Unneeded distractions in the Republican primary

We’ve got our fair share of problems in this state, and a sluggish economy is one of them. We value hard work in Kansas, and while many of us are still putting in long days, our government is taking an extended vacation from productivity.

Our economy still needs that shot of adrenaline we were promised, and the next governor we elect had better find a way to deliver it.

Let’s travel over to Colorado, our thriving neighbor, for a moment. Based on customary, objective indicators of job growth – GDP growth, growth of the young population and net migration – Colorado is knocking it out of the park. The same is true if you continue on to the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon: Based upon these same indicators, the growth rates in both states are even more impressive. All three states land near the very top of the 50-state rankings.

Growth is central to our economic future. Entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes study these statistics when scouting new destinations for their business endeavors. Having both a business-friendly environment and a solid employment rate is also vital to economic success, but it is growth which drives us forward, and Kansas is not even in the game. We sit near the very bottom of the 50-state rankings.

If you’ve paid much attention to the Republican gubernatorial primary, you might have noticed that certain frontrunner candidates seem to have guns on their mind, and not job growth. This may explain why we continue to struggle financially in our state.

In Washington, Oregon and Colorado, frontrunner political candidates do not make specially-decorated vehicles equipped with replica machine guns a focal point of their campaigns. The endorsement of the pro-gun lobby is always influential, but in these other states with strong job growth and thriving economies, arguing over who got the better pro-gun endorsement is not nearly as important as our candidates have made it here.

Whether you love guns, hate them or are completely indifferent as to how our citizens choose to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms is of no consequence – the point is that the frontrunner candidates in the Republican gubernatorial primary are spending a disproportionate amount of time and energy on this singular issue, to the detriment of substantive economic concerns which demand both swift attention and skilled handling.

The Democratic candidates are not exempt from criticism either – they have jousted plenty on Second Amendment and right to life issues, to the detriment of other more immediate and pressing issues that will dictate the future course of our state.

Guns don’t pay the bills, and if the economy doesn’t get the attention it deserves now, how can we be sure our candidates are equipped to do the job later?

We should hold these candidates accountable for more than just their record on gun rights, and we should do so in all 105 counties across Kansas, at every Main Street diner, each and every day until this election is over. When the conversation steers away from the economy, we should steer it right back, and we should demand concrete plans – not surface-level talking points.

The stakes are high in this election, and our state’s economic future hangs in the balance. Our candidates should be prepared to confront these issues head on, rather than playing single-issue politics.