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Vol. 22 Number 45An Award Winning Weekly Newspaper Thursday, April 10, 2014 “Don’t Let The Smoke Get In Your Eyes” It is that time of year when the farmers and last month the wind has kept the fire from tographed in Geary County South of ranchers start burning the fields. This has burning. For the next week or two you will see, Manhattan by Michael Marish on been a strange year, it was too cold and for the feel and smell a lot of smoke. This fire was pho- www.zoophotography.net Kansas Lawmakers Back School Funding, Tenure Plan By JOHN HANNA, vative Republicans who back $10 million in tax credits for AP Political Writer the legislation said they didn’t contributing to scholarship TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The want to authorize so much new funds to help poor and at-risk Kansas Legislature on Sunday spending without getting some children attend private schools. narrowly backed a plan that education policy changes. But the tenure provisions would boost funding to poor Their efforts to eliminate tenure inspired the most debate. school districts while eliminat- had the backing of the conser- Under existing law, after ing tenure for teachers. vative interest group three years on the job, a teacher Americans for Prosperity. who’s facing dismissal must be With red-shirted teachers “We need to make sure that told why in writing and has the who have been protesting the the best teachers are in the right to challenge the decision tenure provision looking on, 63 classrooms,” said Jeff and have a hearing officer House members — the mini- Glendening, the group’s state review the case. The bill strips mum needed — voted in favor director. “It’s not about protect- teachers of those rights. of the bill, while 57 voted ing the institutions or the labor against it. Hours earlier, the union. It’s about protecting our The KNEA said the existing Senate approved it with a 22-16 kids.” law prevents good teachers vote. It needed 21 votes to pass. The plan initially was from being fired for arbitrary The bill, which was the prod- prompted by the Supreme reasons. The union had a uct of a compromise between Court’s ruling that past, reces- statewide meeting of hundreds House and Senate Republicans, sion-driven cuts in aid to poor of teachers Saturday, cutting it now heads to GOP Gov. Sam school districts create unfair short so that many of them Brownback. He wasted no time and unconstitutional funding could converge on the in issuing a statement praising gaps between those districts Statehouse to lobby. the bill, suggesting he will sign and wealthier ones. Legislators Equality Kansas, the state’s it. in both parties consistently leading gay-rights organiza- The plan is designed to com- have proposed reversing those tion, also opposed the tenure ply with a Kansas Supreme cuts, and the plan backed by the proposal. Senate on Sunday would pro- Court order last month in a law- to the Statehouse to protest. tections no longer apply. ing equity,” Brownback said in vide an additional $129 million “There are gay and lesbian suit filed by parents and four Officials with the Kansas Karen Godfrey, the union’s his statement. for poorer districts next school teachers in this state who are school districts in 2010 over National Education president, blasted that initial The bill also allows districts year. perfectly good teachers, but the education funding. The court Association, the state’s largest vote. to levy additional local proper- But Republicans also wanted only reason they still have their directed lawmakers to boost aid teachers’ union, predicted a raft “You cannot find a more ty taxes to supplement their to offset those costs by trim- jobs is, even though their to poor districts. of lawsuits, with individual dedicated professional than a state aid to get more funds into ming other types of aid to all administrators wanted to get rid “The school finance bill teachers who are dismissed teacher, and to have us be classrooms. school districts and by adjust- of them because of their sexual passed by the Kansas legisla- likely to go to court. David insulted in this manner is very While the plan helps poor ing the budget outside of edu- orientation, they couldn’t,” said ture today fully complies with, Schauner, the union’s general dispiriting,” Godfrey said. districts, conservative Senate cation. In addition, conserva- Tom Witt, the group’s execu- and indeed exceeds, the counsel, said after the Senate Critics of the tenure system Republicans insisted on elimi- tives pushed for changes in tive director. “You take away requirements of the recent vote that any teacher who had say it makes it difficult for nating tenure for public school education policy. this protection — it’s not like Kansas Supreme Court ruling earned protections should sue if administrators to fire poor or teachers. The proposal brought Another part of the bill people can go back in the clos- for funding schools and provid- a school district says those pro- abusive teachers. The conser- dozens of red-shirted teachers would give corporations up to et.” Kansas Watchdog... Sunshine With A Point Of View By Jon Cassidy | Watchdog.org And yet his willingness to take sides records, it’s often the only way to do biggest scoop of all time, the one bit of through any Freedom of Information George Orwell couldn’t get a job at would get him written off by a modern your job. journalism in recent memory that Act request, of course. But his success your local newspaper. editor who sees just one way to do That is only one reason, a big rea- deserves comparison to the sun. illustrates why public records laws are “My starting point is always a feel- journalism – the way it’s been done in son, why sunshine laws matter. Get Yet the deans of journalism will so crucial to truth-telling journalism. ing of partisanship, a sense of injus- this country for the last half-century. your hands on documents, written agonize, not so much on the merits of “I approach my journalism as a liti- tice,” Orwell once wrote. “When I sit The faux objective approach is so proof and you can speak the truth the disclosure. The New York Times gator,” Greenwald once said. “People down to write a book, I do not say to wrought into journalists they struggle plainly. Public records get reporters got Pulitzers in 1972 for publishing the say things, you assume they are lying, myself, ‘I am going to produce a work to accept there are other, possibly bet- out of the toxic environment of calcu- Pentagon Papers and in 2006 for the and dig for documents to prove it.” of art.’ I write it because there is some ter, ways to do the job. lating the price of access. Bush administration wiretapping sto- That is how I approach my work. lie that I want to expose, some fact to Journalists call it objectivity, but Watch the Pulitzer Prize Board this ries. Plenty often, it turns out people tell which I want to draw attention, and my it’s a pose. It’s a way of pulling year and see if it can convince itself to But they will struggle with the truth. But if you’re not out there initial concern is to get a hearing.” punches with sources to maintain honor Glenn Greenwald, the journalist Greenwald, who clearly has opinions, digging up and poring over the record, Orwell’s coverage of the Spanish access, to downplay wrongdoing to responsible for breaking us the news is unashamed of them, yet dares to call finding out when they’re not, then Civil War made him a legend, one of keep doors open. If you’re on a beat that we are now living in an East himself a reporter. you’re just going to end up repeating the great journalists of the century. where you have little access to public German surveillance state. His is the Greenwald didn’t get his files their lies. DDIICCKK EEDDWWAARRDDSS MMaannhhaattttaann,, KKss SALES & SERVICE 785-776-4004 • TOLL FREE 800-257-4004 CourthouseCourthouse NewsNews Manhattan Free Press Thursday, April 10, 2014 2A2A for the Armed Forces War Riley County Commission Minutes Memorial supplied by Manhattan Monument to be The Board of County mended by the Joint 11,344.04 installed by the Public Works Tim Engle Commissioners Corrections Advisory Board Hunters Island Water Dist staff. Wells seconded. Carried Of Riley County, Kansas (JCAB). Wells seconded. 1,017.11 3-0. Agency, Inc. Carried 3-0. Deep Creek Sewer 9:30 Press Conference The Regular meeting of the Lewis moved to sign a letter 71.97 Clancy Holeman, Counselor/ Board of County Commission- declining participation in the Moehlman Bottoms Director of Administrative ers met at the Riley County Bureau of Land Management 435.90 Services; Katy Oestman, Plaza East Building March 31, Environmental Impact Study. Konza Water Operations Health Educator; Johnette 2014 with the following mem- Wells seconded. Carried 3-0. 1,938.21 Shepek, Budget and Finance bers present: Robert Boyd, Lewis moved to approve Out Officer; Brady Bauman, Chair; Ron Wells, Vice Chair; of State Travel Requests for TOTAL. Manhattan Mercury; Laura Dave Lewis, Member; and Leon Hobson, Public Works $325,440.74 Monsanto, KMAN; Cheryl Rich Vargo, County Clerk. Director/County Engineer and Collins, Museum Director; and 8:30 Pledge of Allegiance Julie Winter, Public Works Wells seconded. Carried 3-0. Lyle Butler, Manhattan Area Public Comment, Office Manager to attend the Lewis moved to approve the Chamber of Commerce, attend- Commission Comments, & 2014 APWA International minutes of March 27, 2014 as ed.