Random Thoughts

Statement

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Governor Mark Parkinson's Capitol Blog

There's been a lot going on lately, so I want to share a few of my thoughts on things we're dealing with in the Governor's Office.

GUANTANOMO BAY DETAINEES

It's time to take a deep breath. The overwhelming probability is that the GITMO detainees are not coming to Kansas. Let me explain why they shouldn't and then why I'm confident they won't.

Leavenworth has multiple prisons. The one discussed for the GITMO detainees is a maximum security military prison. This is the prison where our soldiers, who commit serious crimes when they are on duty, end up. The Leavenworth military prison currently holds nearly 440 prisoners.

To use the Leavenworth military prison for the GITMO detainees would make no sense. First, by law we can't co-mingle military prisoners and detainees. So, we would have to send the 440 Leavenworth prisoners somewhere else in the country. At this point, there isn't anywhere to send them, so we would have to build a new military prison just for the 440 Leavenworth prisoners somewhere else. This would not be smart. The current military prison is working and it would be foolish to change an operation that is working so well.

The second reason is that the Leavenworth military prison is not equipped to handle the GITMO detainees. I've toured it and there are a limited number of maximum security cells. Most of the prison is in an open campus setup where the detainees would not be isolated from each other.

Neither of these reasons are a matter of "not in my backyard." This is a matter of being smart. You don't close one well operating prison and then fill it with prisoners who are not suited for it.

And that gets me back to my original point. It's time to take a deep breath. The Administration is going to make its decision based on reason and logic and not based on NIMBY arguments or hysteria. As a result, you won't see me leading a chorus of protestors against moving GITMO detainees to Kansas. Instead, I will be quietly working with the White House, the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Attorney General's office. And in the end, reason will prevail. The GITMO detainees will not come to Kansas on my watch. Write it down.

ECONOMY SHOWS SIGNS OF GROWTH

The July revenue numbers for Kansas were great. We were only $5 million under the consensus revenue estimate for July revenues. I know that $5 million is real money, but remember that we were $100 million short in May. We can manage $5 million.

The feds just released the July unemployment report and the rate of job loss is slowing. There are lots of other indications that the economy is turning around. It's too early to declare the recession over, but the July number made many things much easier.

WHEN IS A RECESSION OVER?

The economists have a technical definition of a recession that means nothing to real people. For most economists, a recession is defined as two quarters of declining gross domestic product (GDP). We've now had four quarters of declining GDP. But all the economists are projecting that this quarter, from July 1 until the end of September, will have positive growth. Technically, that means the recession is over.

Of course it's not over for most families. Unemployment lags behind economic growth. In other words, we may have positive economic growth and still be losing jobs. This is particularly true in Kansas where we need several quarters of recovery before business starts feeling confident enough to order aircraft. So, I suspect, we'll have positive economic growth from July on, but we won't have job creation until early 2010.

I define the end of a recession as the point in time when the economy is actually creating jobs. So, we've got a ways to go.

On the positive side, history indicates that when we come out of a deep recession, the recovery is huge. I know that most economists are predicting a slow recovery this time. They are probably wrong. History indicates significant growth and history is usually right. Economists are usually wrong!

MORE RANDOMNESS

Is it just me or are the comedians not as funny as they were when Bush was President? Letterman just isn't the same without "Great Moments in Presidential History." And Jon Stewart seems really lost. I think some of these comedians are afraid to make fun of President Obama and Democrats. Or, they haven't figured out yet how to make fun of us. Come on, make fun of us! We can handle it. We're in a recession and we need a laugh here and there.

I've been Governor for four months and still no one knows who I am. Well, that's sort of true. In Topeka, people are starting to figure it out. I ordered Stacy's birthday cake from Baskin Robbins and the owner asked me if I was related to the Governor. That made me feel good. At the Snip and Clip on Wanamaker, one of the stylists said she knew me somehow. And my highlight…drum roll please…..buying cheetos at the Topeka Turnpike stop, the cashier asked if I was the Governor. Paparazzi can't be far behind!

Speaking of Baskin Robbins, is there a better ice cream in the world than Chocolate Mousse Royale? Let me amend that. Is there a food on the planet better than BR Chocolate Mousse Royale? If it weren't for the whole blood pressure/cholesterol thing, I would eat astonishing amounts of it.

Finally, I've been saying for a year that, despite these horrible financial times, we will come out of this better and stronger than before. We will. Some people are starting to believe that. History is on our side. Betting against the United States has been a losing bet for almost 250 years and it will continue to be. We're coming out of this. Count on it. Stay cool and hang in there.

Mark

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