Ranzau faces pushback over ‘enemy of the people’ remark

Progressive women rebuked and at times laughed at Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau during Wednesday’s commission meeting, as he responded to criticism he has gotten since calling the progressive movement “the enemy of the people” last week.

“Progressives are not your enemy,” Claire Meredith of Wichita said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “We want discussions about the merits of different approaches to solving problems. … What we do not want are diatribes on how fellow Americans are your enemy.”

Later, during commission comments, Ranzau said his “enemy of the people” comment wasn’t directed at individuals.

“I don’t believe individual progressives are my enemy or enemies of the community,” he said. “I believe individuals who support progressive ideology are really a victim of the tactics of the ideology itself.”

That comment prompted laughter from an audience of about 15 women who attended the meeting to show their opposition to Ranzau.

In addition to answering critics, Ranzau offered his personal takes Wednesday on state tax increases, which he’s against; the Affordable Care Act, which he also opposes; and a bill proposed by Republicans to replace the Affordable Care Act, which he characterized as possibly too progressive.

Also, he spoke in opposition to protests that have canceled some controversial speakers at colleges; in favor of public funding of school choice; and against racism, saying he’s “sick and tired” of accusations of racism against him.

“Any time you have a difference of opinion, you’re called a racist,” Ranzau said. “I’ve got a lot of minorities in my district and I spend time with some of them, a lot of them.”

After Ranzau’s 15-minute speech, Commissioner David Dennis proposed reforming the commission comments portion of the meeting, when commissioners can speak about whatever they want.

Previously, the commission comments period was mostly used to promote neighborhood activities. But Ranzau and former Commissioner Karl Peterjohn have used the time for speeches on state, national and world issues.

“We’ve got a lot of people from the staff sitting around the room, we’re paying for (television) airtime and so forth,” Dennis said. “I respect each of my other commissioners’ abilities to speak freely on what they want, but I don’t know if this is the forum, because this is the place where we’re doing the people’s business.”

That drew applause and commission Chairman Dave Unruh promised to put the issue on a future staff meeting agenda for discussion.

Earlier, some of the women said they think Ranzau misuses the meetings, which are broadcast on KPTS-TV, as his own political stage.

“While I don’t have an issue with my taxes increasing, I do have an issue with you using this forum for your own personal bully pulpit,” said Carri New. “You are hired by me and by others like me to govern our county, not to attack a political ideology. I expect you to do your job while you’re in this room.”

Jennifer Johnson framed her comments as a backhanded series of “thank yous” to Ranzau.

“I want to say thank you, because you’ve reminded me that we need to be working on politics at the local level,” she said. “Second, I want to say thank you because you’ve reminded me how important the media is, sitting in meetings, many times when they’re empty, and letting us know what’s being said in our name.

“And third, I want to say thank you because you’ve made me even more proud of being a progressive.”

The women spoke at the beginning of the meeting and Ranzau waited to reply until the end, when only commissioners are allowed to speak.

He said he thinks progressives “have been misled to believe that with enough government, taxation and regulation, we create a Utopia for all of us to live where all of the social ills disappear.”

“I believe progressive ideology is contrary and antithetical for American values and the principles for which this country was founded,” he said.

He said that last week, “I attempted to give some examples of the hypocrisy of the progressive movement, specifically some politicians, media folks and of course, some professors in universities.”

He also disputed a Tuesday Eagle column by retired editor Davis Merritt, who took Ranzau to task for quoting Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and for forcing a “captive audience” of county employees to listen to him.

“These (Soviets) of course were all leftists, socialists, collectivists, statists,” Ranzau said. “One of the tactics he (Merritt) is using is called ‘projections,’ trying to project those values onto conservatives.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Ranzau faces pushback over ‘enemy of the people’ remark."