Print edition: 
TOPEKA — Organizers of a newly formed Kansas advocacy group are planning a march through Wichita as part of a series of weekend events aimed at mobilizing residents against Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's administration.
The march by Kansans United in Voice and Spirit on Oct. 29 will pass near the headquarters of Koch Industries. The private company is led by Charles and David Koch, who are active in supporting conservative policies.
Organizers Tamara Werth and Crystal McComas, of Lawrence, said Thursday they're concerned about the direction Kansas is heading and that corporate interests are being placed ahead of those of Kansas residents.
The message echoes sentiments being expressed by Occupy Wall Street in New York and other U.S. cities.
"You see it all around the country and the world, but these will be about Kansas concerns," McComas said. "Not that these concerns don't intersect."
Werth and McComas said their organization was gaining momentum as more residents raise concerns about decisions made by the Brownback administration, including cuts to social services and education, and a decision to end state support for the arts.
"We imagine that Kansans will have a lot to say that day," McComas said. "There is a degree of frustration and people will want the opportunity to share a variety of those frustrations."
Messages left with the Brownback administration seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Koch spokeswoman Melissa Cohlmia said the company respected the right to free speech and to peaceably assemble. She added that the company would continue to focus on promoting policies that help grow the economy, foster free enterprise and create jobs.
"We believe these are goals that most Americans support," she said in a statement.
Koch employs 50,000 workers, including more than 2,600 in Kansas.
"These are jobs that create real value for real people, the same people who must bear the burden of excessive government spending, uncontrolled debt and onerous regulations," Cohlmia said.
McComas and Werth said the rally in Wichita wasn't aimed at Koch Industries, but that the corporation is a symbol of the growing divide in Kansas and the nation.
"We will not be on Koch property. We will be on public property throughout all of our activities," Werth said.
The billionaire Koch brothers are known for their support for the founding of Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group that lobbies for lower taxes and less government regulation and spending. The campaign manager and a number of aides for Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain are former AFP workers.
"It makes sense to give people the opportunity to go to the source. Something has gone out of balance when corporations are considered people," McComas said.
In September, the organization held a rally in Topeka attended by 250 people.
The group recently filed for nonprofit status and is organizing chapters across Kansas. The mobilization weekend will take organizers to seven of 12 cities where chapters are established.
Werth said there was a growing "sense of alarm" among Kansans of all political persuasions and that the organization wants to help inform them about decisions made in Topeka, including what she and Werth describe as secret talks by the Brownback administration regarding tax cuts.
"Kansans are confused and devastated about what is happening and what could be done," Werth said. "We want a dialogue."
