Wichita still feeding off the teats of the Koch Brothers

Once again our local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, has supported the two most dangerous people in the US today— Charles and David Koch. They have pursued a pro-business, anti-worker agenda. Worst of all they are destroying the democratic practices in this country by throwing $billions into our elections to buy off candidates and make them win.

These destructive people spend some of their $billions trying to win over the city by donating to building construction. But that is not without big benefits. Their name is now on a large number of buildings all across Wichita, a city that have locked up tight.

From The Wichita Eagle:

"The Kochs and the arts have a proud, long-running partnership in Wichita, in part because visual art was such a passion of the late Mary Koch. Now Liz and Charles Koch and the family foundations are giving $10.5 million in land and funding for a new home for the Wichita Center for the Arts, on a prime open site at 13th and Rock."

More.

In The New York Times article CARL HULSE calls Wichita "Kochville," and lists buildings that contain the Koch brother's names on them;

"...Not far away is the Koch Community Plaza and Koch Scouting Center. Then there is the Koch Orangutan and Chimpanzee Habitat at the robustly Koch-supported Sedgwick County Zoo. Stop off for swimming lessons at the Koch Aquatic Center at the North Branch Y.M.C.A., or a learning experience recognizing the ecological interests of Fred Koch and his wife, Mary, at the Great Plains Nature Center’s Koch Habitat Hall..."

And we could add the Koch Arena at Wichita State University where the Koch brothers have bought a lot of influence and can now get their rivals kicked off the university and they have.

Their contributions are made to make sure they get a positive public image, free advertising and they can made demands on any institution that may cross them. It's no different from prostitution— the money is good, but there is also the shame and degradation. When a billionaire has his name all over the city on buildings honoring him it becomes obvious that he is trying to buy up the town and own it. At leas we wish more people would see that. -Otto

Hulse's article tries to look at both sides in the Koch brothers buying up Wichita:

"In Wichita, Koch Influence Is Revered and Reviled"

WICHITA, Kan. — In national politics, playing in Charles Koch’s arena can mean saturation advertising against vulnerable Democrats, calls for tax cuts, demands to roll back government regulation and bitter clashes over climate change.

Here in the windswept hometown of the Koch family and Koch Industries, playing in Charles Koch Arena means something else entirely."

For the rest click here.

The New York Times article mentions the film "Koch Brothers Exposed:"