Opinion

Kansas’s economy: Regulations choke growth

GUEST COLUMN, Vance Ginn, Kansas Policy Institute

New economic data paint a sobering picture for Kansas’s economy.

In Q3 2024, Kansas’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 1.4 percent, ranking 45th nationally. Neighboring states like Oklahoma (3.6 percent, Rank 18), Nebraska (3.0 percent, 26), and Colorado (3.4 percent, 22) significantly outperformed Kansas, reflecting stronger growth strategies. These numbers demand bold reforms rooted in free-market principles to pull Kansas out of stagnation and create an economic environment where businesses and families can thrive.

Farm and French toast preparation

GUEST COLUMN, Kim Baldwin, Kansas Farm Bureau

By the time this column hits the presses, the first significant winter weather system of 2025 will have arrived. For our area, the weather experts are all forecasting periods of ice, strong winds, extreme cold and heavy snow.

The winter storm watch notifications have been constant on my phone. Road crews have already started treating the roads and people have been making their way to the grocery store to stock up.

It is no longer a calm before the storm.

Everyone needs fuel, Biden doesn’t care

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

My last letter had me sitting here with a cup of coffee; now I would need an entire urn if I were to complete most of what needs to be addressed; so I’ll start with what got me so fired up this morning.

It’s been 11 months, almost to the day, that I started informing people about how Marxism gets started tearing down a nation.

The first on the list was finances: Everything is controlled by that one in life.

Lame duck periods need to be reduced to protect citizens

L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Joe Biden will not go gently into that good night.

The lame duck president seems to be doing as much damage as he can before Donald Trump is sworn in Jan. 20.

To learn the true character of someone, see how they act when they know there are no repercussions for their actions. There are sayings designed just for this scenario, like “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”

The car wash dress

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

My sister took me to task. “You know I was not being mean about your dress, don’t you?”

She meant the dress that she had said made me look like a car wash — the part of the car wash where the flappy things slap the car dry. My dress looked a lot like that, especially if I spun around. I thought this was hilarious and mentioned it in a column.

“Of course I knew you weren’t being mean!” I told her.