Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN COHEN: SEBELIUS IN CABINET WOULD HURT STATE DEMOCRATS TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 17,2009 United States First Amendment COMING WEDNESDAY Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,or of the press;or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. WWW.KANSAN.COM FREE FOR ALL To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. I'm going to get a tube of super glue and super glue my co-worker's ass to her chair so she gets something done. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Golden Grahams make sociology soooo much better. People like you make me hate being a girl. You give us a bad a name and look helpless and pathetic. You can stand up and walk on your own! --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. I got my picture taken with one of the Morris twins at Wal-Mart, and now I can't tell which one it is. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Dear Free for All: My Valentine's Day gift was finding out that my boyfriend has been dating another girl for the entire length of our relationship. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. If I were gay, I'd like Fiji. So, about that condom ad in The Kansan: if they make them any thinner are they just gonna shred to bits? Has anyone heard of "little ruff ruff"? What about "little bark I super glued my fingers together. I'm excited for baseball season!!! And baseball pants!! --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. As a single gal, I'd have to say that crying over a gay guy made this Valentine's Day my most pathetic. I hate how the newspaper makes up for its inability to fold by its ability to make me look foolish trying to fold it! Until last week, I had the biggest crush ever on my TA! Come to find out, he's married. Are any of the gay guys on campus not trashy drunken whores? Seriously! COFFEE PAGE 5A --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Someone had to say it. I want to stay home all day and listen to music. --in the way of Kansas' adopting the regulations. Passing the regulations, he said, would require a new statute from the Legislature or, more likely, new administrative regulations by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Some days it just doesn't feel right to be wearing pants. Governor needs to raise auto emissions standards EDITORIAL BOARD Last year, Kansas and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius took a bold step forward in climate change management by regulating $ \mathrm{C O_{2}} $ emissions. Remarkably, no state or government in the entire country had yet taken an effective stance on $ \mathrm{C O_{2}} $ regulation, leaving Kansas at the forefront of the issue. A year later, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Roderick Brennby's decision against allowing coal plants still stands, but new opportunities for action have arisen. The Obama administration has ordered the EPA to review a decision it made during the Bush years, which declined a waiver to California to enforce stricter CO limits. Under the Clean Air Act, California has the unique ability among states to request a waiver from the EPA to adopt stricter air emissions requirements. The quick order of review signals a likely overturning of the Bush decision and a new era of carbon administration. The governor should move quickly to keep Kansas at the forefront of environmental regulation, along with the many other states that have adopted or will adopt the California standards. Robert Glicksman, Wagstaff Distinguished Professor of Law, thinks no great legal roadblock lies If KDHE adopts these regulations, Bremby would have to believe that C02, presented, "a substantial endangerment to the health of persons or to the environment." That language comes specifically from Kansas statute 65-3012, which grants the secretary of KDHE broad power to regulate substances that could endanger people or the environment. This is the same statute that Bremby cited in his HoLcomb power plant decision last year, and according to Glicksman, it has formed the basis of much of KDHE's power to regulate air emissions. The governor's support is the keystone that will hold together a progressive environmental future, without which previous progress will crumble. Veto power gives her the legislative ability to accomplish these goals, but it is unknown whether she is willing to again push forward a policy of environmental protection. In response to questions concerning the new standards, the governor's Spokeswoman, Beth Martino, said, "The governor is hopeful the Legislature will work TO PETITION FOR CLEANER ENERGY IN KANSAS, VISIT www.gpace.org/?b=209 together with her to create a bi-partisan comprehensive energy policy" and "it is premature to comment on any specific proposal ..." The governor held a far tougher line in supporting Bremby's denial of the Holcomb plants. The decision split the state down its traditional geographic division, east versus west, over issues that are always critical in Western Kansas: growth, jobs and capital. If the governor believes strongly enough in carbon regulation to sacrifice near-term growth for longer term, smarter growth in her own state's economy, then new auto regulations are an almost free next step. No jobs would theoretically be delayed in Kansas, but Kansas would be able to continue its leadership, along with 13 other states that have already adopted or will adopt California's standards. Looking back would cost much more than another difficult step forward. Alex Doherty for The Kansan Editorial Board EDITORIAL CARTOON VICHOLAS SAMBALUK ECONOMY Consumers 'vote' when dropping their dollars at Wal-Mart's door The other day, as I was driving down Sixth Street, I noticed a new building sitting just off the corner of Sixth and Wakarusa streets. The building looked rather familiar and after a little research I found that, as I had suspected, another Wal-Mart was going in on the northwest corner of that intersection. It really is quite simple, as simple as supply and demand. If there were no demand for the goods and services provided by Wal-Mart, it would not, and could not exist. This demand is provided by all those who shop there. It makes little sense to deride Wal-Mart for providing what consumers want. Wal-Mart has become one of the most recognizable symbols of big business. Because of this, it has drawn the fire of courthouse people who want to see it destroyed. Undoubtedly, nearly everyone has heard the arguments against Wal-Mart. "It destroys all the mom and pop shops," says one. "They practice predatory pricing" claims another. These arguments go on and on. If it didn't border on obsession, it might actually be funny. Unfortunately, all those who attack Wal-Mart don't seem to understand that Wal-Mart exists because the majority of people want it to. THE CONSERVATIVE CONSCIENCE Look at Lawrence, for example. On the demand side, the population of Lawrence, particularly the large student segment, demands many basic necessities at a cheap price. On the supply side, this is precisely what Wal-Mart provides. By providing this, Wal-Mart capitalizes on the surplus of consumers. MATTHEW O'NEILL Now, I'm sure many are still unconvinced and believe we would all be better off without Wal-Mart. I argue that few people actually agree with this. I'll use an analogy that we should all be familiar with, given that we just had an election this past November; voting. Under American capitalism, every dollar spent is equivalent to casting a vote. Thus, every dollar spent at a Wal-Mart is a vote for its continuance, expansion and success. If no one shipped there it would quickly go out of business. Given that Wal-Mart continues to open new stores, it seems quite obvious that people are indeed shopping there, thus voting for its continuance. No one would argue that the winner of an election should be the loser. That makes no sense. Similarly, as people continue to "vote" for Wal-Mart, it makes no sense to argue that it should not exist. If, however, one remains unconvinced that Wal-Mart is positive for consumers, there is something that can be done about it: Don't shop there. It really is that easy. The only way to fix the perceived problems created by Wal-Mart is to cease shopping there and force it out of business. Many will say that there is no way that only one consumer can make that kind of difference, and they are right. Individual consumers can, however, organize large portions of their communities to direct their purchasing power to Wal-Mart's competitors. This is the only opportunity for those who so avidly oppose Wal-Mart to drive it out of business. On the other hand, Wal-Mart's detractors may find while trying to organize people in opposition that the vast majority of people support Wal-Mart, because it supplies what they demand, at prices they can afford. O'Neill is a Topeka junior in economics and history. ENVIRONMENT Campus green initiatives forget about Lawrence Editor's note: The columist is a member of the Students for Bars Awareness group. If you exit campus and enter Lawrence proper on a winter evening, the glare of the streetlights overhead changes. The University has used an environmentally friendly and energy efficient exterior lighting system since a deal with Chevron Energy Solutions in November 2005. The city of Lawrence, on the other hand, adheres to standards set by Westar, Inc. — the company that installs and maintains Lawrence public lights. The less efficient make and bulb of these lights causes light pollution. Here we see the division between campus and community. While many students trumpet green initiatives, they seem to be concerned only with making these changes within the very small radius of the KU campus. Unfortunately, down the hill, Lawrence seems to be having trouble going green of late. And it isn't just the lights. Last week, the newly created Mayor's Task Force on Climate Protection named the creation of a Director of Sustainability position as its No.1 priority. The director would ensure the efficient and environmentally friendly use of resources by the city. However, it seems that Lawrencians are not in favor of this position. In a Lawrence Journal-World poll of 761 readers, 73 percent said no to the creation of this post. The naysayers said the directorship would be a waste of money without realizing that part of the director's job would be to cut energy costs — which would surely cover his or her salary ultimately. In Fall 2006, the provost created a similar task force on the KU campus. Unlike the Lawrence task force, this one was successful. On Jan. 29, 2007, the KU Center for Sustainability opened its doors. Jeff Severin is the current director. The first objective listed on the KU Center's Web site is that it will "serve as an avenue for students and student organizations to collaborate on sustainable initiatives and provide input to processes that promote sustainability on campus." It is not until the fourth objective that a passing nod is given to community outreach. But we have been lighting the way, literally and figuratively, for years and have not made a significant effort to promote change in the community so intrinsically tied to ours. Some groups, such as Students for Bars Awareness, are reaching into the community with green ideals in mind. Recognizing that Lawrence bars depend on students for revenue, student members of the club are prompting local bars to recycle Those students are trying to use the relationship between the student body and the community to make positive change. More of us should, do that, especially in light of the negative responses to the task force's recommendations. The issues being discussed by the Lawrence task force affect the lives of KU students. When the proposal is presented to the city government in March, we have a responsibility to ensure that these environmental initiatives are enacted, especially if we want to live in a place where more than just the top of the hill is green. Daldorph is a Lawrence junior in journalism and French. In defense of capitalism private property LETTER TO THE EDITOR species. In his January column "New wave of changes still not radical enough", John Kenny wrote against private property and the economic system that it is based on. Attributed to capitalism was the exploitation of the masses, the magnification of inequality, and the widening of the "wealth gap." It is implied that President Obama's proposed wealth redistribution schemes are not grand enough and that all the resources of our country should be collectivized under government control. Such statements should not stand without response: they are socialism. Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and the role of government is merely to protect the peace so that trade may occur. Obviously, pure capitalism has never been established. But the extent to which private property has been protected and governments have been limited in their power is the degree to which we have prospered and progressed as a We are all innately unequal in ways that are largely unknowable to those around us. Property does not magnify these differences; property rewards our use of these differences in our attempt to individually prosper. As we individually prosper and trade the products of our effort, we all benefit. Look at history for examples of what lowly statuses man has endured under systems without the protection of property rights, or when most property was seized regularly by the state. The so-called wealth gap exists only because the protection of private property has allowed vast amounts of wealth to be created. We are all growing wealthier in spite of the government-created business cycle, trillions of dollars of inherently wasteful government spending, and hundreds of billions in regulation that all result in "externalities" far worse than those created by economic freedom. Joshua Condon is a sophomore from Mulvane HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES Send letters to opinion@kansan.com Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line. Length: 300 words The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters. CONTACT US Brenna Hawley, editor 864-4810 or bhawley@kansan.com Tara Smith, managing editor 8644810 or tmthikkanan.com Mary Sorrick, managing editor 864-4810 or msorick@kansan.com Kelsey Hayes, kansan.com managing editor Katie Blankenau, opinion editor 864-4924 or kblankenau@kansan.com Ross Stewart, editorial editor 864-4924 or rstewart@kansan.com Laura Vest, business manager 864-4358 or lvest@kansan.com Dani Erker, sales manager 864-4477 or derek@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser adviser 864-7667 or mgibson@kansan.com Jon Schitt, sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or ischitt@kansan.com THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Brenna Hawley, Tara Smith, Mary Sonik, Kelsey Hayes and Ross Stewart.