GUEST COLUMN: Federal sentencing reforms make us smarter on crime

By Barry Grissom
U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Criminal justice reform is an idea whose time has finally come. Eighteen months after launching the Smart on Crime initiative, we can report that overall federal drug trafficking cases dropped by 6 percent in FY 2014.

There was a time when well-intentioned proponents of the “get tough” formula for fighting drugs would have been alarmed by this decline. But that was before U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and others began leading a drive to re-evaluate our criminal justice system.

Their goal is to develop a fairer criminal justice system that deters serious criminal conduct, holds people accountable for crimes and utilizes incarceration more wisely. We want to punish, deter and rehabilitate – not merely confine and forget.

For the federal prosecutors in our office, the Smart on Crime initiative has meant putting sensible limits on when we seek stiffer sentences in drug cases. We are seeking fewer mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Kansas residents could face winter power shortages under new "Clean Power Plan"

By Terry Jarrett

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Right now, Kansas gets 63 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants.

But what would happen if the state were suddenly forced to seek all of its electricity from other sources?  Could Kansas experience shortages of power during peak use, with the cost of household power jumping significantly?

That’s the baffling scenario looming ahead as President Obama looks to implement strict rules on carbon emissions.  Coal-powered electrical generation is now on the chopping block, thanks to a hastily assembled plan by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to shutter hundreds of domestic, coal-fired power plants.

COLUMN: Don't fall for the Grand Piano Okie Doke

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- After years and years of debate, we have apparently found the solution to our school funding problem in the Sunflower State.

A $47,000 piano purchased for Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Recently approved by the Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education, the piano and its costs are drawing media coverage all over the State of Kansas.

KANSAS CITY SPORTS COMMENTARY: The five best and most realistic Big 12 expansion scenarios

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com
Kansas City Kansan Publisher

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- It's that time of year again for more conference realignment rumors!

Following the snubbing of TCU and Baylor from the inaugural College Football Playoffs, rumors have already swirled about the Big 12 adding at least two teams to the conference.

Adding two schools would allow a conference championship game and give more legitimacy to the Big 12, although I am not sure it was needed this season. Both TCU and Baylor were deserving, but just didn't quite have that marketable feature a large school like Ohio State has.

Anyway, if the Big 12 is going to expand, I have five ideas.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Securing the Future of Aerospace in Kansas

By JERRY MORAN
U.S. Senator

Safeguarding our nation means both a strong national defense and a strong economy. The aerospace industry is where these two priorities combine.

In today’s global economy, aerospace provides vital opportunities for America at home and abroad, and Kansas is fortunate to be at the crossroads of the aerospace industry.

In Kansas, we build world-class airplanes and build them well. According to the Kansas Aviation Museum, Kansas aviation workers have supplied 74 percent of all general aviation aircraft since the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk.

Today, roughly 32,000 Kansans support hundreds of aerospace companies – from large companies like Airbus, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier and Textron, to many smaller suppliers – and their work contributes more than $7 billion annually to our state’s economy.

The economic future of our state and nation depends on securing a vibrant aerospace industry, and it is important that Congress do all it can to support a robust future for aerospace. That is why I am honored to serve as co-chair of the Senate Aerospace Caucus.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Kansas City's growing Hispanic community should be respected by media

By AMERICA MARTINEZ-SERRANO

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Kansas City is a fast growing city. It is considered the city of fountains and most recently it has been under the spotlight since it hosted a World Series game in its beloved Kauffman Stadium.

However, most people do not realize that Kansas City is home to a fast-growing Hispanic population.

According to a 2013 study conducted by the University of California Berkeley, Kansas City is number 45 on the list of the 60 Largest Metropolitan Areas in the United State with a Hispanic population.

The median age of people who are living in Kansas City and that are Hispanic is 24, which is around my age. About 37 percent of the Hispanic population is foreign born.

In my opinion, Hispanics are often marginalized in media. I feel that at times whenever there is a Hispanic news story on television, magazines, or on the radio, Hispanics are always seen as just immigrants or criminals.

The Kansas City Kansan does not highlight the Hispanic community a whole lot throughout the publication, but it does not depict the Hispanic population in Kansas City in a negative light like other publications throughout the Kansas City area do.

Don’t believe me? Just type in Hispanic on the Fox 4 News website and approximately over 75 percent of those results will be about a Hispanic and crime or immigration.

Publications across KC rarely touch on Hispanic victories across the metro area. Aside from the
Kansas City Hispanic News, not one publication highlighted the accomplishments of Daniel Contreras during Veterans Day; Contreras is a Kansas City Hispanic resident who served in Vietnam War.

It is not okay that when I type in Hispanic on any news site, I am bombarded with stories mainly about illegal immigration and crime. This leads me to believe that the Hispanic community is marginalized and stereotyped in today’s media and it is time to change this.

I hope that one day the media will begin to add more diversity to their programming. There is more to Hispanics than just crime and illegal immigration. Hispanics are victorious and influential just like their white counterparts. There also needs to be more diversity in the newsroom. Diversity in the newsroom will hopefully lead to a more balanced portrayal of different races in the media.

It is time to reclaim what it means to be Hispanic in America and it is time to change today’s media.

COMMENTARY: Kansas Legislature should enact Year-Round Daylight Saving Time

By NICK SLOAN
NJSloan212@gmail.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- A question for my fellow Kansans: Do you like it when it gets dark outside by 5:00 p.m. during the fall and winter months?

Assuming there are no vampires in the State of Kansas, I'm in belief that most of you would say no.
And for those who don't like this set-up, it doesn't have to be this way.

The federal government allows states to opt out of the current Daylight Saving Time time switch. Currently, the great states of Hawaii and Arizona do not switch their clocks back and forth.

The Kansas Legislature should make Kansas the third state to opt out of the federal government's requirement.

While there are more important issues the Kansas Legislature will debate next year, this is an issue that would help all Kansans, whether they are Republicans, Democrats or in my case, a libertarian.

Along with more sunshine, there are practical and common sense reasons to have daylight saving time all year round.

1. Going to daylight saving time all year could save lives on the road. 

Many studies over the years (including this one) indicate that night-time driving is significantly more dangerous than driving in daylight. Also, common sense tells you it's better to drive in daylight than night-time.

Extending daylight saving time to winter would allow evening commuters - which includes workers and students who stay after school - to reach home when there's still light outside. Also, if you live in an area near woods, there is the potential to hit a deer while driving. If you live in Wyandotte County, just drive down Leavenworth Road near Wyandotte County Lake and into the Piper community once in a while.

Now, I certainly understand that with an extra hour of daylight in the evening comes an extra hour of darkness in the morning. Some commuters would have to drive to work in the night depending on the hours. But I think most would exchange a little darker morning if it meant a little lighter evening. Keeping that extra hour of daylight would be worth the extra hour of darkness in the morning.

2. Extended daylight could reduce energy costs

In a study done by the California Energy Commission, having the extended hour of daylight during the winter months would reduce energy costs in California by 3.4 percent. It wouldn't lead to a revolution and wouldn't be a long-term solution for our energy situation in Kansas, but any little bit counts. An extra hour of daylight during winter could lead to lower energy costs. And guess what? It wouldn't cost the taxpayers' anything to help reduce energy in this case. It would just take passing a bill.

3. Crime could be reduced with extended daylight in the afternoon and evening hours

This study indicates that the lowest peak for crime in most cities is between the 3 a.m. - 7 a.m. hours. Outside of that time frame, crime happens around the clock, so not all crime could go away. But most violent crimes happen when it's night outside. Extending daylight saving time to winter would keep the 3-7 a.m. period dark while keeping the afternoon and evening hours lighter.

There are many other reasons to point out, but everyone would win with extended daylight saving time during the winter. Commuters would win. Students staying after school would win. Businesses would win with that extra hour of daylight during the evening hours. The environment wins with less energy being used. Those of us who like to exercise outside or walk the dog after work would benefit from this during the winter hours.

While most issues debated in the legislature have different sides, this is one we all can agree with it.

It's time for the Kansas Legislature to make it happen. Keep the sun shining in Kansas!

GUEST COMMENTARY: The Truth About Education Reform in Kansas

By Kansas Rep. Willie Dove

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- There has been much discussion about the education reform bill passed earlier this year in the legislature and signed into law by the governor.

Unfortunately, those who oppose the new law have misrepresented its facts, and have done a disservice to Kansas voters in the process. I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight for my constituents in the 38th District:

1 - The new law DOES NOT outlaw tenure and due process for teachers. It does end automatic tenure for teachers with three years experience. However, teachers and their representatives can still negotiate tenure and due process with their local school boards at contract time. We believe in local control of our schools, and this new law strengthens local school boards as they seek the best opportunities for the their students.

2 - $129 million in additional funding is also a part of this reform package. The Kansas Supreme Court in its Gannon decision earlier this year found the disparity between funding levels of richer and poorer school districts to be too great, and ordered the legislature to narrow the gap. As a result of the additional funding several Kansas school districts; among them Lawrence, Russell, Topeka, and Bonner Springs, have decided to decrease their mill levies. Mill levies are the property tax rates homeowners pay to locally fund their schools. So homeowners in those districts, and hopefully more,  will see lower property taxes as a result of this new law.

3 - Two aspects of the new law have gone virtually unnoticed in the clamor over the tenure issue. First, corporations can invest in scholarships for students in the lowest-performing schools in the state, and receive a tax credit for doing so. Students and their families can use those scholarships to transfer out of that school into a better one. That kind of “school choice” is good for Kansas kids and their families. Secondly, it’s now easier for professionals in other fields to become teachers. We think it’s a good idea if someone in the medical field wants to become a science teacher, or if a business executive wants to bring real-world experience to the classroom. It’s called “alternative certification”, and means one can be a great teacher without a degree in education.

This new law is not anti-teacher. We all have memories of special teachers from our school days. Some may have steered us toward the careers we now have. Some may be family members. Teachers work hard, and they endure a lot from administrators, parents, students, and government rules. But there are under-performing teachers, just as there are under-performing doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Why are those under performing granted special privilege or protection?  The protection any profession has is performance and due process.
 
K-12 education spending accounts for more than half of the budget in Kansas. We have to get this right, the futures of our kids and grandkids are at stake. The KNEA seems to see education spending as a jobs bill. We see it as an investment in our kids’ future. That’s why I support this education reform law, and want my constituents in the 38th District to know the facts.

Thanks for your time.

Rep. Willie Dove 
 

COMMENTARY: Let's end America's War on Drugs

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Last week, President Obama announced that it was his intention to bring home all of America's military personnel from Afghanistan by 2016.

The year 2016 would mark the 15th anniversary of military combat in Afghanistan, which is America's longest military conflict ever.

It's time to end another long, costly war: America's War on Drugs.

Now, let me say this as someone who feels drugs should be legal. It's still a bad idea to do drugs. Also, if you drive a vehicle when high, you should face the same punishments as drunk drivers do.

I don't endorse drug use, nor do I want to use drugs. Drug addiction is a problem in this country.

But the Drug War doesn't solve that problem and only creates more.

1. It's expensive and not cost-effective. 

Since President Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, all levels of government have spent over $1 trillion in drug war costs. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, government spends $51 billion annually when you combine drug enforcement programs and prison costs. To put it in perspective: Over $1,700 is spent each second in drug war-related costs.

Along with the expenses, statistics show the War on Drugs simply isn't working. In 2012, 9.2 percent of the population in America used an illegal drug. That's up from 8.3 percent in 2002. Costs to enforce the drug war are increasing, but so are the number of people taking drugs. That's not a good combination.

In the area of prison costs, over 1.5 million people were arrested on non-violent drug charges in 2012. The amount of marijuana arrests were a staggering 749,825. The State of Kansas alone spends over $42 million in keeping non-violent drug offenders behind bars. Rather than spend millions of dollars in taxes to build or renovate prisons, how about limiting prison space to the true thugs and criminals out there who have ruined another person's life rather than just their own?

QUICK TAKE: Everyone can learn from Washington seniors' protest

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- In the past few months, the State of Kansas' bond rating has been lowered.

During that same stretch, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County was warned that it's bond rating could also see a downgrade as a result of a budget crisis that threatens to shrink the county's cash reserve.

As I write the following, the national debt in the United States is over $17.5 trillion. This number will probably grow by millions of dollars by the time you've read this. 

These three financial issues are why I'm very proud of the seniors at Washington High School for protesting and simply questioning where their money was going and how it was being used after graduation plans were changed.

After paying the fee and having plans changed, they had a right to know where their money was going and how it would be used.

We all can learn from this.

Americans simply do not question where their money goes anymore. We get grumpy about paying taxes, but rarely do we even know how much of our taxes go where and to whom.

Just as Washington's students deserved answers about their $50 fee, taxpayers should demand and receive the proper transparency of where exactly their hard-earned tax-dollars go.

If more Americans demanded specific answers about local, state and federal budgets, I'd bet government would be at least a little better.

Here's hoping the students graduating this month from Washington High School will apply what they did this week to the real world when it comes to taxes and government.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Entrepreneurship is Key to Economic Growth

By Senator Jerry Moran

The greatest responsibility we have as American citizens – certainly as elected officials – is to make certain the American Dream may be lived by those who follow us. In my view, the greatest threat to our children and grandchildren being able to pursue their own dreams is our staggering national debt and deficits. It is our responsibility to deal with this issue.

Much of the conversation in Washington about how to reduce the national debt focuses on spending levels and tax rates. While these are important issues to debate, we must not forget about another equally important way to help reduce the federal deficit: growing the economy.

No matter what tax rates are, more tax revenue is generated when the economy is growing. With a projected budget deficit of $514 billion this year, economic growth is desperately needed to fill the hole. Increased economic growth rates of just 0.1 percent per year for 25 years would add more than $1 trillion in deficit-cutting revenue. Just imagine the impact of significant and sustained growth; it has happened before in America and it can happen again.

From our nation’s earliest days, entrepreneurs have been the driving force behind U.S. economic expansion and they remain so today. Data from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation shows that companies less than five years old account for nearly all net new job creation in the United States. Since 1977, new businesses have created an average of 3 million jobs each year. What is shifting today are the locations of these startups. Research by both Engine and Kauffman shows that high-tech startups are forming in communities across our country – not just in the cities traditionally known as high-tech hubs. And as these young companies grow, they will contribute to the economy, hire more workers, and take on the flavor and personality of the cities they call home.

Kansas City’s Startup Village is one example. It began mostly by chance when a group of entrepreneurs decided to start companies in Kansas City, Kansas, in the first neighborhood equipped with Google’s high-speed Internet service. Within just 10 months, the Startup Village has become home to more than two dozen startup companies. Kansas City’s reputation as a growing tech hub is creating a buzz across the country.

Technological advancement, especially access to the Internet, has enabled high-tech firms to take root in other smaller cities like Omaha, Boulder, Provo and Wichita. So it’s no surprise that innovative new products and significant high-tech job growth are emerging in those same regions.

This is good news, but entrepreneurs today face stinging headwinds: an arcane tax code, an oppressive regulatory environment, limited access to capital, global competition for talent, and increasingly bloody scraps with our nation’s patent system.

If we’re interested in an America with higher levels of employment, bigger paychecks and better products at lower prices, Congress should make life easier – not more difficult – for entrepreneurs. To do this, I introduced legislation called Startup Act 3.0 to help create a better environment for entrepreneurs and address the growing challenges new businesses face.

Startup Act 3.0 changes the federal regulatory process to lessen government burdens on job-creators, modifies the tax code to encourage investment, and seeks to accelerate the commercialization of university research that can lead to new ventures. The bill also provides new opportunities for highly-educated and entrepreneurial immigrants to stay in the United States where their talent and ideas can fuel economic growth.

For more than two years, this legislation has been earning praise from business owners, entrepreneurs, economists and elected officials. The California State Senate passed a resolution calling on Congress to pass Startup Act 3.0 and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness has voiced support for several of the bill’s provisions. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated to progress within the halls of Congress.

Recent “all-or-nothing” approaches to lawmaking have proved to be unwieldy and highly problematic. One needs to only look back to the Dodd-Frank Act and the Affordable Care Act to know that this strategy doesn’t produce promised or desired outcomes. Today, a handful of practical bills like Startup Act 3.0 lay waiting to be granted a vote. Many would pass overwhelmingly if only given the chance.

Congress should seize this opportunity to address the challenges entrepreneurs face in a targeted and thoughtful manner. Entrepreneurs bring us innovative products, more consumer choice and create jobs along the way. When startups thrive, society is better off and we all enjoy the benefits.

GUEST COLUMN: Haley previews 2014 Kansas Legislature session

By Kansas Sen. David Haley

A host of issues to be up for debate this session

The 2014 Session of the Kansas Legislature commences Monday, January 13, at the now completely remodeled State Capitol Building in Topeka.

This being my 20th year in the Legislature (six years in the Kansas House of Representatives, 14 years now in the Kansas Senate), I am once again privileged to offer an overview of potential issues to be considered that may not only be of interest to Wyandotte Countians (in the Fourth Senate District) but to all Kansans.

The Wyandotte Legislative Delegation hosted a Public Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, January 7, at the Kansas City Kansas South Library in Argentine.

Although this article was prepared prior to the meeting, I believe some of the issues to be discussed are ones that will be prevalent in Topeka.

They include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Affordable Care Act application and connectivity (e.g. Medicare expansion, etc.);

• Voter registration;

• Food stamp reduction impact;

• Unemployment insurance timetables;

• Minimum wage requirements;

• Prison overcrowding alternatives, including potential revamping of criminal codes;

• Death penalty abolition;

• School finance restructuring for USD500;

• New laws in effect such as concealed carry in public buildings, suspended driver’s license reinstatements; and,

• Medical marijuana.

As always, you may have recently received my NEWSLETTER in the mail and will be sent periodic legislative updates by mail.

If you would like to be added to the Fourth Senate District’s mailing list OR to receive electronic mail updates, just email my office at david.haley@senate.ks.gov or call 785-296-7376, after January 13.

Please remember that I continue to consider it both an honor and a privilege to serve you and to be your voice on state affairs in Topeka.

Happy 2014!

-----  

Senator David Haley represents the 4th Senate District which comprises most of the center and eastern half of Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas. The only Democratic attorney in the Senate, he serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary and on the Kansas Sentencing Commission.

COMMENTARY: The politicization of the 'Free Speech Defense' needs to stop

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- First, let me tell what this column will not be about.

It will not be about whether homosexuality is a sin or a choice. It will not be about if A&E was right in firing Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty for remarks made in a GQ interview.

I’ll leave that for you to choose. There are countless articles on countless Websites available for you to read about those two angles of the story.

(Plus, being a libertarian, what an individual believes in doesn’t matter to me unless it infringes on my right to believe what I choose to. )

What this commentary will be about: How the First Amendment of the United States’ Bill of Rights is being twisted to fit a partisan agenda by both conservatives and liberals.

There have been three high profile alleged “free speech” controversies in recent months, one of which with a bit of a local tie.

Earlier this year, University of Kansas professor David Guth tweeted out an anti-NRA statement that pinned the blame of a massacre on the NRA. Next came MSNBC host Martin Bashir being critical of Sarah Palin and using over the top language in doing so.

Now here’s Robertson and the Duck Dynasty controversy at our doorstep.

While the details are different, all three cases have the same main course: An individual saying something that upsets a lot of people, with the individual being punished by his employer after the backlash.

Let’s get one thing out of the way here. These three cases are not First Amendment cases. The First Amendment gives Americans the right for free speech. Guth, Bashir and Robertson practiced this.

What the First Amendment does not do is protect us from consequences of that free speech. All three individuals work for large organizations that could take a financial hit as a result of sponsorship boycotts. And in today’s partisan world, boycotts and responses to those boycotts are effective. See Chick-fil-A for that.

Also, please note: Robertson, Guth and Bashir are not spending time in jail for their comments. They are not being prosecuted. They’re not paying fines to a local government as a result of what they said. All three individuals were protected by the First Amendment simply because of that reason alone.

An example that will hit home for everyone: How many of you would love to tell your boss where to stick it? How many of you will not because of the fear you have of getting fired due to the consequences of you making those comments? Well, there you go.

You have all the freedom of speech you want. But what you don’t have is freedom from consequence.

So please, if you’re defending any of those three, the “First Amendment” argument is a bad one. A&E, the University of Kansas and MSNBC acted freely, as did the three people in those cases. Agree or disagree all you want, but that’s the reality.

However, the greater concern I have with all three cases is how partisan the free speech issue has become.

When Guth tweeted out his anti-NRA remarks, conservatives across the State of Kansas were calling for his firing. Multiple Republicans from the Kansas Legislature were calling for him to be fired or to resign. Many on the left, meanwhile, shouted “First Amendment” and “free speech.” The same was the case with the Bashir-Palin controversy.

Many of those same liberals – a few I know personally – are now outraged at Robertson for simply expressing his religious views and immediately wanted A&E to fire him or cancel the show. And of course, conservatives (again, some I know personally) now have a sudden new found respect for the First Amendment, completing the ideological flip-flop on free speech when the parties in question change.

Disagreement and a divided country is nothing new.

However, looking back on 2013, one disturbing development I noticed this year was the partisanship of free speech.

Among the partisans on the right and the left, now free speech only matters when the person in question agrees with them. Sorry, but that should not be the case.

Whether if you’re a conservative, liberal, moderate or a fellow libertarian, if you’re going to thump your chests with the free speech defense, it needs to apply to everyone - regardless if you agree or disagree with them. It’s intellectually dishonest to become passionate about the First Amendment only when you agree with the person in the crosshairs.

The past 48 hours, you’ve probably been flooded with emails or seen Facebook status updates about how freedom is under attack in America right now.

To me, the Robertson controversy is a shining example of freedom in America. 

Robertson was allowed to freely express his religious views in a nationwide publication without being jailed or prosecuted by the government.

A&E, being a private company, was allowed to fire him if they believed he did not fit the network’s image or profile.

Now, Americans have the opportunity to reward A&E for its choice or to punish it via a boycott of the network.

This is what freedom is all about.

-----

Nick Sloan is the publisher of The Kansas City Kansan. He can be reached at nick@kansascitykansan.com.

COMMENTARY: Time for Kansas, Wichita State to square off in men's hoops

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- For the past two weeks, the Kansas Jayhawks have not been the highest ranked college basketball team from the great state of Kansas.

That honor belongs to the Wichita State Shockers, one of a handful of undefeated teams left. The Shockers are 11-0 after winning games against two SEC opponents in the past four days - Alabama and Tennessee.

Winning is nothing new for the Shockers.

Since Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall arrived in Wichita in 2007, the program is 150-70. But after a rough first two seasons (Wichita State was just 28-37), the Shockers have earned four straight 25-win seasons. In 2010-11, the program won the NIT tournament.

Two years later, Wichita State shocked the state and the world by making it to the Final Four, where they gave eventual champion Louisville a major scare.

Wichita State's winning ways have come in the shadow of Jayhawk dominance.

Up the road in Lawrence, Kan., the Jayhawks have dominated the Big 12 and have made two trips to the Final Four since 2007, including a national title in the 2007-08 year.

The rise of Wichita State has brought attention to the Kansas-Wichita State basketball series that was cut off in the Roy Williams era. Wichita State fans believe the Jayhawks are ducking them. The explanation from Lawrence cites finances and such.

Whatever the reason, it's time for these teams to square off --- and soon.

1. Wichita State has earned it

As mentioned above, Wichita State has won 25 games four straight seasons. They made a Final Four. This is no fluke team. Wichita State has proven that they belong in primetime and after defeating Ohio State and Gonzaga last year in the tournament, they belong on the same stage as any team. Period. End of story. While they may not have the tradition KU does, Wichita State is no cupcake anymore.

2. Losing to them would not be embarrassing

One reason that some larger schools refuse to schedule smaller schools is the fear they may lose to them. It's a "lose-lose" situation, if you must. But again, Wichita State is now a Top 25 program. Would losing to them really be as embarrassing as losing to Bucknell, Bradley, VCU or Northern Iowa, as the Jayhawks have in the tournament? KU won a title after losing to Bucknell and Bradley. They made a Final Four after losing to VCU and Northern Iowa. How many KU fans are haunted by losing to Kansas State the year the Jayhawks won it all in 2008? Losing to Wichita State would be an afterthought compared to those losses. Plus, if KU won and won big, it shuts a lot of people wearing gold and black up.

3. Playing a great mid-major team helps prepare a team for the big tournament.

There are more tournament upsets today than there were in the 1970's and 1980's. While KU fans can relate to bad losses, other great programs like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA have suffered humiliating tournament losses to mid-major programs in the past 15 years. Playing those great mid-major teams is a must in 2013-14. For KU, one of the best mid-major programs is just a few hours down the road. Scheduling Wichita State would make a lot of sense and would prepare the Jayhawks well for the tournament.

4. It would be great for the state of Kansas

Could you imagine how great a "back and forth" series would be at neutral sites like Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita and the Sprint Center in Kansas City? The game would generate a lot of buzz and rather than the Shockers playing Alabama or KU playing Colorado, they would play each other. A KU-Wichita State game would likely have a primetime airing on ESPN or maybe even a national game on CBS.

It's a great match-up that needs to happen. Here’s hoping that both athletic programs can put aside differences and get it done.

COMMENTARY: Sexual Assault, Priorities, and Misplaced Blame

By ADAM DROVETTA, adam@gardneredge.com.

GARDNER, KAN. ----- A teenage girl is at a small get together with some friends from school. Alcohol is being consumed. Incapacitated, she is allegedly raped by four boys. The incident is documented with photos, which are then passed around. The victim is blamed, bullied, harassed, and ultimately hangs herself.

A teenage girl is at a party, drinking with friends. She leaves to go to another party with some football players. Incapacitated, she is sexually assaulted by two of them during the ride over to, and at the house. The incident is documented with cell phone pictures and passed around. The victim is blamed, bullied, and harassed.

A teenage girl is at a party with friends. There is alcohol at the party and the girl is partaking. Incapacitated, she is sexually assaulted by multiple members of her high school’s football team. The incident is documented by the perpetrators, as well as other members of the party. The pictures are passed around social media. The victim is ordered by the court to keep quiet about her ordeal and her attackers because of a law that is supposed to protect the identity of defendants who are minors.

A teenage girl is with a friend in her room. They are watching movies and drinking some alcohol. She is texting a boy from the football team. After a bit, the boy comes and picks her and her friend up to take them to a party. More alcohol is consumed. Incapacitated, both girls are allegedly raped. The elder of the two is found the next morning outside in dangerously cold temperatures by her mother. She’s taken to the hospital. Charges are filed, then dropped. Harassment, bullying, and blaming of the victim ensues. The elder victim twice attempts suicide.

A teenage girl is drunk at a party with some other teenagers. Incapacitated, the girl is allegedly raped by at least three boys. The incident is documented with videos, which spread on social media and through text messages. The victim is bullied and harassed. She hangs herself.

The first of these cases happened in Nova Scotia; the second in Steubenville, OH; the third in Louisville, Ky; the fourth in Maryville, Mo.; The fifth in Saratoga, Calif.

What’s the lesson to be learned here? Some would try and tell you that the lesson to be learned here is that these girls should have been more careful, been more aware of their surroundings. They would tell you that these things happen when young people drink and sneak out and disobey rules. Some would even be crueler and tell you the victims were “asking for it.”

Are those really the lessons to be learned? Hardly.

Yes, there are legitimate reasons that underage drinking laws exist. Yes, poor decision making too often leads to life altering and potentially life ending consequences.

But maybe the actual lesson to be learned lies somewhere in the fact that our society seems comfortable with telling its teenage girls, “don’t break the rules or you could get raped,” but not at all comfortable with confronting the things that lead to rape being a supposed consequence of drinking.

Maybe the lesson also lies in so many people’s propensity to look at a sexual assault case and say “What could the victim have done differently?”  And also in the message such an attitude sends to all victims and all attackers—both past, present, and potential.

How many victims are keeping quiet out of fear of the ridicule they’d receive? How vulnerable must a victim's mind be after such a traumatic event, and how many of those vulnerable minds start to believe it could actually be their fault when they’re hearing so many people say it? Which, by the way, if you are one of those victims and you are reading this: I promise it is not your fault.

Maybe the lessons aren’t clear, but I’d be willing to bet those are good places to start searching.

If I get mugged and robbed, was I asking for it because I was in a place where potential muggers and robbers walk about? Are murder victims to be blamed? Did they have it coming?

“We need to stop the muggers and the robbers,” people claim. “We need to punish those murderers,” say the masses.

 So why is the call for accountability of rapists also so often joined by slut-shaming of the victim?

To put it more bluntly: a murder victim’s life isn’t there for the taking, regardless of any actions on the victim’s part. By the same token, a person’s body isn’t there for the taking, regardless of what they may or may not have had to drink.

----

Adam Drovetta is a contributing writer and reporter for the Gardner Edge. He can be reached at adam@gardneredge.com.

GUEST COMMENTARY: It Can Wait

By Steve Hahn and Julie Breitenstein

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- You’re driving to work, when suddenly your phone buzzes with a text from a friend about weekend plans. Without thinking, you take your eyes off the road to tap a quick reply: “c u @ 8.”

What you don’t see is a stopped school bus that your car slams into. When you come to in the ICU, the doctor tells you that you’ll be okay… but you have critically hurt two of the kids on the bus.

In an instant, you’ve changed your life - and others - forever.

This scenario may seem extreme, but it’s all too familiar for thousands of people. Texting while driving has become a dangerous epidemic. In an era when wireless connectivity is such an important part of our lives, the pressure to take your eyes off the road to respond to an email or text is strong - it may even seem expected. It’s not, and it should never be. According to the National Safety Council, texting while driving causes more than 100,000 crashes across America each year, and if something isn’t done, the number will only continue to rise.

By making the choice to text while driving, you place yourself and others at a significantly higher risk of being involved in an accident, and place the importance of a message above your own life and the lives of others. The truth is no text is worth such a deadly risk.

It is up to us, as individuals and as a society, to combat this deadly practice. But it won’t be easy. Today, more drivers than ever recognize the dangers of texting while driving, but continue to engage in this risky behavior. In fact, according to a Connectsafely.org and AT&T survey, the number of adult commuters that self-reported texting while driving has risen nearly 10 percent over the past three years.

Last year on September 19, AT&T held the first “No Text on Board Pledge Day” – a nationwide event in which drivers committed to never text and drive. To date, more than 2.5 million people have made the pledge and joined the movement to end texting while driving.

This year, the “It Can Wait” movement is taking the campaign a step further by organizing “Drive 4 Pledges Day” on September 19. On this day, we are teaming up with hundreds of other organizations and advocates – including all of the major wireless carriers - across the country to help end texting and driving. To strengthen this cause, we need your help. We’re asking every driver to make a personal commitment not to text and drive and recruit others to do the same. Please visit ItCanWait.com to take the pledge.

The power of one voice can make all the difference between another senseless fatality and saving a life. Even more, it can produce ripple effects that can change behavior across an entire community. By encouraging your family and friends to join the movement to stop this often fatal habit, you can make the difference.

Tragedies happen every day. While many are out of our control, the ones caused by texting while driving are completely preventable. The message is clear, simple and lifesaving. When faced with the decision to text while driving, remember: It Can Wait.  Together, we can end this tragic epidemic and make our roadways safer for all of us.

Steve Hahn is president of AT&T Kansas. Julie Breitenstein is an It Can Wait advocate whose son, Austin, was severely injured in a texting while driving accident.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Volunteering brings numerous benefits

By DIANE HENTGES, Director of the Volunteer Center at the United Way of Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- There are numerous benefits attached to volunteering. The obvious benefit is that the cause, program or project has the satisfaction of getting the job completed. 

In some cases, the volunteer work may be directly related to the agency fulfilling its mission. It could be general building and grounds maintenance that ensures a safe and healthy setting for staff and visitors. 

The obvious benefit to the agency is that the work was done without hiring someone to do it. The other benefit to the organization is that they had an opportunity to share their story with a volunteer. 

In addition to the benefits to the organization, there are numerous benefits to the volunteer. The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research has found a significant connection between volunteering and good health. 

This report shows that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease. Some interesting facts for those 65 and over are that volunteering led to lower rates of depression and a greater personal sense of accomplishment.  

Another recent study released in June of this year found that volunteering is associated with and increased likelihood of finding employment for individuals who are currently unemployed. The study found that volunteering is associated with a 27 percent higher odds of employment. 

Volunteers who are unemployed can keep their skills sharp, learn new skills, expand their network of contacts, and improve their resume. 

Lastly, the clients of the organization benefit from the hard work of volunteers. Young people are tutored and mentored to succeed in school. Clients at assistance centers get basic needs met. 

The infirmed are provided comfort and companionship. Those without transportation are given a ride. The benefits are many. 

For more information on how you can GIVE, ADVOCATE, and VOLUNTEER please contact me at 913-371-3674 or at dhentges@unitedway-wyco.org. 

You can find volunteer opportunities by checking out our website, www.unitedway-wyco.org and click on Volunteer.

GUEST COMMENTARY: More lawmakers need to attend more national forums

By DAVID HALEY, Kansas Senator

Noted Wichita State University professor, H. Edward Flentje, penned an opinion recently published in the Wichita Eagle strongly suggesting that Kansas lawmakers should pay their own way to attend meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

In short, he contends that taxpayer dollars are wasted where only conservative Kansas legislators go to proselytize and to be proselytized with that fringe of American political perspectives.

Though partially valid, a deeper inspection of new policies enacted by the Kansas Legislature this year exposes a more troubling discrimination in legislative travel policy, which ANY Kansas taxpayers – regardless of political party or ideology – should summarily reject.

The real issue is that taxpayer money is now being used, with rare exception, for lawmakers to only attend dogma-based conferences (primarily hosted by ALEC), while rejecting conferences by decidedly more neutral organizations that offer legislators real world research and mainstream national policies; including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Governments (CSG).

Admittedly, our absence does little to hurt the discourses had in meetings by those organizations.

In many cases, these organizations, and the legislative members from the other 49 participating states, probably miss us about as much as they’d miss Fred Phelps, debates on evolution versus creationism, or other tripe spewed by America’s version of the male-dominated “my-religion-knows-better-for-you-than-your-religion” ‘Taliban-esque’ legislators has exported by Kansas to credible national think tanks.

Undoubtedly, though, inhibiting MOST lawmakers from participating in national discussions on policymaking is detrimental to the development of Kansas and to the prospect of no-label, bipartisan reasonableness as part of our national image.

Future budgets, as have been time honored in Kansas and the majority of States until this year, should include pro-rata taxpayer support, allowing for a certain number of spots across the board for each conference; not just one narrowly drawn ideological conference resulting in a vast discrimination in the amount of taxpayer supported Kansas attendees.

Senator David Haley (Wyandotte) represents the Fourth Senate District and is entering his 20th year in the Kansas Legislature. He served twice as the Democratic nominee for Kansas Secretary of State.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Kansas Rep. Willie Dove recalls attending MLK's March on Washington

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Kansas State Representative Willie Dove participated in the March on Washington in August, 1963 and attended Dr. Martin Luther King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. With the 50th anniversary of those events next week, he has written a column on his recollections.

-----

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- We took buses from New Bern, North Carolina to Washington D. C. with one thing in mind: To let the country know that we were going to where justice would finally be given to Negroes. I can remember my grandmother Mary Jane Dove was so afraid of something happening to us.

One day she came to the county jail and gave us fresh corn bread through the bars of the jail after we had been threatened with fire hoses at a drive-in in New Bern, one block from the Catholic school I attended. We were young and unafraid of the consequences. I recall we assembled at a local church and learned how to protect ourselves in a non-violent manner.

When I think of the bus ride, I recall much laughter and singing “We Shall Overcome”.

I remember the older students staying close to the younger ones to give them support and boost their confidence. Some did not need to be protected because we had had enough of being treated like the slave of the day. I recall the restrooms, water fountains, traveling accommodations and hotel rooms catering to “Whites Only”. Those signs reminding us of “where our place should be” according to some white people, made me ill as a youngster.

Before the civil rights movement took place, I recall my grandmother grabbing me by the arm when I sat down at the S. H. Kress store downtown, telling me I couldn’t do it. A few years later when I learned we were going to picket the Kress store by sitting down and ordering a soda I was first in line. That day we sang “We Shall Overcome” from the New Bern jail.

When we reached Washington, D. C. August 28th 1963 early morning, everyone was tired, but very excited to be there.

I recall leaning against a tree waiting for Dr. Martin Luther King to appear at the end of the line-up of speakers. When he started to speak I could feel the excitement in the air, the proudness of boys and girls who had taken great risks.

It was a hot summer day with no air conditioning on the bus to my recollection. There were many times I used the tree for shade and comfort. Sometimes it feels like I was in a movie, playing a part in history many will never know. My part of this march is forever in my consciousness. Sometimes I can see and hear Dr. King speaking in my daily walk of life. There are many times I feel like I’m still there, witnessing history from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Last November, I returned to Washington after winning election to the Kansas House of Representatives. I stood on the Speaker’s balcony, and in the distance I could see the Washington Monument. Suddenly I was back there on that hot August 28th 1963. Emotion overtook me as I reflected how far I had come in the last 50 years. My story is one of Providence. It’s truly an “only in America” story. I am here because of the sacrifices of others in the name of justice.

There is still work to be done. The challenges are different now. We have to reduce our dependence on government, and increase opportunities for all. That teenager leaning against the tree 50 years ago will continue to go to work and remind those young minds of the sacrifices endured for all to prosper with freedom as our goal.

COMMENTARY: College isn't for everyone - and that's just fine

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- With this being "ACT Score Week" across the Kansas City metro area, we're being reminded of college and the academic performance needed to enter college.

According to this year's round of scores, just a quarter of students nationwide have the necessary skills to enter college.

While school districts across Kansas City and the country use this week to pound home the idea of college to their students, pardon me if I use ACT Week to send another message.

College is not for everyone - and there's nothing wrong with that.

It's my opinion that the best first step in improving education is not more funding. It's not a voucher system. It's not for newer schools, brand new curriculum or increased ACT/college preparation courses.

It's accepting two fundamental ideas.

1. College isn't for everyone.

2. There is absolutely no shame in going to a technical school, trade school, entering employment upon graduation, joining the military, ect.