For the first time in JCCC President Terry Calaway’s career in Johnson County, county taxpayers are beginning to ask if there is any noticeable difference in the level of trustworthiness of the new president and the old president.

At AllThingsJoco, Tracy Thomas calls Terry Calaway “The New Chuck,” in reference to former JCCC President Charles Carlsen.  Calaway’s behavior during the last two weeks can only be described as odd, and it is quickly damaging his reputation and that of Board Chair Shirley Brown-VanArsdale of Gardner. (more…)

A news release from Johnson County resident Clint Anderson:

Conservatives, Stand Up!

Protest Obama’s socialism this Saturday!!

Where:  95th & Mission  – McDonalds (NE corner, under construction)
What to do:  Cheer for freedom and protest liberal socialism!  Bring a handmade sign (suggestions below)!  Bring your kids!  Bring an American flag!
When:  9 – 10:30 AM (we conservatives have real-world responsibilities, so we can’t do this all day!)
Spirit:  Pro-America, respectful disagreement with the expansion of Obama’s socialiam and the “bailout economy”
Signs:  Use posterboard and large markers.  Need to be short & pithy.  Suggestions below:
*  No socialism!
*  Less government, More freedom
*  Less government, More Prosperity
*  No socialized healthcare!
*  Change that I’m afraid of!
*  Government IS the problem!
*  Honk for Freedom!
*  Socialism FAILS!
*  Honk if you love freedom!
*  No Porkulus!

Contact:  Clint Anderson, clintanderson@yahoo.com, 913-424-3564

Olathe:

This Edition of E-News
• Downtown Redevelopment
• Developing Employees
• Job Seeking and Unemployment Benefit Help at the Library
• Renovations Underway at Historic Mahaffie Barn
• Olathe Residents Encouraged to Participate in National Historic Planning
• Olathe Reads Receives Grant (more…)

Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Cablevision Systems Corp plans to charge online readers of its Newsday newspaper, a move that would make it one of the first large U.S. papers to reverse a trend toward free Web readership.

The paper said in a statement late on Thursday that it is in the process of transforming the site into a locally focused cable service.

Newsday, which covers the New York suburb of Long Island, was bought by Cablevision in a $650 million deal last May that was widely criticized on Wall Street as a puzzling move into a troubled newspaper market.

Cablevision had to write down Newsday’s value by $402 million on Thursday, pushing its fourth-quarter results to a loss, as U.S. print advertising sales and circulation have dropped with more readers seeking free news on the Web.

A legislative update from Sen. Pilcher Cook:

On Thursday, February 12 the House and Senate both passed the conference committee report for the 2009 rescission bill (the fiscal year 2009 budget).  It passed in the House 70 to 51 and in the Senate 27 to 11 with an ending balance of $126.5 million, leaving a mere 2 percent ending balance, but better than before.  It’s a good start on dealing with our financial crisis.

To get there, Republicans worked together — even Johnson County Republicans! (more…)

KMBC:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City appears to be in the running for an electric vehicle assembly plant, which has the potential to bring new jobs and new technology to the metro area.

The head of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City said it’s not a done deal, but he confirmed that Kansas City is in the running for the plant.

The Kansas City Business Journal reported that Smith Electric Vehicles, which is part of the Tanfield Group, is considering Kansas City as one of the possible sites to produce vans and trucks.

The plant would provide about 100 jobs in its first year, and that could double within three years.

Hudson Institute:

As today’s leaders endeavor to construct a reform process, they will need to ensure that it facilitates open discussion between competing and strongly-held policy perspectives. In past entitlement reform efforts, this has only succeeded when processes have been genuinely bipartisan, and when there has been a common understanding of the facts at hand.

Over at a regional blog Principally Political: “Hodge pushes for budget, board transparency.”

“It looks like this could develop into one of those political flaps where the “cover up” … is worse than the actual “crime” … The issue started out as a small one, but in drawing attention to it Calaway has made it a larger one, and one that he may lose.

At RedCounty.com, Benjamin Hodge provides an update on the open meetings issue at JCCC.  President Terry Calaway is keeping the story in the news by unapologetically and repeatedly reminding the county’s voters that he doesn’t support a strict interpretation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Attached is a picture of the letter faxed to JCCC from The Kansas City Star, in which The Star made it clear that it thought the college had broken the law.

Go to the Red County site to read the text of the letter.