From Olathe:

Olathe News-3/2/09

March 2, 2009

This Edition of E-News
• Cedar Lake Park Reopened to Public
• Comprehensive Plan Update
• Olathe Project Receives Funding
• Construction Planned for Santa Fe/Ridgeview

City Council Agenda
The Olathe City Council will meet Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall for a regular session meeting. Regular session meetings are broadcast live on Comcast channel 7, AT&T channel 99 and on the City’s website. To see the complete agenda for this meeting, click here or visit the City’s website at www.olatheks.org. (more…)

NRO:

Pennsylvania Ave:

Pennsylvania Republican Committee Chairman Robert Gleason Jr. said in an interview today that the state party may not support Sen. Arlen Specter in the Republican primary next year — a day after his national counterpart suggested that GOP supporters of the economic stimulus bill could take a hit in upcoming elections.

Club for Growth:

Mayor Gavin Newsom banned bottled water in city government buildings, but was caught with bottled water in his SUV.

McClatchy: “GOP hates earmarks – except the ones its members sponsor”

WASHINGTON — Republicans are expected to deliver a daylong rant Wednesday against Democratic spending legislation, yet the bill is loaded with thousands of pet projects that Republican lawmakers inserted.

Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas, included $142,500 for emergency repairs to the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum in Bonham, Texas. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., joined state colleagues to include $1.425 million for Nevada “statewide bus facilities.” The top two Republicans on Congress’ money committees also inserted local projects.

In all, an estimated $3.8 billion worth of specific projects, called “earmarks,” are in the $410 billion spending bill that the House of Representatives is to vote on Wednesday. Easy passage is expected. The Senate is expected to act soon, too, since federal agencies will run out of money a week from Friday unless new funds are enacted.

House Democrats estimate that Republicans inserted 40 percent of the earmarks in the bill. An independent budget watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, said the 60-40 Democratic-Republican ratio followed historical patterns.

Rasmussen:

For the second straight week, the percentage of voters who say the United States is heading in the right direction rose to its highest level in recent years.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 35% now say the country is moving in the right direction, up from 30% last week and 28% the week before.

In the latest poll, 58% believe the nation is moving down the wrong track, compared to 62% last week and 64% the week before.

The number of American voters who say the country is heading in the right direction is the highest since October 2004, when 43% felt the same way. The latest result is now 14 points higher than the level found just after Barack Obama was elected president.

Rasmussen:

Fifty-two percent (52%) of Americans say they go online and use the Internet every day or nearly every day, and most of those adults now find online reporting comparable to that in their local newspaper.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of these daily Internet users say that reporting from web sources is at least somewhat reliable while 69% say the same about local newspaper reporting.

Among all adults, 65% consider reporting from Internet news sources to be at least somewhat reliable. Seventy percent (70%) say the same about reporting from local newspapers.

A recent note from JCCC to staff:

JCCC’S FEDERAL WORK STUDY PROGRAM IS LOOKING FOR WORK

Did the soft hiring freeze leave you short-handed? Is the work piling up?

Kelly Cole might be able to help. She’s the Federal Work Study (FWS) Coordinator at JCCC.

FWS is a form of federal need-based financial aid offered to students who have requested it on the FAFSA and who have qualified for the opportunity to earn FWS money for school while working on campus.

What does this mean for you?  Well, you supply the job and Cole will try very hard to supply the student employee. She will even pay their salary!  That’s right, the money comes out of Cole’s budget, not yours.  If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful opportunity, please contact Cole, at ext. 4293 or kcole01@jccc.edu.

Recently from the Kansas Federalist:

Is It Time to End the Death Penalty in Kansas?

As a conservative and former career law enforcement officer, my attitude on crime and punishment is to say, bluntly tough, very tough. I understand cause and effect and the importance of good public safety to protect and serve the public as well as the necessity to imprison those who commit offenses. In some cases, those offenses are unthinkable. But when a government imposes death on another, I see a danger on many levels.

In 1994, Kansas revisited the death penalty issue and as a result, the legislature voted to bring back the death penalty. But looking at it from different points of view has this 1994 Law proved its value? (more…)

JCCC:

JUDGES NEEDED FOR JOB OLYMPICS

Help support students in Johnson County school districts by serving as a judge in the 14th Annual Job Olympics, to be held Wednesday, April 8, at Johnson County Community College.

Job Olympics is a competition developed to promote transition and employability skills for a broad spectrum of high school students in special education.  More than 300 students are expected to participate in Job Olympics this year.

Competitions representing actual job and employment situations are judged by business people from the community and professionals in education.

Individual judging and written feedback is provided to each student.  This allows the teacher and students to assess students’ strengths and areas of weakness.

An awards ceremony follows the competition with ribbons, medals and trophies awarded. The schedule for the day will be:

7:45 a.m. -   8:00 a.m.                                Judges check in

8:00 a.m. -   8:15 a.m.                                Judges’ orientation

8:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.                               Competition

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                              General Assembly

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.                              Lunch

12:15 p.m. – 1:30  p.m.                                Awards Assembly

Judges are asked to commit to the competition time only, from 7:45 to 10:30 a.m., though judges are welcome to stay for a complimentary lunch and the awards ceremony.

Deadline to sign up to serve as a judge is Monday, March 2. Please contact Kathy Kennedy at ext. 3247 or kathrynk@jccc.edu to sign up or for more information.

Flint Hills Center:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Dave Trabert

March 5, 2009
(316) 634-0218

Fiddling While Rome Burns
Medicaid Reform in Kansas

(WICHITA) – The fact that the economy is crumbling should be no reason why legislators and policymakers fail to develop significant reforms of a broken Medicaid system. There are models for Medicaid reform in Florida and, most recently, in Louisiana, which should be under consideration in Kansas. They involve pilot programs in counties that are focused on improving health outcomes for Medicaid recipients and even involve an opt-out to move beneficiaries from public insurance.

In Kansas, meanwhile, state officials wait for the federal bailout and stimulus money to solve the growing Medicaid problem instead of focusing attention on reforms which can prevent the insolvency of the system. Some in Kansas are engaged in reform efforts which can save taxpayer money, but there is a hesitation to pursue the type of reforms followed in other states. Greg Schneider argues that this hesitation is like the Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burned in “Fiddling While Rome Burns:  Medicaid Reform in Kansas.” Action should be taken to reform Medicaid even in a harsh economic climate.

For more information contact senior fellow Greg Schneider at greg.schneider@flinthills.org or call (316) 634-0218

#    #    #Flint Hills Center for Public Policy • 250 N. Water, Suite 216 • Wichita, KS 67202-1215 • (316) 634-0218

Flint Hills Center for Public Policy is a non-profit organization that pursues free-market oriented public policy solutions and initiates reform in fiscal policy, education and health care. Visit www.flinthills.org for more information.

From the Competitive Enterprise Institute:  “Bottled Water and the Overflowing Nanny State: How Misinformation Erodes Consumer Freedom”

After years of promoting bottled water as an environmentally friendly, healthy alternative to tap water, environmental activists have turned against this product they once favored. Such an about-face alone should make everyone wary of the claims now being lobbed at bottled water. Like past contrived environmental panics, this one is just that—a contrived panic over nothing of substance. Plastic bottles used to transport various types of water are not going to make us sick, they are not a significant contributor to global warming, and they are highly energy efficient.

From OP:

Overview, the residents’ newsletter

Spring 2009 Edition

Overview is a quarterly newsletter for residents, offering articles about various city services and upcoming events.

The latest 24-page issue is now online.

Find out about: Upcoming changes to the city’s Web site and what you can do online through the site; the city’s new 24 hour online customer service system, OPCares; financial/home assistance programs; and registering your rental property, and more.

Plus, there are 13 pages of all of your favorite Parks and Recreation classes, including information on golf, the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead and the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

NOTE: The city uses a page flipping application to display Overview. An instructions page is available.

* Overview is mailed to all Overland Park residents. At this time, we are unable to substitute online subscriptions for postal mail.