Lecompton Plays NY

Paul Bahnmaier almost single-handily has promoted the history of tiny Lecompton Kansas for several decades.  Lecompton's unfortunate history is that it was chosen as the slave-capital of Kansas Territory in 1854.  The Constitution written in Lecompton's Constitution Hall (inset) would have had Kansas enter the Union as a slave state despite the clear majority of free-staters living in the Territory.  Some Democrats, like President James Buchanan, supported the admission of Kansas as a state under the Lecompton Constitution.  Other Democrats, like Stephen Douglas, opposed the admission of Kansas under this Constitution because it did not seem to have the support of the Kansas electorate.  This split in the Democratic Party opened the door for Abraham Lincoln to be elected President with less than a majority of votes.

Now, Paul is using the opening of Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln" to promote Lecompton's place in American history and his efforts have caught the attention of writers from the New York Times and the Topeka Capital-Journal.  Surely, Lecompton played a role in American history.  The battles fought over slavery in Kansas served as a prelude to the Civil War and they helped to re-define the Jeffersonian ideal that "all men are created equal."  What Jefferson thought these words meant when he wrote them in 1776 is not what Americans think they mean today.  Jefferson did not believe that women or slaves were equal to white men.

Today, Americans celebrate the equality of all people and the struggles that took place in Lecompton, Kansas helped us get there.     

Topeka's Power Grid

Last week those of us living in the Westboro neighborhood of Topeka were without electricity for 24 hours, following a modest storm that left a few branches strewn in the yard.  According to this story from the New York Times, the U.S. plans to spend $1.2 billion over the next 5 years in Afghanistan to improve their power grid.  How about a few of our dollars staying home and improving our lives.  

Today's Update, with a comment from me.

Here is the latest on the Senate Bill introduced by Senator Hensley. If passed, the bill would require the State Board of Education to issue a teacher's license to me. My comment can be found below the story.

Happy Birthday, BSA!

This week the Boy Scouts of America celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding in the U.S. A Chicago businessman, William Boyce, was inspired to establish the organization after a visit to London where he was given directions by a Boy Scout who was doing his daily good deed. I became an Eagle Scout as was my father and older brother. Our family now includes four additional Eagle Scouts, my son and three nephews. I've been to two National Jamborees (Colorado Springs, Valley Forge) as a Scout, two National Jamborees (Ft. A.P. Hill) as an adult leader, one international Scout campout (Great Britain) as a Scout, and one World Jamboree (The Netherlands) as an adult leader. I've been to Philmont Scout Ranch twice and taken canoe trips in the Quetico-Superior Boundary Waters area on three occasions. I've served as President and as Commissioner of our local Scout Council and I've been fortunate to make many lifelong friends through Scouting. God Bless this fine organization.

The Latest

Here's the latest move to get my state teacher's license. The background is that a few months ago, a friend of mine who is a lobbyist, offered to approach the House and Senate leadership about getting me licensed. He was personally outraged at the vote of the State Board of Education denying my license. I offered to contact Senator Hensley about supporting an effort to have a bill introduced requiring the BOE to license me. I have known Senator Hensley for many years, dating back to when he was a young legislator and I was Mayor of Topeka. He supported many of our local initiatives. Now, Senator Hensley, who is himself a public school teacher, is the longest-tenured member of the Kansas Legislature and a strong advocate for education issues.

I e-mailed Sen. Hensley two weeks ago. He never responded to my e-mail, and I thought the matter was hopeless. Yesterday, the Topeka Capital Journal contacted me and asked me for a comment about Senate Bill No. 487. I had not seen the Bill, but obviously, Senator Hensley thought the idea has merit. I am grateful for his support.

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UPDATE: The Topeka Capital-Journal weighs in on this important issue, finding my pursuit of a teacher's license to be admirable and sincere, and even offering that I am rehabilitated. But, they oppose Senator Hensley's bill, suggesting it is a misues of the legislative process. They may be right.

State of the Union

Tonight President Barack Obama gives his first State of the Union address. It is easily the most important speech he has ever given. His first year in office began with such high hopes for the future of the U.S. and his presidency, but now, after Scott Brown's upset victory in the Massachusetts Senate race last week, President Obama is facing a hostile Congress and and even more hostile American citizenry. Or is that emotion we are feeling one of fear? Consider the thoughts of Michael Ledeen:

They’re afraid of Obama. Afraid of what he’s doing to them, and therefore prepared to change sides.

This fear is extremely broad-based. It is not limited to social class nor to domestic or foreign policies. Banks are not lending, companies are not hiring, because they are afraid of what Obama will do next. Both are afraid of onerous taxes, including new health care burdens, and the banks fear new regulations and the consequences of the recently declared war on evil bankers by the president. Seniors are afraid they will be deprived of medical treatment. Juniors are afraid they are going to be forced to buy health insurance they don’t think they need. Across the board, Americans are afraid they’re not going to find work, and won’t be able to afford a house. And, as the Massachusetts vote showed, Americans are worried about threats from abroad, worried about Iran, afraid of terrorist attacks, and afraid the Obama Administration doesn’t take all this seriously enough. As Scott Brown put it, most Americans think our tax dollars should go to fighting terrorists, not to pay lawyers to defend terrorists.

Will Obama prove to be the leader many thought he would become or will he become Jimmy Carter?

Should we pull the plug on Head Start?

Head Start is the federal government’s largest early education program. For more than 40 years, this pet project has been a sinkhole for taxpayer dollars and an ineffective education program for children. As Congress considers expanding the federal government’s role in early childhood education, the new Head Start evaluation should clearly signal to policymakers the necessity of reforming existing programs – not furthering ineffective models such as Head Start. Taxpayers have been on the hook for more than $100 billion for the Head Start program since 1965. This federal evaluation, which effectively shows no lasting impact on children after first grade and no difference between those children who attended Head Start and those who did not, should call into question the merits of increasing funding for the program, which the Obama administration recently did as part of the so-called “stimulus” bill. But, don't hold your breath waiting for the plug to be pulled on this ineffective program.