Opinion
Lawrence Journal-World l LJWorld.com l Friday, October 9, 2015
EDITORIALS
Economic impact Even if Kansas can figure out a way to meet its financial obligations this year, the state’s uncertain economic picture is impacting Kansans in many ways.
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ontinuing Kansas revenue shortfalls may have a direct impact on the state’s ability to meet its obligations before the end of the fiscal year, but the uncertainty that state tax policy is creating for the Kansas economy already is affecting the state in a variety of ways. Recent news stories provide a couple of examples. Last week, Moody’s Investors Service, a national credit rating firm, issued a “credit negative” warning for Kansas school districts. The warning was based on concern for the financial stress the state’s block-grant funding system is placing on districts, especially those that are seeing enrollment increases. The flexibility that districts gained through the new funding system may not be sufficient to “offset much of the financial impact to a growing district.” Moody’s warning also raised concerns over limits on districts’ ability to levy local property taxes and a reduction in state aid to help districts service debt for capital projects. Although the Moody’s spokesman said the warning wouldn’t necessarily result in a credit rating downgrade for Kansas school districts, it nonetheless is a financial red flag. Higher education also is feeling the pinch. Kansas University is tentatively planning to provide some salary increases for its faculty and staff but is delaying those raises because of the state’s uncertain financial situation. KU officials are worried about instituting those raises now and then finding themselves in a bind if the state decides to make midyear budget cuts because of revenue shortfalls. Gov. Sam Brownback said this week that he wasn’t considering any cuts, but with the state tax revenues already $67 million behind estimates for the current fiscal year, it’s understandable that KU officials are hesitant to commit to the additional spending. How does uncertainty affect the ability of KU and other state universities to retain key faculty and staff, let alone attract top candidates for open positions on their campuses? Brownback also ruled out any tax increases to shore up the state budget, and contended “We’ll try to figure a way through it another way.” That comment caused Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley for respond, “I just don’t think he’s in touch with reality.” The reality of the state’s financial situation already is being felt by public schools, state universities and other state entities. If state revenues continue to decline, it’s a little scary to consider what other ways the state may “try to figure” to meet its financial obligations.
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Sectarian rift deepens in Iraq, Syria Washington — A favorite Arab proverb goes something like this: A shepherd asks the Prophet: Should I let my camels loose and trust in God? No, answers the Prophet. Tie down your camels and trust in God. The Obama administration has been operating with a loose strategy in Syria and Iraq. Washington said that Syrian President Bashar alAssad must go, but missed its opportunity to make him leave. The U.S. bet on the ability of a mainly Shiite security force in Iraq to regain territory from the Is-
David Ignatius
davidignatius@washpost.com
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The U.S. must first gather better intelligence about this battle space. We have been surprised too many times.” lamic State, even when Sunnis there told Washington it wouldn’t work. The loose camels have now wandered off. Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the strategic disarray — the contradictions and unrealistic expectations in U.S. policy — when he intervened militarily in Syria last month. The question now is how the administration can tie down its policy to a more realistic set of objectives going forward. Let’s make several starting assumptions: First, Putin, Assad and their friends in Iran cannot impose a military solution in Syria. Their alliance will deepen the Sunni world’s jihad against them, and will probably increase the terrorist and refugee threat to Europe. They can’t “win.” Second, everyone wants to contain (and
eventually, crush) the Islamic State. It’s the one goal that unites Russia, America, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Even Turkey and Qatar, which played footsie too long with the jihadists, realize the extremist group must be defeated. What should the Obama administration do, in its remaining 16 months, to frame a strategy that could continue into the next administration and perhaps beyond? The U.S. must first gather better intelligence about this battle space. We have been surprised too many times. We “underestimated” the Islamic State before it seized Mosul in June 2014, according to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. A year later, we underestimated the jihadists again before they captured Ramadi. We didn’t see the fatal weakness of the Pentagon’s “train and equip” force of Syrian rebels; they walked into an ambush in July partly because of bad intelligence. And we didn’t see the Russian military intervention coming. U.S. commanders too often find themselves living the Indian parable about the blind man who tries to figure out what an elephant looks like by touching different parts. Our military needs the kind of “ground truth” in Syria and Iraq that can only come from reliable, long-
term intelligence sources. America’s too-quick exit from Iraq in 2011 and our feckless policy toward Syria have inhibited the development of such assets. But it’s never too late to do the right thing. A prime example of the intelligence shortfall is the train-and-equip program that was derailed so quickly this summer by Jabhat alNusra, the al-Qaida affiliate, in northern Syria. The Pentagon needs to assess immediately why this overt, U.S.-backed program failed so badly, and whether it can be rebuilt. A better bet may be the CIA’s covert training program, whose fighters can make tactical battlefield deals with Jabhat al-Nusra without publicly allying with it. What about safe zones in northern and southern Syria? That still seems like a good idea, so long as they’re established as corridors for humanitarian assistance and revived public services, rather than an armed U.S. or Turkish military intervention to help the rebels. Here, again, the U.S. needs better information. Scores of Syrians travel across the border from Turkey and Jordan every day to deliver basic supplies and keep water and other essential services operating. Talk to them!
PUBLIC FORUM
Math problem
to whomever is next in line as if it’s their turn. It would seem this practice has been ongoing for many years if not decades. I have nothing against any current city government incumbent but do believe a change of habit is necessary. It is way past due for some new and fresh thinking in city management. I support very much a hire from outside for the new city manager. A different look and attitude would be, I believe, very good for Lawrence. As for Kasold, it appears that city staff has already made their mind up despite widespread feelings to the contrary by many residents. It appears very silly to have rebuilt Kasold entirely from 31st Street to Bob Billings Parkway and now reduce lanes to one each way until nearly Sixth. I think the staff is too caught up in buzzword type actions and possibly fads. To complete the project as advertised is likely to be a serious mistake. Dennis Novacek, Lawrence
To the editor: The Oct. 12 column “Technology not transforming education” by Gene Budig and Alan Heaps stated, “…the United States ranked 13th on ‘how well students are able to read, navigate and understand online texts’ despite having a higher student-to-computer ratio than almost all of the countries surveyed…” I think they got it backwards. A high student-tocomputer ratio would mean many students trying to use the same computer. A few seconds’ online research confirmed that we have a high computer-to-student ratio. No doubt that’s what they meant. So if they are looking for an effective explanation of what is causing U.S. student’s problems, effective math illiteracy on the part of a former university administrator and College Board vice president, and the journalists who edited their contribution might go a long way toward providing an example. No doubt similar examples exist in other areas of study. Adrian Melott, To the editor: Lawrence I agree with part of the conclusions by Gene Budig and Alan Heaps (JournalWorld, Oct. 5) — the part To the editor: that says that technology In my many varied resi- is not the key ingredient in dences around the country, education. I have worked city managers are sort of in technology for over 60 like preachers: They do the years and have seen and exjob for five or so years and perienced the costs and benthen move on to somewhere efits of scientific truth, but else. That does not seem to it is a minor part of the total be the case in Lawrence. In- truth which is found only in stead, the baton is passed off Jesus Christ.
Total truth
Fresh thinking
Maybe these zones could be the start of a managed transition to a post-Assad government. The U.S. has lost its chance to make Assad’s departure a precondition for negotiations. But Washington should continue to insist that he must go eventually. Otherwise, no political deal can work. President Obama should be urging Putin right now to resume the Geneva negotiating process. Ground truth in Iraq is that Sunnis bitterly mistrust the Shiite government, and vice versa. Sadly, this won’t change for a generation. Now is the time for America to insist on a federal Iraq, and to arm Sunnis and Kurds unilaterally if Baghdad (pressed by Iran) continues to resist. What Putin has done, perhaps without realizing it, is to deepen the sectarian character of the war raging across Syria and Iraq. It’s the Shiite team (Russia, Iran, Alawites in Syria, Shiites in Iraq) versus the Sunni team (America, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Sunni rebels). Such a war is a disastrous mistake for everyone. The U.S. needs a strategy that begins to contain the sectarian violence, rather than adding more fuel. — David Ignatius is a columnist for Washington Post Writers Group.
OLD HOME TOWN The Bible says in Ephesians 6:4 that fathers are not to provoke their children to anger but to raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. This latter spiritual dimension is lacking in universal education. Malachi 4:5-6 warns that the Lord will strike the land with a curse (Are we not seeing this in America and other nations?) if the hearts of the fathers and the children are not restored. Luke 1:15-17 speaks of John the Baptist, who was used by God as a forerunner to Jesus, to restore the fathers’ hearts to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people for the Lord. A family whose instruction is based on the word of God will provide a curse-less future for any nation. The foundation of education is given in Psalm. 111:2: “The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.” All of creation are His works and there is more than enough truth in them to keep us all busy studying them and glorifying God who is the Creator of all. Carl Burkhead, Lawrence
Letters Policy
The Journal-World welcomes letters to the Public Forum. Letters should be 250 words or less, be of public interest and avoid namecalling and libelous language. The JournalWorld reserves the right to edit letters, as long as viewpoints are not altered. By submitting letters, you grant the Journal-World a nonexclusive license to publish, copy and distribute your work, while acknowledging that you are the author of the work. Letters must bear the name, address and telephone number of the writer. Letters may be submitted by mail to Box 888, Lawrence, KS, 66044 or by email to: letters@ljworld.com.
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From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Oct. 9, 1915: years “The first authenago tic accounts of IN 1915 natural ice in this city for this fall are told today. In many places there were splinters and films of ice, but probably the thickest formed at the home of George D. McCleery, 2106 Massachusetts, and in that vicinity. In exposed places ice froze in open pans out of doors to a thickness of a quarter of an inch. At Bob Dunn’s home in the southeastern part of town, there was a film of ice everywhere water was exposed to the open sky. The temperature in different parts of town early this morning ran all the way from 34 degrees Fahrenheit to 31 degrees. Practically every growing thing exposed to the frost last night was nipped, except in the higher altitudes about town.” “The sudden shrinking of the gas supply in Lawrence today, the coldest of the fall thus far, was productive of many speculations in town as to whether weather conditions or the desire of the Kansas Natural Gas company for a higher rate was responsible. The pressure was low all over town all forenoon, and many households were put to great inconvenience. The Saturday baking and cooking for Sunday was carried on under difficulties and with great uncertainty as to the result. Every housewife who failed to get her oven heated to the proper temperature will be, it is safe to say, ‘dead agin’ allowing the Kansas Natural a higher rate for the gas which it sometimes pipes to Lawrence.” — Compiled by Sarah St. John
Read more Old Home Town at LJWorld.com/news/lawrence/ history/old_home_town.