Dear Kasha, Steve, Ed, Todd, Sam, Pat, Barack

DO SOMETHING ABOUT HEALTH CARE COSTS!

Our company premiums are skyrocketing again, after two straight years of HUGE increases. More competition would be nice. Seems like there are very few companies who offer insurance in Kansas. Or allow small businesses to join the pool of state employees, or create some kind of over arching network of groups to spread the risk to lower costs. Or, dare I say it, universal health care coverage like they do in the rest of the developed world!

Quote of the day

The quote for the day on my desk calendar seemed like a good thought: The calendar is from th Freedom Forum, a first amendment advocacy group in D.C.

"When religion controls government, political liberty dies; and when government controls religion, religious liberty perishes"
Former U.S. Senator Samuel J. Ervin. Jr., 1971

Act fast

This is not a good sign for the school district. They need to take some decisive action and show parents and the community that the school is safe and tolerant, or as safe and tolerant as it can be.

Full story

Here's the full story on the anti-muslim smears.

Ugh-ly

Hate to see things like this. Obama's ascendence has apparently increased anti-muslim acts. Saw a stat that 30 or 35 percent of McCain voters think Obama either is or was a Muslim, despite evidence higher than Mt. Zion that he is Christian.

On a sidenote, today I received a viral email sent by a local resident to other local residents about some prison story that supposedly proves Muslim's want to kill all non believers. The intention was basically that we'd better watch out!

Here's the conclusion of snopes.com about the story.

Reminds me a little of school children sticking their tongue out and saying "my daddy's better than yours," except with deadly consequences.

Smoking ban part deaux

My editorial on possible smoking ban in Ark City.

Our poll so far shows 61 percent of people who voted support some form of ban.

The time has come!

Ark City smoking ban?

I'm for this. I think though, that you could exempt bars and clubs and ban smoking in restaurants and other places that serve the public. This is basically what our City Manager said might be more acceptable in Ark City.

The youth vote

As an Obama fan, I enjoyed this

Cognitive dissonance?

The above phrase means embracing two conflicting ideas at the same time.

Seems like Ark City voters did this in approving two sales tax increases but at the same time electing people whose main campaign platform was lower taxes and less government spending, Kasha Kelley and Steve Abrams. Alan Groom, the new county commissioner, could be thrown in there as well.

One explanation is that the sales taxes are local initiatives, while Kelley and Abrams are state representatives.

But this conflict os one of the dilemnas of government and elected officials - people want services but they don't want to pay for them.

Presidential vote break down

If I added right, Obama did much better in the Winfield and Ark City precincts than in the rural ones in Cowley County, which is to be expected. (Although interestingly Obama was for the recent farm bill preserving subsidies and McCain was against it. McCain also opposed ethanol subsidies)

Ark City:
McCain 2,017 57 percent
Obama 1523 43 percent

Winfield:
McCain 2398 56 percent
Obama: 1848 43 percent


Obama appears to have faired SLIGHTLY BETTER in these cities than he did statewide: 41 Obama 57 McCain. I find this interesting.

But in rural Cowley County, he got clobbered:
McCain 3759 71 percent
Obama 1528 29 percent

This makes the total Cowley County result 63 to 37.

32nd vote break down

Looks like Abrams won handily in Ark City, by about 450 votes, and Goodwin won even more handily, 1,150 votes in Winfield. But Abrams also won in the rural precincts of Cowley County, by about 500 votes. Sumner County of course, gave Abrams a HUGE edge, more than 2,000 votes.

Subliminal message?

What's everybody think ofthis?

Results

Some post election thoughts:

Biggest surprise of the night
—- street tax approved. I hadn't spoken to anyone who thought that thing would pass. It did, and it wasn't even that close -- 5 percentage points.

Second biggest surprise of the night
— margin of victory for Kasha, 64 percent to 36, over Gene Burr. After remaining fairly quite for much of October. Kasha blasted out of the gates with billboard signs, media advertisings and ground game - phone calls, door knocking - in the last two weeks that launched her to victory.

Third biggest surprise of the night
--Alan Groom soundly defeats Carmelita Clarkson. Who is Alan Groom? :)

Not a surprise but biggest story locally
-- Abrams knocks off veteran incumbent Goodwin, putting the leader of the evolution battles in Kansas in the state Senate. With Greta's support dwindling for taking credit for things she didn't really deserve (stalking bill) and tussling with seemingly everybody (even her own party leaders), plus Abrams base of conservative support, I'm not surprise she lost. Joe Shriver in 2012?

Biggest Lessoned learned
--Abrams loses his own county but kills Goodwin in Sumner County. Lesson being, don't diss your neighbors (like she did on the casino. You might need them some day.

Biggest Disappointment
-- The loooooooooooooong lines at the Rec Center in Ark City. It was great to see so many voters, but that was ridiculous for a town this size. They need more machines.

Oddest outcome
Just 20 votes separate Gary Wilson and Alan Groom. Maybe they should arm wrestle

Best outcome

President Barack Obama
(Before you hypervenilate, this is just my opinion and if you read this blog you already know that!)

Plan to wait

Folks round here say they've never see the voting lines so long. What this means, in Kansas, is kind of a mystery. Does it mean Obama has turned out new voters? Does it mean that McCain has? Does it mean that folks really want to vote for, or against, the sales tax initiatives. Does it mean folks are really interested in the Abrams-Goodwin race?

Predictions

For what it's worth — nothing, really — here are my predictions for Tuesday.

Street Tax
Fail 42 yes 58 no

Hospital Tax
Pass 54 46

County Commission District 2
Wilson 55
Voegele 45

County Commissioner District 3
Clarkson 53
Groom 47

House District 79
Kelley 54
Burr 46

State Senate District 32
Goodwin 50
Abrams 50
Recount

State Board of Ed.
Dennis 57
Cassanova 43

Congress
Tiahrt 59
Betts 41

Senate
Roberts 56
Slattery 44

President (Kansas)
McCain 57
Obama 43


These are nothing more than the feel of the wind on my finger

21 fliers, oodles of cash

I've got 21 different fliers for and against four candidates scattering on my office floor right now -- Burr, Kelley, Abrams and Goodwin. Thanks to those who helped me collect them.

The most attention has gone to Abrams with 10 mailers total: Seven pro-Abrams and three anti-Abrams.

Six pro Burr.

Six pro Goodwin, one anti-Goodwin

One pro Kelley

At $5,000 average cost (conservative estimate, I think) that's over $100,000. Most of these were from outside groups and NOT the candidate's campaigns.

*I'm surprised we didn't see more fliers/mailers for Kasha. She received several in 2004 from Americans for Prosperity and Club for Growth.

Counter intuitive

I think this was somewhere in Ohio

Money, attack ads, etc

Lots to catch up with. In case you haven't read these stories in the paper. Here they are

Goodwin Abrams financials

Kelley and Burr financials

Abrams defends against attack ads


AFP gets some facts wrong