Print edition: 
When newly elected leaders soon take the oaths of office at the Capitols in Washington, D.C., and Topeka, Kansans will see the end of two tenures of note — those of Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, the strong-willed conservative who made a permanent mark during 16 years of service to the 4th Congressional District, and Gov. Mark Parkinson, the Republicanturned-Democrat who deftly guided the state through 20 of the toughest months of its 150-year history.
Few saw Tiahrt coming when he unseated nine-term Democratic Rep. Dan Glickman in the 1994 Republican revolution. Tiahrt would go on to pursue too many quixotic ideological quests that seemingly had little to do with his constituents — such as on gun-dealer records, D.C. needle exchanges and international abortion.
But Tiahrt proved a quick and savvy learner politically, and he used his appointment to the House Appropriations Committee to deliver dollars to his district, unapologically recognizing that once the size of the spending pie had been set, it was his job to get the biggest slice he could for Kansas and the 4th District. His zeal and success as an appropriator seemed to clash with his early calls to abolish whole Cabinet departments and “end corporate welfare” — and may have contributed to his tough primary loss for the U.S. Senate last year.
Nobody can deny, though, that Tiahrt used his seat to maximum advantage and made things happen for the state and district that created jobs and changed lives. The National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita’s railroad overpasses, the Equus Beds recharge project, a new parallel taxiway at the airport, floodcontrol projects and school safe rooms — Tiahrt’s prowess at tapping federal dollars even entitles him to brag that he played a role in helping catch the BTK serial killer. Given his willingness to “ride toward the sound of the guns,” as he likes to say, it’s unnerving that “Tanker Todd” no longer will be around to watchdog the Pentagon’s upcoming round of bidding on a new fleet of air-refueling tankers.
By contrast to Tiahrt, Parkinson at times seemed reluctantly cast in his role — first as lieutenant governor to Kathleen Sebelius, then as governor once she left to join the Obama administration. But Parkinson has been anything but a placeholder. He ended the state’s debilitating impasse over a new coal-fired power plant just hours after he became governor. He negotiated deals to keep Hawker Beechcraft and Bombardier Learjet in Wichita. He challenged the state universities to better themselves — and their “mediocre” standings in national academic rankings. As the economy struggled and state revenues dwindled, he stepped up to make cut after cut in the state budget, including to Medicaid. Then he used his single full legislative session as governor to pass a statewide smoking ban, a new transportation plan and the first tax increase in eight years. Indeed, because of the revenue that temporary 1 percent sales-tax hike is bringing in, the budget hole faced by Gov.-elect Sam Brownback is far shallower than it might have been. And it was an awfully nice change to have a governor who was Wichita-born and -bred, with a full appreciation of what the state’s largest city means to the state.
Their jobs, politics and lengths of time in office couldn’t be more different. But if Tiahrt and Parkinson share anything, it’s their recognition that results matter. As a result, they both will be missed.
