Gun ban debate

The majority of Supreme Court thinks the second amendment applies to individuals and has, basically, struck down the ban on handguns in Chicago.

Here's a good editorial supportingthe decision. Here's one opposing it.

Tiahrt needs surge

The latest SurveyUSA poll shows Moran still leading Tiahrt big. Tiahrt today announced that Fox News personality Sean Hannity had endorsed him. He also touts the Palin endorsement on his Web page.

If these numbers hold, it will be a clear loss for the Tea Party efforts. Tiahrt his throwing all he's got at Moran, but nothing seems to stick. Of course anything can change in a month, but you'd think Moran's numbers would go down by down.

As the downtown turns

This story highlights the change, and some anxiety, about downtown with major icons now off the map - Fosters, Bryants and Browns, and to some extent Gambinos.

New businesses are coming in. Will they replace this kind of retail activity and cultural pull for downtown? Time will tell. One good sign is that some existing businesses are moving into downtown from outside it — McDonald's Computers, Verizon. The rent is cheap and it's a great location!

Don't spend, unless

The problem with Tiarht and Moran, and lots of other GOP primary races, is that they are acting like they have been spend thrifts all their lives but their records are contrary,at this editorial shows.

Not only that, but how will they cut spending? By far the biggest areas are social security, medicare and defense. Are they up for axing some of that?

Unhappy meals

I love this story because it highlights two truths of life — McDonald's is brilliant at marketing their unhealthy food and has the nation's children hooked. Some people worried about the nation's health would like to sue to stop them from selling toys in meals, but that's ridiculous because in the end, it's a choice.

And I hope my wife reads this and doesn't take the kids to McDonald's today!

Light isn't right

This story reminds me of the need for a Main Street organization. The owner of the new leathershop went to the trouble to buy a very nice sign but can't light it because it doesn't mean historical guidelines. He and the building owner say they were not aware that downtown Ark City was an historical preservation district. A Main Street program would have fully informed them and told them about opportunities for grants for improvements, etc..

Winfield and Newkirk have thriving Main Street programs. Ark City has, arguably, the best downtown in terms of historical buildings and layout, and yet no group dedicated to its improvement.

Another downtown closure

Brown's Store is closing. This is the third long-time business to close in downtown proper in the last 18 months or so. Without Bryant's Hardware, Foster's Furniture and Brown's Store, downtown is not the place it used to be, even in modern times. Nostaglia says things are going downhill, but optimism says everything runs it course and change must take place. New businesses are coming in, too, replacing the older ones, like the leather shop, gun store, meat store and others. Just hope they can keep up.

Brown's and Bryant's in particular, really defined the character of downtown because of the historical or cultural presence. Losing Brown's is a blow.

RIP Margie Berrie

Margie Berrie, the strong-willed former county commissioner, died this week. She lost reelection to Gary Wilson in 2004. She could be difficult to work with, apparently, but her entry into public service is a great story — she took up a cause close to her – improving the cemetery where her husband was buried - and then ran for public office based on the experience.

Margie also gets credit for being open-minded during the debate over whether to create the county administrator's position. She changed her mind during the discussion and eventually voted for it, which kind of run counters to her reputation has hardheaded.

She also was a women who started her own trucking company. I'd love to hear more of that story ....

I enjoyed bumping into Margie in the grocery store. She'd always ask about my kids, and sometimes rib me for not endorsing her outright in the election that she lost.

And they're off ....

In the very UNSCIENTIFIC Traveler online poll, Chris Smith has a slight lead thus far. Gotta believe that his name recognition as county attorney makes him the favorite.

Rod Iverson
(37 Votes, 22%)
LaDonna Lanning
(20 Votes, 12%)
Bill Muret
(26 Votes, 15%)
Chris Smith
(48 Votes, 28%)
Bert Wilson
(39 Votes, 23%)

Silent 78th

Pretty interesting that Ed Trimmer will have no opponent in the general election in house district 78. This should be a big Republican year and he's a Democrat in a very Republican county. But ... Winfield has a history of electing Democrats at the state level, and Trimmer seems to have settled in pretty well. He's very visible around his district and even though most of his votes sway to the left, he's adept at articulating his reasons and his knowledge of legislation is impressive.

No surprise really that Kasha Kelley, district 79, has no opposition this year. She steamrolled her last opponent two years ago and has strong populist support in Ark City. Her fiscal and social conservative record seems to ressonnate in Ark City. And, she's very likeable.

ACI shares

I think the commission ended up doing the right thing here. Doesn't seem like a good idea to have the city own shares, even a small amount, of a private development group, even one that exists for the overall community good.

That said, some of the talk about how business and government shouldn't mix goes too far. Obviously government and business DO mix and need to mix. Look at Cowley First, where a public group promoting economic development gets funding from private businesses, who then have seat at the board to make decisions. The way it's set up provides for decision-making for the overall good of the county.

Other examples are redevelopment agencies inside cities and counties that work closely, even sometimes funding, private development if a larger public benefit can be found.

But with ACI, we had the potential of the city being a shareholder, or part owner, in a private, for profit company. Perhaps ACI should look at changing its model to a non profit, or even a public agency. The distrust, which appears to me unfounded, among the public, seems to be because of the way it operates. And, let's be honest, because ACI and Home National Bank had such close connections.

Kobach's = Kline

Comparing Sec. of State candidate Khris Kobach to former Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline is pretty apt, as this Eagle editorial does.

Kline's obession was abortion and he seemed to devote his office and time to battling it, even though the law permits it.

Kobach seems unnaturally focused on one issue, immigration, and wants to turn the Sec. of State's office into a law enforcement office to crack down on voter fraud.

Except where is the evidence of voter fraud? What he really wants to do go after illegal immigrants from an office that isn't designed for that. He was involved in writing Arizon's new law targeting illegal residents.

He's trying to cast voter fraud as protecting civil rights, except he's not trying to protect anybody's civil right, he's trying to claim some people don't have that right but are getting it.

Maybe there's evidence of serious voter fraud in Kansas, including by illegal immigrants, that I'm not aware of. I'm sure viewers will let me know ...

Anti-semitism

This isn't an issue that comes up much around here — virtually no Jewish people at all in Cowley County. But Helen Thomas' "back where they came from" comment about Jews in Isreal was bigoted and insensitive, as Cal Thomas points out. And I rarely agree with Cal Thomas.

The point that she was apparently trying to make is one that seems to underscore the entire Mid-east conflict: How do you resettle a country with Jewish refugees immigrants under an ethnic and religious framework, and still uphold the rights of the people who where already there - the Palestinians.

It seems an impossible task - which is why it seems there is no end in sight to the Israel - Palestinian problem.

Parkinson's praises

Ed Flentje, political science prof at WSU and former interim Wichita City Manager, sings Gov. Mark Parkinson's praises in this column. Indeed he governed from the center - the best place to be, in lawmaking.

The guy could go toe to toe with Brownback, if he were to run. But alas Parkinson appears to be bowing out of politics. Perhaps that's the reason he has governed so well - not worrying about the next election.

Kasha running

Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City, is seeking a fourth term in the state House. She's now on file with the sec. of state.

She's probably a shoo-in. Esp. if nobody runs against her. The filing deadline is Thurs. noon and it appears she is the only one so far.

judgeship

LaDonna Lanning has formally filed for district judge on the Republican side.

If anyone can make an argument for why judge elections are partisan, I'd like to hear them.

Suffice it to say that Krusor looks like he'll cruise to victory on the Democratic side. I would say Chris Smith is the heavy hitter on the GOP side, because of his status as county attorney and overall he has had a good tenure. No one ran against him in 2008 for reelection.

Dem defector

County Attorney Chris Smith says he discovered after being a prosecutor that he's more GOP than Democrat. I suppose this makes sense, but the timing of it — to run for district judge – seems like there might be a little political expedience in the mix? Although it might be easier to win on the Democratic side, with only one candidate, Mark Krusor, in that primary. Smith's entry into the GOP field brings the total to five.

Wonder if Smith will take his Obama bumper sticker off his car?

Customer service

City manager Steve Archer says Karol Magnus's departure wasn't related to audit of city services, but, again, it's hard not to draw conclusions between people leaving unceremoniously and the audit of city services being done by an outside consultant.

I do know that the phone response system at City Hall stinks. Unless they changed it recently. Seems like it just looped back to the water department or something strange and confusing like that. If you didn't have an ext. number you couldn't get far ....

A taxing debate

Kuhn and Smith didn't like the Ark City chamber's stance on the state budget and taxes, which led in part to chamber dropping out of Kansas Chamber. Kuhn would have more credibility on this if he actually paid his taxes (on time).

Sheldon's Paw_ Shop

Bill Sheldon's convictions relating to accepting a fire arm from a convicted felon have all been thrown out. Will get back in the pawn business? Seems like the business has been going all along. The sign doesn't say Pawn anymore, though it says Paw ... and it's still an eye sore.

Build a fence, Bill!

Everything in moderation?

Moderate, and the whole concept of moderation, is a virtue not a vice in life. But in the Kansas GOP, and the GOP nationally. Moderate has become a dirty word. As this Great column by Chapman Rackaway from Fort Hays State shows. This is what typically happens in a primary, just as democrats veer left, but this year the trend is acute among Republicans for the perceived influence of the tea party movement and overall dissatisfaction with Democrats in charge of congress and white house.

Once upon a time Kansas was identified with more practical Republicans - Eisenhower, Dole, Kassabaum. Now the Kansas GOP has become more linked to conservative crusaders such as Phil Kline and Sam Brownback. And if Tiahrt becomes Senator, look out. And the GOPers running for Tiahrt's seat fighting for the ultra-conservative mantle, expect one - Jean Schodorf, whose only hope is that the others will split the very conservative vote.