On July 23, 2012, Kansas Citizens for Science sponsored a Kansas State Board of Education candidate forum for District 6 at the Manhattan Public Library. Candidates participating in the forum included: Usha Reddi and Carol Viar, Democratic candidates, and Deena Horst, Republican candidate. After general introductory statements, questions were solicited from the audience and were asked to the candidates by forum moderator, Harry McDonald, President of the Kansas Citizens for Science Board of Directors.
Showing posts with label state budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state budget. Show all posts
26 July 2012
18 September 2011
Meeting Community Healthcare Needs
On August 30, 2011, the Manhattan Alliance for Peace and Justice sponsored a community forum featuring representatives from local hospital, mental health and dental services who responded to questions from the audience regarding the needs for low cost health care in the Manhattan area and service accessibility.
22 July 2011
The Christian Patriarchy Movement
Then Community Bridge welcomes Kathryn Joyce, author of "Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement," published by Beacon Press in 2009, for a discussion of the movement, how it saddles women with a life of submission and near-constant pregnancies, and a look at evangelical Christians new campaign to adopt children from around the world in order to spread its ideology.
Addition Links/Resources:
The website for the Save or Schools Rally.
Save Our School rally on Facebook.
Read Kathryn Joyce' s article on the patriarchy movement on Alternet
Read Kathryn Joyce on Quiverfull for Babble.com
Read an article based on the book in Mother Jones
Read Kathryn Joyce' s article on the Quiverfull movement on Newsweek.com
Read Kathryn Joyce' s Salon.com feature on a former Quiverfull adherent and how she left the movement
Read Kathryn Joyce an essay by Kathryn Joyce on Killing the Buddha.
Read an interview with Kathryn Joyce on BuzzFlash
15 July 2011
Exposing the American Legislative Exchange Council
On March 15th, University of Wisconsin Professor Bill Cronon posted a study guide on his blog on the history and actions of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). He asked: What is behind the “sudden and impressively well-organized” wave of right-wing legislation targeting workers, students, women, immigrants, and the environment in state legislatures? He found that all roads led to ALEC.
ALEC is a conservative think-tank run by right-wing politicians and corporate and financial interests within the banking industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the big oil and gas industries, and others. They are aligned to many right-wing and conservative interests, including the election-manipulating Koch Industries. ALEC is funded by the Koch brothers to promote an agenda that curbs individual liberties, attacks unions, the social safety net and seeks to insure that corporations pay no taxes, but benefit from all sorts of tax-payer dollars in return. Much of the legislation passed in the during the 2011 Kansas Legislative session was ALEC inspired, including cuts to public education, the "administrative reforms" Governor Brownback has imposed on the state, and Kris Kobach's Voter ID bill.
Additional Links/Resources:
ALEC Exposed, website - a project of the Center for Media and Democracy.
Publicopoly Exposed: How ALEC, the Koch brothers and their corporate allies plan to privatize government, Beau Hodai, In These Times, August 2011.
Corporate Con Game: How the private prison industry helped shape Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, Beau Hodai, In These Times, June 19, 2010.
ALEC Exposed, John Nicholas, The Nation, July 12, 2011.
ALEC Exposed: The Koch Connection, Lisa Graves, The Nation, July 12, 2011.
ALEC Bills in Wisconsin, Mary Bottari, PR Watch, July 14, 2011.
The Latest Threat to Health Care, Andres Grimes, MS Magazine Blog, July 15, 2011.
ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition, Democracy Now!, July 15, 2011.
Billy Bragg website.
ACTION ALERT: Stop ALEC's end run around the law
From Common Cause:
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a secretive front group of hundreds of corporations that are investing millions of dollars a year to write business-friendly legislation at the expense of the middle class.
ALEC has drafted more than 800 model bills for state legislators, including efforts to privatize everything from schools to prisons, to weaken workers' rights, and to make it more difficult for citizens to vote. They even wrote a resolution in support of the horrendous Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates for corporate money in our elections.
Worse, they are lobbying in state capitals across the country, all while claiming to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that they are a charitable organization. That means that their corporate backers can take a tax deduction by giving money to ALEC to – guess what? – push for more tax breaks and less regulation for their companies!
Under the law, charities are allowed to lobby, up to certain limits, and they must disclose what they spend on that lobbying work. ALEC's annual filings state that they have engaged in zero lobbying activity.
Tell the IRS to launch an immediate investigation into whether ALEC is committing tax fraud.
12 June 2011
The Impact of Budget Cuts on Kansas Schools
Related Articles:
Kansas budget focuses on mere numbers without regard to the harm, Rep. Paul Davis, Kansas City Star, June 7, 2011.
REPORT: Meet The Billionaires Who Are Trying To Privatize Our Schools And Kill Public Education, Zaid Jilani, Think Progress, May 21. 2011.
Brownback score card? Toss up, Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star, May 13, 2011.
Senate Passes State Budget, Dion Lefler, Wichita Eagle, May 12, 2011.
KNEA reacts to Brownback's budget cuts, Tim Huelskamp, Kiowa County Singal, March 14, 2011.
Public schools take hit in Kan. gov.'s budget cuts, John Milburn, Associate Press, March 11, 2011.
Casualties in the American Right-Wing's War on Science and Education, ToddWV, DemocraticUnderground.com, January 23, 2011.
MP3 File
06 June 2011
The Future of the Arts in Kansas
In February, Brownback had issued an order to eliminate the Arts Commission as a cost-cutting move and replace it with a private, nonprofit foundation. The plan brought widespread opposition with supporters of the commission saying it was needed to lure federal arts dollars and provide important programs in local communities. The Kansas Senate rejected Brownback’s order and both the House and Senate agreed to fund the commission at $689,000 for the year. Even so, Brownback earlier this month issued layoff notices to the commission’s staff of five employees.
In his veto message to the Legislature, Brownback said, “In difficult fiscal times such as these, the state must prioritize how to spend its limited resources and focus its attention on providing core services. The arts will continue to thrive in Kansas when funded by private donations, and I intend to personally involve myself in efforts to make this happen.”
Sam Brownback has cost the State of Kansas over $1.2 million by vetoing the funding for the Kansas Arts Commission.
We take up the question of the future of the arts in Kansas with: Llewellyn Crain, Kansas City Symphony; Jay Nelson, Kansas Arts Commissioner; Henry Schwaller, chairman of the Kansas Arts Commission; Penny Senften, Director, Manhattan Arts Center.
Related Links/Articles:
Kansas Citizens for the Arts on Facebook.
Kansas Arts Movement on Facebook.
Fallacies of the Kansas Veto, Jonathan Katz, Executive Director, National Assembly of State Art Agencies, June 2011.
Reactions to the demise of the Kansas Arts Commission, Ian David Moss, Createquity, June 6, 2011.
State’s balanced budget could force local governments to increase taxes or cut services, Scott Rothschild, Lawrence Journal World, June 5, 2011.
'Falling backwards': Lawrence artists react to Kansas Arts Commission closing, Sarah Henning, Lawrence Journal World, June 5, 2011
Moderation wanes in Kansas as Brownback off to fast start, John Hanna, Associate Press, Lawrence Journal World, June 4, 2011.
Governor names arts chairman, pledges funding, Hawver's News Company, June 3, 2011.
Open letter to Kansas governor Sam Brownback, Laura Zabel, Minnesota Playlist, June 1, 2011.
Art's Ax, editorial, Lawrence Journal World, June 1, 2011
Americans for the Arts criticizes Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of Kansas Arts Commission funding, John Hanna, Associate Press, Lawrence Journal World, May 31, 2011.
MP3 File
03 April 2011
Brownback's War on the Mental Health Services
A new report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, entitled, "State Mental Health Cuts: A National Crisis," reports that Kansas ranks seventh in the nation when it comes to cutting state funding for mental health programs.
Kansas spending on mental health services went from $115 million in 2009 to $97 million in 2011, a 16-percent decrease.
Kansas is among 34 states that have cut a total $1.8 billion, despite the need for mental health services increasing because of economic distress and troops returning home from war.
“Budget cuts mean people don’t get the right help in the right place at the right time,” said former Community Bridge guest Rick Cagan, executive director of NAMI Kansas to the Kansas City Star. “Local communities suffer and families break under the strain.”
Community Bridge takes up this issue in our second hour with Robbin Cole, Executive Director of Pawnee Mental Health on how Brownback's budget cuts to mental health services are hurting Kansans in need of mental health services in Manhattan and across the state.
At half past the hour, we are joined by Rev. Tobais Schlingensiepen, paster of First Congregational Church in Topeka, and Rev. Trudy Cretsinger, former pastor of Trinity Luthern Church in Topeka, representing Kansas families served by the Kansas Neurological Institute, another service Sam Brownback has deemed too costly for the state to continued to support. For fiscal year 2010, KNI's operational budget was $29 million, of which $16.5 million came from the federal government through Medicaid funds. State appropriations amounted to $10 million. KNI serves around 160 Kansans, the majority (83%) are aged between 30 and 59; 88 percent have a profound intellectual disability; 83 percent are unable to speak and the remainder have very limited speech abilities; 68 percent are unable to walk; and, 94 percent have lived at KNI for 10 years or more. But for Sam Brownback these people do not deserve to be care for by the state.
Kansas spending on mental health services went from $115 million in 2009 to $97 million in 2011, a 16-percent decrease.
Kansas is among 34 states that have cut a total $1.8 billion, despite the need for mental health services increasing because of economic distress and troops returning home from war.
“Budget cuts mean people don’t get the right help in the right place at the right time,” said former Community Bridge guest Rick Cagan, executive director of NAMI Kansas to the Kansas City Star. “Local communities suffer and families break under the strain.”
Community Bridge takes up this issue in our second hour with Robbin Cole, Executive Director of Pawnee Mental Health on how Brownback's budget cuts to mental health services are hurting Kansans in need of mental health services in Manhattan and across the state.
At half past the hour, we are joined by Rev. Tobais Schlingensiepen, paster of First Congregational Church in Topeka, and Rev. Trudy Cretsinger, former pastor of Trinity Luthern Church in Topeka, representing Kansas families served by the Kansas Neurological Institute, another service Sam Brownback has deemed too costly for the state to continued to support. For fiscal year 2010, KNI's operational budget was $29 million, of which $16.5 million came from the federal government through Medicaid funds. State appropriations amounted to $10 million. KNI serves around 160 Kansans, the majority (83%) are aged between 30 and 59; 88 percent have a profound intellectual disability; 83 percent are unable to speak and the remainder have very limited speech abilities; 68 percent are unable to walk; and, 94 percent have lived at KNI for 10 years or more. But for Sam Brownback these people do not deserve to be care for by the state.
MP3 File
26 March 2011
March 24 - Abolishing the Kansas Death Penalty
Community Bridge opens this week with a previously recorded interview that host Christopher Renner conducted with Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ. Prejean's work on death row was showcased in her book, Death Man Walking and the film of the same title. Her second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions, tells the story of two innocent men she accompanied to their deaths. Then we hear some commentary on what's been happening in the Kansas legislature from the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty and close out with two syndicated clips: Chris Hayes's program, The Breakdown, takes on corporate personhood and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting’s CounterSpin takes on the issue of taxes with Chuck Collins of US Uncut.
MP3 File
06 March 2011
Manhattan City Commission Candidates
In our second hour, we welcome Phil Anderson and Stan Hoerman, candidates for Manhattan City Council, for a discussion of their qualifications and to respond to questions submitted by Community Bridge listeners. We talk about taxpayer dollars going to the Chamber of Commerce, rental inspections, separation of church and state, and much more. Rich Jankovich will join us on March 10th at 5:00 for a similar interview. At this time John Matta and Wynn Butler have not responded to my invitation to be on Community Bridge.
MP3 File
02 March 2011
Kansas Rallies to Save the American Dream
On Saturday February 27th, approximately 1500 Kansans joined with hundreds of thousands of others across the United States to protest the war on the middle class that is being waged by the Republican Party and their corporate billionaire backers.
Joining with voices echoing the need to return government to the people, working class Kansans from teachers to correctional officers spoke out against the extremism of Sam Brownback and the Koch Brothers.
We hear from Aaron Fowler of Wichita, a member of the American Federation of Musicians union, who emceed the rally. Then, Teresa Molina, a Wichita teacher, Greg Winfield a correctional office at the Lansing State Prison, followed by Jane Carter, executive director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, Emilio Ramirez of the United Steel Workers; Rep. Paul Davis, House Democratic Leader, and Senator Anthony Hensley concludes. Then we hear from a couple of people in the audience, Tracee Collins, Sen. Marci Francisco of Lawrence, and Janice Norlin of Salina.
MP3 File
06 February 2011
Funding Public Education in Kansas
MP3 File
22 January 2011
Cutting Funding for the Arts in Kansas
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is proposing to phase out state tax funding for the arts andthat the Kansas Arts Commission become a privately funded nonprofit organization. If these budget cuts are approved, Kansas will be the ONLY state in the country without a State funded arts agency. Llewellyn Crain, Executive Director of the Kansas Arts Commission, and Penny Senften, director of the Manhattan Arts Center join host Christopher Renner in studio to discuss Sam Brownback's proposal to defund the arts in Kansas.
Join the fight to save the arts by joining the Facebook group “Keep Funding for Kansas Arts!” at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=100725473337844.
We close out by rebroadcasting an interview with Wendel Potter, author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans, conducted by The Nation magazine. Potter explains how insurance companies are manipulating the conversation surrounding healthcare legislation. Potter was a health insurance executive for nearly 20 years but quit his position in 2008 because he found it difficult to work for an industry that placed profit over people’s health. In 2009, Potter testified before the Senate on how insurance companies have engaged in practices that have forced millions of Americans to become uninsured. We hear the first half of The Nation's interview with Potter. To hear the complete interview (one hour in length) click here.
MP3 File
04 December 2010
The Crisis in Mental Health Care in Kansas
This week's Community Bridge opens with a discussion of the crisis in mental health care that has been caused by the budget cuts to essential social services in the State of Kansas. As a result, mental health clients with limited resources are finding it impossible to obtain the medications they need to live normal lives. Without medications, mental health clients face a downward spiral including the loss of independent living, their social safety net and since the state mental hospitals are cannot accept new patiences, our communities have no choice put to place mental health clients in jail.
Robbin Waldner Cole, Executive Director of Pawnee Mental Health Services, Rich Cagan, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness Kansas, and Mike Hammond, Executive Director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, join us to discuss how Kansas is treating its citizens with mental health concerns.
MP3 File
08 October 2010
A Conversation with Rep. Tom Hawk
Rep. Tom Hawk as been a voice for reason in the Kansas legislature, but the Republicans are trying to unseat him with another rubber stamp for the party bosses. Rep. Hawk discusses some of his accomplishments, funding for public education and growing the Kansas economy in this abbreviated edition of Community Bridge.
MP3 File
02 October 2010
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
What does the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act do for you? Judith Baker, Regional Director for the Region 7 Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, outlines some answers in our first hour this week. Baker will cover questions asked at the July 26th public forum sponsored by the Manhattan Alliance for Peace and Justice as well as cover new information about the changes to the U.S. health care system that took place on September 23rd.
MP3 File
24 September 2010
An interview with Tom Holland and Kelly Kultala
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28 May 2010
2010 Lesgislative Wrap-up
MP3 File
01 May 2010
Kansas Budget Woes: A Budget for 2011 for All Kansans
Community Bridge closes out with Mike Herman, K-State professor and member of Kansas Citizens for Science, who discusses the science cafes KCS is hosting across the state.
MP3 File
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