Capitol Partners For Education
By The Kansas City Star Editorial Board
Funkhouser’s folly
Mayor Mark Funkhouser wants to use some of Kansas City’s public safety tax to hire police officers as part of his “Schools First” initiative. But this move requires a change in state law; the current tax can be used only for capital improvements.
The mayor, however, didn’t reveal his plan until the last day of January. Big mistake.
The General Assembly has been in full swing for several weeks. Now it will take extraordinary actions at City Hall and in Jefferson City to pass the change. The new law also needs an emergency clause to take effect before voters could try to renew it this year.
Just more evidence the mayor doesn’t understand how to get things done in the Capitol.
Where there’s smoke, there’s trouble
A new “smoke-free” bill in the Kansas House is a con job by pro-smoking forces.
It would toss out the state’s restrictive smoking laws, including those in Overland Park, Olathe and Leawood. It would then allow smoking in bars, clubs and casinos — plus in many restaurants, including those that could pay a fee to expose customers to harmful smoke. “This bill is the tobacco industry’s dream,” said Jake Lowen of Clean Air Kansas.
Well said. The measure should be rejected.
Nice fiddling, but about the fire
With the current Kansas state budget shrinking month by month, and next year’s budget looking like a horror show, Kansas Republicans have buckled down to tackle, well, proposed federal health care legislation.
They want to pass a Kansas amendment opting out of the pending law. But unless a federal bill allows states toopt out, it’s unclear whether that amendment would be worth the reams of paper that will go into making it. But it’s a wonderful way to waste time while the state deteriorates around them.
Still, here’s a suggestion to the Kansas GOP: While folks in Washington can have political success playing “no” politics, you can’t. You are in control of both the House and Senate. Kansans expect you to actually govern.
Thanks, but no thanks
Missouri judges have been complaining for years about their low pay. Trial court judges receive $120,000 a year — the 39th lowest state judicial wage in the nation.
This year state Sen. Jim Lembke, a St. Louis Republican, has offered a resolution that would essentially raise the pay of state judges to about $130,000, or 75 percent of what the federal government pays U.S. District Court judges.
An even better deal for the judges would be to guarantee them the same salary that Kansas City pays its Municipal Court jurists, who handle traffic tickets and misdemeanor offenses. That would bring the state judges’ pay up to $142,033.
But no matter. Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr. this week turned down all offers during his State of the Judiciary speech.
“In the current financial crisis, there is no money for judges’ raises,” Price said. Referring to Lembke, he added, “I thank you for the idea, but the time is wrong.”
There’s a true act of public service. Lawmakers should remember it and return the favor once the budget crunch eases.
So you think you can dance?
Missouri Rep. Tim Flook is sponsoring legislation that would enable public school students to choose ballroom dancing over more traditional physical education classes.
Besides providing good exercise, dances with partners promote good social skills and healthy interaction between students, explained Flook, a Liberty Republican. Students could also learn the cultural history of the different dances.
We think Flook has a swinging idea, and we look forward to hearings on his legislation. With any luck, they’ll feature live dancing demonstrations from Flook and his colleagues.
Clean Energy Week Groundswell of Partners Nationwide
To build a future of energy security, we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology
--President Barack Obama, January 27., 2010
By Martha Shaw
When 100 of the nations most powerful organizations, leaders and economists unite in a matter of minutes for rapid implementation of clean technology (aka : jobs), you get that great feeling of a kid, proudly saluting the flag.
Formed by 100 organizations nationwide, the country has united to move clean energy to the forefront of national policy, declaring February 1-5, 2010 as Clean Energy Week. They hope to engage Congress and the Administration to take action on climate solutions, renewable energy, American know-how, and energy efficiency -- top priorities for our nation, essential to job creation, a US manufacturing comeback, and economic growth.
National Clean Energy Week support brings all factions together to promote passage of the clean energy and climate policy now pending in Congress. Clean Energy Week consists of press conferences, webcasts, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, receptions, workshops, press conferences, rallies and outreach activities on Capitol Hill and across Washington, DC, including some events in other cities including New York City’s open forum on Feed-in-Tariff. http://www.nyses.org
Highlighted Events:
Schedule of Events for updates, see: http://www.cleanenergyweek.org
February 1: Clean Energy Week Press Conference - Presented by ACORE, Alliance to Save Energy, and the Clean Economy Network. National Press Club, Holeman Room, 9:30am. The Clean Energy Week news conference will be webcast live in streaming video with an opportunity for questions for those who are not in the Washington, D.C., area or who cannot attend in person. Register in advance!
Clean Energy Week Press Conference - Feb. 1st at 9:30am. The Clean Energy Week news conference will be webcast live in streaming video. Register in advance!
Clean Energy Week Press conference Live Webcast, Monday Feb 1, 9:30 am, free: Register at: http://bit.ly/CleanEnergy1
February 1: Official launch of public utility online community for planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities (Clean & Efficient Energy Organization) - Virtual/Open
February 1-5: NASEO State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference
February 2: Association of Climate Change Officers / Alliance to Save Energy Cocktail Reception featuring remarks from Cathy Zoi (Department of Energy), Congressman Peter Welch (State of Vermont) and John Fielder (Southern California Edison).
February 2-3: Business Advocacy Day for Jobs, Climate & New Energy Leadership - Clean Economy Network and Ceres Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy. More Information
February 3-5: RETECH 2010 Conference & Exhibition, Washington DC Convention Center
February 4: Finance Education Day by the U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (US PREF)
Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Forum: 
February 4, 6:30 pm 
Cooper Union 
New York City
February 4: Clean Energy & Climate Legislation Roundtable - with Senator Barbara Boxer. ~8am (Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization, Clean Economy Network and K&L Gates). Please contact CTSI or community@ct-si.org for an invite. Free Roundtable with Invite!
February 4: Renewable Energy Interactive Webinar (World Team Now) - 2:30-4pm. For more information and to register. Free Webinar!
February 4: Buy Clean Energy 2010 Program Launch (Center for Resource Solutions). More information available! - Open Opportunity!.
February 5: Opportunities and Challenges for Renewable Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean (Latin American and Caribbean Council on Renewable Energy - LAC-CORE, Washington Convention Center: For more information and to register. Free Event!
National & International Events - Outside DC Metro February 4: Meeting - Empire State Feed-In Tariff: A Policy to make New York a Clean Energy Capital. 6:30pm New York City (NY Solar Energy Society, Solar1, Cooper Union). Please contact NYSES for registration costs and more information.
RETECH 2010NASEO State Energy Policy and Technology Outlook Conference
Business Advocacy Day for Jobs, Climate & New Energy Leadership - Clean Economy Network and Ceres Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy.
Clean Energy Week Partners (as of 8 pm, 1/28/2010):
http://www.cleanenergyweek.org/partners.php
1SKY, 350.org, A Matter of Degree, Alliance for Affordable Energy, Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado, Alliance for Climate Education, Alliance for Renewable Energy, Alliance to Save Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, American Council on Renewable Energy, American Renewable Energy Day, Apollo Alliance, Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), Association of Energy Engineers, Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, Bellona USA, Bethesda Green, Biomass Coordinating Council, Biomass Thermal Energy Council, California Clean Energy Fund, Center for Resource Solutions, Choosing Green TV, City of Aspen, City and County of Denver, Clean and Efficient Energy Program, Clean Currents, Clean Economy Network, Clean Fuels Foundation, Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization, Climate Solutions, Coalition for the Green Bank, CSRWire, Earth Action Coalition, Earth Advertising, Earth Day Network, Earth Restoration Alliance, Electric Auto Association, Energy Action Coalition, Energy Future Coalition, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Environmental Media Association, Ethical Markets Media, Global Green USA, Green America, Green Science Exchange, Growth Energy, iMatter (Kids vs. Global Warming), International Biochar Initiative, Latin American and Caribbean Council on Renewable Energy, League of Conservation of Voters, Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council, Mountain States Hydrogen Business Council, National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), National Hydrogen Association, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, Oceana, Pellet Fuels Institute, Planet 2025 Network, Power for the Planet, Power of One, Presidential Climate Action Project, Renewable Energy Marketers Association (REMA), Rocky Mountain Institute, Sierra Club, Solar Energy Industries Association, Solar One, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), Stella Group, Stillwater Preservation, SustainUS, The Building Codes Assistance Project -- Online Code Environment and Advocacy Network (OCEAN), The Climate Group, The Wilderness Society, U.S. Fuel Cell Council, U.S. Green Building Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington Gas Energy Services, The World Business Academy, World Team Now, Global Urban Development, New York Energy Consumers Council, New York Solar Energy Society.
Martha Shaw is a frequent writer on Clean Technology and is the founder of Earth Advertising, inspired by Walter Cronkite to create a voice for the earth. She serves on the Board of the New York Solar Energy Society, is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and innovator in interactive media. Her career began as a Staff Research Associate 5 Geologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She holds a graduate degree in Earth Science, and a BA in Earth Science and Oceanography. Martha has been named Adweek Creative All Star for her inspirational command of the media.
@ http://webnewswire.com/node/502428