In the dead of Kansas winter it is not uncommon for homeless citizens to decline offers to stay in shelters. The natural response to this information should be - why? Instead, elected officials and city planners insist on resorting to force as a response.
Plunder is described in “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat as “seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others.” In some cases, this plunder is actually organized by those who make the law. Bastiat goes so far as to say that “sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it.” This is called legal plunder, which quite literally turns victims of theft into criminals should they defend themselves. It’s important for citizens to remember that nothing enters into the public treasury that another citizen wasn’t first forced to send. This completely betrays the actual mission of the law, which is to protect the products of the labor of citizens - most certainly not to seize and consume them.
The story of Anthem was first born to Alissa Rosenbaum while she was living in Russia. She was attending college where Marxism was being taught and already fully living under its principles. Alissa later changed her name to Ayn Rand and fled to the United States where she finished and published Anthem. Decades even after Anthem, one of her most popular works, Atlas Shrugged, carries forward similar themes. This consistency of principles is something that makes the lessons gleaned from Anthem especially important today, as the United States seemingly takes baby steps towards the very system Ayn fled.
In our 16th episode of ICTea - where ICT = Wichita and Tea = Transparency, Equity, Accountability - cohosts Faith and Olivia interview their fellow LOLA, Addison Liberty Patrick. Addison was awarded the “Rising Star” award at the LOLA Leadership Retreat in D.C. this past Fall and is currently running for city council in Jacksonville, FL. In this episode we talk women in politics and LOLAs place in it all. We also compare and contrast Jacksonville top issues with Wichita’s top issues. Addison will be back soon to talk consolidated services with us. Check out her campaign and please make a contribution here: https://addisonlibertypatrick.com/.
Co-hosts Faith Martin and Olivia Hayse interview Sedgwick County CFO Lindsay Poe Rousseau. We ask her to help us define terms like “mill levy” and “revenue neutral rate” as well as tell us about the county’s budget approval process. Spoiler - the process has already started! At the end, we also briefly mention the budget process for the City of Wichita.
First up, former Kansas state legislator and former Mayor of Wichita, Brandon Whipple. Brandon joins as they discuss the recent failed sales tax in Wichita, the Cedric Lofton settlement, data centers, and what the Kansas Legislature has been up to this session. Brandon brings a unique perspective to all topics. Next, they chat with Spike Cohen all about his organization, You Are The Power, which helps protect citizens from abusive local governments. Hear about the type of work they take on, the process, and how you can get involved.
