Sen. Wagle lies about ALEC

From  Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner;

August 27, 2013

Senator Susan Wagle, in another article in The Wichita Eagle, berated a letter by H. Edward Flentje’s commenting politicians who have used taxpayer’s money to attendALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) gatherings. (Aug. 18 Opinion)
She not only defended her taxpayers support of ALEC but she also lied about its purpose and insulted Flentje’s point of view.
For example:
“First, Flentje decried the use of state funds for registration to American Legislative Exchange Council policy conferences, alleging a partisan agenda at taxpayer expense. Then he complained that companies sponsor a variety of discussions and events at the conference, and accused corporations of buying influence. Flentje then attacked ALEC’s principles of free markets, limited government and individual liberty as ideological rhetoric.”
Lie number one: nowhere does claim he is against the free market. As for smaller government, anyone who needs any kind of license renewed, or has spent three or more hours in line at the Wichita Department of Motor Vehicles, or has called a government agency on the phone and waited at least 10 minutes, knows what all this smaller government really means. As for being “against free markets and individual liberty,” he only complained about giving businesses too many tax cuts.
Another false statement by Wagle;
“The truth is Kansas lawmakers attend a variety of policy and legislative conferences throughout the year. Similar to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the National League of Cities and the National Governors Association, ALEC is an educational nonprofit organization, does not lobby and is not a voting institution. In essence, the conference is a table at which lawmakers, policy analysts and business leaders meet to exchange ideas and inform one another on effective solutions to state and local matters.”
This is the biggest lie of all. ALEC acts as a super PAC that works mostly through Republicans and very conservative Democrats gives financial aid, policy papers and speeches to its favorite candidates. Many of our Kansas politicians have gotten substantial aid by ALEC. ALEC is a PAC and that can’t be denied. They operate with politicians in secret and they try to run US affairs without voter approval.
According to the group Exposing ALEC;
“Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations.
In ALEC's own words, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE."
As the site says, all this is done behind the backs of the voters so corporations can re-write laws to suit them and the common worker pays for this through their taxes supporting these junkets by politicians such as Wagle.
We need to keep espousing these lies and these secret anti-voter organizations such as ALEC as politicians, such as Wagle, continue to spread these lies.

Anti-abortion fanatics try zoning laws to try and shut down Wichita’s only abortion clinic

Anti-abortion groups, almost entirely made up of right-wing religious cult members that want to control the city, have used every dirty trick they can to try and shut down the South Wind Women’s Center, which is presently one of the few abortion providing clinics here in Wichita, KS. Their latest tactic is to use zoning laws to shut the clinic down. These groups have tried both legal and illegal tactics to shut down SWWC.  Recently a minister was threatening to have Julie Burkhart, head of SWWC, shot in her church as Dr. George Tiller, the former abortion provider was.

-Otto

Here is a report from Burkhart:

On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council heard, for the 2nd time this year, from members of four anti-choice groups from Kansas. Their goal was to re-zone the area where South Wind Women’s Center is located. The land has been zoned for medical uses since 1937. Anti-choice bullies want the area rezoned as a residential area. 

The antis spoke about:

The dangers of school children in a residential area seeing graphic images displayed in front of the clinic
--The signs are the very ones that their anti-choice groups insist on displaying daily in front of SWWC.

The antagonizing of anti-choice protesters by clinic escorts and staff, although they could provide no evidence of these allegations.
--SWWC does not have clinic escorts. SWWC employees and patients both report regular intimidation by the antis. SWWC employees do not interact with the antis presence outside the clinic.

Near gun violence and antagonism has increased since SWWC opened.
--All the incidents of "near gun violence" were from 2004-2009. None reported since SWWC opened in 2013.

--Mark Gietzen (anti-choice extremist) made threats of violence before the City Council and to the press.           -To the Council members, he said "This is a warning that if you don't do this [rezone the clinic], there is likely going to be a problem."          

 -To MSNBC, he said “Even a well-meaning dog will bite at some point in time if you keep antagonizing it.”

--Gietzen's veiled threats are the real cause of disruption and violence in this community.

--Disruptions to the residential area surrounding the clinic --None of the people who spoke to the Council live near the clinic.

Odd how the very things they complained about are the same problems that they create. You and I both know their desperate tactics to close SWWC will end in defeat. Thanks to your commitment to women's access to health care, we have already helped hundreds of women. These complaints are nothing more than a grasping at straws attempt to end access for women in Kansas.

Read more about the City Council meeting:

Huffington Post- Kansas Anti-Abortion Activist Says George Tiller's Former Clinic Is 'Trying To Provoke' Gun Violence

MSNBC- Kansas Clinic Under Fire From Anti-Abortion Activists 

Think Progress- Kansas’ Anti-Abortion Activists are Citing Their Own Disruptive Protests to Justify Closing a Clinic 

Wichita Eagle- Anti-Abortion Groups to Again Ask Wichita City Council to Rezone Area Near Women’s Clinic

Solidify your support for Trust Women Foundation by making a donation of $7, one dollar for every member of the Wichita City Council. Your donation will send a symbolic message to the City Council members that we have the support of the community locally and nationally.  

Wichita has not been kind to its artists

From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner;

 

Last weekend business consultant Jill D. Miller wrote in The Wichita Eagle that Wichita is a city ripe for artists to succeed. That’s not surprising considering that she is a business consultant, since Wichita is big on commercial art. Ads and promotions for businesses saturate the landscape in this city.
She said a person needs to be creative, but how true is that for the non-commercial or non-conformist artist in this area?
The truth is that this city has never been very supportive of artists and most that do succeed at it move away. An example of that is Tom Otterness, whose art can be seen at both Wichita State University and at the Wichita Art Museum. He has been very successful, but he also moved to New York City where he can make real money. Many fine artists have been raised here in Wichita, but most move away if they want real success.
His sculpture series Dreamers Awake is on display the Wichita Art Museum and it is satirical of present day society. Some people have even complained about it. One of the most ridiculous complaints came from people who objected to a large statue of a woman carrying a sickle. They accused it of resembling communism. 
Miller said it is possible to make a living as an artist in Wichita, but the artist may not become a millionaire doing it. It also may not turn out what people expect to be doing.
Actually I’ve known few artists, musicians and especially free lance writers (of which I am one) who make more than supplemental income here in this city.
She also said that an artist needs to be creative. For the local Wichita market that is not good advice. At most art fairs and shows in this town, there are a few creative artists, but mostly people sell pictures of wheat fields, old barns and animals in the woods. The creative art is harder to sell.
The Wichita Eagle mentioned that Miller helped develop the business plans for the successful Donut Whole and the Bluebird Arthouse in Delano. But the Donut is mainly just a coffee shop and not a major hub for artists. The Bluebird is mostly an art supply store.
Miller described an artist who was successful at as a business person. As she pointed out in
The Wichita Eagle:
“Ian Walker Stewart, 35, a graphic designer whose found-art collages have garnered him several shows in recent years, says the key is having a craft that can be monetized. That craft, he said, should become part of your art.”
He added that the artist should include the concept of capitalism and it has to be part of the art.
What does this say for the Andy Warhols or the Dadaists style of artist who try to knock down the old stereo types and open up the door here in Wichita? Well—that’s obviously not going to happen here. This is not a town for non-conventional artists and those who do have such talent move away.