Forward Kansas

Koch Bros. impersonators (Gary Swartzendruber and Bob Homolka) were present at Kansas secretary of...

Fri, 06 May 2011 09:49:59 -0400

Koch Bros. impersonators (Gary Swartzendruber and Bob Homolka) were present at Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach’s press conference Wednesday in Salina, Kansas and visited with the secretary. Check out the YouTube video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQKaKXO8A94

Kobach said they would be surprised at the grades he received at Harvard, but he did not indicate he would produce his Wisconsin birth certificate. When asked about E-Verifying cattle, immigrants, voters, and feral pigs he deferred.

One person remarked during the day long training event that the cost of implementing the new Kansas voter E-Verify ID legislation which includes statewide training meetings for every county elected official, a new statewide election committee of county clerks to be formed in the state, numerous printed publications and local events to insure training, all because there might have been 200 irregularities in the past 10 years, seemed like budget overkill. Kobach felt the state of Kansas needed to be safe and he suggested the slogan “Trust, but Verify” voters like former president Reagan trusted and verify Russian leader military policy.

In the past, Kobach has advised cities in other states on immigration policies including Fremont, Nebraska and Farmers Branch, Texas, not to mention the state of Arizona on SB 1070. Each piece of legislation generated by Kobach has resulted in significant court costs. Farmers Branch Texas has spent over 4 million defending their law with Kobach pocketing over $100,000 in defense of the legislation after he wrote it for the city of 27,000 residents.

Kansas is in the process of implementing a new much more restrictive voter ID program proposed by Kobach.

JD Wayne
Salina, Kansas

Bad Democrat attacks Labor.

colincurtis-deactivated20160806 — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:35:50 -0400

This year across the Nation and in the Statehouse we have seen attacks on the Labor movement by Republicans. Yesterday Deborah Swank, a city councilwoman in Topeka, launched a negative campaign against her Labor backed Democratic opponent Chad Manspeaker.

Why is this a big deal? Because Deborah Swank’s letters and radio ads attack Chad Manspeaker for his work in the Labor movement. Deborah Swank attacks Chad Manspeaker for standing up for working families daily. WTF?!?

Deborah Swank you’re just another back room deal making, shady politician who cares more about lining your own pockets than standing up for working families or the constituents of your district.

So let’s take a second to set the record straight.

Lie: Deborah Swank says Chad Manspeaker has only lived in Topeka for 3 years.

Truth: Chad Manspeaker was born in Topeka, attended K through 12 in USD 501 schools, graduated from Washburn University and is raising his 2 daughters here right across the street from his wife’s childhood home, where her parents and 92 year old grandmother still live today.

Lie: Deborah Swank says Chad Manspeaker is a bully.

Truth: Chad Manspeaker stands up for working families daily, he’s been a staple in Democratic politics for many years and cares more about making district 6 and all of Topeka a better place for his children to grow up.

Lie: Deborah Swank says she has successfully worked with the City and Council in a partnership with the Community to guide Topeka in new directions; directions that will attract new business and improve the quality of life for all of our citizens.

Truth: Deborah Swank was instrumental in bringing the College Hill development project to district 6. A project where the entire 24,000 square feet in retail space remains empty, and not a single townhouse out of the 25 constructed in the College Hill Redevelopment Plan have been sold, despite the fact that Councilwoman Swank herself served as a co-listing real estate agent on behalf of the Washburn Lane Renovations LLC sellers.

That’s right, Councilwoman Swank directly lined her own pockets with taxpayer money on a failed construction project that she was instrumental in bringing to the district.

Deborah Swank is not only antilabor, she is a liar. In Deborah Swank’s latest letter she urges voters to call her. Well I agree, call councilwoman Swank at (785) 845-4115 and tell her to stop lying and stop lining her pockets with taxpayer dollars.

Chad Manspeaker is running because he believes Topeka can do better, Chad believes that the city government must be honest with itself and the city taxpayers and he has received so much support for working families because of the work he has done on their behalf for many years. Chad believes that we must do more to demand transparency in government in order to increase accountability, stop the backroom deals and make Topeka as a whole a better place.

Today is the finance report deadline for the race, help Chad get a strong showing by donating to his campaign and show Mrs. Swank that standing up for working families is nothing to be ashamed of.

Letter to the editor: "Community Defense Act" (HB 2107)

colincurtis-deactivated20160806 — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:58:00 -0500

The following is a letter shared with us by Artur Bagyants.

The deceptively titled “Community Defense Act” (HB 2107) recently passed by the Kansas House seeks to restrict nudity at strip clubs. 91 out of 125 members of the House voted in favor of the bill. Many of these legislators ran on mantles of small government, individual liberty, and free enterprise. This bill overtly violates all three principles.

I have never been to a strip club or a “sexually-oriented business” and I have no plans to go. But I believe what these legislators only claim to believe - that reducing unnecessary government intervention and protecting individual liberty are too important to be sacrificed on the altar of personal unease.

There is no legitimate public interest that is promoted by this bill. Simply put, this bill is a product of a dishonest group of legislators who claim to champion the same freedoms they seek to restrict.

In a time of economic downturn we do not have the time, the need, nor the money to spend on ridiculous proposals such as these. Let’s get to work on ideas that can actually help people.

In addition to tripling our country’s debt, Ronald Reagan...

fwks-blog — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:45:15 -0500

In addition to tripling our country’s debt, Ronald Reagan raised taxes in 6 of his 8 years as President. Yet the Tea Party and other conservatives hold him up as an example of fiscal responsibility and small government.

He also considered AIDS to be the gay plague and was content to let anyone with the disease die. He attempted to meet the dietary requirements for school lunches by re-designating ketchup as a “vegetable.” Yes, a vegetable.

He made huge cuts to social services, which led to mentally ill people made homeless.

Nearly 140 members of his administration were investigated, indicted and/or convicted of criminal violations. Many were because of Iran/Contra where his administration decided that selling weapons illegally to Iran was a good thing because they helped to support terrorists in Nicaragua.

Reagan seemed like a kindly old grandpa, but was nothing of the sort. Remember.

What You Can Do Right Now for the Arts in Kansas

fwks-blog — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:55:00 -0500

Governor Brownback has suggested eliminating the Kansas Arts Commission as a state agency – which is not in the best interest of the state of Kansas, of our economy or of the jobs that the arts support in all of our communities.

Kansas nonprofit arts and cultural sector is a $153.5 million industry, supporting over 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generating over $15 million in state and local government revenues. Per capita, more Kansans engage in the personal creation of art than any other state in the union.

We are very proud of that. Governor Brownback must see the Arts as frilly, optional things. We disagree.

Kansas Citizens for the Arts has set up a tool to contact your legislators. We want you to contact one legislator. That’s it. If you want to contact more, that’s up to you, but it’s important to contact at least one. Go to it. And let us know if you hear back from someone.

The reference to the sister dropping out of high school has to...

fwks-blog — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:57:00 -0500

The reference to the sister dropping out of high school has to do with the new Republican plan to redefine rape. More info:

There are a lot of good Kansans out working tonight to keep our...

ohmygoshwhyisthisusernamesolong — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:05:02 -0500

There are a lot of good Kansans out working tonight to keep our streets clear. To all of them, we say thank you and stay warm.

(Photo via Dustin Hardison)

If you live in Topeka, you may know Chad Manspeaker. If you...

fwks-blog — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:11:00 -0500

If you live in Topeka, you may know Chad Manspeaker. If you don’t, you should. He announced for the Topeka City Council last week and while he brings lots of good ideas we’ll examine, he needs small donations right now. From his Tumbleblog:

manspeaker:

If you would like to help me get elected to city council in Topeka, I would really appreciate it.

But seriously $10 makes a huge difference. I would like 1 million $10 donations or 50 or even 1 would be cool.

If you have been frustrated with how difficult life has been the last few years and you got 5 bucks to spare send it to my campaign.

If you’re young and can’t understand why the world you have inherited isn’t what you thought it was going to be, you should send money to my campaign.

More than anything else if you are like me and realize there are a bunch of folks with no one to speak or advocate on their behalf then you too should send money to my campaign.

Or if you are broke, unemployed and living in your parents house you could hook me up with a reblog.

Kansas turned 150 years old on January 29th, 2011. We think...

fwks-blog — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 05:32:00 -0500

Kansas turned 150 years old on January 29th, 2011. We think every 150 years is a good time to examine where we are and where we want to go. This is the Sesquicentennial reboot.