As the 2014 election races toward the finish line on Nov.4, candidates from both parties have stooped to their old tricks of slinging mud, name calling and finger pointing at one another. Why can’t candidates do what’s right for this nation and focus on issues?

Instead we are forced to put up with elected officials who grow the government, do-nothing and engage in gridlock.

What Kansas and this nation sorely needs is leadership and a willingness among all elected officials to work together for the good of this country.

What do you think the framers of our constitution and this republic would say about what’s going on in all three branches of government today?

What would Washington, Hamilton and Jefferson think about our way of conducting the nation’s business?

What would Kansas’s own favorite son, Dwight D. Eisenhower say about the way we’re conducting this state and country’s business today?

What would Ike, Alf Landon, Andy Schoeppel and other Kansas leaders of yesteryear think?

Profound?

Enlightening?

Telling?

Where are the ideas for leading this great state and nation?

Isn’t that what they’re supposed to be doing?

Farmers, ranchers and businessmen cannot, and do not want to engage in the same game of blaming one party for the charade going on in Washington and among some of our own state leaders. This is a shared shame and a weakness that is ruining our state and nation.

In spite of claims to the contrary, taxes continue to increase. The only way for the tax-and-spend cycle to be broken is to hold candidates accountable. The citizenry of Kansas and this country must demand candidates clearly state their positions on the issues.

Today’s politicians and the majority of the candidates have become so adept at ducking the issues. They rival a young Muhammad Ali’s ability to float like a butterfly, always out of reach and accountability.

Not only do voters rarely have a chance to ask candidates questions, they have even less chance of receiving a worthwhile answer.

Some candidates also talk out of both sides of their mouth. They tell one gathering of voters one thing and others just the opposite.

They also barrage voters with wave after wave of rhetoric, hoping to obscure their real views. They’re not called politicians for nothing.

At the end of the day, this year’s election is just around the corner. Whether we like what’s been happening in government or not, the mess we’re in remains our own.

It’s our system, and while it may appear broken, we still must vote. Past elections demonstrate rural voters can make a difference by their willingness to go to the polls.

Fiscal responsibility, a reduction in the size of government and increased productivity remain a sound prescription for this country’s economic troubles. The bigger problem of cooperation and compromise while working together for the good of this country must be addressed as well if these remedies are to work.

Urge your friends, family and neighbors to cast their votes Nov. 4

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

Dear Kansans,

Nearly a year ago, in recognition of the critical importance water serves in our state, Gov. Sam Brownback challenged the Kansas Water Office and Kansas Department of Agriculture to develop a 50 year vision for our water supply. His message was clear we needed to get out across the state and listen to stakeholders, and we did just that. We have visited with more than 12,000 Kansans, attended more than 250 meetings and now are preparing to release the Kansas Water Vision at the Governor’s Water Conference early next month.

As we prepare for the conference, the focus is now on the development of the second draft of The Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas. It is important for Kansans to be updated on the process and to have an opportunity for feedback. The feedback we’ve received on the Preliminary Discussion Draft release in July has been phenomenal. As a result of the input we’ve received, we are planning a number of revisions. A preview of some of those changes includes:

• In the Preliminary Discussion Draft, examples of statewide and regional goals were included as means of generating discussion. Did they ever! As most know, our water resources are diverse across the state and the goals we strive to meet must be diverse as well, and applicable to the water resource conditions of the area. As a result, we will be including a goal setting process in the second draft to replace the existing examples. We will enlist the help of the Kansas Water Authority in developing regional water resources goals, working in concert with stakeholders. The Vision and Mission will remain statewide in nature, but the goals will be regional.

• While some aspects of the Kansas Water Appropriation Act may be considered for change through the normal legislative and regulatory processes, the evaluation of the pros and cons of
priority under the Kansas Water Appropriation Act will be eliminated. We’ve heard from many stakeholders regarding this strategy who are very concerned with the potential implications of modifying the fundamental premise of the Act. We feel that any change in the Act as it pertains to the “first in time, first in right” provisions will achieve little and divert attention away from the dozens of strategies in the Draft that are widely supported by Kansans.

• We understand you can’t discuss water quantity without recognizing the importance of water quality. One example of where quantity and quality overlap is in our watersheds. The adoption of watershed best management practices continues to receive overwhelming support as the most cost effective means of preventing sediment from entering our reservoirs. The second Draft will encourage the implementation of more projects aimed at reducing nutrients and sediments from entering our targeted water courses and reservoirs.

• The priority in the second Draft will remain on voluntary, locally driven and market-based solutions. We continue to hear and recognize that locally developed plans have the highest opportunity for long-term success. The state should provide the necessary tools and support to allow greater flexibility for the management of water resources at the local level. The Vision Team also continues to hear a local desire to conserve and extend the life of their aquifer. Local landowners and water right holders have the right and responsibility to determine their destiny with respect to long-term water use while balancing conservation and economic growth.

Your input on the next Draft is critical and the deadline of Oct. 15 is fast approaching. If you have not registered for the Governor’s Water Conference, there’s still time. The conference will be held November 12 and 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan. Please register by going to the Kansas Water Office website at www.kwo.org.

We truly appreciate the effort and commitment by those Kansans who have participated in the Kansas Water Vision process. We look forward to continued discussions as we finalize the next Draft and ultimately all work together to implement the Vision.

Tracy Streeter, Kansas Water Office director
Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Department of Agriculture secretary