Subject: Mark Parkinson

• George Tiller link round up for Wednesday

  Troy NewmanOperation Rescue president Troy Newman wrote an op-ed in USA Today, uh, today calling the assassination of George Tiller "vigilantism" that "must be abhorred" but so should aborting fetuses. Meanwhile, USA Today's editorial board calls for protection of abortion providers.Fox 4's Tess Koppelman asked an anti-abortion activist about the denunciations of Tiller's killing by anti-abortion groups like Operation Rescue. Here's the answer she got: "... she said that because they profit from

  June 3, 2009

• The New Polluters: Joggers

  December 8, 2007

• Mrs. Sebelius doesn't go to Washington

  So the big political news over the weekend was that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has taken herself out of the running for any possible cabinet position in the Obama administration.Yawn.Now Sebelius says she wants to focus on Kansas' massive budget challenges rather than joining the Obama administration. That's a noble sentiment. But I'm inclined to believe the state Republicans' theory that she was never in serious consideration. Over the weekend, Kansas party chair Kris Kobach told the Star: "

  December 8, 2008

• Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson's thoughts on the death of George Tiller

  Mark ParkinsonFollowing the murder of George Tiller, politicians and players on both sides of the abortion debate -- everyone from President Obama to Randall Terry -- issued statements. But missing from this list of politicos commenting was Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson. I called Parkinson's office and a spokesman said that the guv's office didn't send out an official statement to the media but did give one to the Associated Press when asked for one. Here's Gov. Parkinson's statement:"I am shocked

  June 2, 2009

• Coal cash buys some votes in the Kansas House -- but not all

  Coal-fired power plant near Holcomb, KansasIt's actually kind of entertaining watching Kansas lawmakers re-fight last year's battle over two new coal-fired power plants for Sunflower Electric Power Corporation out near Holcomb. Last Friday, the House voted on a bill approving the plants; last year the legislature couldn't override Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto, and after last week's vote the governor issued a statement saying Friday's 79-44 for/against split showed they still couldn't override he

  March 2, 2009

• Lt. Gov Mark Parkinson's comfy solution to global warming

  Kansas Lt. Governor Mark ParkinsonWhen Governor Kathleen Sebelius tapped Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson to co-chair the Kansas Energy Council in 2007, it signaled her attention to pressing issues like renewable power and global warming. Now, with Sebelius heading to Washington after standing defiantly against the construction of new coal-fired power plants, many environmentalists in the Sunflower State are hoping Parkinson will step into his predecessors eco-friendly shoes. So when Parkins

  April 1, 2009

• Maybe if Missouri and Kansas legislators were high, their actions would make more sense

  April 9, 2009

• In the new economy, even jackasses have to work a little harder

  February 26, 2009

• Power Switch

  May 21, 2009

• Her Dirty Secret

  Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius preaches green, but her heart seems as black as coal.

  August 9, 2007

• Wind development could be a multibillion-dollar export industry for Kansas

  A new report concludes that calling Kansas the Saudi Arabia of wind power is actually an understatement of its blustery wealth. Last October, Kansas Lt. Gov. (and wind czar) Mark Parkinson asked the American Council on Renewable Energy, a non-profit group based in Washington, D.C., to put hard numbers on the state's renewable energy potential. The study released yesterday says the Sunflower State could produce so much juice from sustainable sources that electricity could become a multibillion-

  April 28, 2009

• The Give-a-Shit List

  This week: A stark conversation piece exposes the War Within for U.S. soldiers and veterans, the city's cycling guru gets you ready for Bike to Work Week, and a possible reason why your mom thinks you're missing the point when you buy her a dumb card from Walgreens in honor of Mothers Day.

  May 4, 2009

• Parkinson backs coal-fired power plant

  That didn't take long. Not even a week after the U.S. Senate confirmed Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services, and Mark Parkinsonnewly minted Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson has agreed to a deal that will allow Sunflower Electric to build a new coal-fired power plant in Holcomb. I checked in with The Pitch's Carolyn Szczepanski, who pays way more attention to power plants and coal than I do. She had a couple of quick, admittedly knee-jerk reactions:1) [Parkinson] was talking last

  May 5, 2009

• Kansas health-care reform official resigns

  Late Friday afternoon, the Kansas Health Policy Authority confirmed that its executive director, Marcia Nielsen, would soon be leaving the agency that's responsible for spending all of the state's health-care dollars and advising lawmakers on health-care policy (presumably so they can make good decisions about how to reform it). Nielsen was a key figure in former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' efforts to try to fix health care in Kansas. Marcia NielsenNielsen will take a job as Vice Chancellor of Publi

  May 11, 2009

• Parkinson's Dirty Deal, Part 1

  Governor Mark ParkinsonWhen Gov. Mark Parkinson capitulated to Sunflower Electric Power Corporation and gave his stamp of approval to a monstrous coal-fired power plant in Western Kansas, he sucker-punched his predecessor Kathleen Sebelius, who had mustered the political courage to oppose the pollution-spewing facilities for a solid two years. The new governor also gave the finger to thousands of Kansans who put exceptional pressure on their elected officials to hold the line against the dirty

  May 14, 2009

• Parkinson wasn't the only one who caved in to coal

  Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson wasn't alone in in his big cave-in to coal last week. After all, Kansas lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve the new governor's hastily announced deal with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation to build just one instead of two new coal-fired power plants in western Kansas, thus ending two years of legislative scrapping.David WysongThe Kansas House signed off on the deal 103-18; the Senate vote was 37-2.One of those two senators was Mission Hills Republican David Wy

  May 14, 2009

• Star spoils surprise: Parkinson will name Troy Findley lieutenant governor

  Mark ParkinsonLater this afternoon, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson will name his lieutenant governor. Top secret "sources" runied the surprise -- jerks! -- and told The Kansas City Star's political blog, PrimeBuzz, that Parkinson "will name his chief of staff, Troy Findley, to be his lieutenant governor." Uh, who? Findley is a Democrat, a former state lawmaker from liberal Lawrence and also a former chief of staff for former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. So far, Parkinson's judgement has been, uh,

  May 14, 2009

• Parkinson's dirty deal, part 2

  The deal with Sunflower Electric Power Company was brokered by Mark Parkinson, but it required more than the new governor's signature. Before Sunflower got the go-ahead for that coal-fired power plant in Holcomb, the Legislature had to sign off on a Comprehensive Energy Bill. While the bill passed overwhelmingly -- with only two senators and 18 representatives voting against it -- environmental groups argue that it doesn't go nearly far enough. After all, this bill was the carrot in exchange f

  May 15, 2009

• Vice President Joe Biden beholds majesty of future 6-lane highway

  Road builder Bill Clarkson Jr. and a ring of mulch overlooking 69 Highway awaited Vice President Joe Biden when he got out of his big Cadillac in Overland Park yesterday afternoon. The v.p. was accompanied by former and current Kansas governors Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson, as well as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The group surveyed the work being done on a section of U.S. 69 near 103rd Street. This $82 million project is receiving funds from the federal stimulus package.Biden was

  June 12, 2009

• Thought the Kansas coal battle was over?

  Think again. Yes, Governor Mark Parkinson signed a backroom agreement with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation to build a gigantic new coal-fired power plant in western Kansas, but environmentalists aren't giving up yet. Last week, the Kansas Sierra Club and EarthJustice sent a strongly worded letter to Rod Bremby, Kansas' Secretary of Health and Environment. Bremby is the one who has to sign off on Sunflower's air permit and the Sierra Club doesn't want him to simply rubbe

  June 30, 2009

• Parkinson's double emerges in old yearbook

  Mark Parkinson became the 45th governor of Kansas when Kathleen Sebelius joined the Obama administration. Up until then I hadn't seen much of him. So Parkinson's new prominence became, for me, a curiosity. He reminded me of someone. Was it an actor? A sports figure? A captain of industry?Then, finally, it came to me. He looks like a guy with whom I went to high school.ParkinsonHigh-school guy

  July 23, 2009

• Kansas is totally not psyched to house Guantanamo Bay detainees

  ​State and local officials are pissing themselves at the thought of Fort Leavenworth making the short list of new homes for detainees. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins fist-bump-activated their Wonder Twin powers at a news conference earlier today. Jenkins transformed into an eagle and Brownback took the shape of water to douse the idea of moving detainees to Kansas. Then Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson said, "Bring 'em on, bitches," while touting Fort Leavenworth as the most impe

  August 3, 2009

• Environmentalists unearth massive financial problems at Sunflower Electric

  In the marathon controversy over the expansion of the coal-fired power complex in Western Kansas, environmentalists have argued the new facility would be a giant, climate-change-accelerator, coughing up ungodly amounts of the carbon dioxide gas that leads to global warming. Holcomb 1 power plant​But the latest legal filing from Earthjustice and the Sierra Club lays out another reason the monster power plant in Holcomb could be a disaster. Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, the company th

  August 7, 2009

• Locals react to the death of Ted Kennedy

  Ted Kennedy​Here's what Kansas and Missouri senators are saying about the death of Ted Kennedy (we'll keep adding them as they come in). Pat Roberts​Kansas U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts: "The Senate has lost the lion's roar of the left," Roberts said. "His wife Victoria, his family, friends and staff are in our thoughts and prayers." "When I came to the Senate, Senator Kennedy was one of the first to welcome me and invite me to his office to discuss legislation where we might work together and mov

  August 26, 2009

• Breaking! Kansans celebrate evolution!

  Josh Rosenau​We're getting reports of planned alcohol and snack consumption this weekend in honor of two anniversaries: the 150th of  Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species and the 10th for Kansas Citizens for Science. Among the celebrities expected to show up: Josh Rosenau, the science blogger who distinguished himself as one of the nation's best (even more impressive: He was our  Best Blogger) while writing Thoughts from Kansas during the 2005 "debate" about evolution. He's

  November 6, 2009

• Dennis Moore not running for re-election

  Dennis Moore​Six-time Kansas Congressman Dennis Moore isn't running for re-election. The Kansas City Star says Moore is expected to issue a statement later today.Your guess is as good as mine on who Kansas Dems find to run for the seat, although Forward Kansas is already floating a few. For their sake, it better go smoother than finding a successor to Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson. There's a word for Kansas Democrats in 2010: Fucked.

  November 23, 2009