News .

Steve Mirakian sits in for Woody this week.

MISSOURI ELECTIONS
We can discuss the key issues and races that are being decided today. They include, but are not limited to: Kansas City, Missouri, sales tax and sewer questions; 5th District GOP House race; and Republican race for U.S. Senate nomination.

KANSAS ELECTIONS
This discussion will focus on the races for the state senate, especially those in Johnson County, and the impact they will likely have on Governor Brownback’s agenda. Please note the New York Times article on Kansas politics that you will receive. It’s likely to be raised by me as a discussion question.

A “CRUZ” TO CAPITOL HILL?
Texas Republicans have nominated the underdog candidate for the U.S. Senate. Ted Cruz overcame a 14 point deficit to defeat the state’s Lt. Governor and the party establishment. Cruz is a “hero” of the Tea Party.

A FREIGHTQUOTE “QUOTE.”
We can discuss the planned move of Freightquote from Lenexa to Kansas City, Missouri, and the ongoing battle over “poaching.”

ROASTS AND TOASTS

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

This week Mary Ann Murray-Simons sits in for Gwen.

TOPIC 1: OLD DEBATE RENEWED
The issue of gun control has arisen again following the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, last weekend. The Star has called for tighter controls. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is asking presidential candidates to say what they would do about this matter.

TOPIC 2: HOSPITAL HASSLE
St. Luke’s Health System is working on a plan to find savings of 100-million dollars. The project is necessitated by fears of financial problems that may follow full implementation of the new health care law. A major concern is “declining reimbursements” for Medicare and Medicaid. Was the Affordable Care Act expected to cause this type of problem?

TOPIC 3: WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS …
Politico reports that Senator McCaskill is running commercials that indicate she believes Congressman Todd Akin would be her weakest opponent in November.

TOPIC 4: THE POLL TOLL
A new SurveyUSA poll shows Governor Brownback with only a 36 percent approval rating. When he was elected in 2010, he pulled 63 percent of the vote. The Wichita Eagle-Beacon newspaper says the upcoming election will be a referendum on Brownback’s agenda.

ROAST and TOAST