A Common Cause

By Kevin Gray

When I read the other day about how community colleges in Kansas are bursting at the seams, I realized what young people are facing. Seniors will graduate from Kansas high schools in May, community colleges will continue to swell and the state’s colleges and universities will release their hopeful grads to a jobless terrain.

So what are our newly elected majority doing in Topeka to correct the jobless problem?

Raising the speed limit on Kansas highways to 75.

Considering a bill to allow motorcyclists to run red lights.

Already killed a proposal to make it safer for bicyclists on Kansas highways.

Passing two abortion bills, one on fetal pain, the other parental consent.

Abolishing the death penalty.

Planning to repeal one cent sales tax increase.

Closing the Kansas Neurological Institute.

Planning to kill EPA safeguards.

Passing an election fraud bill.

Considering an Arizona-like immigration law.

Establishing a definition for a “suitable Kansas education”.

Banning already voluntary payroll deduction options from state workers for union activities.

Lower funding for K – 12 public schools and up that for select higher education programs.

Repealing a tuition law for children of Kansas illegals.

Preventing anyone taking KPERS benefits from receiving those benefits, if they work as a substitute, special education, or math teacher (in other words work for a KPRS employer).

No doubt, there will be more of the same – non-job related bills – to come, when Kansans are looking for job creation, or, at least jobs. I thought this had been the point of last November’s elections.

Some of the House bills, so say their sponsors, should help with jobs, thus the speed limit to 75 bill. Overland Park House Republican Marvin Kleeb said in the Kansas City Star, that, “…increasing speed limits will enhance economic development because state highways would become more attractive to vacation travelers and freight haulers”. The house easily passed the bill as the Star said, “…without a mention of highway safety and eating up fuel.”

Cut education funding, and educators lose their jobs, class size jumps, kids fall through the cracks and schools will shut down. Plus, most classrooms designed for 25 students will not safely hold many more above that number. Children of illegals, even if born in this country, will lose out on a chance to become productive citizens.

Besides packing and stacking too many kids in classrooms, people will be allowed to drive too fast and run red lights legally. In addition, doing away with environmental protections will make us less safe, and as in Wisconsin and other states, the Kansas House plans intends to weaken unions by removing already “voluntary” automatic dues deduction.

Legislators say we can’t pay our state bills, so they propose cutting the state’s one cent sales tax. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce originally opposed the tax and worked to defeat those who supported it; now, the chamber has testified about the need to continue the tax.

Prevent anyone receiving KPRS benefits from substitute teaching, and you wipe out most of your experienced substitute teachers statewide, no less clearing classrooms of experienced educators, who have returned to teaching at a starting teacher’s salary, and whose districts pay back into KPRS. House members supporting this idea receive a grade of 0. We, your Kansas teachers, taught you better than this.

Isn’t it time to shelve the petty grievances, the partisan wish lists and concentrate on the common good? Try something novel, like working together. World War II saw people willing join in one common cause. I’m reminded of the scrap metal drives, the ability of communities to work together for a common goal, regardless of political party. The hurt appeared to be spread around pretty evenly. With rationing, people received gasoline coupons; when you ran out of gasoline, you walked.

Instead of spending any more valuable time during the current legislative session creating animosity and ill will, as well as pushing unnecessary bills, why not pull together, as our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did in the 1940s? Perhaps our elected representatives should join together – Republicans and Democrats – in citizen councils, pick-a-name, in every House/Senate member’s district and pursue job growth.

Don’t worry, there should be plenty of time to get back to partisan knock-down-drag-out-politics once we lick this present crisis and fix what the electorate asked for in the first place.

Note: as I was finishing this column on Friday, I saw in the Wichita Eagle that Gov. Brownback will initiate economic summits. Maybe he and I are loosely on the same page. He plans to use cabinet members; I propose councils in each legislative district.

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Posted by admin on Mar 9 2011. Filed under Kevin Gray, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry