There’s a certain candidate for the governorship of Kansas who may not be what Kansas needs. While on the payroll for his Kansas Sec. of State job, he spent considerable time away involved with voter suppression activities in other states as well as Kansas. He was part of Brownback’s administration that exempted 330,000 businesses from paying income taxes while their employees still had to pay. This policy put Kansas in desperate financial straits with not enough income to pay its bills. Rather than admit that plan was a terrible failure, in an effort to bring income, sales taxes were raised on everything, including food – which hurt everyone – but it was still not enough to get Kansas back to solvency. 

Thanks to brave legislators like Laura Kelly, the disastrous Brownback policy was overturned and those exempted businesses are again paying their share. Kansas is beginning to get back on its feet, getting out of debt, and finally paying its bills. Some agencies and schools that had funds drastically cut are beginning to have funds restored. Funds like Transportation that were raided may be repaid. The renewed talk of completing the” Northwest Passage” on K-96 and other postponed projects is encouraging, and the hope of reducing sales tax on food in the future seems a possibility. It is going to take some time for Kansas to recover, but Kansas’ economy is finally doing better. We are not as broke as we were.

Efficiency and frugality are definitely necessary, but if you expect to grow, whether as a family or state, you expect costs to grow too. You don’t intentionally cut your income when you need more money. Kansas’ economy has improved now that everyone is paying their share.

In a recent speech the President said that he would really like to have our current Sec. of State in his own Administration. I am wondering if that might be an okay idea. Not sure if it would be very good for the nation, but at least Kansas can continue to grow and prosper. We sure don’t need another Brownback leading Kansas.

Kansas needs a governor who will stay in Kansas and who does not have political aspirations for something somewhere else. Kansas needs a governor who is not bought with Dark Money from who knows where.

I have met Laura Kelly and am impressed with her grasp of where Kansas stands financially and the challenges that lie ahead. She is gracious, level-headed, and a humble person. Her leadership will bring much needed civility to Topeka. That’s why I am voting for Laura Kelly.

Dee Anne Grummon

Great Bend