By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Here's something interesting: While Mayor Mark Funkhouser mulls the pros and cons of getting rid of the earnings tax in Kansas City, Mayor Joe Reardon in Wyandotte County says he'd love to have one.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Here's Lamar Alexander from Tennessee, the 3rd ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, telling the N.Y. Times that he is skeptical of "grand legislative policy schemes," specifically comprehensive health care reform.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Ike Skelton paid the Star editorial board a visit this morning. Some nuggets from the long-term-but-beleaguered Democrat from Missouri's 4th Congressional district, who has two primary opponents and will be facing his toughest challenge in years this November:
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Ron Thornburgh, the affable and capable Kansas secretary of state, is leaving early to take a private sector job, report our friends at Prime Buzz.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
I have some sympathy for those in the Baptist contingent who were charged today in Haiti with kidnapping. A Haitian jail cannot be a pleasant experience.
But why did these people think they could pick up a busload of kids and just transport them to the Dominican Republic without documentation? And to what end?
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Three governors were present this week at the annual “Governors’ Summit” — the event at which civic and political leaders convene to discuss the region’s future.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
I guess the folks at the Kansas Democratic Party have to have something to do. How else to account for today's curious press release taking aim at GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder of Overland Park?
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Chris Koster has been consistent in his opposition to allowing local authorities to create buffers against foul-smelling factory farms.
Wrong, but consistent.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
I've heard people asking why prosecutors haven't sought a death sentence for Scott Roeder. According to the man's own testimony this week, he contemplated the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller for months. How much more premeditation do you need?
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
We're not big on euthanasia in this nation, so maybe that's why the White House and Congressional leaders can't bring themselves to kill health care reform outright.
They'll just send the concept to the legislative equivalent of a nursing home to languish. One day we'll all find out it's dead, and no one will make much of a fuss, because it's been out of sight and out of mind.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
South Carolina’s lieutenant governor has likened government assistance to poor people to the feeding of stray animals.
In each case, the handouts will cause recipients to “breed,” Andre Bauer told a conservative audience, because “they don’t know any better.”
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
I just finished participating in a "twitter-fest" chat about the speech and rebuttal. Lot's of fun. Check it out here.
I thought Barack Obama accomplished what he needed to. He was forceful and didn't project the image of a presidency on the rocks.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
It's taken awhile, but Republicans in the Missouri House are finally speaking out about Rod Jetton's misuse of power in the years he was speaker.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
I don't know what you'd call it...The knowledge gap? The reality gap? Definitely some kind of gap.
That would be the gulf between the public's perception of the effectiveness of the stimulus package, as measured by a CNN poll, and the perception of economists and others.
KobachBy Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
If at first you don't succeed...try it in Nebraska.
That appears to be law professor Kris Kobach's game plan. Kobach tried to overturn a 2004 Kansas law that allows children of undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition at Kansas public universities and community college, as long as they've attended high school in the state for at least three years and pledge to apply for legal residency at the first opportunity.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
As the parent of a college-shopping high school senior, I'm finding that higher ed financing is loaded with perverse incentives.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
With health care reform on the ropes, supporters are harkening back to why it's important to get something passed.
One of those supporters: President Barack Obama.
In remarks today in Elyria, Ohio, Obama talked about why he took up a cause that had tripped up seven presidents and seven congresses.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
I took a little stroll down memory lane this week. Back to the glorious days of June.
Polls then showed an American public that acknowledged its health care system was broken and wanted Congress to do something about it.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
The drama playing out in Massachusetts shows how successfully opponents of health care reform have captured the story line.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Say goodbye to a great volunteer opportunity -- the Thomas Hart Benton Homestead Memorial Commission.
Never heard of the prestigious board? Me either. That's probably because it hasn't met since 1991.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
You’re nobody in Jefferson City these days if you’re not talking up ethics reform.
Never mind that you set the legislative record last year by going 180 days without paying for a meal, and you and your consultant raked in enough campaign funds to feed a starving village in Africa.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Perhaps only a governor with no political ambitions could propose two tax increases, as Mark Parkinson did last night.
And that's exactly why the Kansas Legislature should listen to him.
Lawmakers opened their session Monday staring at a $400 million budget deficit.
Parkinson said in his speech:
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
A Sedgwick County Judge in Kansas has decided that confessed killer Scott Roeder will be able to mount a defense that he acted "upon an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified deadly force."
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Well, this is disconcerting.
The blogosphere has gotten word that Jonathan Gruber, the MIT economist who's been widely quoted promoting Senate-style health care reform, is on contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
In his darkest moments, Nelson E. Hopkins Sr. tortures himself with the thought that his son’s death might be retribution for the sins of his own youth.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
The one bright light for Kansas Democrats in the 2010 election landscape blinked and dimmed last week when state Sen. Laura Kelly announced she wouldn't challenge Republican Lynn Jenkins for the 2nd Congressional seat.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
On Wednesday, Dec. 30, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon proposed four planks for ethics reform. At the top of the list was a return to caps on campaign contributions.
"Money is the problem here," Nixon said. "Significant amounts of money are clearly the problem."
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Missouri financier Rex Sinquefield, who is rich enough to push any cause that strikes his fancy, wants to get rid of the earnings tax in Kansas City and St. Louis.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect better known as the "undie bomber," wasn't raised to be a terrorist. This Washington Post story, which tracks his Facebook postings and Internet chats, paints a picture of a confused kid looking for his place in the world.
By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
President Obama is now being criticized for continuing his vacation despite the political fallout from the near-miss terror incident involving the Northwest Airlines flight.
From the New York Times:
