The time has come to invest in our community’s school facilities. &nbsp;I was against the bond the last time it was presented to voters, but I was uninformed. &nbsp;

As our kids have reached the age to visit other schools for their sporting functions, it has become abundantly apparent that our facilities are drastically inferior to our peer communities. And to make things worse, costs have increased so much that we could only do half the improvements if we had the same amount of money as the last bond proposal. &nbsp;

And it will only get more and more expensive if we don’t do something now.&nbsp; I was wrong last time, but we can get it right now — it’s time to invest in Hays’ schools. Join me on May 10 by voting yes for both the bond and sales tax options.&nbsp;

The time has come to invest in our community’s school facilities. &nbsp;I was against the bond the last time it was presented to voters, but I was uninformed. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As our kids have reached the age to visit other schools for their sporting functions, it has become abundantly apparent that our facilities are drastically inferior to our peer communities. And to make things worse, costs have increased so much that we could only do half the improvements if we had the same amount of money as the last bond proposal. &nbsp;And it will only get more and more expensive if we don’t do something now.&nbsp; I was wrong last time, but we can get it right now — it’s time to invest in Hays’ schools. Join me on May 10 by voting yes for both the bond and sales tax options.&nbsp;Rob Readle, Hays

LETTER: Vote no to last 489 bond? Time to make the right choice

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/08/analysis-how-the-kansas-legislature-avoids-public-scrutiny-by-hiding-in-darkness/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature shields itself from public scrutiny 
through secrecy, confusing shell games and silenced opposition.

Republicans who control the legislative process conduct hearings with
 selective one-sided testimony and provide no advance notice of a 
committee’s plans to take action on significant legislation.

They refuse to acknowledge the authors or special interests involved 
in writing state policy. They may even delay the filing of a bill so 
that it can’t be reviewed by news reporters or opponents before holding a
 hearing on it.

They pass big-ticket items through end-of-session deals that 
materialize late at night, combine masses of bills — including some that
 haven’t received a hearing — and deny lawmakers the opportunity to 
amend legislation.

They make it difficult to track a bill’s progress through the end of 
session with the ubiquitous use of a process known as “gut and go,” in 
which they replace the entirety of a bill with the contents of a 
different bill. Even lawmakers get confused by this shell game as they 
try to figure out which bill number aligns with a particular policy.

By hiding in darkness, the Legislature discourages public involvement in the policymaking process.

“The Legislature’s annual rites of secrecy serve special interests, 
not ordinary Kansans, and make it harder for voters to learn who is 
responsible for passing legislation adverse to the public interest,” 
said Max Kautsch, a 1st Amendment attorney, speaking on behalf of the 
Kansas Coalition for Open Government.

House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita
 Democrat, said transparency in the Legislature “has gotten worse and 
worse” since he was first elected in 1987.

Lawmakers work for the taxpayers, Sawyer said, “and it can often feel like some forget that.”

“Between conference committee bill bundling and not giving public 
notice, our constituents are cut out of the process,” Sawyer said. 
“Gut-and-go bills keep the public from tracking issues they care about. 
None of this is OK. We work for Kansans. We shouldn’t hide our work from
 them.”

Following are examples of the Legislature’s lack of transparency this
 session, and recommendations from the Kansas Coalition for Open 
Government to change the way the Legislature operates.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2239/">House Bill 2239</a> began as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2239_00_0000.pdf">a two-page bill</a>, sponsor unlisted, dealing with corporate tax code.

By the time the Legislature adopted the bill as a “conference 
committee report” on April 1, it had billowed into 94 pages of tax 
policy, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/05/kansas-tax-reform-bundle-sent-kelly-amassed-from-shards-of-29-different-bills/">fused from 29 separate pieces</a> of legislation.

Some of that policy had not received a hearing or been considered by 
one of the two chambers. Most legislators had no time to review the 
bundle, which added up to a $90 million annual tax cut, and legislative 
rules prevented lawmakers from trying to amend the legislation. They 
voted for it anyway, 39-0 in the Senate and 103-10 in the House.

This is frequently how a bill becomes a law in Kansas.

A lawmaker, lobbyist, organization or resident of Kansas introduces a
 bill, under their name, in either chamber. For this example, the bill 
starts in the House.

GOP leadership assigns the bill to the relative committee, where the 
chair gives opponents and proponents the equal opportunity to testify at
 a hearing. The committee on a later date considers amendments to the 
bill, debates the issue, and votes to send it to the full House.

The 125-member House meets as a committee of the whole to consider 
any additional changes, debate the bill and vote to advance it. The next
 day, the House takes final action on the bill, and votes to approve it 
with a simple majority.

The bill then goes to the Senate, where it follows the same steps.

Three members of both chambers — four Republicans, two Democrats — 
get together as a “conference committee” to iron out any differences 
between the Senate and House versions of the bill. The two chambers then
 take a final vote on the “conference committee report.”

In reality, GOP leaders short-circuit the process by introducing 
legislation during the final stage. Virtually all prominent legislation 
now is a product of a gut and go and packaged in a conference committee 
report.

Consider the path lawmakers took with legislation that requires 
adults to work 30 hours a week or enroll in job training in order to 
receive federal food assistance.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/10/out-of-state-groups-drive-to-limit-federal-benefits-in-kansas-meets-pointed-opposition/">Florida-based Opportunity Solutions Project</a> introduced the model legislation, although the organization’s name didn’t appear as the sponsor when it was entered as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb501/">Senate Bill 501</a>.
 The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee held a hearing on the 
bill March 10. The committee chairman, Sen. Richard Hilderbrand, a 
Baxter Springs Republican, admonished a Democrat for questioning the 
relevancy of out-of-state testimony on the topic.

On March 17, the Senate committee held an impromptu meeting at the 
railing overlooking the Statehouse rotunda. There, the panel gutted <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2448/">House Bill 2448</a>,
 which dealt with foster care licensing, and replaced it with the 
restrictions on food aid. The original contents of House Bill 2448 had 
already been inserted into House Bill 2158, which previously was a 
public health bill, and passed into law a year ago.

The Senate on March 23 adopted the food restrictions now contained in
 House Bill 2448. The policy never received a hearing in the House, 
where opponents could have pointed to the adverse effects it could have 
on food banks, foster kids, single mothers, college students, cancer 
patients and the self-employed. Instead, both chambers passed the law as
 a conference committee report on March 30. Later, both chambers <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/28/kansas-house-overrides-veto-of-bill-tying-food-assistance-to-employment-or-job-training-program/">voted to override</a> Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the bill.

Legislation dealing with <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/29/kansas-democrat-threatens-to-recruit-parents-to-sue-schools-for-lack-of-honest-history-lessons/">a parental bill of rights</a> for parents of public school children, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/26/kansas-senators-push-transgender-athlete-debate-to-new-extremes-in-override-of-governors-veto/">a ban on transgender athletes</a>, elimination of <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/29/kelly-promises-to-sign-bipartisan-bill-eliminating-states-sales-tax-on-food-by-2025/">the sales tax on food</a>, and the state budget followed similar paths.

Wyandotte County District Judge Bill Klapper noted the secrecy surrounding a new congressional district map while <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/04/25/congressional-map-drawn-by-kansas-republicans-is-unconstitutional-wyandotte-county-judge-rules/">ruling it was unconstitutional</a> because it dilutes minority votes and heavily favors Republicans.

“Republican sponsors of the map never publicly revealed who drew the 
plan despite being asked for that information on multiple occasions,” <a target="_blank" href="https://campaignlegal.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/2022-CV-89%20Decision%20Final.pdf">Klapper wrote in his ruling</a>.

Attorney Mark Johnson made a similar point in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/High%20Interest%20Cases/Petition-determine-validity-Sub-SB-563/Brief-of-Intervenor-Senator-Holland.pdf">a filing with the Kansas Supreme Court</a> over a new map for legislative districts.

“No one outside of perhaps select Republican insiders even knows who 
actually drew the map, much less how decisions were made,” Johnson 
wrote. “There was no transparency about the making of this sausage.”

The redistricting process, which Klapper described as “highly 
irregular, rushed, nontransparent and unfair,” is just one example of 
the Legislature’s preference for secrecy.

In 2015, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2015/10/26/kansas-legislation-is-most-anonymous-in-nation/43147935/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>
 90% of the bills that were introduced didn’t include the names of 
anyone involved in authoring or introducing them, making the Kansas 
Legislature the most secretive state government in the nation.&nbsp;The 
Kansas City Star further explored this topic in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article184179651.html">a six-part series</a> in 2017.

Sometimes, lawmakers won’t even disclose who they have invited to speak on a particular subject.

The March 14 calendar indicated the Senate Federal and State Affairs 
Committee would have an informational hearing on election security the 
next day. Davis Hammet, leader of the voting rights group Loud Light, 
sent an email to the committee assistant, Michael Welton, asking who was
 presenting this information.

“Tomorrow is a presentation topic dealing with election security,” Welton replied. “Does that answer your question?”

Davis persisted: “Can you tell me who is presenting &amp; how the presenters were selected?”

Welton: “Your hunting above my pay grade on this one.”

Davis: “Not trying to give you a hard time, but are you saying you are not allowed to tell me who is presenting tomorrow?”

Welton: “Davis, I answered your first half dozen questions. You just have refused to listen.”

The speaker turned out to be Maria Zach, of Nations In Action, who <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_s_fed_st_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_s_fed_st_1_20220315_02_testimony.html">delivered widely discredited conspiracy theories</a> about the legitimacy of 2020 election results.

In another example of secrecy,&nbsp;Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, said 
during a Jan. 26 hearing of the Senate Public Health and Welfare 
Committee that he had intentionally withheld publication of <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb381/">Senate Bill 381</a>
 until the night before its scheduled hearing in an attempt to prevent 
news reporters from reading the bill. Unfortunately for Steffen, the 
hearing had been delayed a day, giving “the media a 24-hour head start.”

Steffen, an anesthesiologist who had written prescriptions for ivermectin to COVID-19 patients, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/26/kansas-senator-under-investigation-after-prescribing-ivermectin-for-covid-19-seeks-legal-cover/">also revealed he was under investigation by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts</a>.
 His proposed legislation would have given him retroactive protection 
for prescribing a drug that provided no benefit to patients. His name is
 not listed as a sponsor of the bill.

On Feb. 8, the health panel combined his ivermectin bill with <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb398/">Senate Bill 398</a>
 — legislation that had not received a hearing and would provide an 
opt-out for vaccine requirements in schools — and inserted them both 
into <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2280/">House Bill 2280</a>,
 which originally dealt with pharmacy regulations. The panel’s support 
for Steffen’s legislation was part of an obvious backroom deal: Later 
that day, Steffen helped the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/07/kansas-senate-fails-to-override-governors-veto-of-gop-drawn-congressional-map-redistricting/">override the governor’s veto</a> of the congressional redistricting map by <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/08/gop-led-senate-reverses-course-to-override-kellys-veto-of-congressional-redistricting-map/">flipping his vote</a>.

The secrecy intensifies as the session progresses. In the final weeks
 of hearings, committees rarely notify the public of planned action on 
significant legislation. Instead, the calendar is filled with references
 to “possible action on bills previously heard.”

In the case of <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb484/">Senate Bill 484</a>, which would ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports teams, there was <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/chamber/documents/daily_calendar_senate_20220308181515.pdf">no notice of any kind in the calendar</a> for March 9, when the Senate Education Committee approved the bill. It would later be inserted into <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb160/">Senate Bill 160</a>, which previously dealt with wildlife and parks. The original contents of Senate Bill 160 had been inserted into <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb142/">Senate Bill 142</a> and passed into law last year.

Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican who is seeking the GOP nomination for attorney general, scheduled <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/04/fervent-covid-19-mandate-critics-turning-to-like-minded-republican-state-senators/">a March 3 informational hearing</a>
 to discuss “potential legislation” restricting the authority of public 
officials to require vaccine passports or issue orders mandating face 
masks or limiting public gatherings.

During the hearing, Warren acknowledged the speakers were providing support for already-written legislation, <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb541/">Senate Bill 541</a>, which <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/07/senate-bill-mandates-limit-on-local-governments-school-boards-amid-public-health-threats/">her Judiciary Committee approved</a> the following week.

Public health professionals learned about the informational hearing 
when it appeared in the March 1 calendar, but the anti-vaccine and 
anti-mask speakers who spoke before Warren’s committee received advanced
 notice. Some of the speakers had provided written testimony before the 
meeting was scheduled.

Anybody who opposed new restrictions on public health officials was 
not allowed to speak March 3, and their written testimony wasn’t made 
public at the time of the hearing.

Discussion by legislators — and news coverage of the unbalanced 
hearing — excluded the voices of people like Jennifer Bacani McKenney, a
 Fredonia physician who provided written testimony opposing Senate Bill 
541 on behalf of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians.

“Stripping public health officers and county commissioners of their 
ability to protect their communities with proven strategies based in 
science — tools that will have a positive impact on community health and
 reduce community spread of disease — will result in dire consequences 
for our state and its citizens for decades to come,” McKenney wrote.

As the committee quashed the input of health professionals and <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/25/new-poll-shows-95-of-kansans-trust-vaccines-despite-vocal-groups-in-the-statehouse/">the 95% of Kansans who trust vaccines</a>,
 Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, complained about the lack of 
attention given to the cherrypicked speakers who were granted exclusive 
access to the public stage. Thompson falsely claimed those speakers were
 being ignored by “the press,” even though journalists were in the room,
 watching online and published stories about the hearing.

Components of various legislation dealing with pubic health policy and infectious disease resurfaced in <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/05/late-night-deal-rewrites-kansas-public-health-laws-on-masks-vaccines-and-quarantines/">a late-night deal in the final hours</a> of the veto session on April 28. A conference committee gutted <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb34/">Senate Bill 34</a>,
 which originally dealt with legislative rules, and inserted pieces of 
bills that never received a hearing in the House, as well as brand new 
policy ideas.

Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, urged lawmakers to stand up to leadership during an April 28 speech from the House floor.

His speech was a response to the way the state budget was finalized 
with limited input or chance for review from representatives.

Miller said the “digression of the process” over the 40 years since 
he was first elected to the Legislature has been harmful to democracy.

Leadership, he said, was treating members of both parties like children.

“That’s what this is,” Miller said. “They don’t trust you enough to 
allow for the process to be full, which includes the opportunity to 
amend. And my goodness, when you’re when you’re in such control of the 
process, you shouldn’t fear the opportunity for someone to offer an 
amendment and to have it fully debated, even if you do not support it. 
Your voters do not send you up here to simply take orders. Don’t be 
sheep.”

The Kansas Coalition for Open Government, in response to questions 
raised for this story, recommended legislative reforms “to ensure 
transparency and facilitate constituent involvement.”

The Kansas Press Association, Kansas Association of Broadcasters and 
the Kansas Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional 
Journalists sponsor the coalition.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said there is 
no need for Republicans, who dominate the Legislature with 
supermajorities in both chambers, to take shortcuts. The obfuscation of 
proceedings and rules, she said, “makes no sense.”

“The legislative process is confusing and makes Kansans feel like 
they need to have insider information in order to effectively advocate 
for their communities,” Sykes said.

Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He previously spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal.&nbsp;

Analysis: How the Kan. Legislature avoids public scrutiny by hiding in darkness

Imagine what a Bond investment could do for our community’s students.


We’ve heard from many in our community about the various economic reasons to support or oppose
the upcoming vote on the USD 489 Bond. We wanted to take a moment of your time to provide the
perspective of educators in USD 489.

We have the immense privilege of spending most of our days during the school year with the children of
our community. It is not lost on us what an incredible responsibility it is to be entrusted with other
peoples’ children and their education. We also know how fortunate we are to live in a community that
has done its utmost to provide the best educational opportunities possible to children and families in
both the public and private realms. Right now, it is no different. This Bond proposal is asking us to
invest in maintaining our ability to provide the best educational experiences we can. All investments
come at a cost, which must be weighed against the return. Here is how we see the return on our
investment beyond the economic impacts discussed by so many prior editorials.


Imagine the first day of school: students walking into the same buildings across our town that their
parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents attended. The flood of sentimental feelings and
excitement fill us on those first days of school. Now, imagine that same scene a few years into the future
after a successful Bond measure. The kids are going into buildings our community invested in, that are
designed for them, so they can create and carve out a legacy upon which we laid the foundation.


Think about children sitting in one of our classrooms today, with our amazing teachers being successful,
despite our space limitations. Now, imagine them in a new classroom experiencing creative, hands-on,
and collaborative learning because we made sure that classroom space was built for their 21st-century
learning needs. For example, science labs created large enough so that students are safely spread out
while working hands on with new materials. CTE classrooms designed to allow more students to enroll
in career-focused classes that can help them after graduation. An auditorium constructed that will allow
for our students to present, create, and share with our community. Education is about more than
“reading, writing, and arithmetic,” and our students deserve a space to learn and grow in ways that will
benefit not only themselves, but also our general public.


Think about children who can’t access a safe storm shelter in our buildings without adults carrying them
up and down a flight of stairs. Or what about students who only have one bathroom in the building that
can accommodate their needs, but they can’t open the door by themselves. We have the power to
restore their dignity, peace of mind, and unfettered access to everything their peers have available to
them.


This is the future we can invest in on May 10th. This Bond proposal addresses our current and future
needs. We have said from the beginning of the process, we need to do it right with an eye toward the
future, and we need to do it now. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and without sacrifice, but this will
be worth it.


Abby Gillan, Allison Kitchen, Marie Henderson, Jayme Goetz, Luke Lundmark, Tony Crough, Cole
Cherryholmes, Alex Underwood, Tracy Archer, Mindi Dreiling, Kyle Hadley, Adam Goetz, Lisa Renz,
Peyton Morlan, Matt Rome, Sydney Niernberger, Troy Dale, Bruce Rupp, Aly Reed, Sarah Mackey,
Peyton Ostmeyer, Erika Norris, Michelle Callahan, Pam Grizzell, Kate Hughes, Kristy Oborny, Michele
Brungardt, Leslie Karlin, Julie Brown, Jessie Groff, Madison Henningsen, Nicole Lind, Nicole Linenberger,
Kelly Ackerman, Jolene Windholz, Lacy Bruggeman, Jenny Klaus, Jaici Simon, Katelyn Schmidt, Jennifer
Grabbe, Julie Zollinger, Laura Gaughn, Chris Sramek, Devann Fisher, Jerry Braun, Jessica Schwien,
Melissa Treinen, Alicia Brungardt, Jessica Clingan, Jessica Dale, Krista Brooks, Jessica Augustine, Jamie
Wolbert, Jolene Vitztum, Tasha Lang, Patty Maldonado, Ashley Taylor, Mary Befort, Lynn Zimmerman,
Dayna Crawford, Jennifer Olt, Amy Wasinger, Kay Shippy, Sarah Doerfler, Deaira Lesage, Jenny Price,
Keri Peterson, Jody Dinkel, Daphne Brown, Sarah Smith, Cheryl Shepherd-Adams, Katelyn Gannon,
Kaleigh Wentworth, Betsy Fornash, Dan Dickerson, Kenda Leiker, Valerie Colip, Ashley Butler, Amber
Binder, Kathy Wagoner, Lora Gallegos-Haynes, Tina Shepherd, Shawn Henderson, Kayla Brown, Erin Ray,
Jerold Harris, Dan Balman, Suellyn Stenger, Rebecca Kuehl, Beth Simon, Alex Hutchins, Anita Scheve,
Becky Hickert, Rene Burns, Brooke Nuss, Shauna Zweifel, Luann Stephen, Bryan Zollinger, Matt Whitney

Imagine what a Bond investment could do for our community’s students.
We’ve heard from many in our community about the various economic reasons to support or oppose
the upcoming vote on the USD 489 Bond. We wanted to take a moment of your time to provide the
perspective of educators in USD 489.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>We have the immense privilege of spending most of our days during the school year with the children of
our community. It is not lost on us what an incredible responsibility it is to be entrusted with other
peoples’ children and their education. We also know how fortunate we are to live in a community that
has done its utmost to provide the best educational opportunities possible to children and families in
both the public and private realms. Right now, it is no different. This Bond proposal is asking us to
invest in maintaining our ability to provide the best educational experiences we can. All investments
come at a cost, which must be weighed against the return. Here is how we see the return on our
investment beyond the economic impacts discussed by so many prior editorials.
Imagine the first day of school: students walking into the same buildings across our town that their
parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents attended. The flood of sentimental feelings and
excitement fill us on those first days of school. Now, imagine that same scene a few years into the future
after a successful Bond measure. The kids are going into buildings our community invested in, that are
designed for them, so they can create and carve out a legacy upon which we laid the foundation.
Think about children sitting in one of our classrooms today, with our amazing teachers being successful,
despite our space limitations. Now, imagine them in a new classroom experiencing creative, hands-on,
and collaborative learning because we made sure that classroom space was built for their 21st-century
learning needs. For example, science labs created large enough so that students are safely spread out
while working hands on with new materials. CTE classrooms designed to allow more students to enroll
in career-focused classes that can help them after graduation. An auditorium constructed that will allow
for our students to present, create, and share with our community. Education is about more than
“reading, writing, and arithmetic,” and our students deserve a space to learn and grow in ways that will
benefit not only themselves, but also our general public.
Think about children who can’t access a safe storm shelter in our buildings without adults carrying them
up and down a flight of stairs. Or what about students who only have one bathroom in the building that
can accommodate their needs, but they can’t open the door by themselves. We have the power to
restore their dignity, peace of mind, and unfettered access to everything their peers have available to
them.
This is the future we can invest in on May 10th. This Bond proposal addresses our current and future
needs. We have said from the beginning of the process, we need to do it right with an eye toward the
future, and we need to do it now. Nothing worth doing is ever easy and without sacrifice, but this will
be worth it.
Sincerely,
Abby Gillan, Allison Kitchen, Marie Henderson, Jayme Goetz, Luke Lundmark, Tony Crough, Cole
Cherryholmes, Alex Underwood, Tracy Archer, Mindi Dreiling, Kyle Hadley, Adam Goetz, Lisa Renz,
Peyton Morlan, Matt Rome, Sydney Niernberger, Troy Dale, Bruce Rupp, Aly Reed, Sarah Mackey,
Peyton Ostmeyer, Erika Norris, Michelle Callahan, Pam Grizzell, Kate Hughes, Kristy Oborny, Michele
Brungardt, Leslie Karlin, Julie Brown, Jessie Groff, Madison Henningsen, Nicole Lind, Nicole Linenberger,
Kelly Ackerman, Jolene Windholz, Lacy Bruggeman, Jenny Klaus, Jaici Simon, Katelyn Schmidt, Jennifer
Grabbe, Julie Zollinger, Laura Gaughn, Chris Sramek, Devann Fisher, Jerry Braun, Jessica Schwien,
Melissa Treinen, Alicia Brungardt, Jessica Clingan, Jessica Dale, Krista Brooks, Jessica Augustine, Jamie
Wolbert, Jolene Vitztum, Tasha Lang, Patty Maldonado, Ashley Taylor, Mary Befort, Lynn Zimmerman,
Dayna Crawford, Jennifer Olt, Amy Wasinger, Kay Shippy, Sarah Doerfler, Deaira Lesage, Jenny Price,
Keri Peterson, Jody Dinkel, Daphne Brown, Sarah Smith, Cheryl Shepherd-Adams, Katelyn Gannon,
Kaleigh Wentworth, Betsy Fornash, Dan Dickerson, Kenda Leiker, Valerie Colip, Ashley Butler, Amber
Binder, Kathy Wagoner, Lora Gallegos-Haynes, Tina Shepherd, Shawn Henderson, Kayla Brown, Erin Ray,
Jerold Harris, Dan Balman, Suellyn Stenger, Rebecca Kuehl, Beth Simon, Alex Hutchins, Anita Scheve,
Becky Hickert, Rene Burns, Brooke Nuss, Shauna Zweifel, Luann Stephen, Bryan Zollinger, Matt Whitney

LETTER: The educational return of a bond investment

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

No, this is not about tasty caramels, it is indeed about camels. Beyond that, it is really about an educational leadership development experience that is helping rural Kansas leaders expand their skills, relationships and global knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jill Zimmerman is president of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership program, or KARL for short. A K-State and KARL program graduate, Jill was an extension agent and later executive director of the Kansas FFA Foundation. She was on the executive team of Eastern Kansas Agri-Energy in Garnett before being named president of the KARL program in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

KARL is a privately-funded, two-year leadership development program for up to 30 individuals across Kansas. The program is headquartered on the campus of Kansas State in Manhattan. It began 33 years ago, under the guidance of the founding board members, the late professor Barry Flinchbaugh, and the program’s first president, Jack Lindquist of Manhattan.&nbsp;

“The purpose of KARL is to take a group of thought leaders who are already committed to their purpose -- be it for agriculture, rural communities, or the general needs of Kansas -- and provide them a learning experience through which they create a bond that allows them to be change-makers,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;

“Leaders need to be lifelong learners,” she said.&nbsp;

The KARL program provides these learning opportunities through a series of seminars in communities across Kansas. The capstone of year one is a trip to Washington DC and Gettysburg, and the capstone of year two is an international study tour.&nbsp;

Zimmerman is a graduate of KARL class V. The program is now in the process of selecting class XVI. “I met lifelong friends who have been pivotal in my life and career,” she said.&nbsp;

Her KARL class went to Australia and New Zealand. The most recent KARL class went to the United Arab Emirates. “It was a very cool experience,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates. While the history of Arabic culture is ancient, the UAE as an independent country has only existed since 1971. The nation’s population has achieved a literacy rate of nearly 95 percent (compared to 88 percent in the U.S.).&nbsp;&nbsp;The UAE can claim the world’s tallest building, the deepest pool, and the fastest roller coaster, among other things. Located in a desert, nearly all the country’s food and feed must be imported, and they are interested in sustainability.&nbsp;

As written in the KARL newsletter: “The study tour becomes an extended trip, not necessarily of continued travel, but critical thought in the ways we see our world, our community, our farms and ranches, the way we view economies, food and people and culture – we see things through a different lens.”&nbsp;

According to Zimmerman, “the four pillars of KARL are recruitment, of both board and class members; curriculum, which we seek to continually improve; alumni engagement; and strong financial backing from people who care about the future of agriculture and rural Kansas.”&nbsp;

It’s great to see a program which focuses on rural Kansas. Zimmerman, herself, is from a farm near the rural community of South Haven, population 324 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

One of the most unusual features of the recent international study tour was their visit to Camelicious, the largest camel dairy in the world. Ten thousand camels are milked daily…I am not making this up.&nbsp;

Compared to traditional cows milk, camel milk has higher antioxidants, is lower in saturated fat, and better for those who are lactose intolerant.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“(International travel) gives us a more expansive view of the world,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The KARL program helps us to become better versions of ourselves.”&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.karlprogram.com/">www.karlprogram.com</a>.&nbsp;

Camelicious. That name doesn’t refer to caramels, it refers to camels, and the world’s largest camel dairy that was visited by the KARL class. This is one example of an experience that is helping leaders gain global knowledge to bring home to benefit their communities and organizations.&nbsp;

We commend president Jill Zimmerman, her board, and all others involved with the KARL program for making a difference with experiential learning and growth. It’s KARL-licious.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1651064924406.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development“Camelicious.”&nbsp;No, this is not about tasty caramels, it is indeed about camels. Beyond that, it is really about an educational leadership development experience that is helping rural Kansas leaders expand their skills, relationships and global knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jill Zimmerman is president of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership program, or KARL for short. A K-State and KARL program graduate, Jill was an extension agent and later executive director of the Kansas FFA Foundation. She was on the executive team of Eastern Kansas Agri-Energy in Garnett before being named president of the KARL program in 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KARL is a privately-funded, two-year leadership development program for up to 30 individuals across Kansas. The program is headquartered on the campus of Kansas State in Manhattan. It began 33 years ago, under the guidance of the founding board members, the late professor Barry Flinchbaugh, and the program’s first president, Jack Lindquist of Manhattan.&nbsp;“The purpose of KARL is to take a group of thought leaders who are already committed to their purpose -- be it for agriculture, rural communities, or the general needs of Kansas -- and provide them a learning experience through which they create a bond that allows them to be change-makers,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;“Leaders need to be lifelong learners,” she said.&nbsp;The KARL program provides these learning opportunities through a series of seminars in communities across Kansas. The capstone of year one is a trip to Washington DC and Gettysburg, and the capstone of year two is an international study tour.&nbsp;Zimmerman is a graduate of KARL class V. The program is now in the process of selecting class XVI. “I met lifelong friends who have been pivotal in my life and career,” she said.&nbsp;Her KARL class went to Australia and New Zealand. The most recent KARL class went to the United Arab Emirates. “It was a very cool experience,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;The UAE is a federation of seven emirates. While the history of Arabic culture is ancient, the UAE as an independent country has only existed since 1971. The nation’s population has achieved a literacy rate of nearly 95 percent (compared to 88 percent in the U.S.).&nbsp;&nbsp;The UAE can claim the world’s tallest building, the deepest pool, and the fastest roller coaster, among other things. Located in a desert, nearly all the country’s food and feed must be imported, and they are interested in sustainability.&nbsp;As written in the KARL newsletter: “The study tour becomes an extended trip, not necessarily of continued travel, but critical thought in the ways we see our world, our community, our farms and ranches, the way we view economies, food and people and culture – we see things through a different lens.”&nbsp;According to Zimmerman, “the four pillars of KARL are recruitment, of both board and class members; curriculum, which we seek to continually improve; alumni engagement; and strong financial backing from people who care about the future of agriculture and rural Kansas.”&nbsp;It’s great to see a program which focuses on rural Kansas. Zimmerman, herself, is from a farm near the rural community of South Haven, population 324 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;One of the most unusual features of the recent international study tour was their visit to Camelicious, the largest camel dairy in the world. Ten thousand camels are milked daily…I am not making this up.&nbsp;Compared to traditional cows milk, camel milk has higher antioxidants, is lower in saturated fat, and better for those who are lactose intolerant.&nbsp;&nbsp;“(International travel) gives us a more expansive view of the world,” Zimmerman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The KARL program helps us to become better versions of ourselves.”&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.karlprogram.com/">www.karlprogram.com</a>.&nbsp;Camelicious. That name doesn’t refer to caramels, it refers to camels, and the world’s largest camel dairy that was visited by the KARL class. This is one example of an experience that is helping leaders gain global knowledge to bring home to benefit their communities and organizations.&nbsp;We commend president Jill Zimmerman, her board, and all others involved with the KARL program for making a difference with experiential learning and growth. It’s KARL-licious.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Jill Zimmerman, KARL program 

Through our roles with Fort Hays State University, we have seen time and time again the importance of strong public schools in bringing new families to&nbsp;our community. &nbsp;Ensuring future Tigers have the best possible educational experience, as well as attracting top talent to Fort Hays State University and our community are&nbsp;two&nbsp;reasons&nbsp;we support the USD 489 bond. &nbsp;

Even before today’s tight labor market, when prospective professors or professional staff considering a position at&nbsp;our university&nbsp;would visit&nbsp;Hays&nbsp;public schools, they would leave unimpressed by the outdated facilities. &nbsp;Some accepted positions here&nbsp;regardless,&nbsp;while others chose communities with more spacious, modern schools. &nbsp;Going forward, this competition for talent is one we cannot afford to lose. &nbsp;

Much has been said about the cost of this bond&nbsp;-&nbsp;$143.5 million&nbsp;-&nbsp;and how some feel it is too much for a community&nbsp;the size of ours. &nbsp;We&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that the cost of doing&nbsp;noting&nbsp;is far greater. &nbsp;

“Opportunity&nbsp;cost”&nbsp;refers to the potential benefits that a business or community misses out on when choosing one course of action over another. &nbsp;How many great professionals have opted to raise families in other communities&nbsp;because Hays lacks&nbsp;modern schools?&nbsp;These costs are incalculable, but very real.&nbsp;How many&nbsp;of our friends and family members&nbsp;have opted to live in other communities that choose to invest in modernized educational experiences and&nbsp;to give their children the best education experience possible? &nbsp;We know of several, and it’s likely that you do, too. &nbsp;

This bond presents an opportunity&nbsp;to right-size and modernize our schools, to improve educational outcomes, and most importantly&nbsp;to&nbsp;give young families a reason to say “Yes” to Hays. &nbsp;We encourage all Hays residents to join us in voting “Yes” for&nbsp;both the&nbsp;school bond, and the sales tax question which will help lower its cost.&nbsp; Ed and Mary Hammond, Hays

Through our roles with Fort Hays State University, we have seen time and time again the importance of strong public schools in bringing new families to&nbsp;our community. &nbsp;Ensuring future Tigers have the best possible educational experience, as well as attracting top talent to Fort Hays State University and our community are&nbsp;two&nbsp;reasons&nbsp;we support the USD 489 bond. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Even before today’s tight labor market, when prospective professors or professional staff considering a position at&nbsp;our university&nbsp;would visit&nbsp;Hays&nbsp;public schools, they would leave unimpressed by the outdated facilities. &nbsp;Some accepted positions here&nbsp;regardless,&nbsp;while others chose communities with more spacious, modern schools. &nbsp;Going forward, this competition for talent is one we cannot afford to lose. &nbsp;Much has been said about the cost of this bond&nbsp;-&nbsp;$143.5 million&nbsp;-&nbsp;and how some feel it is too much for a community&nbsp;the size of ours. &nbsp;We&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that the cost of doing&nbsp;noting&nbsp;is far greater. &nbsp;“Opportunity&nbsp;cost”&nbsp;refers to the potential benefits that a business or community misses out on when choosing one course of action over another. &nbsp;How many great professionals have opted to raise families in other communities&nbsp;because Hays lacks&nbsp;modern schools?&nbsp;These costs are incalculable, but very real.&nbsp;How many&nbsp;of our friends and family members&nbsp;have opted to live in other communities that choose to invest in modernized educational experiences and&nbsp;to give their children the best education experience possible? &nbsp;We know of several, and it’s likely that you do, too. &nbsp;This bond presents an opportunity&nbsp;to right-size and modernize our schools, to improve educational outcomes, and most importantly&nbsp;to&nbsp;give young families a reason to say “Yes” to Hays. &nbsp;We encourage all Hays residents to join us in voting “Yes” for&nbsp;both the&nbsp;school bond, and the sales tax question which will help lower its cost.&nbsp; Ed and Mary Hammond, Hays

LETTER: The cost of opportunity

So we've heard that we need a new high school because a whopping 950 kids will be in the building next year... And so what?&nbsp; The Class of '99 was the largest Hays High graduating class, ever; I don't think another class since has been so large. We graduated 274 students, although I'm certain we had closer to 300 at some point.&nbsp; Yes, we had more than 1,000 students in that building, and yes, a few teachers had to shuffle around classrooms, but it worked fine. We also had a robust offering of electives, something which the building’s size didn’t hinder.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This year, we're graduating 192 students — a decrease of 82 students over 23 years. If lack of space at the high school is the reason for the bond, then perhaps we should question what exactly they're doing at HHS, because the Class of '99 had no such problems despite being the biggest. If space is an issue at the middle school, then it’s not hard to see why: those of us with common sense anticipated that when they closed Kennedy and haphazardly scrambled to do a 7,200-square-foot addition at HMS. As with everything else, the school board had no long-term plan then, and it still doesn’t with regards to facility maintenance or future renovations. However, adding on to HMS would still be more prudent and cost effective than paying the price tag on a new high school. This bond issue has caused much contention, partly because it's for the wrong amount at the wrong time, as inflation and a steep increase in property valuations have already put many in a financial bind. But, the answers to why we need THIS bond, as opposed to a smaller one (smaller than the previous failed bonds) that addresses needed renovations, are ever changing. None of the people involved can get their stories straight about why we must do this, do all of it, and do it now. One of the most consistent answers seems to be to "Grow Hays."&nbsp; Well, with a loss of 82 seniors in the graduating class over the last 20+ years, as well as just taking a look around town, Hays isn't exactly growing and is unlikely to obtain any significant growth in the foreseeable future, a conclusion the realtors in town sure don't want to admit. Hays has been growth restricted for many reasons, water resources being a major, long-standing issue. Also consider that, nationwide, parents are rejecting the public school system in favor of alternative options, among them traditional private schools and homeschooling — a trend that Hays isn't immune to. Building an expensive new high school and closing elementary schools while jacking up property taxes, rent, and the overall cost of living to do it, is not the beacon of light and prosperity some people seem to believe. It won't attract middle class parents looking for the best educational opportunities for their children. What it will accomplish is ultimately running out Hays residents who just can't afford these increases. Amanda Schlyer, Hays, HHS Class of '99

So we've heard that we need a new high school because a whopping 950 kids will be in the building next year... And so what?&nbsp; The Class of '99 was the largest Hays High graduating class, ever; I don't think another class since has been so large. We graduated 274 students, although I'm certain we had closer to 300 at some point.&nbsp; Yes, we had more than 1,000 students in that building, and yes, a few teachers had to shuffle around classrooms, but it worked fine. We also had a robust offering of electives, something which the building’s size didn’t hinder.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> This year, we're graduating 192 students — a decrease of 82 students over 23 years. If lack of space at the high school is the reason for the bond, then perhaps we should question what exactly they're doing at HHS, because the Class of '99 had no such problems despite being the biggest. If space is an issue at the middle school, then it’s not hard to see why: those of us with common sense anticipated that when they closed Kennedy and haphazardly scrambled to do a 7,200-square-foot addition at HMS. As with everything else, the school board had no long-term plan then, and it still doesn’t with regards to facility maintenance or future renovations. However, adding on to HMS would still be more prudent and cost effective than paying the price tag on a new high school. This bond issue has caused much contention, partly because it's for the wrong amount at the wrong time, as inflation and a steep increase in property valuations have already put many in a financial bind. But, the answers to why we need THIS bond, as opposed to a smaller one (smaller than the previous failed bonds) that addresses needed renovations, are ever changing. None of the people involved can get their stories straight about why we must do this, do all of it, and do it now. One of the most consistent answers seems to be to "Grow Hays."&nbsp; Well, with a loss of 82 seniors in the graduating class over the last 20+ years, as well as just taking a look around town, Hays isn't exactly growing and is unlikely to obtain any significant growth in the foreseeable future, a conclusion the realtors in town sure don't want to admit. Hays has been growth restricted for many reasons, water resources being a major, long-standing issue. Also consider that, nationwide, parents are rejecting the public school system in favor of alternative options, among them traditional private schools and homeschooling — a trend that Hays isn't immune to. Building an expensive new high school and closing elementary schools while jacking up property taxes, rent, and the overall cost of living to do it, is not the beacon of light and prosperity some people seem to believe. It won't attract middle class parents looking for the best educational opportunities for their children. What it will accomplish is ultimately running out Hays residents who just can't afford these increases. Amanda Schlyer, Hays, HHS Class of '99

LETTER: School bond won't 'grow Hays'

By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher The saying, “farmers never retire, they farm until they die,” is accurate for my paternal grandfather. Grandpa turned 95 this winter and outside a short Navy deployment at the end of World War II, he has farmed all his life. He is the picture of work ethic and steadfastness: employed full-time at a paper mill while milking cows every day for 40-plus years of his life. In the early 2000s, grandma decided it was time for them to retire and sell milking heard, but grandpa continued as a crop farmer to fill time. Last fall grandpa made the somewhat surprising decision to take a step back from farming due to his declining mobility. He has had less ability for physical work over the last 10 years, spending most of the time making management decisions and then “supervising” my dad’s and uncles’ work. The irony of grandpa passing management to the next generation is that my 60+ year old dad is starting to farm after having retired from a 35-plus-year career at paper mill himself. &nbsp; My family’s situation is a fairly typical farm transition. Our farm population is aging, with the average at 57.5 years old and steadily climbing and the average age of a beginning farmer is 46.5 years old. When farmers never retire, they run the risk of their family and business suffering through turmoil when they die. This potential has made estate and succession planning a common topic for workshops at just about every farm conference in the last decade or two. Thankfully many farmers have heard these messages and taken steps to plan for how their assets will be protected through this transition. Even though my grandpa is still farming, he has had his estate affairs settled for more than a decade. But assets are only part of a farm’s ability to succeed and thrive. Knowledge, judgement and the experience required to run a successful business can be the hardest things to pass to a successor. The real power of succession planning comes in knowing how people and businesses will thrive without you. A driver for Marc and my decision to join his family’s farming operation was legacy. We want to work with his family to grow and safeguard the farm and one day pass it on to future generations. Transitioning to the farm has revealed a pivotal paradigm shift for me about how plan and support succession. Apprenticeship is a common succession approach with observation, assigned tasks and discussions with the current manager. There is value in this approach but it falls short when people spend too long in this phase. Marc doesn’t work for his family, he works with them. His dad has intentionally stepped back from management responsibilities to provide space for Marc to run the business. His dad is an on-site mentor coaching and giving advice. There is no question about will Marc be ready, he has the responsibility now. Marc’s dad isn’t just showing faith and support, he is displaying love for his family and legacy by doing everything in his power to ensure they are prepared and protected for a future without him. It sounds so simple but it feels radical. Powerful emotions are tied to uncertainty of what the future holds for what we have lovingly built with blood, sweat and tears. A powerful succession plan requires caring enough about something to overcome these fears and build so strong that it won’t fail without you. Leaving a legacy requires leaving. Take time now to plan, support and build the things you love for a future beyond you.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575406519723.jpeg" alt="Jackie Mundt" />
 <figcaption>Jackie Mundt</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher The saying, “farmers never retire, they farm until they die,” is accurate for my paternal grandfather. Grandpa turned 95 this winter and outside a short Navy deployment at the end of World War II, he has farmed all his life. He is the picture of work ethic and steadfastness: employed full-time at a paper mill while milking cows every day for 40-plus years of his life. In the early 2000s, grandma decided it was time for them to retire and sell milking heard, but grandpa continued as a crop farmer to fill time. Last fall grandpa made the somewhat surprising decision to take a step back from farming due to his declining mobility. He has had less ability for physical work over the last 10 years, spending most of the time making management decisions and then “supervising” my dad’s and uncles’ work. The irony of grandpa passing management to the next generation is that my 60+ year old dad is starting to farm after having retired from a 35-plus-year career at paper mill himself. &nbsp; My family’s situation is a fairly typical farm transition. Our farm population is aging, with the average at 57.5 years old and steadily climbing and the average age of a beginning farmer is 46.5 years old. When farmers never retire, they run the risk of their family and business suffering through turmoil when they die. This potential has made estate and succession planning a common topic for workshops at just about every farm conference in the last decade or two. Thankfully many farmers have heard these messages and taken steps to plan for how their assets will be protected through this transition. Even though my grandpa is still farming, he has had his estate affairs settled for more than a decade. But assets are only part of a farm’s ability to succeed and thrive. Knowledge, judgement and the experience required to run a successful business can be the hardest things to pass to a successor. The real power of succession planning comes in knowing how people and businesses will thrive without you. A driver for Marc and my decision to join his family’s farming operation was legacy. We want to work with his family to grow and safeguard the farm and one day pass it on to future generations. Transitioning to the farm has revealed a pivotal paradigm shift for me about how plan and support succession. Apprenticeship is a common succession approach with observation, assigned tasks and discussions with the current manager. There is value in this approach but it falls short when people spend too long in this phase. Marc doesn’t work for his family, he works with them. His dad has intentionally stepped back from management responsibilities to provide space for Marc to run the business. His dad is an on-site mentor coaching and giving advice. There is no question about will Marc be ready, he has the responsibility now. Marc’s dad isn’t just showing faith and support, he is displaying love for his family and legacy by doing everything in his power to ensure they are prepared and protected for a future without him. It sounds so simple but it feels radical. Powerful emotions are tied to uncertainty of what the future holds for what we have lovingly built with blood, sweat and tears. A powerful succession plan requires caring enough about something to overcome these fears and build so strong that it won’t fail without you. Leaving a legacy requires leaving. Take time now to plan, support and build the things you love for a future beyond you."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: The leaving in legacy

I used to work for a program focused on one thing; reviving dying Kansas towns. Whilst working for this program we traveled all over Kansas touring everything from big cities to towns on the verge of becoming unincorporated. I also spent 2 years lobbying to Federal and State legislatures on behalf of education and from my experience I tell you now we cannot afford to fail this bond issue.

While working with dozens of Kansas towns, our program identified two top factors for driving a town's population growth, and that is school retention and school enrollment. Currently four of our schools in the city are over capacity, meaning we can not accept any more children into our school system that are already enrolled. The first issue with this has to do with overcrowding. Families will begin sending their children to other schools, possibly moving, in order to find schools that fit their needs. Secondly, statistically speaking, we see schools that fail multiple bond issues see a decline in city population, stagnant industry growth, dropped school classifications (which USD 489 already has) and lower test scores. Whilst schools that pass bond issues see population growth, higher retention, and increased post-secondary success.&nbsp;

School bond issues are also shown to increase citizen retention, meaning those that leave for higher education, work relocations, or other moves, are more likely to return at a later point in their life. The biggest cause of population decrease in the state of Kansas is a lower quality rating in their schools. And in fact, towns that lose schools have an increased chance of becoming unincorporated.

This bond is an investment, not just in our youth, but the entire city. Higher school retention means more children are moving onto higher education, while also returning back to Hays after school. Communities with an increase of educated individuals almost directly relate to economic expansion and population growth. The economy grows in direct correlation with educated individuals per capita.

A failed bond would mean Hays is functioning at full capacity in terms of education. This means no one else would be moving here, bringing new business, bringing new opportunity, bringing new ideas. Hays could possibly suffer more in terms of economic stability if we fail to bring new economic participants into our community vs what we would pay as a whole for the entirety of the bond. Our economy is strictly limited by the number of participants within the marketplace, meaning the less people that live here and move here, the smaller our economy will be.

Judging by the “Grow Hays” initiative, revitalizing downtown, our outreach programs, and our municipality improvements, I would say growing and strengthening our community is very important to our city.

My final point has to do with generational giving. Our grandparents established the schools that our kids use today. This was an amazing gift they handed to the youth of our community. The generation that paid for the schools never once stepped foot in them as a student and never would, but they collectively decided to do better for their kids. It is our turn. We have schools that don’t have handicap accessibility, not enough classrooms, and HVAC systems that go out in February that required students to wear parkas in the classroom. We appreciate and are highly thankful for what those generations did for us, now it is time for us to pass that on to our future generations. This bond puts us on pace with the standard of education in our country to keep us from falling behind, stagnating, and failing.

I used to work for a program focused on one thing; reviving dying Kansas towns. Whilst working for this program we traveled all over Kansas touring everything from big cities to towns on the verge of becoming unincorporated. I also spent 2 years lobbying to Federal and State legislatures on behalf of education and from my experience I tell you now we cannot afford to fail this bond issue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>While working with dozens of Kansas towns, our program identified two top factors for driving a town's population growth, and that is school retention and school enrollment. Currently four of our schools in the city are over capacity, meaning we can not accept any more children into our school system that are already enrolled. The first issue with this has to do with overcrowding. Families will begin sending their children to other schools, possibly moving, in order to find schools that fit their needs. Secondly, statistically speaking, we see schools that fail multiple bond issues see a decline in city population, stagnant industry growth, dropped school classifications (which USD 489 already has) and lower test scores. Whilst schools that pass bond issues see population growth, higher retention, and increased post-secondary success.&nbsp;School bond issues are also shown to increase citizen retention, meaning those that leave for higher education, work relocations, or other moves, are more likely to return at a later point in their life. The biggest cause of population decrease in the state of Kansas is a lower quality rating in their schools. And in fact, towns that lose schools have an increased chance of becoming unincorporated.This bond is an investment, not just in our youth, but the entire city. Higher school retention means more children are moving onto higher education, while also returning back to Hays after school. Communities with an increase of educated individuals almost directly relate to economic expansion and population growth. The economy grows in direct correlation with educated individuals per capita.A failed bond would mean Hays is functioning at full capacity in terms of education. This means no one else would be moving here, bringing new business, bringing new opportunity, bringing new ideas. Hays could possibly suffer more in terms of economic stability if we fail to bring new economic participants into our community vs what we would pay as a whole for the entirety of the bond. Our economy is strictly limited by the number of participants within the marketplace, meaning the less people that live here and move here, the smaller our economy will be.Judging by the “Grow Hays” initiative, revitalizing downtown, our outreach programs, and our municipality improvements, I would say growing and strengthening our community is very important to our city.My final point has to do with generational giving. Our grandparents established the schools that our kids use today. This was an amazing gift they handed to the youth of our community. The generation that paid for the schools never once stepped foot in them as a student and never would, but they collectively decided to do better for their kids. It is our turn. We have schools that don’t have handicap accessibility, not enough classrooms, and HVAC systems that go out in February that required students to wear parkas in the classroom. We appreciate and are highly thankful for what those generations did for us, now it is time for us to pass that on to our future generations. This bond puts us on pace with the standard of education in our country to keep us from falling behind, stagnating, and failing.Brent Hirsch, Hays

LETTER: We can’t afford not to pass the USD 489 bond

The students of Ellis County that attend and will attend USD 489 for many years to come need your help.&nbsp;A great education is one of the most important&nbsp;things a&nbsp;child will need to compete in the future.&nbsp;As technology advances the&nbsp;need to be competitive increases. Are we providing all the tools that our children&nbsp;will need to be the best and the brightest?&nbsp;Do we&nbsp;offer&nbsp;the best&nbsp;learning&nbsp;environment?&nbsp;What about classroom sizes? Optimum number of students? All these&nbsp;things and more are needed. It has been 40 years since a new school was constructed.&nbsp;

I recently retired from&nbsp;our&nbsp;local county government&nbsp;as a department head.&nbsp;One of the most important things to keep productivity at&nbsp;the most efficient level is&nbsp;training,&nbsp;proper equipment and&nbsp;facilities.&nbsp;I believe the administration&nbsp;does the very best in spending taxpayer dollars.&nbsp;

The drawback is constant repairs to old and outdated equipment and buildings. In October 2021, I received&nbsp;my Kansas Emergency&nbsp;Substitute&nbsp;Teaching License. This has allowed me to&nbsp;sub-teach over 60 times to date. What an eye-opening experience. The teachers in all the schools do an outstanding job&nbsp;and strive every day to give the students the best educational experience. But the&nbsp;buildings are old, classes are overcrowded, classrooms are too small, windows do not open, and old heating systems make noise. These things&nbsp;and others are&nbsp;not conducive to&nbsp;a proper learning&nbsp;environment.

I truly understand the importance of&nbsp;being frugal with taxpayer&nbsp;monies,&nbsp;but it is also the only place&nbsp;that the income to operate USD 489 comes from.&nbsp;My&nbsp;youngest son went through&nbsp;489,&nbsp;K – 12&nbsp;and received an excellent education.&nbsp;I am grateful to those who supported education&nbsp;in the past and ask that you&nbsp;truly look to the future and&nbsp;say yes to providing our children now and in the future the best education and opportunities for advanced learning. They are our future.

William “Bill” Ring, Ellis, retired Ellis County Public Works Director

The students of Ellis County that attend and will attend USD 489 for many years to come need your help.&nbsp;A great education is one of the most important&nbsp;things a&nbsp;child will need to compete in the future.&nbsp;As technology advances the&nbsp;need to be competitive increases. Are we providing all the tools that our children&nbsp;will need to be the best and the brightest?&nbsp;Do we&nbsp;offer&nbsp;the best&nbsp;learning&nbsp;environment?&nbsp;What about classroom sizes? Optimum number of students? All these&nbsp;things and more are needed. It has been 40 years since a new school was constructed.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I recently retired from&nbsp;our&nbsp;local county government&nbsp;as a department head.&nbsp;One of the most important things to keep productivity at&nbsp;the most efficient level is&nbsp;training,&nbsp;proper equipment and&nbsp;facilities.&nbsp;I believe the administration&nbsp;does the very best in spending taxpayer dollars.&nbsp;The drawback is constant repairs to old and outdated equipment and buildings. In October 2021, I received&nbsp;my Kansas Emergency&nbsp;Substitute&nbsp;Teaching License. This has allowed me to&nbsp;sub-teach over 60 times to date. What an eye-opening experience. The teachers in all the schools do an outstanding job&nbsp;and strive every day to give the students the best educational experience. But the&nbsp;buildings are old, classes are overcrowded, classrooms are too small, windows do not open, and old heating systems make noise. These things&nbsp;and others are&nbsp;not conducive to&nbsp;a proper learning&nbsp;environment.I truly understand the importance of&nbsp;being frugal with taxpayer&nbsp;monies,&nbsp;but it is also the only place&nbsp;that the income to operate USD 489 comes from.&nbsp;My&nbsp;youngest son went through&nbsp;489,&nbsp;K – 12&nbsp;and received an excellent education.&nbsp;I am grateful to those who supported education&nbsp;in the past and ask that you&nbsp;truly look to the future and&nbsp;say yes to providing our children now and in the future the best education and opportunities for advanced learning. They are our future.Thank you.William “Bill” Ring, Ellis, retired Ellis County Public Works Director

LETTER: Time to invest in a great education for the future

I am a resident of Hays&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;small&nbsp;business owner. &nbsp;My wife and I&nbsp;own a home here, so we pay property taxes. &nbsp;We have&nbsp;one child, a&nbsp;son&nbsp;who&nbsp;is completing his freshman year at Hays High. &nbsp;My wife&nbsp;works at FHSU&nbsp;and&nbsp;is&nbsp;one of the dozens of community volunteers that has spent countless hours attending meetings to discuss, plan, and develop the current bond proposal from USD 489.&nbsp;&nbsp;One of&nbsp;my&nbsp;partners&nbsp;is Bill Jeter, and&nbsp;Bill&nbsp;(and, therefore, our firm)&nbsp;is counsel to&nbsp;the district. &nbsp;

Forgive me for all the disclosures, but&nbsp;I wanted to&nbsp;be up front&nbsp;with&nbsp;that information. &nbsp;I have no doubt that some would try to manipulate&nbsp;or diminish&nbsp;what I say by suggesting&nbsp;I have some sort of hidden agenda.&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s not the case.

Nobody&nbsp;asked me to write in favor of the bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am not writing this as counsel for USD 489. &nbsp;I write simply as a taxpayer, business owner, and resident of Hays; someone that is concerned about our future as the communities around us continue to shrink. &nbsp;

I have noticed, as I am sure others have, that the&nbsp;last few weeks&nbsp;have seen efforts made&nbsp;to rally voters to turn out against the bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;That is no surprise, and that is everyone’s right. Every ballot initiative&nbsp;should be scrutinized, and I respect that opinions will vary and votes will differ.

I am, however,&nbsp;struck by how the&nbsp;anti-bond&nbsp;efforts repeat familiar refrains intended to inflame emotions&nbsp;or frighten us into paralysis, rather than addressing the merits of investing in our school facilities&nbsp;– or the costs of&nbsp;continuing to&nbsp;fail to do so. &nbsp;I have seen a litany of reasons tossed out for why people should vote “No,”&nbsp;including but not limited to federal government monetary policy (nothing USD 489 can control), other state and local taxes (again, nothing the district can control),&nbsp;claims that&nbsp;the facilities now are “good enough” (they aren’t, and when&nbsp;did&nbsp;just “good enough”&nbsp;become the goal?), worldwide supply chain problems, and on and on. &nbsp;

Opponents have even found a way&nbsp;to&nbsp;create controversy where none should have existed by&nbsp;focusing on&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;email sent by Superintendent Wilson encouraging district employees to exercise their right to vote. &nbsp;While I do not think any reasonable person could read Mr. Wilson’s email and conclude that he was seeking to “intimidate” employees or “bribe” them with dessert for merely exercising their right to vote, some&nbsp;chose&nbsp;to use his message as an excuse&nbsp;to&nbsp;pour negative light and publicity on the district and Mr. Wilson, hoping&nbsp;it&nbsp;would&nbsp;spill&nbsp;over to and taint the bond proposal itself. &nbsp;

Nowhere among these&nbsp;efforts and arguments&nbsp;are there any alternative, better proposals. &nbsp;There is no attempt&nbsp;to address the hard truth&nbsp;that our&nbsp;students and teachers&nbsp;are&nbsp;in desperate need of new and refurbished facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead, as with most ballot initiatives, it is&nbsp;easier to&nbsp;politicize the issues in play by&nbsp;avoiding them altogether and&nbsp;railing on about “the process” and attacking public education administrators in state and local media.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Each&nbsp;one of us had the opportunity to participate in the formulation of the bond proposal. &nbsp;Open meetings were held. &nbsp;Opportunities to provide input were given. &nbsp;If you spend any time talking to members of the committees involved in the process, you will likely find that the decisions made about the scope of the bond were driven by community members that recognized our district and community needs and how best to address them, not&nbsp;the district’s consultant,&nbsp;DLR,&nbsp;as some would have you believe. &nbsp;But, again,&nbsp;there is no need to come up with a better idea or debate the merits when&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;much easier to&nbsp;fire up&nbsp;voters by looking for easy targets like DLR,&nbsp;the district,&nbsp;or its superintendent.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you are a voter still considering&nbsp;your decision, as a fellow voter and taxpayer I simply ask that you not be&nbsp;distracted by these tactics. &nbsp;Consider the bond on its merits.&nbsp;&nbsp;Take the time to ask questions and get the information you think you need to make an informed decision.

While I, too, am concerned about inflation and rising costs&nbsp;(other&nbsp;negative&nbsp;arguments I have heard of late), I am more concerned about what the costs&nbsp;will eventually be if we continue a policy of spending&nbsp;millions of dollars&nbsp;on band aids to maintain buildings that range from 40-plus to 90-plus years in age&nbsp;and have inadequate space for the district’s 21st Century needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am more concerned about the price our community will pay&nbsp;if&nbsp;we send the message to young families looking to move or stay in our community that we are satisfied with inadequate, ill-equipped, and over-crowded&nbsp;school facilities. &nbsp;

So,&nbsp;I think&nbsp;it is critical that the bond passes. &nbsp;I think that despite&nbsp;knowing&nbsp;that I, as a taxpayer, will contribute to paying for the costs of the bond and despite&nbsp;knowing&nbsp;that it is very unlikely that I will have any children that&nbsp;attend&nbsp;school at any of the new or refurbished facilities that will result from passage of the bond.

I&nbsp;am&nbsp;convinced that, of all the bond proposals considered,&nbsp;the current bond proposal makes the most sense&nbsp;in terms of facility usage;&nbsp;that&nbsp;this has not been a “rushed” process and that&nbsp;considerable time and effort has gone into crafting a bond proposal that makes sense in its scope;that it gives us&nbsp;a valuable tool to help&nbsp;attract families&nbsp;and businesses&nbsp;to either stay or relocate to our community;&nbsp;and that it avoids kicking the proverbial can down the road for our children and grandchildren to deal with.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There is no such thing as waiting for “the right time” to pass a bond. &nbsp;Failing to pass this bond, at this time, will only cost us more in the future as&nbsp;USD 489’s facilities get&nbsp;older,&nbsp;and the scope of the work needed gets&nbsp;larger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

I&nbsp;will&nbsp;vote&nbsp;“Yes”&nbsp;twice&nbsp;for the bond and the sales tax, not because I love to pay another dollar in taxes, but because&nbsp;the&nbsp;current&nbsp;bond&nbsp;proposal deserves&nbsp;support.&nbsp;&nbsp;What I hope is that each voter that intends to vote, whether for or against, will&nbsp;come to their own conclusion by&nbsp;focusing&nbsp;on the&nbsp;facts&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;merits&nbsp;of the proposal, the needs addressed, and the costs of doing nothing,&nbsp;instead of letting misinformation or contrived outrage&nbsp;distract them from the real issues at hand.&nbsp;

I am a resident of Hays&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;small&nbsp;business owner. &nbsp;My wife and I&nbsp;own a home here, so we pay property taxes. &nbsp;We have&nbsp;one child, a&nbsp;son&nbsp;who&nbsp;is completing his freshman year at Hays High. &nbsp;My wife&nbsp;works at FHSU&nbsp;and&nbsp;is&nbsp;one of the dozens of community volunteers that has spent countless hours attending meetings to discuss, plan, and develop the current bond proposal from USD 489.&nbsp;&nbsp;One of&nbsp;my&nbsp;partners&nbsp;is Bill Jeter, and&nbsp;Bill&nbsp;(and, therefore, our firm)&nbsp;is counsel to&nbsp;the district. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Forgive me for all the disclosures, but&nbsp;I wanted to&nbsp;be up front&nbsp;with&nbsp;that information. &nbsp;I have no doubt that some would try to manipulate&nbsp;or diminish&nbsp;what I say by suggesting&nbsp;I have some sort of hidden agenda.&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s not the case.Nobody&nbsp;asked me to write in favor of the bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am not writing this as counsel for USD 489. &nbsp;I write simply as a taxpayer, business owner, and resident of Hays; someone that is concerned about our future as the communities around us continue to shrink. &nbsp;I have noticed, as I am sure others have, that the&nbsp;last few weeks&nbsp;have seen efforts made&nbsp;to rally voters to turn out against the bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;That is no surprise, and that is everyone’s right. Every ballot initiative&nbsp;should be scrutinized, and I respect that opinions will vary and votes will differ.I am, however,&nbsp;struck by how the&nbsp;anti-bond&nbsp;efforts repeat familiar refrains intended to inflame emotions&nbsp;or frighten us into paralysis, rather than addressing the merits of investing in our school facilities&nbsp;– or the costs of&nbsp;continuing to&nbsp;fail to do so. &nbsp;I have seen a litany of reasons tossed out for why people should vote “No,”&nbsp;including but not limited to federal government monetary policy (nothing USD 489 can control), other state and local taxes (again, nothing the district can control),&nbsp;claims that&nbsp;the facilities now are “good enough” (they aren’t, and when&nbsp;did&nbsp;just “good enough”&nbsp;become the goal?), worldwide supply chain problems, and on and on. &nbsp;Opponents have even found a way&nbsp;to&nbsp;create controversy where none should have existed by&nbsp;focusing on&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;email sent by Superintendent Wilson encouraging district employees to exercise their right to vote. &nbsp;While I do not think any reasonable person could read Mr. Wilson’s email and conclude that he was seeking to “intimidate” employees or “bribe” them with dessert for merely exercising their right to vote, some&nbsp;chose&nbsp;to use his message as an excuse&nbsp;to&nbsp;pour negative light and publicity on the district and Mr. Wilson, hoping&nbsp;it&nbsp;would&nbsp;spill&nbsp;over to and taint the bond proposal itself. &nbsp;Nowhere among these&nbsp;efforts and arguments&nbsp;are there any alternative, better proposals. &nbsp;There is no attempt&nbsp;to address the hard truth&nbsp;that our&nbsp;students and teachers&nbsp;are&nbsp;in desperate need of new and refurbished facilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead, as with most ballot initiatives, it is&nbsp;easier to&nbsp;politicize the issues in play by&nbsp;avoiding them altogether and&nbsp;railing on about “the process” and attacking public education administrators in state and local media.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Each&nbsp;one of us had the opportunity to participate in the formulation of the bond proposal. &nbsp;Open meetings were held. &nbsp;Opportunities to provide input were given. &nbsp;If you spend any time talking to members of the committees involved in the process, you will likely find that the decisions made about the scope of the bond were driven by community members that recognized our district and community needs and how best to address them, not&nbsp;the district’s consultant,&nbsp;DLR,&nbsp;as some would have you believe. &nbsp;But, again,&nbsp;there is no need to come up with a better idea or debate the merits when&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;much easier to&nbsp;fire up&nbsp;voters by looking for easy targets like DLR,&nbsp;the district,&nbsp;or its superintendent.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are a voter still considering&nbsp;your decision, as a fellow voter and taxpayer I simply ask that you not be&nbsp;distracted by these tactics. &nbsp;Consider the bond on its merits.&nbsp;&nbsp;Take the time to ask questions and get the information you think you need to make an informed decision.While I, too, am concerned about inflation and rising costs&nbsp;(other&nbsp;negative&nbsp;arguments I have heard of late), I am more concerned about what the costs&nbsp;will eventually be if we continue a policy of spending&nbsp;millions of dollars&nbsp;on band aids to maintain buildings that range from 40-plus to 90-plus years in age&nbsp;and have inadequate space for the district’s 21st Century needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am more concerned about the price our community will pay&nbsp;if&nbsp;we send the message to young families looking to move or stay in our community that we are satisfied with inadequate, ill-equipped, and over-crowded&nbsp;school facilities. &nbsp;So,&nbsp;I think&nbsp;it is critical that the bond passes. &nbsp;I think that despite&nbsp;knowing&nbsp;that I, as a taxpayer, will contribute to paying for the costs of the bond and despite&nbsp;knowing&nbsp;that it is very unlikely that I will have any children that&nbsp;attend&nbsp;school at any of the new or refurbished facilities that will result from passage of the bond.I&nbsp;am&nbsp;convinced that, of all the bond proposals considered,&nbsp;the current bond proposal makes the most sense&nbsp;in terms of facility usage;&nbsp;that&nbsp;this has not been a “rushed” process and that&nbsp;considerable time and effort has gone into crafting a bond proposal that makes sense in its scope;that it gives us&nbsp;a valuable tool to help&nbsp;attract families&nbsp;and businesses&nbsp;to either stay or relocate to our community;&nbsp;and that it avoids kicking the proverbial can down the road for our children and grandchildren to deal with.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is no such thing as waiting for “the right time” to pass a bond. &nbsp;Failing to pass this bond, at this time, will only cost us more in the future as&nbsp;USD 489’s facilities get&nbsp;older,&nbsp;and the scope of the work needed gets&nbsp;larger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp;will&nbsp;vote&nbsp;“Yes”&nbsp;twice&nbsp;for the bond and the sales tax, not because I love to pay another dollar in taxes, but because&nbsp;the&nbsp;current&nbsp;bond&nbsp;proposal deserves&nbsp;support.&nbsp;&nbsp;What I hope is that each voter that intends to vote, whether for or against, will&nbsp;come to their own conclusion by&nbsp;focusing&nbsp;on the&nbsp;facts&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;merits&nbsp;of the proposal, the needs addressed, and the costs of doing nothing,&nbsp;instead of letting misinformation or contrived outrage&nbsp;distract them from the real issues at hand.&nbsp;Chris Sook, Hays

LETTER: Focus on the bond proposal, not the distractions

When I was child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I
became a man, I did away with childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11

I am saying no on the school bond because I hold a huge responsibility to my community and
to its future, I love this community and our children as they are our future. I also feel it is my
civic right to express my opinion. If I am going to complain, I very well better take action.

I’m all for bigger and better, I love technology. Just like everybody else I’d love to see the new
and improved schools ... BUT WE CAN’T AFFORD IT, NOT NOW!!!


Look around, open your eyes. Do you see gas prices at an all time high, $4.19 a gallon and
climbing? Grocery stores experiencing low inventory, much higher prices and rumors of food
shortages like we’ve never seen before? Utilities? I spoke with a person from Midwest Energy
and was told in the very near future our utilities will jump in price dramatically. My water bill
went up $20 a month. My assessment on my homes, yes I said homes, went up 10 to 15% so
what is going to happen to my property taxes? They will go up in price even before the school
bond gets it’s increase if passed. Can I afford all this? Yes I CAN. I will need to budget and cut
back in areas that are non-essentials.


But let’s talk about my in-laws who can’t afford all these price hikes, or all the other elderly in
our community who can’t afford it. Have we thought about them? How about the low-income
families that can barely make it pay check to pay check? How about those who are trying to
buy their first home? They can afford the house payment but can’t afford the property taxes
and insurance that go with it. As we all know Insurances keep going up, and we need to have
insurance. I’ve heard landlords are increasing rent as they want to cover their added expenses
of property taxes. Hays won’t be affordable to live in, or should I say even more unaffordable.&nbsp;

Young people, elderly and low income don’t stand a chance in our community if we are going
to tax them into oblivion. It’s a horrible time to pass this school bond. Our kids will survive
without bigger and better. Hays will survive without bigger and better, but we need to keep a
watchful eye on our elderly, low income and our young adults and pray they can survive during
this horrible inflation.


As I said in an earlier letter I posted on Facebook, I was raised by very wise parents who
said. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it, make do with what you have, fix what’s broken and
save for what you want. Seriously that might be a great subject to teach in our schools, in our
homes.... To be wise stewards with our money.


When I was a child I wanted the sun, moon and stars but now that I am an adult, I want to be
responsible.


When I was child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I
became a man, I did away with childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
I am saying no on the school bond because I hold a huge responsibility to my community and
to its future, I love this community and our children as they are our future. I also feel it is my
civic right to express my opinion. If I am going to complain, I very well better take action.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I’m all for bigger and better, I love technology. Just like everybody else I’d love to see the new
and improved schools ... BUT WE CAN’T AFFORD IT, NOT NOW!!!
Look around, open your eyes. Do you see gas prices at an all time high, $4.19 a gallon and
climbing? Grocery stores experiencing low inventory, much higher prices and rumors of food
shortages like we’ve never seen before? Utilities? I spoke with a person from Midwest Energy
and was told in the very near future our utilities will jump in price dramatically. My water bill
went up $20 a month. My assessment on my homes, yes I said homes, went up 10 to 15% so
what is going to happen to my property taxes? They will go up in price even before the school
bond gets it’s increase if passed. Can I afford all this? Yes I CAN. I will need to budget and cut
back in areas that are non-essentials.
But let’s talk about my in-laws who can’t afford all these price hikes, or all the other elderly in
our community who can’t afford it. Have we thought about them? How about the low-income
families that can barely make it pay check to pay check? How about those who are trying to
buy their first home? They can afford the house payment but can’t afford the property taxes
and insurance that go with it. As we all know Insurances keep going up, and we need to have
insurance. I’ve heard landlords are increasing rent as they want to cover their added expenses
of property taxes. Hays won’t be affordable to live in, or should I say even more unaffordable.&nbsp;Young people, elderly and low income don’t stand a chance in our community if we are going
to tax them into oblivion. It’s a horrible time to pass this school bond. Our kids will survive
without bigger and better. Hays will survive without bigger and better, but we need to keep a
watchful eye on our elderly, low income and our young adults and pray they can survive during
this horrible inflation.
As I said in an earlier letter I posted on Facebook, I was raised by very wise parents who
said. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it, make do with what you have, fix what’s broken and
save for what you want. Seriously that might be a great subject to teach in our schools, in our
homes.... To be wise stewards with our money.
When I was a child I wanted the sun, moon and stars but now that I am an adult, I want to be
responsible.
MaryBeth Fisher, Hays

LETTER: We can't afford USD 489 bond, not now

One aspect of the bond debate which often gets overlooked is the hardship caused by inflation. The trouble we’re seeing right now isn’t just the natural result of a cyclical economy. Rather, it was caused by printing trillions of dollars combined with destructive policies regarding energy and foreign policies. And far from being a temporary hiccup, there’s no evidence that the current administration plans to reverse these mistakes.

As consumers, we are already feeling the pain and know that additional taxes will only further erode our finances; that alone is a good reason to oppose a bond at this time. The ones hardest hit will be those on fixed incomes, many of them senior citizens who could be forced out of the only community they have ever called home.

What’s more, no one has mentioned how inflation will affect local government: the city, county and school system will see their insurance premiums, power bills and equipment costs all go up. Even Joe Biden acknowledged last month that the interruption of grain exports and higher fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine makes worldwide food shortages a possibility. This undoubtedly will strain the school district's lunch budget in ways that haven’t been considered.&nbsp;

Obviously, these increased costs will translate into higher taxes or cuts to services — probably both. Property taxes are guaranteed to increase just to keep up with inflated costs and the sharp increase in valuations will sting us even more.

The uncertainty of our economic condition, coupled with bad policy at the federal level will be costly for us all. Now, throw in the bond on top of that. How many people can afford for their property taxes to double? How many people could be pushed out of their homes? Does taxing people out of their property or making their rent unaffordable really help to "Grow Hays" and project an image that will bring people in?

One aspect of the bond debate which often gets overlooked is the hardship caused by inflation. The trouble we’re seeing right now isn’t just the natural result of a cyclical economy. Rather, it was caused by printing trillions of dollars combined with destructive policies regarding energy and foreign policies. And far from being a temporary hiccup, there’s no evidence that the current administration plans to reverse these mistakes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As consumers, we are already feeling the pain and know that additional taxes will only further erode our finances; that alone is a good reason to oppose a bond at this time. The ones hardest hit will be those on fixed incomes, many of them senior citizens who could be forced out of the only community they have ever called home.What’s more, no one has mentioned how inflation will affect local government: the city, county and school system will see their insurance premiums, power bills and equipment costs all go up. Even Joe Biden acknowledged last month that the interruption of grain exports and higher fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine makes worldwide food shortages a possibility. This undoubtedly will strain the school district's lunch budget in ways that haven’t been considered.&nbsp;Obviously, these increased costs will translate into higher taxes or cuts to services — probably both. Property taxes are guaranteed to increase just to keep up with inflated costs and the sharp increase in valuations will sting us even more.The uncertainty of our economic condition, coupled with bad policy at the federal level will be costly for us all. Now, throw in the bond on top of that. How many people can afford for their property taxes to double? How many people could be pushed out of their homes? Does taxing people out of their property or making their rent unaffordable really help to "Grow Hays" and project an image that will bring people in?Eugenia Spady, Hays&nbsp;

LETTER: Inflation makes bond unaffordable

In February,&nbsp;United WE released a report highlighting the&nbsp;growing gender inequalities in our state, particularly&nbsp;in&nbsp;healthcare.

Last week, state lawmakers&nbsp;made a small step towards progress on this issue.

The&nbsp;newest&nbsp;budget funds an&nbsp;extension&nbsp;to&nbsp;KanCare, the state’s&nbsp;Medicaid program,&nbsp;for&nbsp;postpartum health coverage.&nbsp;

KanCare’s&nbsp;postpartum&nbsp;coverage was extended from 60 days to 12 months.Previously, there&nbsp;had been&nbsp;a temporary&nbsp;expansion&nbsp;of coverage&nbsp;under federal COVID policy.

This policy change is the result of lobbying efforts by a coalition of Kansas maternal health stakeholders to make the temporary extension permanent.&nbsp;

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that about 30% of births last year were covered by&nbsp;KanCare.

Additionally, the percentage of working age women in Kansas without health insurance coverage increased&nbsp;by&nbsp;10% from 2018-2019 and is higher than the national average. The number of women in poverty without health insurance is on the rise&nbsp;in&nbsp;Kansas, while the rest of the country decreases.

The&nbsp;KanCare&nbsp;extension&nbsp;provides&nbsp;much needed, and potentially lifesaving,&nbsp;postpartum&nbsp;healthcare coverage&nbsp;for Kansas&nbsp;women.

There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of severe health complications as an unintended outcome of pregnancy, labor, and delivery among Kansas women. Between 2016-2019, the number of severe complications increased nearly 5% each year.

The Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee&nbsp;found that between&nbsp;2016-2018, an alarming 92% of&nbsp;pregnancy-associated mortalities were preventable.&nbsp;Over 47%&nbsp;of these deaths&nbsp;occurred 43 days to one year after the end of the pregnancy.&nbsp;A period now covered under&nbsp;KanCare’spostpartum expansion.

According to the March of Dimes, women living in poverty and women of color are more likely to experience maternal physical and mental health conditions and are less likely to get help due to lack of healthcare access.&nbsp;KanCare&nbsp;expansion has the potential to close that gap.

As of 2020,&nbsp;March of Dimes&nbsp;found&nbsp;45 counties in Kansas&nbsp;to be&nbsp;maternity care deserts. An additional 24 counties have low access to maternity care. Those counties are home to over 93,000 women,&nbsp;ages&nbsp;15-44.

Healthcare may still be out of reach for a sizeable number of&nbsp;low-income&nbsp;women in Kansas, butfor the women now covered under the&nbsp;expansion,&nbsp;those 12 months of coverage could quite&nbsp;possibly&nbsp;be the difference between life and death.

Additionally, a 2017 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that parental enrollment in Medicaid is associated with a 29% higher likelihood a child will receive annual well-child visits.&nbsp;

Maternal health advocates — both providers and private citizens — made this&nbsp;KanCareexpansion happen by lobbying state lawmakers to address the&nbsp;growing&nbsp;maternal health crisis.

For a political scientist&nbsp;and eternal optimist&nbsp;like myself, it’s heartening to see civic&nbsp;virtue&nbsp;in action.&nbsp;

So many of our state’s&nbsp;citizens&nbsp;are disillusioned with politics and government at every level.

For many, government never does enough&nbsp;to address citizen concerns. They never do it fast enough. And they never do exactly what&nbsp;is&nbsp;wanted, or&nbsp;even&nbsp;needed. Their work&nbsp;is&nbsp;often filled with half measures and compromises. But in a few instances, like this one, we see average people stepping up and pressuring policymakers for much&nbsp;needed change.

I hope this serves as an example to Kansas’ citizens, especially our young people, that government can make&nbsp;good&nbsp;policy that isn’t dragged down by partisan bickering and in-fighting. Sometimes it just takes a little&nbsp;civic virtue and&nbsp;grassroots&nbsp;advocacy.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633377761670.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University." />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>In February,&nbsp;United WE released a report highlighting the&nbsp;growing gender inequalities in our state, particularly&nbsp;in&nbsp;healthcare.Last week, state lawmakers&nbsp;made a small step towards progress on this issue.The&nbsp;newest&nbsp;budget funds an&nbsp;extension&nbsp;to&nbsp;KanCare, the state’s&nbsp;Medicaid program,&nbsp;for&nbsp;postpartum health coverage.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KanCare’s&nbsp;postpartum&nbsp;coverage was extended from 60 days to 12 months.Previously, there&nbsp;had been&nbsp;a temporary&nbsp;expansion&nbsp;of coverage&nbsp;under federal COVID policy.This policy change is the result of lobbying efforts by a coalition of Kansas maternal health stakeholders to make the temporary extension permanent.&nbsp;The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that about 30% of births last year were covered by&nbsp;KanCare.Additionally, the percentage of working age women in Kansas without health insurance coverage increased&nbsp;by&nbsp;10% from 2018-2019 and is higher than the national average. The number of women in poverty without health insurance is on the rise&nbsp;in&nbsp;Kansas, while the rest of the country decreases.The&nbsp;KanCare&nbsp;extension&nbsp;provides&nbsp;much needed, and potentially lifesaving,&nbsp;postpartum&nbsp;healthcare coverage&nbsp;for Kansas&nbsp;women.There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of severe health complications as an unintended outcome of pregnancy, labor, and delivery among Kansas women. Between 2016-2019, the number of severe complications increased nearly 5% each year.The Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee&nbsp;found that between&nbsp;2016-2018, an alarming 92% of&nbsp;pregnancy-associated mortalities were preventable.&nbsp;Over 47%&nbsp;of these deaths&nbsp;occurred 43 days to one year after the end of the pregnancy.&nbsp;A period now covered under&nbsp;KanCare’spostpartum expansion.According to the March of Dimes, women living in poverty and women of color are more likely to experience maternal physical and mental health conditions and are less likely to get help due to lack of healthcare access.&nbsp;KanCare&nbsp;expansion has the potential to close that gap.As of 2020,&nbsp;March of Dimes&nbsp;found&nbsp;45 counties in Kansas&nbsp;to be&nbsp;maternity care deserts. An additional 24 counties have low access to maternity care. Those counties are home to over 93,000 women,&nbsp;ages&nbsp;15-44.Healthcare may still be out of reach for a sizeable number of&nbsp;low-income&nbsp;women in Kansas, butfor the women now covered under the&nbsp;expansion,&nbsp;those 12 months of coverage could quite&nbsp;possibly&nbsp;be the difference between life and death.Additionally, a 2017 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that parental enrollment in Medicaid is associated with a 29% higher likelihood a child will receive annual well-child visits.&nbsp;Maternal health advocates — both providers and private citizens — made this&nbsp;KanCareexpansion happen by lobbying state lawmakers to address the&nbsp;growing&nbsp;maternal health crisis.For a political scientist&nbsp;and eternal optimist&nbsp;like myself, it’s heartening to see civic&nbsp;virtue&nbsp;in action.&nbsp;So many of our state’s&nbsp;citizens&nbsp;are disillusioned with politics and government at every level.For many, government never does enough&nbsp;to address citizen concerns. They never do it fast enough. And they never do exactly what&nbsp;is&nbsp;wanted, or&nbsp;even&nbsp;needed. Their work&nbsp;is&nbsp;often filled with half measures and compromises. But in a few instances, like this one, we see average people stepping up and pressuring policymakers for much&nbsp;needed change.I hope this serves as an example to Kansas’ citizens, especially our young people, that government can make&nbsp;good&nbsp;policy that isn’t dragged down by partisan bickering and in-fighting. Sometimes it just takes a little&nbsp;civic virtue and&nbsp;grassroots&nbsp;advocacy.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Grassroots advocacy expands postpartum coverage

As we gear up for the last week of the most important election in this community, it saddens me how mean and nasty some people have become when your viewpoint is different than theirs.&nbsp; Everyone has their own opinion and their own viewpoint, and if it is different than yours, we should agree to disagree.

Before you vote on May 10, I hope that you consider the following:

• Do we really need a new high school or should we just fix what's broken in the schools we have?

• Who benefits the most with a new high school? Is it the education of the young minds?

• Will our children and grandchildren be able to afford to live in Hays if this bond passes? They will be the ones paying it off.

• If this bond passes, do you realize our current first graders (age 6) will be 36 years old and high school seniors (age 18) will be 48 years old when the bond is paid off?

• What about the direct financial impact this will have for the elderly and those on fixed incomes?

• Inflation is at the highest rate it's been in the last 40 years with no end in sight.

• There will need to be roads constructed on&nbsp;E. 13th St.&nbsp;or Canterbury. Will this bring more taxes to the community?

• Will appraisals for&nbsp;homes close to the high school&nbsp;DOUBLE&nbsp;as they did in Garden City when their new high school was finished? Most of those homes were constructed after the high school was built so we don't know what impact that will be for those homeowners.

• Mainstream media is discussing a recession. What would happen if a recession does hit?&nbsp;

• Why can’t we fix what is broken and save our community from higher taxes?

• Let’s not tax this community out of existence!

My dad was a very wise man and taught me that if you can't afford something don't buy it. You fix what's broken and you make do with what you have. You live below your means and save for what you want.&nbsp;

As we gear up for the last week of the most important election in this community, it saddens me how mean and nasty some people have become when your viewpoint is different than theirs.&nbsp; Everyone has their own opinion and their own viewpoint, and if it is different than yours, we should agree to disagree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Before you vote on May 10, I hope that you consider the following:• Do we really need a new high school or should we just fix what's broken in the schools we have?• Who benefits the most with a new high school? Is it the education of the young minds?• Will our children and grandchildren be able to afford to live in Hays if this bond passes? They will be the ones paying it off.• If this bond passes, do you realize our current first graders (age 6) will be 36 years old and high school seniors (age 18) will be 48 years old when the bond is paid off?• What about the direct financial impact this will have for the elderly and those on fixed incomes?• Inflation is at the highest rate it's been in the last 40 years with no end in sight.• There will need to be roads constructed on&nbsp;E. 13th St.&nbsp;or Canterbury. Will this bring more taxes to the community?• Will appraisals for&nbsp;homes close to the high school&nbsp;DOUBLE&nbsp;as they did in Garden City when their new high school was finished? Most of those homes were constructed after the high school was built so we don't know what impact that will be for those homeowners.• Mainstream media is discussing a recession. What would happen if a recession does hit?&nbsp;• Why can’t we fix what is broken and save our community from higher taxes?• Let’s use common sense!• Let’s not tax this community out of existence! My dad was a very wise man and taught me that if you can't afford something don't buy it. You fix what's broken and you make do with what you have. You live below your means and save for what you want.&nbsp;I don’t know about you, BUT I am tired of paying more and more taxes.&nbsp;IT IS SIMPLY NOT THE RIGHT TIME!&nbsp;Cindy Weigel, Hays

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