Letters on arts funding, Huelskamp, Marshall, McGinn, Erickson

State loses by not supporting the arts

The article on the governor’s severely reduced art funding in Kansas hit the mark (“Kansas set to miss out on about $800,000 in arts funding,” July 19 Eagle).

We have have been longtime Kansas directors of the Mid-America Arts Alliance. Since 1972, M-AAA has successfully provided “more art for more people” to its six member states of Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

We are saddened over the Brownback administration’s failure to provide appropriate support for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. The attitude that arts are a “frill” and that donors should provide the funding ignores facts and studies showing the economic impact that legislative appropriations for the arts have provided in Kansas over the years. The significant financial return for the state’s investment in the arts is undeniable.

Yet the governor’s spokeswoman wants to blame M-AAA for dropping Kansas. The governor and the Legislature should know that M-AAA, like other such alliances around the nation, needs pledged support from each member state in order to function effectively. The well-understood consequence is a loss of membership in M-AAA as well as failure to qualify for federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

We hope a new Legislature and revised thinking by the Brownback administration will return Kansas as a proud member of M-AAA to ensure a better quality of life for all Kansans.

Thank Huelskamp

What do you call a politician who protects his constituents’ paychecks? You call that a rarity.

All politicians promise they’ll go to Washington, D.C., and protect taxpayers. Then they go there and do the opposite.

Fortunately for Kansans, a few keep their word – Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler/Hutchinson, for instance.

Huelskamp has a strong record of working to keep life affordable for Kansans. He’s helped rein in federal spending and debt, which are taking America toward bankruptcy. He’s opposed special-interest handouts for the wealthy and the well-connected. He’s fought against the Obama administration’s regulatory assaults that make groceries and everyday goods more expensive. And he’s saved time and money for those on fixed incomes – especially seniors – by working to reform tax filings for Social Security recipients.

We’ve known for years that the Washington agenda is a bad deal for us. We pay the price every day. Fixing this problem is the most pressing issue of our time, and Huelskamp has been fighting to do just that. He has kept his promises to his constituents.

We should thank him for keeping hardworking Kansans’ hard-earned money right where it belongs – in our pockets.

Marshall is best

Roger Marshall, a Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District, is an honest, hardworking and successful businessman who would bring his ability to work productively with others to conservative solutions in Congress.

Marshall is pro-life. As a gynecologist, he has delivered more than 5,000 babies. But at this point in his life, he has said “enough is enough” to big, liberal government. He would work tirelessly to reduce our country’s massive debt.

Marshall is a veteran who will ensure that our veterans have proper hospital care and that our military is the strongest in the world.

Another plus is that Marshall has the rare ability to compromise and negotiate to reach acceptable solutions. The incumbent is not able to do this. It is his way or the highway.

The incumbent has thrown some dirt into the campaign, but people who know Marshall can see right through the lies.

I’m voting for Roger Marshall and hope you will, too.

McGinn is needed

I feel compelled to speak out against the wave of mailers we have received opposing Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick. Generated by various dark-money groups, as well as her opponent, they are at best misleading about McGinn’s voting record, and attribute motives counter to those she has openly expressed. At worst, they are vitriolic fearmongering.

McGinn is being attacked precisely because she is an experienced and thoughtful legislator who has been a voice of reason in a divided party. Though I do not always agree with her, I believe she has made independent and principled decisions, considering the interests of her constituents and the state as a whole.

McGinn’s experience, thoughtfulness and willingness to work toward resolving our state’s challenges are exactly what we need in the Kansas Senate. I urge voters in District 31 to vote for Carolyn McGinn on Tuesday.

Count on Erickson

Over the years, I have witnessed a tremendous amount of waste in the Newton school district and I hear of wasteful spending in other districts. Renee Erickson, a candidate for Senate District 31, has been a strong, solid voice we can count on in Newton to do the right thing.

As a school board member, Erickson has voted against excessive double-digit administrator raises while the teachers got little or no raises. She spoke up and voted against spending $30,000 to purchase 10 ornamental vases and $75,000 for a mission statement. This is money that would have been better spent in the classroom.

With her background in education, Erickson was the only board member (or administrator) who knew of the special reserve fund that will now be used to help teachers and classified employees offset their health care costs. This would not have happened if she had not done her research.

It seems to me that the school lawsuits have dragged on for decades with no end in sight. It is time we had someone representing us in Topeka who understands the inner working of school districts and can make informed decisions on how to make our tax dollars benefit the students.

My vote on Tuesday will be for Renee Erickson, a true friend of teachers and education.

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 12:05 AM with the headline "Letters on arts funding, Huelskamp, Marshall, McGinn, Erickson."