Voice For Liberty

Tag: Elections

  • Kansas Insurance Commissioner to address Pachyderms

    This Friday (June 25) candidate for the Republican party nomination for Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger will address members and guests of the Wichita Pachyderm Club. Her opponent for this nomination is David Powell. As no Democrat has filed for this position, the primary election is almost certain to determine who will be the next insurance commissioner.

    All are welcome to attend Wichita Pachyderm Club meetings. The program costs $10, which includes a delicious buffet lunch including salad, soup, two main dishes, and ice tea and coffee. The meeting starts at noon, although it’s recommended to arrive fifteen minutes early to get your lunch before the program starts.

    The Wichita Petroleum Club is on the ninth floor of the Bank of America Building at 100 N. Broadway (north side of Douglas between Topeka and Broadway) in Wichita, Kansas (click for a map and directions). You may park in the garage (enter west side of Broadway between Douglas and First Streets) and use the sky walk to enter the Bank of America building. The Petroleum Club will stamp your parking ticket and the fee will be only $1.00. Or, there is usually some metered and free street parking nearby.

  • Kansas fourth district Congressional candidate forum

    Last night the candidates for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas squared off in a ninety-minute forum at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Wichita.

    The candidates for this nomination (and their campaign websites) are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Wink Hartman, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf. Election filing records maintained by the Kansas Secretary of State indicate that Paij Rutschman of Latham has filed for the Republican Party nomination, but little is known about this candidate at this time, and Rutschman did not appear at this event.

    Former television new anchor Anita Cochran was the moderator. The event was broadcast live on radio station KQAM 1410, “The Big Talker.”

    The forum started with opening statements by the candidates.

    Mike Pompeo, June 16, 2010Mike Pompeo

    Pompeo said, as he often does, that “Washington DC has fundamentally lost its way. There are elected officials there no longer connected to Kansas in the way we all know they need to be.” He traced his biography: Growing up in Southern California, attending West Point and serving in the Army, then attending Harvard Law School and working three years as a lawyer. He came to Wichita to start an aerospace company that he said grew to one of the five largest aircraft subcontracting companies. Today he runs Sentry International, a company that services the oilfield industry.

    He told the audience that “the candidates sometimes sound like they’re saying about the same thing. But listen closely — we could not be more different.”

    Wink Hartman, June 16, 2010Wink Hartman

    Hartman that he is the “only Kansan in the race.” He said he was born and raised in Wichita, graduating from Southeast High School and working his way through Wichita State University. He said he had a “multitude of jobs” including painting houses, selling trashcans door-to-door, and repossessing cars.

    Hartman told the audience “I am a businessman. I am not a politician. I’m not trying to build a political resume.” He said he has learned to balance a budget, meet a payroll, and how to work with increasing government regulation and taxes. He said he has created thousands of jobs in this community for over four decades. He promoted his business success as a key qualification.

    Jim Anderson, June 16, 2010Jim Anderson

    In his opening remarks Anderson said “I am an American.” He said he has been an airline pilot for 25 years, bringing both commercial and corporate aviation experience and business management experience to this race. “I am the leader out in front to reform government with a Fair Tax, a balanced budget amendment, term limits — the only one fighting for term limits — and a pledge to this community, to this district, for no earmarks.”

    He told the inaudible that the Constitution begins with “We the people,” not “We the government.” The government has no right to confiscate our money, dictate morals, and decide on health care. He said he is the tea party candidate.

    Jean Schodorf, June 16, 2010Jean Schodorf

    Schodorf told the audience that she and her opponents are all Republicans, working to get the nomination. She held up as sign reading “JOBS!” and said that the fourth district has the highest unemployment rate in the state. People are hurting in both urban and rural districts, she said, and she wants to go to Congress to end the recession. She want to work with state and local government to bring back economic development and recovery.

    She said she is a native of Independence, although she was born on a military base in North Carolina. She said she wants to bring the tanker contract back, and wants to bring back jobs from Mexico. Her experience in the Kansas Senate and background in education will help her “hit the ground running,” she said.

    The first question directed at all candidates had to do with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Has it changed your view on drilling in deep waters in the Gulf? The need for energy independence was stressed by all candidates except Schodorf. She recommended that all oil companies voluntarily stop drilling until safety plans are reviewed and approved.

    The second question asked about policies that should be changed or implemented to increase the creation of private sector jobs.

    Answering first, Hartman said he has experience in this area. He said the current income tax structure limits the ability of business to grow and that the Fair Tax should be discussed. He added that regulation places a burden on business, and that regulation must be reduced.

    Anderson said that the Fair Tax is the “bottom line,” adding that government controls us through the tax code.

    Schodorf said she is the only candidate who has voted on taxes, listing several business tax cuts she had voted for in the Kansas Senate over the years. She supports keeping the Bush tax cuts in place. She said that our representative in Congress and the state need to work together to create incentives for business to locate in Kansas, saying that we will be competing with other states for jobs.

    Pompeo pointed to his manufacturing experience and how government works to discourage jobs. Government bureaucrats, he said, are not interested in seeing that we are competitive. He criticized the statewide sales tax increase in Kansas. He said that the U.S. has the second-highest corporate income tax rate in the world, which discourages job creation.

    Another question: Are there any parts of the recently-passed health care law that you agree with and want to see implemented?

    Answering first, Anderson said we should repeal the law because it is unconstitutional, adding that nowhere does the Constitution give government the right to mandate the purchase of health care. Nothing in the plan benefits citizens, he said, adding that tort reform along with the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines is needed. “Let the free market drive the product, and you’ll get a good product at a low price.”

    Schodorf said that she liked the portion of the law that prohibits companies to refuse insurance to those with per-existing conditions. The ability of people to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26 would keep a pool of healthy people in the insurance pool.

    Pompeo said we don’t know what’s in the bill, and that it was a “travesty” the people voted for the bill without knowing. He said it was “radically undemocratic” and rejected the will of the people. Competition always drives improvement in quality and price, and this factor needs to be introduced into the health insurance marketplace.

    Hartman said the bill will limit access to quality health care, pointing to poor quality health care in Canada. He recommended tort reform and personal ownership of health insurance policies.

    On a foreign policy question relating to the recent incident involving a Turkish ship, candidates agreed that Israel is a friend of America and deserves our support. Pompeo said that Obama’s policies “make our enemies closer” and pushes our friends away, adding that we need to make sure people know America will protect its national security interests. Hartman said Israel is a stabilizing force and has the right, as does America, to defend itself against all enemies. Anderson said the American President should send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated, and that Israel is our friend.

    A question asked about the honesty of politicians.

    Answering first, Pompeo said that not all politicians are dishonest, but that too many go to Washington and become corrupted by the power. He said that voters should realize that politicians will behave in office like they run their campaigns, so we should ask candidates to tell the truth. If candidates say things that do not match the facts, voters should “call them on it at every turn.”

    Hartman said he can’t answer that question, as he’s not a politician. He said that when you elect the same people, you should not expect different results. Politicians drink the Kool-aid when they “go across the river,” saying that they no longer represent you,instead representing personal and special interest groups that have supported them.

    Anderson said we need to look closely at who we are electing, noting that some candidates have accepted money from political action committees and from lobbyists. He echoed Hartman in saying that we shouldn’t send “the same people” back to Washington.

    Schodorf said she has worked for the people of Kansas in her job in the Kansas Senate. She added that voters should look at what candidates believe in, and who they work for.

    During a break for radio commercials, moderator Cochran stood behind each candidate to give their supporters a chance to show their support. Pompeo supporters cheered the loudest.

    After the break, candidates answered a question directed to them individually. These questions will be covered in another story.

    A question asked about whether the recession has changed the candidates’ personal or public spending on credit. Answering first, Anderson said the federal government must balance its budget and that its spending habits must change, starting with an overhaul of the tax system.

    Schodorf said that personally she has been saving money and paying off bills. She said the federal government needs a balanced budget amendment to force it to balance its budget as the state of Kansas must. She supports a bi-partisan commission to find ways to cut spending and cut the deficit.

    Pompeo said the problems we have today have been caused in large part by bad government decision-making, using Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as examples. He said that regulators are telling banks that they want them to make loans, but the regulators behave differently.

    Hartman said we need to do something about our $13 trillion in debt. More spending will not create prosperity and solve problems, he said, citing the failure of the stimulus program and “cash for clunkers.” He added that we need to shrink the size of government and take a look at the Fair Tax. He said that the amount of federal government debt held by China is a problem.

    The candidates each made a closing statement of up to one minute. Going first, Schodorf said she is running for Congress to bring back jobs and economic development. She said she believes in helping senior citizens, the disabled, and our kids. She said the Republican Party needs to be a big tent party, and a party of solutions, not the party of “no.” She said we need to bring sense to government.

    Anderson referred to Ronald Reagan’s contention that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction, and that it must be fought for by each generation. Our country is in trouble, he told the audience, and he said that he is the common sense conservative candidate.

    Hartman said that can show something that no one else can: his record of success in the community in creating good-paying jobs.

    Pompeo said that we live in the greatest nation in history, but we are on the brink of losing that. He said it is immoral and wrong for Washington to spend the money of the next generation. The federal government has just a few tasks, such as keeping us safe and protecting every human life. Then, he said government should get out of the way.

    Notes

    The event was well-attended, with almost 400 tickets collected. Many more may have gained entrance without a ticket. Candidates had tables in the lobby with literature.

    While Cochran did a good job keeping the event on schedule, not all in the audience were pleased with her demeanor. There was one gaffe in particular that was offensive: Schodorf was answering a question and remarked as her time ran out that she forgot something she meant to say. Cochran interjected “Sometimes Alzheimer’s kicks in right at the right time,” adding that she was “not kidding, that Alzheimer’s is horrible.”

    During the intermission for radio commercials moderator Cochran let the crowd indicate its support for each candidate by cheering. Pompeo seemed to be the crowd favorite by a large margin. This was not a scientific poll, but an indication of the sentiment of those in the audience.

    During the forum, Schodorf twice held up a sign reading “JOBS!” saying she’d just been to a rally. That rally was sponsored by union members, and its purpose was protesting the outsourcing of jobs by Wichita manufacturers (See Aviation workers rally to protest outsourcing.) During this forum Schodorf mentioned returning jobs from Mexico.

    The issue of job creation is important to two of the candidates who promote their business experience as qualifications for this position. Two remarks should be noted: First, business and government are two very different fields. The businessman is motivated by profit; indeed, profit is the measure of success. But government has no ability to profit, and thereby no such yardstick.

    Second, to a business, jobs are are a cost that is to be minimized. There are not many businessmen who create jobs just for the sake of creating jobs. Instead, they hire workers because there is work to be done, and if that work is done, profit will be (hopefully) generated. This is not to minimize the accomplishments of Hartman and Pompeo, as both have been successful in business and are to be commended for that. But claims that job creation is the reason for a business’s existence must be questioned.

    While Anderson has not had the same type of business management and entrepreneurial experience as Hartman and Pompeo, the responsibility of being the captain of a jet airliner with several hundred passengers on board is not a trivial experience.

    Additional coverage from State of the State KS is at Anderson, Hartman, Pompeo and Schodorf Answer Tough Questions in Debate at Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre.

  • Tiahrt rally features Rove endorsement

    On Saturday, about 300 supporters of Todd Tiahrt gathered in a steamy hot airport hanger in Wichita to hear the Congressman and his guest, political strategist and commentator Karl Rove. Rove enthusiastically endorsed Tiahrt’s candidacy for the United States Senate from Kansas, one of only two such endorsements he said he is making.

    Tiahrt’s best-known opponent in the August 3rd Republican primary is first district Congressman Jerry Moran of Hays. Tom Little of Mound City and Robert (Bob) Londerholm of Overland Park have also recently filed for this nomination.

    Speaking before Rove, Tiahrt said that the tea party movement has been successful in some elections, and he is proud to be associated and endorsed by Tea Party Express and Kansas groups like the 9.12 group and Icaucus.

    He said that although he’s been campaigning for 18 months, the real campaign is just beginning. He said some of his televisions ads are “a little rough,” because “we need to tell the truth.” Tiahrt told the audience that he’s never voted for a tax increase, while his opponent has, adding that he favors the Fair Tax.

    Tiahrt called for regulatory reform, saying that for manufacturing in America, regulation adds 17 percent to costs. Cutting that in half would make America more competitive.

    He said we need to get health care back “into our hands,” adding that a free market system would lower the costs and give more choices to patients and doctors.

    He told the audience that energy independence is important for putting Americans back to work.

    Finally, he said that litigation reform is important, saying that America has more lawsuits than any other country. Although not opposed to lawyers — noting that his daughter is an attorney — he said there are too many lawyers in Congress. He let the audience know that Moran, his opponent, is a lawyer.

    Rove said that he is endorsing only two candidates in the Republican Senate primary elections — Tiahrt and Marco Rubio of Florida.

    He said that he knows and has worked with both Tiahrt and Moran, and that’s why he’s endorsing Tiahrt. He called Tiahrt a “principled conservative,” saying that although you may disagree with him, you always know he comes to a conclusion because he thinks it’s right.

    Referring to Moran’s statement criticizing Rove as a Washington insider, Rove told the audience that Moran went to Washington five years before he did.

    He told a story about working with Moran on an issue, trying to get his vote. The Kansas City Star’s Steve Kraske reported this based on an interview with Rove earlier in the day:

    In the interview, Rove was particularly harsh on Moran for how the congressman approached a 2001 bill on trade promotion authority that Rove said was aimed at knocking down trade barriers and would have helped Moran’s rural western Kansas district.

    Rove said Moran tried to cut a deal on the bill, offering to back it, but only if the president or Commerce Secretary Don Evans agreed to come to Kansas to help Moran raise campaign money.

    Rove said the idea was ridiculous because Moran already had a big cash-on-hand total and likely wouldn’t face a serious opponent. Moran was from one of the safest Republican districts in the nation.

    It was, ‘What’s in it for me?’” Rove said of Moran. He said Moran told him, “You’ve got to give the president to me in a safe Republican district or the secretary of commerce to me in a safe Republican district to do a fundraiser.”

    The Bush team eventually pressed a North Carolina Republican to vote for the bill, which resulted in its narrow passage.

    Referring to Moran, Rove told the Wichita crowd that it is the Washington insider that says “I’m not doing what’s right for my state or my people, or my district, unless you give me something.”

    The Moran campaign released a statement that read, in part: “Karl doesn’t like Jerry Moran because Jerry stood up to him. Karl’s job was to line up votes to pass the President’s agenda and while Jerry agreed with much of the Bush agenda, he put his foot down against major increases in spending and government bureaucracy, like opposing No Child Left Behind.”

    Rove said that we have important battles to fight, and we need to put forth the best team: “We need people who will go there and do the tough things that are necessary to put our country on the right path again.”

    In questions after the speeches, Tiahrt said he was honored to have someone with the knowledge and stature of Rove endorse him. On why he is the “real conservative” in this race, Tiahrt said conservatism is his core value, and that he is not an election-year conversion, mentioning an Almanac of American Politics description of Moran’s voting record as “moderate.”

    Rove said that in order to win this election, Tiahrt needs to tell Kansans what he would do and believes in, and contrast that with the record of his opponent.

    Rove said that the tea party movement is a grass roots movement driven by concerns about government spending, deficit, and debt. He said that Tiahrt’s record in Congress fits in with the tea party philosophy.

    I asked Rove if he thought it was possible for Republicans to take majorities in the House or Senate this year. Rove said that for the Senate, the Republicans would have to keep every seat that is up for election, and then win many Democrat seats., noting that Republicans have twice as many seats up for election as do Democrats. He said he believes Republicans will gain more seats in both chambers than the historical average since World War II in mid-term elections like this.

    I asked if a conservative strategy was the best strategy in the third congressional district in Kansas (Wyandotte and Johnson counties, and part of Douglas county), noting that the district had elected blue dog Democrat Dennis Moore to several terms and moderate Republicans before that. Tiahrt said that he believes a majority of Johnson County voters are conservative. Rove said that Moore didn’t get out of the race “because he thought conservatism was on the wane in the third district.” He added that Moore had been saying he was a blue dog Democrat, but then voted for liberal policies in Congress.

    When I asked what it means that Moore’s wife Stephene is running for the office, Rove said “It means he’s got better political judgment than she does.”

    I asked if the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is Obama’s issue, or will it impact Congressional races? Rove said that it will impact the midterm races indirectly because it impacts the president’s popularity, adding that in midterms, the president’s job approval and the unemployment rate are two of the biggest drivers in voting. “That’s why Democrats lack enthusiasm and Republicans have intensity, because of what President Obama’s done in office.”

    I mentioned a recent Wall Street Journal editorial by Fred Barnes, which leads with this sentence: “In Washington these days, President Obama is rumored to be hoping Republicans capture the House of Representatives in the midterm election in November.” The idea is that “If Mr. Obama wants to avert a fiscal crisis and win re-election in 2012, he needs House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be removed from her powerful post. A GOP takeover may be the only way.” Would a Republican takeover of the House lead Obama to a Clinton-style presidency, since the GOP took control of Congress in 1994, Clinton’s first midterm election?

    Rove said that Clinton was a centrist to begin with, and therefore was able to work with a Republican Congress. He said we haven’t seen this ability in Obama.

    I asked Tiahrt if he would endorse one of the fourth district Republican Congressional candidates, and he said no, he trusts the voters to decide.

    More coverage from State of the State KS is at Karl Rove Endorses Todd Tiahrt, Takes Shots At Jerry Moran.

  • Hartman, candidate for Congress from Kansas, recently voted in Florida

    Wink Hartman, a Wichita businessman and candidate for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas, has recently voted in Florida, records indicate.

    Last November, acting on a tip, I telephoned the Palm Beach County Florida election office and found that both Hartman and his wife had voted in Florida’s general election and presidential preference primary election in 2008. Also, both voted in Florida’s 2006 general election.

    At the time of my call, both were still listed as active voters in Florida. Sedgwick County voting records show that Mr. and Mrs. Hartman registered to vote in Sedgwick County in July, 2009.

    While a person with houses in two or more cities or states might choose to call any of them his home, he can vote in only one place. That Hartman chose to vote in Florida may give Kansas voters reason to wonder which state — Kansas or Florida — he feels is his “political home.”

    In 2006 and 2008 the Hartmans could have voted in Sedgwick County either in person or through the advance voting process. The election office will send ballots to out-of-state addresses.

    After requests by email and telephone, Hartman and the campaign declined to comment on this matter. (See update following.)

    Other candidates for this nomination and their campaign websites are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf. Election filing records maintained by the Kansas Secretary of State indicate that Paij Rutschman of Latham has filed for the Republican Party nomination, but little is known about this candidate at this time, and no website is available.

    —-
    Update: Late in the afternoon the Hartman campaign issued a press release that accused the Pompeo campaign of engaging in “negative, personal attacks.” Hartman’s statement said “I always have and always will consider Kansas my home” and that Pompeo was “raised in California, educated on the East Coast, spent many of his professional years working at a Washington, D.C. Law-firm.”

    According to Pompeo’s biography, he attended college at West Point and then Harvard Law School after serving in the U.S. Army. He worked at the Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly for three years before moving to Wichita.

  • For Payne, good news means opportunity delayed

    A candidate for the Republican party nomination for the Kansas House of Representatives from the 87th district is withdrawing from the race. But it’s really good news for Eric Payne and his family, as his wife is expecting triplets sometime in the fall.

    With the filing deadline being today, the Republican nomination appears to be uncontested, with realtor Joseph Scapa the apparent nominee.

    The 87th district is in east and southeast Wichita. Democrat Raj Goyle is the incumbent. He is not seeking re-election to this position, running for the Democratic Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas instead. Om Chauhan has filed as a Democrat for the 87th district seat.

    Payne, 31, who works for a family business, appeared to be making a fast start in Kansas politics. On his most recent campaign finance report filed in January, Payne listed over $24,000 in contributions from many donors across Kansas and from out-of-state. He said he is refunding all contributions.

    In two public speaking events, Payne impressed the audience with both his political positions and delivery. My coverage of an appearance by Payne and Scapa is at Eric Payne, Joseph Scapa address county Republicans.

    Reacting to Payne’s withdrawal, Scapa said he wished the Payne family well, and that he’s looking forward to the campaign and winning in November.

  • Holland / Kultala ticket pairs two Kansas Senate liberals

    Today Kansas senator and gubernatorial candidate Tom Holland chose fellow senator Kelly Kultala of Kansas City as his lieutenant governor running mate.

    Earlier today Holland characterized the two candidates as “pragmatic and moderate.” Evidence from the candidate’s voting records is different, however. In the Kansas Economic Freedom Index for this year, Holland earned a score of zero, the only senator to do so. Kultala earned a score of seven percent, earning her a tie for 36th place among the 40 senators. She voted in favor of economic freedom only once.

    In a score card just released by the Kansas Chapter of Americans for Prosperity — an organization that promotes limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels — Holland again earned a score of zero percent. Kultala matched that “perfect” score.

  • Kansas agency websites: campaign flyers?

    Kansas state government agencies are headed by a mix of elected and appointed officials. After looking at the websites for agencies headed by elected officials, Kansans would be justified in asking if some are using their agency websites for campaign purposes.

    Of the four agencies (other than the governor and lieutenant governor) that are headed by officials who must seek statewide election, all use their agency’s website to get their name and photograph exposed to the public. The exception is recently-appointed Secretary of State Chris Biggs, whose photograph does not appear on the front page of his agency’s site.

    While it is important for Kansans to know who is heading state government agencies and how to contact them, there is a distinct difference between the website prominence of agency heads who are elected and those who are appointed. Only about one-third of the websites for agencies with appointed chief executives feature that person on the front page of the website. For agencies with elected chiefs, all — with one partial exception — feature the elected official, often prominently.

    While adding a photograph or even a video to a website doesn’t appreciably increase the cost of providing the service, this type of self-promotion must be considered a form of campaigning.

    Elected offices

    Kansas Secretary of State website, July 1, 2007The Kansas Secretary of State’s website on July 1, 2007, with Secretary Ron Thornburgh’s photograph.

    The page for the Kansas Secretary of State starts off with the message “Welcome … to Secretary of State Chris Biggs’ Web site.” Biggs was appointed to this position earlier this year and is running for re-election. Biggs’ photograph doesn’t appear on the front page. His predecessor, Ron Thornburgh, who ran for Kansas governor for a time in 2009 before bowing out in favor of Sam Brownback, had his photo featured prominently on the page.

    At the website for Kansas Attorney General, visitors are greeted by the headline “Attorney General Steve Six.” The font page holds a video message from Six and a welcome message. The site carries the message “Copyright 2007 – 2009 Attorney General Steve Six,” which might raise questions as to who the website and its content belongs to: Six or the people of Kansas. Six is running for re-election this year.

    The office of the Kansas Insurance Commission features the large headline “Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger” and her photograph. Praeger is running for re-election this year.

    The website for the Kansas State Treasurer features the large headline “Kansas State Treasurer Dennis McKinney” and his photograph. The front page of this website features another large photograph of McKinney. While McKinney has not filed for re-election this year, it is widely believed that he will do so.

    Appointed cabinet posts

    The Kansas Governor’s office identifies 15 cabinet posts. Some of these agencies, like the Department of Revenue and Department of Transportation are quite visible, while some are obscure. With one exception, the heads of these agencies are appointed by the governor. They do not run for re-election.

    Each of the 15 cabinet offices has a website. Of these, six have the agency’s commissioner or secretary featured on its front page. One of these six is the lieutenant governor, which differs from the others in that the lieutenant governor is not the head of an agency, and must run for office on a ticket with the gubernatorial candidate.

    At the Kansas Department of Revenue, there is no mention of Secretary Joan Wagnon on the agency’s front page. To find a page about her, readers must click on “About” and then on “Secretary of Revenue.”

    At the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner, there is no mention of Commissioner Marc Wilson on the agency’s front page except his mention in a list of news stories. Wilson was appointed to this office on May 25, with an effective date of June 7.

    The Kansas Department of Transportation is one of the state’s most visible agencies. Secretary Deb Miller’s name is not on the agency’s front page except for a mention in a list of news headlines. To get her page, readers must click on “About KDOT,” then “KDOT Leaders,” and then on “Deb Miller.”

    At the Kansas Department of Corrections there is a photograph of Secretary Roger Werholtz with a link to his biography page.

    At the Kansas Department of Health and Environment there is a photograph of Secretary Roderick L. Bremby near a welcome message at the top of the main page for the agency.

    The Kansas Department of Labor agency site makes no mention of Secretary Jim Garner except in a news story near the bottom of the page. Readers must click on the “About Us” link to find a link to Garner’s biography page.

    The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) agency website has no mention of Secretary Don Jordan on its front page. Readers muct click on “Agency Information,” the “Find out more,” and then “Executive Staff” to find mention of Jordan. That page contains just his name and telephone number. Using the agency’s search feature found no biography page for Jordan.

    The front page for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks makes no mention of Secretary Mike Hayden. Clicking on “Site map,” then “About KDWP,” and then on “Executive Services” found no mention of Hayden. Using the agency’s search function for “Hayden” found a welcome message from him.

    The Adjutant General’s departmental site has a photograph of Maj Gen Tod M. Bunting along with a welcome message on its front page.

    The Kansas Department of Aging makes no mention of Secretary Martin Kennedy on its from page. Readrs must click on “About KDOA” and then on “Meet the Secretary” before finding Kennedy’s biography.

    At the Kansas Department of Commerce, Secretary Bill Thornton is mentioned on the agency’s front page. Users must click on “About us” before finding a link to Thornton’s biography page.

    The Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority agency website features a large photograph of Commissioner J. Russell “Russ” Jennings along with a link to his biography page.

    The Kansas Highway Patrol has no mention of Superintendent Colonel Terry Maple on its front page. Users must click on “About the KHP” and then on “Colonel’s Welcome” to find Maple’s photograph along with a welcome message, but no biography.

    Lieutenant Governor Troy Findley‘s front page holds his photograph and biography.

    The front page for the Kansas Department of Administration makes no mention of Secretary of Administration Duane Goossen. The “Contact Info” page lists many divisions of the agency with contact information and links. The “A – Z Subject Index” does not mention his name.

  • Kansas Democrats described as ‘imploding’

    Larry J. Sabato, who is director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, is a respected national political analyst who publishes Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an informative look at campaigns and races around the country.

    In the most recent issue Sabato takes a look at 2010 gubernatorial races and concludes that “There’s now no question that the gubernatorial turnover in November will be historic.” He estimates that Republicans will add six or seven states to the count of those states with Republican governors.

    In Kansas, Sabato is pointed in his criticism of Kansas Democrats and Governor Mark Parkinson:

    Kansas: Gov. Mark Parkinson (D), who succeeded Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) when she joined President Obama’s Cabinet as Health and Human Services secretary, has left his party high and dry. He refused to run in 2010, and to add insult to injury, he picked as his new lieutenant governor a Democrat who also pledged not to run. Despite a respectable Democratic candidate in Tom Holland, the election is all but over. Republicans will re-take the governor’s office with current U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback. This is a remarkable example of the governing political party imploding. The GOP can count this one as in the bag.

    Sabato rates Kansas as a “solid Republican takeover.”

    While Sabato describes Kansas Senator Tom Holland as “respectable,” if Holland was attempting to use his votes in the senate this year to establish a record that might appeal to moderates, he failed in that effort. In the Kansas Economic Freedom Index, Holland is the only senator who scored 0%, meaning that voted against economic freedom in all votes considered by this index.

    While it may be that the Kansas Democratic party is imploding, it has done very well in placing its members in statewide office. Considering Kansas statewide elected offices, five of the six are held by Democrats, and none were elected to their current positions.

    Governor Parkinson, while elected lieutenant governor in 2006, rose to his present position when Kathleen Sebelius resigned as governor to take a position in President Obama’s cabinet.

    Lieutenant Governor Troy Findley was appointed by Parkinson to replace himself.

    Secretary of State Chriss Biggs was appointed by Parkinson when Republican Ron Thornburgh resigned earlier this year.

    Attorney General Stephen Six was appointed by Sebelius when the incumbent, a Republican-turned-Democrat resigned.

    Treasurer Dennis McKinney was appointed by Sebelius to replace Republican Lynn Jenkins, who won election to the United States Congress.

    On the Kansas Supreme Court, there are three Republicans and three Democrats, with one Justice being unaffiliated, according to a Kansas Liberty story. In 2005, an analysis by the Kansas Meadowlark had the breakdown as five Democrats and two Republicans.

  • Brownback, Colyer announce in Wichita

    On Tuesday, United States Senator Sam Brownback formally filed to become a candidate for the Republican party nomination to be governor of Kansas. He also introduced his running mate.

    On Friday, it was speculated that Kansas Senator Jeff Colyer was Brownback’s selection to run on the ticket for lieutenant governor. Suspense was largely eliminated when a reader of Hawver’s Capital Report noted that the location scheduled in Hays for a campaign stop was Colyer’s high school.

    On Tuesday morning in Overland Park, it was made official: Colyer is the nominee for lieutenant governor.

    In a late Tuesday afternoon campaign stop in Wichita, Wichita City Council Member Sue Schlapp introduced Brownback to the audience. Schlapp is one of four leaders of Brownback’s statewide committee and state co-chair of the campaign.

    Schlapp said that Brownback coming back to Kansas is “good news.” She said that Brownback is business-friendly, saying that she agreed with him that “you can’t tax yourself into prosperity.” She told the audience that “Sam listens” and follows through, getting things done.

    She noted that Brownback is fulfilling his pledge to serve no more than two terms as United States Senator.

    In his remarks, Brownback said that Kansas is home. For the last 15 years, he said he’s commuted to Washington as he represented Kansas in both the United States House and the Senate, but “Kansas has always been home, and it’s still home.”

    Brownback said that in his time in public service, the most effective campaign and governing document he’s seen was the “Contract With America.” This was a set of proposals that were laid out in a campaign, and then used to govern, he said. Brownback said the he will soon present a “Roadmap for Kansas.” This, he said, will be a series of detailed policy proposals which will be used in the campaign and then used to govern from.

    The thee challenges that he wants to focus on are growing the economy, improving education, and protecting families.

    On the economy, Brownback said that the state has lost tens of thousands of public sector jobs, personal income has dropped, but government bureaucracy and taxes went up. “Government is too big, and taxes are too high,” he added. While some have said that government needs to do more with less, Brownback said that government needs to focus on core functions and do those better at less cost. Controlling state spending, pro-growth tax policies, and sensible regulation will be goals of his administration. Success will be measured by private sector jobs and personal income.

    Brownback said that education is a core function of government. The school finance formula, he said is “confusing, illogical, unfair, not flexible, doesn’t support innovation, fails to prioritize classroom learning, and discourages excellence.” The formula should not force consolidation. He said that his administration would see that education dollars go to the classroom instead of administration or the courtroom, a reference to school funding lawsuits.

    On family issues, Brownback said that “strong families make a strong state.” Tax, budget, and welfare policies would be evaluated on how they affect families, and they should do no harm to families.

    In his remarks, Colyer said he is a fifth-generation Kansan. He grew up in Hays, and learned there that “we’re here to serve other people.”

    As a White House fellow for President Reagan, he said he learned that the key to solving difficult problems is that when “individuals in America work and prosper, America works and prospers.”

    His experience volunteering as a physician in Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan taught him that “ordinary people can do extraordinary things in the most horrific of times.” He added that in Kansas, our best days are ahead of us, but these days are not just around the corner. Even though Kansas just passed its biggest tax increase, the budget is under water and getting worse, he said. Problems have been “papered over,” and will explode in the near future.

    He told the audience that the Kansas state pension plan (KPERS) ranked next-to-last in solvency, after California and New York.

    The Kansas economy has not been growing as it should due to years of high taxes and unnecessary regulation, he said.

    In questioning after the event, Brownback said he considered candidates from the Wichita area for his running mate. He said that he and Colyer have known each other for 20 years and work well together.

    If elected, Colyer said he would be required to resign from the Kansas Senate. I asked since the lieutenant governor has so few prescribed duties, what would Colyer do with his time, should he be elected? He said that Brownback said he should be prepared to work “double time.” He said he would keep his medical practice. Brownback said he expected much from Colyer, and that he would be working full time on problems in the state.

    I asked whether a Brownback administration would repeal the increase in the statewide sales tax due to take effect on July 1. Brownback said that he wants to look at fundamental tax policy and develop a pro-growth tax policy.

    In response to my question as to what he would do to increase school choice, particularly charter schools in Kansas, Brownback said that the school funding formula be the centerpiece of education reform in Kansas. Within that, the state could review the charter school law.

    Neither candidate would express a preference in the United States Senate Republican primary.

    Analysis

    Many conservatives look forward to Brownback as Kansas governor, as they feel Kansas has not had a conservative governor for many years, even through there have been Republicans in the governor’s office. While delivering a conservative message at this event, Brownback’s record in the U.S. Senate, according to National Journal vote ratings for 2009, places him near the middle of Senate Republicans in terms of voting for conservative positions.

    Generally, Colyer is described as conservative. He has, however, cast some votes that some conservatives might not agree with. In particular, he voted for the statewide smoking ban during the 2009 session. That bill carried over to this year and was passed in the House and signed into law by Governor Parkinson.

    In the Kansas Economic Freedom Index, Colyer cast four votes that were not in favor of economic freedom, earning a score of 69% and ranking 13th in the Senate. The votes not in favor of economic freedom were voting for an expansion of the historic preservation tax credit program, voting for a primary seat belt law and texting ban, voting for regulation of sexually oriented businesses, and voting against an amendment that would have required the state to sell assets to raise revenue. The last measure was promoted by conservatives as a way the state could raise enough revenue to avoid having to raise taxes.

    In the Republican primary, the Brownback/Colyer ticket will square off against a ticket headed by Joan Heffington, a Derby businesswoman who has many political views that might be considered out of the mainstream.

    If Brownback and Colyer prevail in the primary, they will likely face Kansas Senator Tom Holland and his unnamed running mate. Holland has not yet filed but has been campaigning, and no other Democrats are expected to file by the June 10 deadline.

    Other coverage: Brownback ticket gains surgeon as lieutenant, Brownback announces, picks Colyer, Brownback Names Colyer as Lt. Governor in Race for Governor, Holland Responds, Brownback picks Jeff Colyer as running mate in governor’s race, and Brownback chooses physician as running mate.