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You might expect that as the director of Douglas County’s food bank, I am writing to ask you to give food, money or time to my organization, Just Food. But as much as I would appreciate any of those commitments, today I’m asking you to consider fighting hunger in our community in a ...
Kansans, we have been riding an income tax roller coaster. In 2012 the “Kansas experiment” brought lowered income tax rates and a full tax exemption for business income. Last June those policies were rescinded. Income taxes went down, then up.Some have been calling the June tax changes ...
We have the opportunity to vote yes Nov. 7, and thereby largely solve the severe, systemic shortage of affordable housing in our community. A yes vote to Item 3 would give a 0.05 percent (one penny for every $20 spent) through a reallocation sales tax for the affordable housing trust fund from ...
Helping people stick around long enough to learn skills that help them get to #LifeWorthLiving is my passion. Some people call that suicide prevention — and call September Suicide Prevention Month. The week with Sept. 10 is USA National Suicide Prevention Week; and Sept. 10 is World Suicide ...
Our hearts and thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of the Aug. 13 murder-suicide, an act of domestic violence carried out by the victim’s ex-partner.Physical violence is the most visible form of domestic violence, but it is not the only form. In Kansas, one woman is ...
As Congress works to make improvements to our health care system, we should make certain we continue to prioritize medical research and its ability to save lives tomorrow through today’s investments. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays a critical role nationwide in directing our ...
If the United States attacks North Korea for whatever reason, the result may be a global economic and humanitarian crisis like the world has never seen. While the military and diplomatic experts remind us of the risks and massive loss of civilian and military life, the aftermath of such a ...
I’ve recently returned from Germany. I was there for nine weeks studying abroad, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. As I reflect on it now, though, I still can’t quite believe I made it there. I don’t know a lot, and the longer I live the less that I feel I know. There is ...
As the Kansas Child Welfare System Task Force is about to begin its important work of examining in a holistic way the entire child welfare system, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the role of the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) on the task force and some ...
In the waning days of this year’s legislative session, Kansas lawmakers agreed to put together a task force to determine how best to shore up the state’s reeling foster care system.This is good news. Advocates for abused and neglected children should be thrilled. They’re not. They’re ...
An editorial published in the Lawrence Journal-World on July 13 raised concerns about the proposed property tax mill increase given the growth in assessed valuation. Those concerns need to be addressed for all city taxpayers to understand the 2018 recommended budget. The statement that “the ...
Recent articles have acknowledged Peaslee Tech’s benefit to our community and the value for economic development to Lawrence and Douglas County. Several aspects of the July 17 editorial, however, missed the point about Peaslee Tech’s role for Lawrence and the county. The editorial stated ...
At this moment, two events crowd my consciousness, requiring some comment. First, Donald Trump Jr.’s dalliance with a Russian lawyer in hopes of getting dirt on Hillary Clinton. Second, the Trumpcare bill pending in the Senate.An email chain unabashedly reveals the Russian government’s ...
For all the focus on our nation’s schools, community colleges get short shrift. In the debates about the role education plays in our nation’s economy and democracy, we too often overlook our two-year colleges.Created more than a century ago, arising from a variety of forces including ...
My last column was about Arlo Guthrie singing “This Land is Your Land.” The song says we’re all in this together, togetherness is necessary to our well-being, and such togetherness requires fairness and equality. It won’t work any other way. This land was made for all, not the few. But ...
You really have to wonder what kind of health care system we have when Micah Fletcher, the sole surviving hero of Jeremy Christian’s racist attack in Portland, Ore., needs a Go Fund Me page to cover his medical expenses. Think about it. What kind of society do we live in when people go ...
The Trump Administration’s new budget proposes massive cuts to Medicaid and other programs that benefit the poorest Americans, while rewarding the super rich. This is to be expected, but there is more. The proposal forecasts 3 percent annual growth in the coming years: about twice what ...
An open letter to the Kansas congressional delegation:Dear Reps. Marshall, Jenkins, Yoder and Estes, and Sens. Roberts and Moran,A moment of truth for each of you is at hand. President Trump has proposed a tax plan that looks and sounds remarkably like the Brownback experiment now playing out ...
I have The New York Times from May 10, 2017 — the real print edition. I’m reluctant to throw it away. Mark you, I’ve trashed lots of newsprint: KU winning two national championships and even the Chicago Tribune the day after the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, but I’m ...
Last week our governor and some members of the Legislature gathered at the Statehouse to experience a day of prayer. Participants prayed that the work of the Legislature would serve the will of the Lord. There were also prayers that the Legislature not enact laws that reinforce a dependency ...