petition after collecting all of the signatures. Due to time constraints and lack of communication with the Sec. of State’s office, Widder elected to file by fee.

Widder claimed that he made numerous phone calls to the Sec. of State’s office before beginning to collect signatures and at no time did anyone detail to him that volunteers must sign the back of each petition page they collected. Widder said each time he called he seemed to get a different reason why he couldn’t file via petition.

The Sec. of State’s office is currently being held by un-elected Democrat Chris Biggs. Biggs is one of five Democrats holding statewide office that were not elected but rather appointed by either former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius or current Gov. Mark Parkinson. Both Sebelius and Parkinson appointed only Democrats, regardless of the party affiliation of the previous office holder.

And as this Kansas Liberty article notes, Bigg’s appointment also means that the state’s three person canvassing board is now held entirely by unelected Democrats. The board is tasked with verifying the state’s election results.

The 124th House district may be a template for the rest of the state and a significant sign of how the August elections may pan out. Gov. Parkinson and other Democrats claim that they will be rewarded for raising taxes on Kansas families, but Light’s withdraw seems to indicate that liberal Democrats and Republicans know otherwise.

Democrat Dennis Moore also withdrew for re-election this year after voting in favor of national health care and multiple bailouts. The two situations are eerily similar.

Raj Goyle, D-Wichita

Only two House Democrats voted against the massive budget bill in the House yesterday, one that will require the largest tax increase in Kansas history. One was Patrick Maloney of Kingman. He replaced Dennis McKinney, who is one of many Democrats to be appointed to a statewide seat. The other was Raj Goyle of Wichita.

Goyle is a former ACLU attorney and liberal member of the Kansas House. Goyle is running for Congress in the fourth congressional district around Wichita, and just recently was the only House Democrat who voted to end the corporate income tax in Kansas. This vote was very out of character for him, and this weekend’s budget vote was even more strange.

Goyle has a measly 9% rating with APF-Kansas for the 2009 legislative session.

Could it be that Goyle is now voting how he knows the voters in Wichita want him to vote, just so he can get elected to Congress and then later vote however he wants, a la Dennis Moore?

Nahhh, that’d never happen.

They are going to debate this on the Senate floor as early as Monday next week. I don’t have a bill number handy but they all know what you talking about if you refer to the budget and proposed taxes.

This has not been a good week for conservatives in the Senate. On Wednesday the Senate defeated a motion to pull a proposed constitutional amendment out of committee – one that would have let you vote on federal health care this fall – and voted down a community of defense act. That last one is an example of how some Senators tell you one thing in person (of course I’m for lower taxes or health care freedom) but then when their vote matters, they vote differently. The Senators had known for weeks the CDA would be voted on when they returned as it was debated the last day of the regular session, then delayed until a date certain, that date being April 28. And still we have one Senator who voted yes, until it was passing, then switched to no. And as aggravating as that is to watch, what’s even more appalling is when I hear Senators voting no on this because it would cost some jobs – yet those same people want to raise your taxes. I suppose that makes sense in their minds, people can’t pay taxes if they don’t have a job, so who are we to say it’s a job that’s not good for society. Decency and morals apparently don’t factor in, whether it’s in how we make money or how we tax the people.

I think most of you would like to know how your Senator voted on the above measure. Our friends at the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families created a spreadsheet (linked here) showing you their votes and their contact info. Please feel free to use this information to let your elected Senators know your thoughts this weekend. I also encourage you to share your thoughts here on this blog as well!

At the Wichita School Board meeting, Harold Schlechtweg, business representative of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 513, outlined the union’s efforts to pack a Sedgwick County legislative forum. The effort was so coordinated that Schlechtweg was able to list signs that were present at the forum and detail efforts of Wichita State University education students coming in to make calls to district employees. At one point, he even becomes somewhat confused and referred to the event as a “rally” rather than a legislative forum for the public.

Oh, oops, “I shouldn’t call it that!”

Do SEIU members have a right to be at these forums? Absolutely. Is it the union’s right to organize these people into a tax and spend frenzy? You bet. But isn’t this just the kind of actions that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called “astroturfing?”

In light of a new plan by Senate conservatives to replace the budget shortfall with revenue from the sale of state property, are schools and spending advocates really concerned about this budget or do they just want to hike taxes? According to those at the forum on Saturday, SEIU attendees shouted down legislators who were trying to save the budget with this plan. Is this not what spending advocates wanted: more spending?

With a plan on deck that would “save” the budget, shouldn’t SEIU members cheer their victory? Or maybe it’s not about the spending at all? With a plan that achieves their spending goals but not their tax desires, the SEIU supporters on Saturday showed themselves to be nothing more than tax happy bureaucrats who could care less about their neighbor who’s out of a job or taken a pay cut in this down economy.

The SEIU forum crashers care about one thing and one thing only: raising your taxes. Regardless of achieving their own spending desires, regardless of their out of work neighbors and certainly regardless of the payments future generations will be making for decades to come.

A search for each author’s name was performed in Newsbank. Newsbank has current articles from the Emporia Gazette, the Hays Daily News, the Hutchinson News, the Manhattan Mercury, the Newton Kansan, the Ottawa Herald, the Southwest Daily Times, the Topeka Capital-Journal, and the Wichita Eagle. An additional search was performed for the Kansas City Star (which is headquartered in Kansas City, MO and not included in Kansas searches in Newsbank) and online with the Lawrence Journal-World. (The Journal-World keeps previous news coverage online, unlike other the other newspapers that take down their articles after a certain period of time.)

The search for “Art Hall” returned two relevant articles in 2010, one from the Wichita Eagle and another from the Hutchinson News. These articles covered Hall’s testimony to a Kansas House committee. A third article in the Kansas City Star mentioned Hall’s findings but his study wasn’t the focus of the article. A search of the Star’s and Eagle’s blogs returned no entries.

The search for “John Wong” returned many relevant articles. An April 20 article in the Wichita Eagle outlines the study’s findings, as well as a special blog entry on the 19th. The study was also highlighted in a budget piece in the Eagle’s regular section on the 19th. This was all followed up with a favorable editorial three days later.

Similarly, an April 20 article in the Hutchinson News highlights the pro-tax study, as well as an article in the Kansas City Star. The Lawrence Journal-World had an article online devoted to the study, however a search of ljworld.com revealed no such article for the KU study. The Topeka Capital-Journal also featured the Wong study, with no such balance provided to the Hall study.

Perhaps the slant in coverage is due to the study’s findings, or even it’s timing. It’s certainly too bad that the Kansas media can’t be bothered to examine the two studies and detail their differences. At the very least it should be worthwhile to note that the pro-tax study was done in a vacuum and only covers one year, while the KU study takes into account changes in spending habits and long term effects over a six year period.

The tale of these two studies may end up being a sad testimony to the state of the Kansas media rather than how badly a tax hike would be to our state’s economy.

The study concluded that a sales tax increase would cost private sector employment, but would fuel government jobs, thus saving close to 2,000 in the first year. The study confirmed a January study by Dr. Art Hall of the University of Kansas who ran a 6 year projection of over 26,000 private sector lost jobs. Monday’s study by Dr. John Wong of WSU only made one year projections.

Monday’s study received significant media coverage because of it’s pro-tax sympathies, while Hall’s January study received little attention.

Read more at:

• Studies Agree: A Sales Tax Increase Kills Jobs
• Who’s Really Behind Pro-Sales Tax Study
• Opposition blasts Wong report stating increase in taxes better than budget cuts

“Other candidates talk about opposing taxes, but Tim Huelskamp has a proven track record of fighting tax increases to prove it,” said Huelskamp spokesman David Ray. “That’s why he won numerous awards for keeping taxes low and why the Club for growth has endorsed him.”

In additional to high profile national endorsements, Sen. Huelskamp was one of only two candidates to gain a preference vote of the Kansas Republican Assembly Board of Directors. To gain a KRA Board Preference, candidates had to get a 4/5ths vote from board members. In addition to being a friend of the taxpayer, Sen. Huelskamp has been a friend of the pro-life and pro-marriage movement in Kansas and has proven to voters he is worthy of their vote.

The KRA encourages you to donate $25 to the Huelskamp campaign today to help keep this message on the air.

• Huelskamp launches television ad
• Air war begins in Kansas first district GOP primary
• Huelskamp Launches First TV Ad

There are multitudes of lobbyists in Topeka sent on the taxpayer dime. They vary from local governments like cities and counties to many local school districts and now apparently even state departments like KDOT. Contrary to common sense, taxpayer funded lobbying is not illegal.

Certainly heads of various state departments go to the capital and regularly advocate for more money. It has essentially become standard operating procedure to ask for more than you need. It is, however, a giant step in the wrong direction for the head of a department to use state resources to outright advocate for a tax increase to pad the departments pockets.

Using state resources in this way is disturbing. But in addition to that, watch the video below and ask yourself these questions:

• Why does Secretary Miller never use the words “tax increase?”
• If Kansas roads have improved so dramatically since the 1980′s, why is a “revenue increase” needed to “spur economic development across the state?” If more roads equals more economic activity, shouldn’t tax revenues have increased as well? Or does that perhaps lend evidence to the argument that more transportation funding does not equal more economic activity?
• Why does KDOT note that new construction spending is less than in the 1970′s when they say a tax increase is needed for system “preservation?” Doesn’t preservation by definition mean there wouldn’t be new construction?

I certainly for one will not argue against more roads and better infrastructure. Preservation of the system should be a priority. However, the funds to do so must be found within the state’s current revenue stream.

Secretary Miller wants Kansans to believe that they should give more money to the government in the name of more economic activity. If that is the case, why not just go ahead and give the government everything you make and let them spend what they see fit first and then give you the rest? After all, if more money spent by the government is such a good thing, this strategy should quickly result in unprecedented state wealth.

To pass, the amendment needs a two-thirds supermajority of 84 votes in the House. Today’s vote was 76-44. Listed below is how the votes came down according to party and yea or nay. Click the members name to get their contact information and call, fax and email them TODAY.

Republican Yeas: Aurand, Bethell, Bowers, Brookens, Brown A, Brunk, Burgess, Carlson, Colloton, Craft, Crum, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, George, Goico, Gordon, Grange, Hayzlett, Hermanson, Hineman, Holmes C, Holmes M, Horst, Huebert, Jack, Kelley, Kerschen, Kiegerl, King, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox, Landwehr, Light, Mast, McLeland, Merrick, Morrison, Moxley, Myers, Neufeld, O’Brien, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Patton, Peck, Pottorff, Powell, Prescott, Proehl, Rhoades, Schroeder, Schwab, Schwartz, Seiwert, Shultz, Siegfreid, Spalding, Suellentrop, Swanson, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Whitham, Wolf B, Wolf K, Worley, Yoder.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Republicans below and ask them why they voted against limited government.

Republican NAYS: Nays: Bollier, Hill, Quigley, Roth, Sloan.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Democrats below and ask them to once again vote yea. They will be under pressure to change their vote.

Democrat YEAS: Lukert, Maloney, Meier, Palmer, Svaty, Wetta, Williams.

Contact (preferably by phone) the Democrats below and ask them why they voted nea and ask them to change their vote.

Democrat NAYS: Ballard, Barnes, Benlon, Brown T, Burroughs, Carlin, Crow, Davis, Dillmore, Feuerborn, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, Furtado, Garcia, Gatewood D, Gatewood S, Goyle, Grant, Henry, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Mah, McCray-Miller, Menghini, Neighbor, Pauls, Phelps, Rardin, Ruiz, Slattery, Swenson, Talia, Tietze, Trimmer, Ward, Winn.

These Representatives didn’t vote. Keep in mind that they may have not been able to vote due to illness. Contact (preferably by phone) the Representatives below and ask them to make an effort to vote for the Healthcare Freedom Amendment.

Didn’t Vote: Fund (most likely would have been a yea, is currently hospitalized according to fellow House members), Hawk, Henderson, Johnson, Peterson.

As a quasi government agency, Amtrak has been loosing money for years and only continues to operate because of federal subsidies. While federal money is outside the control of KDOT, a KDOT press release notes the one time infrastructure improvement costs and annual operating cost of the four different plans.

For example, the first plan estimates an annual ridership of 92,500 at an annual cost burden to the state of $3.2 million. This doesn’t include an estimated $114 million in improvements for the line to operate. And the $114 million doesn’t include local improvements like platforms and train stations, which would have to be provided by local Kansas communities. Just taking into account the state’s annual costs, it comes to $34.60 per rider.

A more expensive alternative would bring in an estimated 174,000 annual riders but would cost the state $8 million a year in operating expenses. Excluding $476 million in infrastructure improvements, that’s just under $46 a rider. If one includes the infrastructure costs and extends out annual costs for 30 years, the cost per rider increases to just over $137 a rider.

Why would KDOT push for a service that would require $8 million a year be taken from their budget when they are canceling new construction and repair projects left and right? Rather than subsidize passenger rail service to potentially $46 a rider or more, couldn’t those millions of dollars be better spent maintaining Kansas roads that would benefit everyone rather than the few who find passenger rail service so nostalgic that they advocate government subsidies to keep Amtrak going?

Couple this with a continuing push to renovate the state capital because ‘material is so cheap’ and lawmakers so desperate to tax rather than cut spending that soda pop is now on the radar, and it certainly leaves Kansas taxpayers wondering just what happened to our government’s priorities.

Results of the KRA fourth district poll

Looks like a lot of fourth district campaigns “got out the voters” so to speak in the just closed KRA poll.

Dick Kelsey won 41% of the total votes with a record 5,110 votes. Jim Anderson was second with 34% of the vote and Mike Pompeo was third with 24%.

Results as of last Friday can be found here. Clearly a few campaigns motivated some folks to sit by the computer and vote their heart out. It’s always nice to have dedicated volunteers!

Tim Huelskamp was the previous run away winner in the first district poll. While here, take the time to vote in our new poll on how to fund additional highway improvements in Kansas. (Yes, you can vote AGAINST tax increases if your heart desires. I somehow figured out how to include that in the poll.)

You can vote for one or two options in the new poll on your right.

State Representatives Peggy Mast (R-Emporia) and David Crum (R-Augusta) sent a letter this week to Attorney General Steve Six, requesting that his Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Unit conduct a formal investigation to determine whether SRS violated Medicaid funding rules when it directly awarded $712,000 in extraordinary funding to Community Living Opportunities (CLO) in November, 2008.

Rep. Mast chairs the House Social Service Budget Committee and serves on the House Health and Human Services Committee as well as the Joint Committee on Home and Community-Based Services Committee.

Rep. Crum is Vice-Chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee and serves on the House Social Service Budget Committee.

Rep. Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita), who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee, said she was pleased Reps. Mast and Crum requested the investigation.

“Kansans deserve a determination whether SRS has again violated Medicaid funding rules through its funding decisions.  If the Attorney General’s investigation does find SRS at fault, those responsible for and involved with the additional funding decision should be held accountable for their actions,” Chairman Landwehr said.

Kansas Liberty is also covering this story and has additional background information. AG Six has said he’ll look into it but won’t comment during the investigation.

Queen Kathleen and Democratic Senator Arlen Specter attended a town hall meeting in Philadelphia where the two were trying to convince a large audience that they knew what was best for the nations health care system. Imagine their surprise when the audience insisted they read legislation before they pass it and stop and think about what exactly they’re doing before they vote. Sounds reasonable, right? Not for Queen Kathleen.

Now, isn’t Kathleen Sebelius the one who was Governor of Kansas when they passed legislation, which, by the way, no Representative or Senator had read, that allowed the state to become the first in the nation to own casinos. And since that time, hasn’t the state only broken ground on one casino when four were planned and has had to bid and rebid casinos across the state because company after company passes on building in Kansas? Now, wasn’t gambling supposed to solve all of our state’s financial problems forever and ever Kathleen?

So, how did that bill that nobody read work out anyway???

So with that in mind, get a load of the explanation she tries to pass off to the crowd.

“I’ve never been in Congress.”

I love it! But you had no problem signing a bill as Governor that you knew full well no one had read. And look what it’s gotten us!

Oh, and isn’t Arlen Specter one of three “Republican” Senators who voted for a “Stimulus” bill that none of them had read?

That crowd had every right to boo not only Specter, but Sebelius right off the stage. Both have a clear history of endorsing the kind of behavior that has gotten us into this mess and they both deserve to be told exactly what they heard yesterday in Pennsylvania.

A TEE Party activist displays his T-shirt

Around 80 citizens attended AFP’s TEE Party in the capital. Activists stood outside the House chambers to greet legislators as they entered and then moved to the viewing balcony to see our government at work. One activist had a campaign flyer from her Senator stating that she had worked to remove the franchise tax, eliminate the estate tax and make Kansas a more tax friendly state. She planned to remind her Senator what she said on the campaign trail.

At noon activist regrouped for a quick lunch. A few legislators joined the group including Sens. Susan Wagle, Dick Kelsey, Mike Petersen and Rep. Steve Brunk. A few organizers quickly addressed the group, including FairTax from Kansas City, Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn and grassroots activist and TEA Party organizer Amanda Grosserode.

FairTax activists have plan in place to bring the FairTax to Kansas. A bill is currently working its way through the Missouri Senate. Advocates noted the devastating effects that could happen here in Kansas if Missouri becomes much more business and tax friendly than Kansas.

Karl Peterjohn gave some tips on effective lobbying. He spoke about the important impact citizens can have on their government.

Amanda Grosserode mention another protest for Congressman Dennis Moore. Details will be announced on their website soon.

Participants were encouraged to visit legislators in the Docking State Office building and in the capital. Some plan to stay and hear the Governor’s address at 4pm if possible. Buses leaving for Johnson County and Wichita will still leave on time at 4pm however.

Reactions from citizens vary. A common theme seems to be the amount of taxpayer funded lobbying that is occuring under the dome. A group from invisiblekansas.com was also under the dome urging no cuts to their taxpayer funded activities. There seems to be every constituency imaginable under the dome lobbying legislators right now except taxpayer citizens.

Thank you to Ed Kearn and Helen Van Etten for the additional photos used in my previous photo essay and in this video.

Here’s some additional video shot by Ed Kearn.

An estimated 1,500 Kansans attended the TEA rally in Topeka tonight. Speakers included grassroots activists such as Kim Borchers and Elizabeth Patton as well as community business leaders like Tara Dimick of the Topeka Independent Business Association. The rally was concluded with a short speech by U.S. Senator Sam Brownback.

Todd Novascone spoke for a few minutes on behalf of Rep. Jerry Moran and later Jeff Kahrs addressed the crowd on behalf of Rep. Todd Tiahrt. Local state Reps. Lana Gordon and Joe Patton were also in attendance and got a warm reception from the crowd. Greg Schneider, a professor at Emporia State gave a short talk about health care. Several different books were raffled throughout the rally, including Dr. Schneider’s latest work.

Topeka TEA Rally Protester

Speakers and those attending the rally were quick to point out the improbability that all the rallies held across the nation were organized by Republican leaders. When asked, many in the crowd identified themselves as independents and stated that they were there for their nation, not a political party.

There were many creative signs, with one gentleman bringing a wheel barrel of manure and a sign that read, “Kansas Prolifigate Spending.”

I have video and other photos that I’ll hopefully get up later tonight or early tomorrow.

Liberals have been quick to try and dismiss the TEA parties. From what I saw tonight, folks are mad, and it’s not going away after one protest. Those folks are here to stay.

To find a protest near you, go to www.teapartyday.com and click on “Locations.” You can also visit Americans for Prosperity-Kansas’ website at www.afpks.org or simply click here to view their list of statewide rallies. You might check AFP’s website first as they seem to have more information about times and specific locations, as well as organizer’s phone numbers so you can give them a call.

Contrary to what the media would love to believe, the rallies are spontaneous and are being organized at the grassroots level by citizens who have never before been politically engaged.

I’ve gotten several informational emails regarding various parties. I’ll share that info below along with some pre-party media coverage.

Emporia Rally Planned:

Americans speak with one voice in Emporia Kansas on April 15th, 2009 to say it is time to preserve, protect and defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. As the government continues to abuse the citizens with outrageous spending we will gather at 6th and Merchant from 3:30 to 5:30PM to say ENOUGH! The 10th amendment of the constitution clearly says, if the federal government is not given the authority to do these things, they cannot and we will not allow them to continue. Bring your signs, flags, voice and patriotism! Americans will be heard!

Kansas City Tea Party Coverage:

These protests are taking place throughout the country. Grosserode, Lenexa, said the protests are not sponsored or affiliated with any political parties.

“It’s a conservative movement, but not a Republican movement,” she said. “There are Libertarians, Constitutional Party (members), a lot of independents; basically people who are fiscally conservative.

“There are different organizations trying to hijack the TEA Party movement, but we don’t have a sponsor, we’ve taken money from no one. All over the country, each TEA Party is unique and independent.”

Grosserode is a stay-at-home mom who home schools her 6-year-old child. She describes herself as politically knowledgeable, but she did not become politically active until becoming concerned about the amount of money being spent on earmarks in the Omnibus spending package, the size of the federal stimulus packages, and the increasing national debt.

Wichita Tea Party Coverage:

Salina Tea Party Coverage:

From noon to 1 p.m. at the commons area between the City-County Building and the Salina Public Library, a crowd that organizers hope reaches between 100 to 200 people is to gather to hear from movement representatives.

“Our whole mission is to train people to become active in their communities by running for elected positions, but also in simpler ways, by being active in the community,” said Marlene Bonilla, of Salina, who is helping organize the event.

Topeka Tea Party Coverage:

“They’re all over the state and folks, everyday citizens are putting things together, AFP and Kansas is just one part of the equation, we’re coming to help organize it but it’s folks that are just coming out from their homes and from their businesses and saying we’ve had enough.”

People from Topeka and surrounding areas can come here at 14th st and NW Gage and that way they can participate in the Tea Tax Party.

The Kansas House and Senate have passed a $13 billion state budget set to begin July 1. The budget makes some minor cuts to K-12 education and major cuts to other areas, but in the end signifies only a 6.8% decrease in general fund expenditures in comparison to 2009 spending levels.

While 6.8% sounds like a significant decrease, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to previous spending sprees. And once again K-12 has only been dealt a 1% cut in funding even though it’s budget amounts to half state general fund expenditures.

But that number, $13 billion, that really got my attention. After multiple bailouts, billions and trillions just seem to mesh together in my mind and have become meaningless. It reminds me of the demonstrations done in high school to show just how far away Pluto was from the Sun or changing seconds into years to try and get a handle on millions/billions of years.

So, in order to understand just how much $13 billion is, I thought I’d break it down a bit.

First, $13 billion for the year means the state will spend just over $35.5 million every day. That’s just under $1.5 million every hour, or $24,734 every minute. Most frightening, that’s $412 every second of every day for an entire year.

$13 billion divided by nearly 3 million Kansans (2.776 million to be exact) means the state will spend $4,683 for each citizen. That’s $18,732 of spending for a family of four in one year. That means Kansas will spend $13 every day on each Kansan or $51 every day for a family of four. If you wanted to put money in a jar to pay your share, a family of four would have to add $2.12 every hour or about a quarter every seven minutes.

And that’s just state government. That doesn’t include money you’d have to give to local government.

Legislators made cuts in spending and they should be commended. But when put in perspective, the figures beg the question, “Does the government tax too little or spend too much?”

Would you make a $390 monthly payment for the services state government provides? Are you getting your money’s worth?