Kansas views on Merrick, Brownback, poverty, wind tax credit, UNC scandal
Merrick – “Government employees produce nothing. They’re a net consumer,” House Speaker Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, said, adding that government employees don’t stimulate the economy. It’s no wonder Merrick is cranky and looking for someone to blame. When the legislative session begins in January, Merrick will have to cut at least $279 million from the state budget ending June 30 and more than $700 million from the next fiscal year’s budget. But it also might be that Merrick is suffering from an identity crisis, because apparently he’s overlooking himself and his friends in that group of worthless, money-grubbing, do-nothing state employees.
There’s no doubt House Speaker Ray Merrick’s words to a Wichita Eagle reporter were poorly chosen, but the fact he was being interviewed – rather than hastily pounding out a random tweet or an e-mail – and had time to select his words could lead one to believe he said what he meant the first time. He got it right the second time, albeit too late to get credit for seeing the light.
Brownback – Even if they voted for him, the taste left in the mouths of many Kansans by the governor’s campaign tactics likely is one of disgust. We have not seen such an exploitive, guilt-by-association campaign before. Rather than a mandate to continue his “red state experiment,” however, Gov. Sam Brownback may have left behind an electorate that is disturbed by his willingness to go to any length to win a second term, and one that still wonders about his honesty and fairness.
Poverty – This holiday season, the ranks of poor children in our state are not only growing, their parents must deal with a Grinch of a governor as he and staff seek to squeeze more of them from temporary support they may well need.
Wind energy – Gov. Sam Brownback is one of the few sensible Republicans who has long fought to promote wind energy, pointing to the thousands of jobs it has created in the state. His GOP colleagues in Congress ought to follow Brownback’s lead and extend the production tax credit for wind.
UNC scandal – People who care about the University of Kansas are legitimately concerned about the academic scandal involving the University of North Carolina basketball team. After all, nine years covered by the UNC academic investigation came during the tenure of former KU basketball coach Roy Williams and Wayne Walden, the basketball academic counselor who followed Williams from KU to UNC. Also, the investigation confirmed 18 years of academic fraud at UNC, including 10 years when KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little was serving as a top academic officer at UNC. It’s no wonder KU friends and alumni have some questions and concerns about whether the KU basketball program also could get caught up in the UNC scandal – and Gray-Little’s refusal to address the situation does little to calm those concerns.
This story was originally published November 23, 2014 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Kansas views on Merrick, Brownback, poverty, wind tax credit, UNC scandal."