Lawrence Journal-World 01-30-11

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SUNDAY • JANUARY 30 • 2011

Civil rights group criticizes Kobach

City utility fee draws ire

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Secretary of state calls center ‘left-wing smear organization’ Editors note: Hearings on House Bill 2067, which will require photo ID to vote, will be held at 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday before the House Elections Committee. By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com

TOPEKA — As Secretary of State Kris Kobach tries to put in place more rules before a Kansan can vote, his associations are being highlighted by critics of his effort. The Southern Poverty Law Center earlier this month released a report focusing on Kobach’s legal and advocacy work to pass measures in cities and states that Kobach says are designed to combat illegal immigration. But the law center, a nonprofit civil rights group based in Birmingham, Ala., says his proposals are misguided, have led to expensive legal challenges and have stirred up racial tensions. “Behind all of this stands one man: Kris Kobach, a forKobach mer Kansas City law professor who was just elected Kansas secretary of state,” the report says. Kobach has been legal counsel to the Immigration Reform Law Institute, which is the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The Southern Poverty Law Center says FAIR is a racist organization. The center’s report on Kobach describes the Republican as a political opportunist, comparing him to the character of Please see KOBACH, page 2A

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo

KELLY ELSTEN HAS BEEN ARGUING WITH THE CITY over late fees on her utility bill. She was charged more than $40 in late fees over the last three years without realizing it. The city’s utility bills don’t have a charge that says late fee; instead, it is called an “adjustment.” Plus, she says her payments haven’t been late. Elsten is pictured in her home with her son Jack, 6.

Resident ‘livid’ over ‘adjustment’ charge By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com

Kelly Elsten thinks there’s something odd with the city utility bills she and other Lawrence residents pay. And she thinks she’s found out about it the hard way. By at least one measurement, she’s correct. After asked by the

Journal-World, the city’s utility billing division determined that about 30 percent of all Lawrence utility bills have a late fee attached to them. That is more than two to three times higher than several other utilities. Ed Mullins, who oversees the utility billing operations as the city’s director of finance, said

Structure moving a specialized trade By Sara Shepherd sshepherd@theworldco.info

The rickety barn, faded red and splintered with age, survived the hours-long process of being lifted from its foundation and plopped atop a flatbed tractor trailer. Now, the truck’s engine grumbles as it creeps across the lot, barn in tow. John Earnshaw walks backward in front of the truck like an airport worker taxiing a plane. Suddenly, the barn tips sharply to the right. Then left. Then farther to the right. Earnshaw’s arms fly up, both fists clenched — HOH! The business of house moving takes patience, precision and practice. The fundamental process may be thousands of years old, but picking up and moving entire, multiton structures remains a feat tackled only by a small number of specialized professionals. Earnshaw, who owns Lenexabased HouseLifter.net, is no stranger to carting unwieldy cargo through precarious situations around Lawrence and the surrounding area. While he does take the oscillating barn seriously, Earnshaw can’t help but chuckle a little at onlookers’ gasps. In more than three decades of moving houses, he’s seen it before. “It was rocking like a rocking chair, wasn’t it?” he said, smiling once the

Please see 'ADJUSTMENT', page 2A

Hundreds turn out for energy-saving kick-off party “

The way we win is more than just changing out a Almost 500 people came out light bulb.” bhawley@ljworld.com

Sara Shepherd/Journal-World Photo

JOHN EARNSHAW GUIDES A TRUCK while moving the Shawnee Town barn in December. The barn is a fraction of the size of many structures he’s moved over the years. barn was safely in place over its new foundation. “Nice and soft.” ●●●

Earnshaw considers himself, like his forefathers who helped establish Shawnee, an entrepreneur and a capitalist. Shawnee Town’s 1929 Truck Farm

project — for which Earnshaw recently moved the barn, a 100-plus-year-old farmhouse and a smokehouse across the museum property — is special to him because his ancestors have walked the surrounding grounds since 1878. Please see MOVING, page 8A

to support the Jayhawks and energy eff iciency Saturday evening for the Take Charge Challenge kick-off party at Liberty Hall. Pizza, face painting and balloon hats abounded during the kick-off, which also served as a watch party for the Kansas University-Kansas State basketball game. Jeff Risley, executive director of the Climate and Energy Project and an organizer of the event, said Lawrence wasn’t involved in the challenge last year, but this year Lawrence has a familiar opponent. “The idea was to make sure we compete against Manhattan,” he said. “The way we win is more than

INSIDE Arts & Entertainment 1C-6C Books 3C Classified 7B-12B Deaths 2A

Events listings Horoscope Movies Opinion

12A, 2B 11B 5A 11A

Puzzles Sports Television

Low: 20

Today’s forecast, page 12A

Utilities, which provides electric and water service to parts of Kansas City, Kan., averages 17 percent. Douglas County-based Rural Water District No. 4 has an average of 7 percent. Elsten has a theory about Lawrence’s high numbers: Many Lawrence residents don’t

TAKE CHARGE CHALLENGE

By Brenna Hawley

Cold again

High: 32

the Lawrence numbers were eye-opening. “It did seem high to me,” Mullins said. “I was surprised by that.” Finding an industrywide average has been difficult, but the Journal-World confirmed the city of Manhattan has late fees on only about 10 percent of its bills. The Board of Public

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11B, 4C 1B-6B 5A, 2B, 11B

— Jeff Risley, executive director of the Climate and Energy Project just changing out a light bulb.” Manhattan is currently winning the challenge, which runs through September. But many Lawrence residents showed their support and contributed to their city’s challenge by attending. Loretta Severin, who attended the event with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, said she grew up in a family that recycled. “I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” she said. Please see HUNDREDS, page 8A

COMING MONDAY Richard Norton Smith is at the Dole Institute, talking about Ronald Reagan in the first of a series of four lectures.

Vol.153/No.31 52 pages

Energy smart: The Journal-World makes the most of renewable resources. www.b-e-f.org

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