Editorial: Arts decline

Michelangelo's David: CORRUPT! (paid for by the Republic of Florence with tax dollars)

Gauguin's Tahitian paintings: CORRUPT! (paid for by a grant from the French Ministry of education using tax dollars)

Picasso's Guernica: CORRUPT! (paid for by the Spanish Republic with tax dollars)

John Steuart Curry, Thomas Hart Benton, Marsden Hartley, Arshile Gorky, Adolph Gottlieb, William Gropper, Philip Guston, Lee Krasner, Jacob Lawrence, Alice Neel, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Willam De Kooning, John Sloan, Ben Shahn, Raphaeil Soyer, Grant Wood, Stuart Davis: CORRUPT! (all of them were on the payroll of the FAP, as were scores of other well known American artists)

In fact, if government and tax dollars corrupt art then a HUGE part of the history of world art has been nothing but corruption.

On the other hand, that corruption stuff could just be nonsense.

June 18, 2013 at 3:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Brownback signs two-year budget, with exceptions

Owner and CEO 1: Have you heard about what Kansas has been doing to promote business? Bravo! Like their governor says, it's a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.

Owner and CEO 2: Yes, that's one business friendly state! So, you're thinking of relocating then?

Owner and CEO 1: Well, maybe, if Kansas gets that looming deficit cleared up and shows that cutting funding to higher education isn't going hurt the workforce. Oh, and after my kids have graduated. So maybe in five years we'll think about it. How about you?

Owner and CEO 2: Well, as you know, I don't care about quality of life issues, so the lack of support for the arts and less public recreational land than any other state in the country doesn't matter to me. I probably won't use state highways, so the cuts to those aren't important, but since we're a retail business I'm not sure how one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation would affect us. Maybe in five years or so, if other business relocate we might consider it. Of course, five years from now Kansas might be in really bad shape. Have you heard about that $400+ million court case that the state is about to lose over failing to fund K-12 education? I wouldn't want to have anything sunk into a business in Kansas if that hits the fan.

Owner and CEO 1: Yeah, you're right. We're doing the smart thing by waiting to see how this experiment comes out. But I'm sure it will be a shot of adrenaline to the heart of the Kansas economy, since there must be lots of businesses out there that are eager to start up in a state with an uncertain financial future so long as they can save on state income taxes in the short term.

Owner and CEO 2: Yeah, there must be.

June 16, 2013 at 7:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Brownback signs Kansas income tax cut bill into law

"Kansas is open for business."

It's only the hearts and minds that are closed.

June 14, 2013 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

State education board set to act on science standards

"Similar efforts have been organized in other state capitals around the country, mainly by Tea Party-backed organizations..."

In other words, the least educated and least qualified people in the country.

Now let's get a group of nuns to determine standards for the Kansas National Guard. (Although, of course, there shouldn't be a Kansas "National" Guard in the first place because it just exists "at the expense of local control.")

June 10, 2013 at 4:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Shamanic healing has a foothold in Lawrence

Your post doesn't make any sense. It's those who oppose the ACA and expansion of Medicaid who leave the uninsured with no option but drumbeats.

But maybe you think that's "very reasonable."

June 10, 2013 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Editorial: Veto options

To be fair, Brownback may not have anticipated this.

He may just be as naive as a five-year-old and the only person in the state who thought that advocating for higher education by going to universities instead of talking to the Legislature itself would convince legislators not to cut funding.

June 9, 2013 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Regents, Legislature going in opposite directions on higher education funding

The University of Missouri
The University of Colorado
The University of Oklahoma
The University of Nebraska

All are ranked higher than KU. Significant cuts over the next two years will widen the gap. But it's OK. Kansas doesn't have to keep up in research or production of an educated workforce. It's not as though Kansas has to compete with these states just because they're next door.

As long as Kansas has a higher ranked university than any in Alabama (oops, forget that, since it doesn't)...As long as Kansas has a university ranked higher than any in Iowa (oops, Iowa beats Kansas twice) ...As long as Kansas has a higher ranked university than any in South Carolina (oops, Clemson is there and is a public university too)...As long as Kansas has a higher ranked university than any in Louisiana (oops, forgot about Tulane. It may be private, but it's still in Louisiana, not Kansas)...As long as Kansas has a higher ranked university than any in Texas (oops, forgot about TU, A&M, Baylor...) As long as Kansas has a higher ranked university than any in Utah (oops, Brigham Young is ranked almost 40 spots higher). As long as Kansas has a university ranked higher than any in Tennessee (oops, nope)...As long as Kansas has a university ranked higher than any in...well, don't even bring up Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, California, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan...

What about Idaho? Yes, that's it. As long as Kansas has a university ranked higher than any in Idaho, then Kansas will be a leader in research and a major competitor for new businesses.

Of course after two years of significant cuts to funding of Kansas higher education...

June 9, 2013 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mock funeral crowd mourns ‘death’ of Kansas

The funeral is unfortunately premature. Koch's disease and Chamber-of-Commerce syndrome involve a lot of suffering before the relief of death.

June 8, 2013 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Brownback weighs decision on higher ed cuts

"Brownback had wanted to maintain current funding for each of the next two fiscal years, starting in July."

Not exactly. The correct sentence should be: Brownback had SAID that he wanted to maintain current funding for each of the next two fiscal years, starting in July.

As soon as he announced that he would be touring universities to advocate against cuts instead of talking to the Legislature the outcome was clear: PR for Brownback and cuts for universities.

June 8, 2013 at 7:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Amid budget cuts to higher education, KU gets funding for adult stem cell center

"...it now will be world-renown."

Logan might believe that and might have said that, but no doubt he meant that the center would be "world renowned."

Of course KU already has programs and centers that are world renowned. Surely the university is in the best position to determine how to use its reduced funds. The idea that the dumbest legislature in Kansas history is qualified to determine curriculum, research, and strategic planning at KU or any other university is absurd.

June 7, 2013 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )