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Here is a look back at 2011 with excerpts from some of The Wichita Eagle’s editorials:
New governor – Whatever their politics, Kansans should congratulate Sam Brownback and wish him well. He has the skills, experience and legislative backup to be an outstanding governor. (Jan. 9)
Cuts ahead – Gov. Sam Brownback wasn’t exaggerating when he said that his proposed budget would be controversial. His plan has good reforms but also has something for just about everyone to dislike. Brownback could end up taking heat from business groups, GOP lawmakers, libertarians, artists, schools, state employee unions and other groups upset that his proposed cuts go too far or don’t go far enough. Welcome to the governorship. (Jan. 16)
Sesquicentennial – There is so much to inspire pride about this state, whose very birth was a hard-fought triumph of freedom. The 34th state provided the nation its 34th president, Dwight Eisenhower. It was on the leading edge of women’s suffrage. It pointed the way on civil rights in the Brown v. the Topeka Board of Education case. It has been unparalleled in growing wheat and building aircraft. Hard work, deep faith, free enterprise, fiery ideas – all are welcome here. (Jan. 29)
Voter ID – Before the Senate joins the House in requiring a photo ID to vote and proof of citizenship to register for the first time, senators at least should demand better evidence of voter fraud than Secretary of State Kris Kobach has turned up so far. (March 2)
Aviation – With the U.S. Air Force’s $35 billion contract for air-refueling tankers having gone Boeing’s and Wichita’s way, and with the recent state-brokered deals to keep Hawker Beechcraft headquartered in Wichita and maintain Bombardier’s Learjet 85 production in Wichita, things finally are looking up for aircraft manufacturing in Wichita and Kansas. (March 23)
Brewer’s big win – With his second term at hand and a supportive majority on the council, Mayor Carl Brewer now needs to carry through on his aggressive agenda to revive downtown and make Wichita a place with enough jobs and quality of life not only to go around but to attract newcomers. (April 6)
Tornadoes – Kansans’ neighbors in Reading and Joplin will need the generosity and kindness of many strangers as they regroup and rebuild in the coming weeks and months. And when it’s south-central Kansas’ turn again and the sirens sound, don’t be sorry. Be safe. (May 24)
Arts funding – Though Gov. Sam Brownback has said his priority is “jobs, jobs, jobs,” he alone bears the responsibility for five lost jobs as the Kansas Arts Commission’s funding runs out. He’s ticked off a sizable number of Republican arts patrons otherwise supportive of his ambitious plans for Kansas, and triggered far-reaching headlines about the state’s official new lack of appreciation for the arts. (June 10)
Water worries – This year, drought isn’t something that happens in other parts of the country or even the state. It’s here, in south-central Kansas, leaving ponds empty, crops dead, municipal utilities stressed and public officials jittery. All Kansans had better be concerned as well, and engaged in planning how to ensure that the state’s rivers, taps and economy don’t run dry one day. (July 31)
Rejected grant – Gov. Sam Brownback’s abrupt, unilateral decision to refund the state’s $31.5 million “early innovator” health care reform grant to the federal government serves politics, specifically the Republican determination not to touch “Obamacare” with a 10-foot pole. But it certainly does nothing for Kansans’ health or the state budget. (Aug. 11)
Marriage initiative – Most Kansans recognize the importance of a stable, two-parent home in a child’s life, and the value to the state and society of having as many happily married couples as possible. But Gov. Sam Brownback is inviting debate – and perhaps trouble – by pushing marriage, especially with the help of faith-based tools and federal funds. (Aug. 21)
Golf courses – If the Wichita Park Board and city staff figure out how to keep all five municipal golf courses open while paying off the system’s debt, they will deserve far more than the polite applause one usually hears at golf tournaments. And when the cheering dies down, they will need the community’s commitment to better use and support the courses long term. (Sept. 14)
Trash plan – The best trash plan for Wichita is to franchise trash collection. But because the Wichita City Council lacks the appetite for such a change, the proposed pay-as-you-throw plan likely is the best we can do politically. As such, the council should approve it. If that doesn’t sound like an enthusiastic endorsement, it isn’t. (Oct. 11)
Boeing’s future – Wichita didn’t just assume that a Boeing contract to build the Air Force tankers would mean jobs for Wichita. It counted on it based on the company’s commitment – as the state’s congressional delegation bent over backward for more than a decade to help Boeing win the work. So it feels like a betrayal that the company, contract now in hand, is even considering leaving Wichita. (Nov. 23)
Twitter flap – The Shawnee Mission school district got it right in declining to force high school senior Emma Sullivan to apologize to Gov. Sam Brownback for her crude tweet about him, as the governor aptly apologized for his staff’s overreaction. So ends an embarrassing episode that garnered the biggest national headlines of Brownback’s 11-month tenure while making his administration look small. (Nov. 29)
Water rates – Experts have analyzed the city’s underfinanced water and sewer utility. Citizens have weighed in at multiple meetings and a public hearing. It’s time for the Wichita City Council to be as equitable and foresighted as possible as it raises rates — again. While they’re at it, council members and city staff might want to find an official-sounding way to say they’re sorry about all this. (Dec. 6)
Hotel protest – What a regrettable message to potential developers: Welcome to downtown Wichita, where an attempt to access the economic development tools available to you may be thwarted by a protest petition and a referendum to be billed to you. (Dec. 14)
Casino opens – The crowd of thousands greeting the Kansas Star Casino’s opening Monday signaled a strong pent-up area demand for a destination casino. And there is no disputing the need for its jobs. (Dec. 28)
