This week Steve Glorioso sits in for Yael.
WHILE YAEL’S AWAY …
Taking advantage of Yael’s absence and Steve’s presence, we will talk briefly about the public spat between Yael and the mayor over the August 7th sales tax. Because of Steve’s unique experiences (as a public official and as a journalist), we will talk first about some of the benefits and consequences of “feuds” between a pundit and a public official. This is not meant to be a discussion about this specific disagreement, but about general dimensions of the phenomenon.
CHICK-FIL-A AND THE RIGHT TO PRAY
The Chick-Fil-A controversy rolls on. The company’s CEO says he “fears God’s judgment” on this country because of the growth of “non-traditional,” i.e. “gay” marriages. Both critics and supporters have emerged in large numbers. We can look at several questions: Is the quality of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches enhanced or diminished because of the CEO’s views of marriage? Were you outraged at the initial reactions of the mayors of Chicago and Boston who threatened to block the company‘s expansion in their cities? Are we likely to see more of these kinds of issues emerge as our culture changes?
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
The extent of education funding is a key issue in the conservative-moderate battle for seats in the state senate. The two sides of the same Republican party have distinctly different views and that plays a role in who endorses and funds their campaigns. A Kansas City Star story cited examples of candidates supported by two major Kansas groups, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas National Education Association.
TO EXPAND OR NOT TO EXPAND
Under the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Health Care Act, states have the right to opt-out of the Medicare Expansion portion. It’s not yet clear what Missouri and Kansas will do. Those who support expansion cite a couple of reasons: 1) The number of people covered will increase and 2) The federal government funds it, at least initially.
ROASTS AND TOASTS
