Archive for Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Robocall urging coal plant support hits KU lines
Regents, university have policy against using phones for political purposes, but call is legal
April 21, 2009
Advertisement
A Kansas University employee said Tuesday she received a robocall on her work phone that urged her to tell her legislator to vote to overturn Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ veto of two 700-megawatt coal-burning power plants.
“This really irritates me,” Jeannette Johnson said. She said KU and the Kansas Board of Regents have strict rules against using state equipment for political purposes.
“I think that it is wrong for those robocalls to come in to tie up the phone lines of state institutions,” Johnson said.
The call was a recorded message paid for by the Kansas Chamber, which supports construction of the coal-fired plants near Holcomb.
Sebelius has vetoed legislation that would allow the project to go forward. When the Legislature reconvenes April 29 for the wrap-up session, lawmakers may attempt to override the veto, which would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. Previous attempts to override Sebelius’ veto on the issue have failed in the House.
Jeff Glendening, a spokesman for the Kansas Chamber, said the telephone numbers for the robocalls were gathered from lists that matched phone numbers given with voter registration information.
But Johnson said that explanation made no sense. She said she would never give out her work number as part of voter registration.
Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said there is nothing illegal about a robocall coming into a place of work even if it’s a taxpayer-funded institution.
The caller that left the recorded message for Johnson identified himself as U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Glendening said the chamber also used U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., in the messages. Both are running for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat and both support the coal-fired project.
The caller urges the listener to contact his or her legislator and gives the legislative hot line number in the Statehouse, which can be used to leave messages for legislators.
More like this
- Legislative leaders give Sebelius ultimatum on coal-fired project 47 comments / April 24, 2008
- Neufeld: No veto override on coal-fired plants bill 1 comment / May 21, 2008
- Senate overrides coal-plant veto 27 comments / April 30, 2008
- Power plant struggle resumes 43 comments / May 1, 2008
- Sebelius vetoes bill on coal-fired power plants 28 comments / April 13, 2009
Top ads RSS
- On the street: Are you a Black Friday shopper? November 27, 2009 · 20 comments
- The Oread Hotel targets concerns over fire November 27, 2009 · 15 comments
- Blog: Six Wins Might Not Be Enough To Get Ku Into A Bowl November 27, 2009 · 10 comments
- Kansas Athletics seeks football fans to invest $34M for Gridiron Club November 27, 2009 · 25 comments
- Blog: How Has Obama's Stimulus Helped You? November 21, 2009 · 92 comments
- LINK supplies food, fellowship November 27, 2009 · 1 comment
- Turbine manufacturer passes on Lawrence site November 24, 2009 · 91 comments
- Invading camels to be shot November 27, 2009 · 3 comments
- Blog: No Worries, Apparently A Lot Of Kids Are That Way. November 25, 2009 · 5 comments
- Fear tactics November 27, 2009 · 10 comments
- The Oread Hotel targets concerns over fire November 27, 2009
- Center of attention: New LAC director acclimates to challenging post November 27, 2009
- Natural scorer: Xavier Henry used to carrying points load November 27, 2009
- Jayhawks: We are focused on Tigers November 27, 2009
- Message warns students at Perry-Lecompton not to attend class today April 20, 2007
- Heeding heart attack’s message November 26, 2009
- Oread owners share view from the top September 24, 2009
- Tight credit slows state’s business development November 27, 2009
- Kansas Athletics seeks football fans to invest $34M for Gridiron Club November 27, 2009
- Kansas Legislature likely to debate judicial nomination process in 2010 session November 25, 2009
21 April 2009
at 4:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Did_I_say_that (Anonymous) says…
It is called “hang-up” the phone or “delete” the message. You would think that by the time someone became an Assistant to the Provost they would be smart enough to do that.
A dollar to the doughnut (although that is not much of a wager anymore) that Ms. Johnson did her whining to LJW on the phone line and time of a state institution.
21 April 2009
at 4:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
maxcrabb (Anonymous) says…
Between this and all those “your car warranty is about to expire!” calls, I'm about to ditch the phone altogether.
Maybe an ipod touch with VOIP, solder on a broadband express card… it can't be nearly as hard as getting off all the call-lists…
21 April 2009
at 5:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Bob_Keeshan (Anonymous) says…
And so it was Did I say that was outed as an employee of the Kansas Chamber.
21 April 2009
at 5:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Jersey_Girl (Anonymous) says…
No kidding! I get the car warranty one and another one regarding “our” previous conversation about consolidating debt…on the main line of our office. I drive a '94 Jeep so I know my warranty has expired and I haven't talked to anyone about consolidating debt. Those things are freaking annoying.
21 April 2009
at 6:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Did_I_say_that (Anonymous) says…
Bob_Keeshan (Anonymous) says…
“And so it was Did I say that was outed as an employee of the Kansas Chamber.”
Captain Kangaroo,
Your comment makes no sense. Please explain.
21 April 2009
at 7:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
been_there (Anonymous) says…
So if you are on a “no call” list, are the car warranty calls illegal? We need a “no political calls” list as well.
21 April 2009
at 8:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Newell_Post (Anonymous) says…
I do consulting work in California some of the time and I have a phone number there. It is actually mildly amusing to get robocalls from Arnold Schwarzenegger a.k.a. “The Governator.” Robocalls should be completely illegal, but I would make an exception for Arnold…
21 April 2009
at 9:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
RoeDapple (Anonymous) says…
Go online, sign up,calls stop in 30 days or less….
https://www.donotcall.gov/
we signed up three weeks ago, calls have stopped, quiet around here,…….lonely,………..so lonely…………
21 April 2009
at 9:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Starlight (Anonymous) says…
Tonight it was a robocall from Lynn Jenkins. Puts her in the same boat with the convict Conrad J Braun robocalling to spew his crap on Obama and Sebelius. Jenkins probably uses his spam/robocalling outfit Homeytel out of San Diego. I complained to the FCC about Braun and got a “sorry, we're impotent” response. I'm really sick of the abuse. If a call in the evening or Saturday morning isn't family or a friend then I am more than a little annoyed.
21 April 2009
at 9:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
RoeDapple (Anonymous) says…
Caller ID also works wonders. If I don't recognize the area code, connect/disconnect
21 April 2009
at 9:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Did_I_say_that (Anonymous) says…
Starlight (Anonymous) says…
“If a call in the evening or Saturday morning isn't family or a friend then I am more than a little annoyed.”
Your ending sentence reminded me of a phone call I had to make to my District Manager about 15 years ago on a Saturday morning. He gruffly answered the phone, “This had best be family.” Without missing a beat, I replied, “Hello, Dad.”
21 April 2009
at 10:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Godot (Anonymous) says…
“some question propriety of robocalls…….”
And some do not.
1st amendment.
21 April 2009
at 10:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
RoeDapple (Anonymous) says…
I used to waste my time telling them my phone was for my convenience, not theirs.
Then I tried to get a number I could call back to when THEY were trying to sleep.
But the old connect/disconnect always makes me smile…….