Week in Review: Errors, doomsday and tax breaks

By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — Isn’t it amazing how time just flies when the Kansas Legislature isn’t in Topeka?

Lawmakers are back next week, and will start wrapping things up first thing on Wednesday. So before those politicians begin spinning things back into high gear, let’s take a look back and recap the last week so you’re ready for the next one.

Police won’t discuss innocent driver flagged by license plate reader error

This story really took off, and it hit a nerve of concern deep within most folks. About two weeks ago an innocent Prairie Village driver was minding his own business when his day was flipped around. Law enforcement would rather not talk about the automatic license plate reader snafu that led to an unexpected cop stop with guns drawn. Was this a simple mistake, or are law enforcement leaning too heavily on technology instead of their most useful tool: common sense?

Dole warns of ‘day of reckoning’ unless US curtails spending

Barnstorming the state one last time to see friends and former constituents, Kansas’ elder statesman and former Sen. Bob Dole issued a dire prediction for the country. Unless Washington is able to untether itself from its continued spending addiction, Dole said, a financial judgement day is looming in our future. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but it’s on its way. Hear it in his own words.

Study: State tax giveaways to big business don’t really bring jobs

In the last two years alone, Kansas has distributed more than $28 million in payroll tax breaks to encourage businesses to create new jobs in the Sunflower State. But a Missouri university professor broke the data down by the numbers, and the results aren’t pretty. What’s the big find? As it turns out, receiving a government handout doesn’t make a business more likely to create new jobs. Check out the evidence.

Contact Travis Perry at travis@kansaswatchdog.org, or follow him on Twitter at @muckraker62. Like Watchdog.org? Click HERE to get breaking news alerts in YOUR state!