Letters to the editor on marijuana ballot issue, Longwell, Capps, Blubaugh, Shorter, Brownback cronyism

Ballot proposal forces the issue

I support the ballot proposal to reduce the penalty attached to the possession of a small amount of marijuana to an easily paid infraction. Why? Two reasons.

First, because I think any attempt to scale back the costly war on drugs is good policy. Second, because voting for the ordinance will force upon our leaders a democratic problem with which they’ll have to struggle.

I can understand that many people might consider the latter reason strange. Why would it be a good thing to introduce inconsistencies into how governments do their job? Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s position is pretty clear here: The authority of state law over criminal drugs shouldn’t be complicated. He said he’ll sue the city to make sure of that.

But the way I see it is that democratically forcing issues upon our elected leaders is one of the tried-and-true methods of moving policy conversations forward. The truth is that in a society like ours, with multiple governing bodies reflecting the will of different groups of people, “inconsistency” is often just another way of saying “democracy in action.”

We can’t know how our state government or other political players in Kansas will act until the actual issue is before them. So let’s put it there, and see where the conversation leads us.

Endorsing Longwell

Jeff Longwell is the right person to be Wichita’s next mayor.

Three of us ran for mayor this year, and one of us ran in 2011. After listening to Longwell at several forums and reading what he has said since the primary, we have decided he is deserving of our endorsement.

We found that running for mayor was exciting and educational. We also found that it was a great time for us to take some of our ideas to the public.

Longwell listened to our ideas and knows that we all have to work together to build a better Wichita. He realizes that both small and large companies provide much-needed jobs in our community, and he wants to work with every business to ensure that they prosper in our city. He also has the experience with budgeting, coalition building and working with citizens that is needed to move Wichita forward.

These are the reasons we are endorsing Jeff Longwell for mayor. We ask our supporters and all of Wichita to vote for Longwell on Tuesday.

Capps qualified

Michael Capps is the most qualified candidate in the at-large race for Wichita school board. As a business owner, Capps has the common sense and knowledge to delicately balance our district’s needs and wants, while staying within a budget. He is articulate and does his homework on the issues.

We’ve had enough of the many behind-closed-door meetings and the lack of transparency of the existing board. We need someone who can hit the ground running, who will advocate for the classroom, the teacher and, most important, the taxpayer. Capps wants all meetings taped and aired live as well as having all school board district communications legally available in open records. Capps is the only one who has proposed to ensure such an open form of accountability. He is committed to being an advocate for our community.

Re-elect Blubaugh

The first things people mention when talking about Wichita City Council member Jeff Blubaugh are his friendly smile and willingness to help other people. He has been doing a good job for his constituents as the District 4 representative and as Wichita’s vice mayor.

Blubaugh volunteers for the Wichita Children’s Home and the Lord’s Diner. He is a Goddard school site council member, plus a board member for the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission and Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. He also serves on boards for the Goddard Boosters Club and Habitat for Humanity.

As president of the Wichita Sister Cities, I have been impressed with Blubaugh’s support to expand Wichita’s exports to help create more local jobs.

By 2020, 95 percent of the global market will be outside of the United States. Blubaugh demonstrates his love for his city and genuine care for the next generation of its citizens with his proactive position in supporting Wichita’s historic relationships with its sister cities in Tlalnepantla, Mexico; Orleans, France; and Kaifeng, China. Positive international exchanges help promote peace for our children.

We need Jeff Blubaugh to be re-elected to the City Council on Tuesday.

Shorter needed

As an active Wichita citizen, I am closely following the Wichita City Council elections and urge voters in District 4 to elect Josh Shorter on Tuesday.

Shorter is the fresh voice needed on the City Council. Wichita needs more jobs. We’ve lost tens of thousands of jobs over the past decade, and our city policies of cronyism and handouts aren’t working.

Shorter will stop wasteful spending, ensuring Wichita lives within its means. Demanding transparency and an open, accountable government will be at the top of his priority list.

Shorter will use his leadership skills on the City Council to restore citizen trust in city government. He will demand efficient and transparent use of taxpayer money. He will not need a $400 million sales tax increase to solve the problems of our city. Citizens can be confident that Shorter will handle routine items such as street maintenance and repairs out of the current budget.

Josh Shorter is the clear choice for election to the District 4 City Council position. He is the fresh voice needed on the City Council.

Vote for reform

Wichitans understand the social and fiscal sense of reducing maximum penalties for first-offense small marijuana possession. Some Kansas politicians tried to keep this off the ballot; clearly they did not want anyone to know what the public thinks on this issue.

The campaign has been a great learning experience. We registered voters, came up a little short on the first petition, compromised with the city, improved the petition form and, with the second petition, vastly improved on our collection methods. We thank everyone who participated in the collecting, signing or notarizing of petitions, passing out fliers and working to educate families and friends.

We want commonsense reform to reduce the maximum penalty and fine for first-time small marijuana possession, which is now equal to the penalty and fine for assault on a police officer – one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Whether or not the backward politicians sue the city to nullify the initiative after Tuesday, we have succeeded in raising serious examination of the fiscal and social costs of over-incarceration, the unreasonable severity of penalties for small possession, and the racial disparities in our criminal justice system.

Crony system

The Brownback crowd’s assault on civil service is disappointing. It prefers a return to a crony-based patronage system in which civil servants would get appointments based on whom they know instead of what they know and how they perform.

Brownback’s appointments history doesn’t inspire confidence: a Cabinet appointment of a religious zealot from Florida; another appointment that had to be canceled because of resume falsifications; a Department for Children and Families area director who resigned the same month as an internal review of the office’s practices; a budget director who made a $2 billion mistake on his budget analysis; another budget director who inappropriately shared information with lobbyists.

Implementing a model that favors yes-men and cronies lacking demonstrated competence and knowledge over people who are judged on merit, and who aren’t committed to pushing a particular political view, is a return to the bad old days of backroom deals and shady politics.

This story was originally published April 4, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor on marijuana ballot issue, Longwell, Capps, Blubaugh, Shorter, Brownback cronyism."