'Catastrophic' If Bush Tax Cuts Not Renewed
Former GOP presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson warns that not extending the Bush tax cuts could have "devastating" and "catastrophic" consequences for the American economy. ??"We must urge Congress and the president to renew the Bush tax cuts early, before they expire and before investors lose confidence in the U.S. economy," Thompson stated in a letter his signed on behalf of the League of American Voters, a non-partisan organization that advocates conservative principles.

Kansas poised to be in top 20 of most taxed states
The report said Kansas ranked 19th in its dependence on property taxes, 22nd in sales taxes, 22nd in individual income taxes and the 16th in corporate income taxes. Dave Trabert, president of the Kansas Policy Institute, noted that the state probably climbed into the top-20 in sales taxes when a statewide 1-cent sales tax increase took effect July 1.

Paul Ryan v Chris Matthews on Spending
Conservative Republican and economic wonder Congressman Paul Ryan waxes MSNBC host, Chris Matthews and a Democrat Congressman over spending. A great supply side economic argument.

Pentagon Eyes Accused Analyst Over Leaks
Military investigators are checking computers used by Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst charged this month with leaking classified information, to see if he is the source of thousands of military documents published Sunday by WikiLeaks. The material released relates entirely to the war in Afghanistan, while Pfc. Manning was stationed in Iraq. But investigators are trying to determine what material he was able to get access to and what material he transferred.

Kochs: businessmen dedicated to the free market
But there are honest leaders in the corporate world who go a different way. Charles and David Koch of the Wichita-based Koch Industries are among the preeminent examples of such men and women. They've built one of the world's largest private corporations based on the principles of free markets and competition. For more than 40 years, the Kochs have also been aggressive supporters of those principles in the public policy arena, a fact that always flusters critics of economic freedom.

N Dakota lead US job creation/Thanks Sebelius!
North Dakota and Alaska have added the most jobs. The study of U.S. employment trends found 40 states had fewer jobs in May 2010. In first place, North Dakota added 21,300 jobs from 2005 to 2010 and saw an increase of 3,200 jobs in the last year alone, reported the study, mostly due to increase energy businesses. Nearly two years ago, Kansas rejected a coal plant that then located in Bismarck, ND. Thanks Governor Sebelius and KDHE Secretary Ron Bremby for your job stimulus program for North Dakota. Incredible!

Ex-Moran Campaign Chief Endorses Tiahrt
A former campaign manager for Kansas Republican Jerry Moran is now publicly endorsing Moran's main rival for the U.S. Senate. Paul Moore said Sunday that he's backing Moran's fellow congressman, Todd Tiahrt, after coming to believe that Moran was not instinctively conservative.

Chris Christie Interview with Jack Tapper
For your afternoon viewing pleasure, 10 minutes with the GOP’s new rock star, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey. The man is doing an incredible job!

Obama Throws Vilsack Under the Bus
President Obama said Secretary Tom Vilsack rushed to judgment when he dismissed Shirley Sherrod from the Department of Agriculture amid charges of racism. "He jumped the gun!”

Congress' Food Tab: $604,000 for Bottled Water
House members spent part of their Members Representational Allowances on these items -- and more -- during the nine-month period between late 2009 and early 2010 covered by the Sunlight Foundation's House Expenditure Reports Database. The info is highly enlightening, revealing, for instance, the popularity of Chantilly Donut's sinkers; what it costs to feed hungry congressional pages; and how lucrative it can be to own a part of the cottage industry of keeping our duly elected representatives fed and well hydrated.

St. Louis Fed: Smoking Ban Hurt MO Revenues
Tom Garrett, a St. Louis Fed economist, says there’s no doubt that Illinois casinos lost revenue after the state implemented a smoking ban in 2008. Kansas casinos are exempted from the smoking ban because casino proponents don’t want to experience revenue losses. Ban proponents say privately operated bars will not lose revenue due to the ban. Garrett says studies that show a positive impact of smoking bans on bar and restaurant revenue are not rigorous and their results are not convincing. The availability of specific data on casinos allowed a more detailed evaluation of the ban’s impact.

Peterjohn’s Crash Course on Macroeconomics
Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn gave a crash course in macroeconomics – and the choices between market or government control. “Instead of simply discussing county issues, I wanted to discuss the larger environment including the battle of ideas that we face in trying to solve our economic problems.

The Moral Basis for Economic Liberty
Today, those who defend free markets and capitalism often do so solely on managerial or technical grounds, but economic liberty needs a moral defense as well. Defense of economic liberty without reference to morality will ultimately prove injurious to liberty itself. Rightly understood, capitalism is simply the name for the economic component of the natural order of liberty. It means expansive ownership of property, fair and equal rules for all, economic security through prosperity, strict adherence to the boundaries of ownership, opportunity for charity, wise resource use, creativity, growth, development, prosperity, abundance. Most of all, it means the economic application of the principle that every human person has dignity and should have that dignity respected.

Obama Secretly Backed Lockerbie Bomber Release
THE US government secretly advised Scottish ministers it would be "far preferable" to free the Lockerbie bomber than jail him in Libya. Correspondence obtained by The Sunday Times reveals the Obama administration considered compassionate release more palatable than locking up Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in a Libyan prison. The intervention, which has angered US relatives of those who died in the attack, was made by Richard LeBaron, deputy head of the US embassy in London, a week before Megrahi was freed in August last year on grounds that he had terminal cancer. The document, acquired by a well-placed US source, threatens to undermine US President Barack Obama's claim last week that all Americans were "surprised, disappointed and angry" to learn of Megrahi's release.

Sen. John Kerry skips town on sails tax
Sen. John Kerry, who has repeatedly voted to raise taxes while in Congress, dodged a whopping six-figure state tax bill on his new multimillion-dollar yacht by mooring her in Newport, R.I. But instead of berthing the vessel in Nantucket, where the senator summers with the missus, Teresa Heinz, Isabel’s hailing port is listed as “Newport” on her stern. Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven - like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau - for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?

Pyle much different from Jenkins in 2nd District
In 2002, when Jenkins was a state senator, she said she would oppose a state sales tax increase but then voted for a $294 million tax increase, which included raising sales, inheritance, cigarette and liquor taxes. Jenkins has said the tax increase was needed to balance the state’s budget. Pyle, who has served in the state House and Senate, also is slamming Jenkins for spending $422,000 in taxpayer-funded mailings in 2009. Pyle has criticized Jenkins for being one of nine Republicans to vote against an amendment to stop federal funds going to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has said none of those federal funds go toward abortions.

Godsey on Power and Light District
Here's a surprise for you: Kansas City's downtown Power and Light District, which former mayor Kay Barnes and her allies on the City Council said would be self-sustaining, is far from it. The project is nowhere close to the projections that city officials provided taxpayers. In 2006, the city approved $295 million worth of bonds to build the Power and Light District. The idea was that revenues from the project would cover debt payments. But this week, the acting city manager admitted that taxpayers should expect to pony up $10 million to $15 million annually until the bonds mature in 2033. That adds up to at least an extra $230 million -- money that might have gone for fire and police protection, water, sewer and street repairs. The current City Council is talking about a downtown convention hotel, which studies say will require a public subsidy. Given the city's track record with the Power and Light District, you've got to be kidding!

Obama adviser linked to unindicted co-conspirator
A religion adviser to President Obama has close ties to a radical Muslim group that was an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to raise money for Hamas. The group, the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA, has an extensive relationship with the Obama administration. In February, Obama named a Chicago Muslim, Eboo Patel, to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Patel is the founder and executive director of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, which says it promotes pluralism by teaming people of different faiths on service projects.

Franklin County deputy dies in wreck
A Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy died Friday night after losing control of his patrol car. Deputy Samuel A. Smith, 22, was responding to a domestic disturbance call near Pomona, Kan. when he lost control and struck a tree head on. The car then caught fire.

Congressman: Stop worthless votes
House Democrats and Republicans have put aside their differences this year to honor the likes of golfer Phil Mickelson, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson and the Penn State women's volleyball team. But when it came time this week to memorialize the start of the 142nd season of the Saratoga race course in New York, one freshman lawmaker decided he'd had enough. "It's an absolute embarrassment," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, announcing on the House floor a vow to vote against all future sports resolutions. He worried that there were kids in the visitors' gallery who would go back home and, asked whether Congress was talking about war or debt, reply: "Oh no, they were honoring a race course."

Archbishop: Votes should reflect principles and values
This is a reminder that Kansas’ primary election is one week from today. All Catholics are urged to fulfill their civic duty by voting, and as always, our votes should reflect our principles and our values as Catholics. In order to assist Catholics with the formation of their consciences in preparation for voting, Kansas’ four Catholic bishops have released a list of questions and answers addressing some of the important challenges faced by Catholic voters. The bishops have also written a statement outlining the many considerations that must be weighed by Catholics as they prepare themselves for conscientious voting. These documents are available at the Kansas Catholic Conference’s 2010 Primary Election page, where you can find other important information, including a list of how your legislators voted on important bills during the 2010 legislative session.

TKF House Endorsements for Aug Primary
TKF endorses the KFL PAC endorsements for the Kansas House of Representatives.

More Family Time Verses More Kids Sports
Before each new sports season begins, consider setting up a family calendar and having a family meeting to discuss commitments, says Brooke de Lench, Concord, Mass., founder of MomsTeam.com, a website for sports parents. Weigh not only your child's interests, but the cost to the entire family in time, money, energy and missed opportunities of other kinds.

CDC: Most Teens are Virgins, Contrary to PP
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study last month showing that most teens are virgins which contradicts propaganda disseminated by sex-education giant Planned Parenthood.

Driver Fired for Refusing to Drive to Abortion Clinic
The native Texan said that CARTS bus company officials abruptly terminated him for declining to drive a woman to Planned Parenthood's South Austin facility, after he discovered that the facility performed abortions.

Augusta State to Student: Change Beliefs or Get Out
The counseling student, Jennifer Keeton, says she has been told to stop communicating her Christian beliefs and that she must undergo "training" to accept homosexuality in order to graduate from the counseling program.

ABC Family Ranks Second in "Gay Friendly" Hours
ABC Family, which was founded in 1977 as an extension of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcast Network and acquired from Fox by Disney in 2001, has earned a "good" rating from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for its "LGBT-inclusive" programming, which took up 37% of its original prime time programming over the 2009-2010 season just behind MTV with 42% homosexual elements broadcasted.

Leading Stem Cell Scientist Drops Embryonic Work
Not surprisingly, after billions of dollars and the unethical destruction of countless embryos, one by one are dropping the expensive research realizing that potential cures are found in adult stem cells.

Sub-Fertile Women Achieve Pregnancy with Natural Method
An independent Australian review of Assisted Reproductive Technologies found that the live birth rate for women aged 30 to 34 using IVF is approximately 24.7% and costs approximately $33,000 compared to the Natural Method of the Billings Ovulation Method of achieving pregnancy, which costs approximately $1100.

Pornography and Women
A survey conducted in 2003 by Today's Christian Woman found that one out of every six women, including Christians, admits struggling with an addiction to pornography. "Pornography is the drug of the millennium and more addictive than crack cocaine," says Donna Rice Hughes, president of Enough is Enough.

Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) Goes Swimming
A little humor before the swim season is over.

Catholics United to Target Pro-Life Groups
The pro-Obama group Catholics United has announced it is trying to raise $500,000 to support Democratic Congressional candidates who backed the health care legislation passed earlier this year. It aims to fund the monitoring of the activities of “the religious right” and to defend the candidates from campaigns by “Republican-affiliated” pro-life groups.

Gospel of St. Matthew 13:31-35

31 He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is, indeed, the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than all the plants, and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches.”?33 He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of fine wheat flour, until it was entirely leavened.” 34 All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds. And he did not speak to them apart from parables, 35 in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The campaign season has hit full stride as is evidenced by our overflowing mailboxes and the streets lined with campaign signs of all levels of candidates. Will we learn anything from previous campaign seasons? Or, will we continue down the path as before?

The final outcome will be up to you, actually, all of us voters will be responsible for the type of government we receive from this election cycle.

In every campaign at every level the candidates will talk about the need for change. They will talk about the need to change spending, the need to change taxes, the need to change priorities.

Even the incumbents who have been involved for years will lead the charge for change. They will claim they can lead the change because of their experience. Our country and state have been down this path entirely too many times, and I hope our electorate won’t fall victim to this pattern again. I am optimistic because there are new candidates that have entered the political fray.

With the mix of new candidates and old who should we citizens trust to actually implement the changes we all want?

Fortunately, the June Gallup Poll has given us some insights into which the American public should look to for the impacts even the politician’s want.

According to this poll (www.gallup.com/poll/121214/americans-confidence-military-banks-down.aspx) Americans are expressing high confidence in the US Military, with Small Business coming in second to the military. According to this survey the bottom of the most trusted institutions is Congress.

So, what can we conclude from this polling information? For starters, there are three common traits that the military and small businesses have in common. They both are responsible for results. When an American military unit executes its mission to the fullest of their capabilities it usually succeeds. The same is true for small business in America.

The second trait shared is the ability to adapt to the circumstances in their environment and with their competition. Again, these traits typically lead to success. Even if things don’t go their way initially entrepreneurs and military commanders make the adjustments needed to be successful.

The final, and in many respects most important shared trait, is the one of knowing their mission. Then the mission/goal is clear the leaders of the organization will continue to drive until they have accomplished the mission. Don’t these traits sound like the ones we should ensure that our political candidates have?

When our political leaders demonstrate these traits, I would be willing to bet their status in future Gallup Polls will improve and we –the People will have the change in paths we deserve. A path that leads back to limited government, and pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Chuck Vogt is a candidate for the 4th District County Commissioner of Johnson County. A member of the Kansas Leadership Council for the National Federal of Small Businesses (NFIB)