By MEGAN GILLILAND
KLM

In a few weeks, Kansans across the state will participate in their first fall local elections. Last year the Kansas Legislature voted to shift local elections from spring to fall to parallel the gubernatorial and Presidential elections that are held in November of even-numbered years. As county election offices prepare for voters on November 7, 2017, the Kansas League of Municipalities (KLM)has prepared an infographic, best practices and a social media campaign to assist citizens and elected officials in this transition.

The League values the importance of voting and encourages Kansans take part in elections and actively participate in decision-making for their communities through voting and other forms of civic engagement. Through our efforts, and other entities across Kansas, we hope to increase voter turnout by providing useful resources that can help voters navigate the election process. Voter participation is not just about getting residents to the polls; it is also about creating an environment of trust in which the opinions of all engaged members of the community are heard and influence changes that are made.

Recently, we published an article in the Kansas Government Journal with strategies for increasing voter engagement. These strategies included teaching the election process to residents, establishing community conversations and creating a social media strategy to encourage voter participation. We encourage communities to use these suggestions to introduce or re-engage voters in local elections. The benefit to communities is that voters will participate on Election Day and, to an even greater extent, continue to ask questions and express opinions which help create change in their community.

The League created a printable infographic for candidates, local government officials or the public to use to encourage voting and educate residents about voter registration, voting locations and types of ballots. There may be variations of the information provided based on counties, but the dates provided give each county’s residents the opportunity to have a counted ballot. The infographic is available online on the League website.

Joint release from the National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates

In remarks to the American Enterprise Institute on Oct. 19, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) stated that he has talked to farmers and that farmers “do not care” about U.S. in-kind food aid.

“I don’t know what farmers Senator Corker is talking to because I can assure you wheat farmers care a lot about in-kind food aid,” said Dighton wheat farmer Ron Suppes. “In 2016, U.S. government donations of milling wheat, that helped feed food insecure populations or were monetized by NGOs to fund local food security projects, reached a level that would be equal to a top ten export market.”

“Sen. Corker’s call to eliminate in-kind food aid donations in favor of all cash gifts is an extreme position, shared by AEI, a group that regularly attacks farm programs and farmers,” said Gordon Stoner, a wheat farmer from Outlook, Mont. “In-kind food aid and monetization are still important tools for delivering greater food availability and easing local market price volatility.”

At a June House Committee on Agriculture hearing, Suppes testified on food aid and a trip to Tanzania where he saw development programs that utilized wheat.

“I saw first-hand how food aid can also generate goodwill with other countries,” he said. “By encouraging agricultural development in countries like Tanzania, we’re ultimately spurring economic growth, which means Tanzania is more likely to be a stronger trading partner in the future. And the tangible presence of U.S. wheat in that equation is a symbol that cash can’t match.”

In fact, one of the goals of the U.S. PL-480 food program is to get food to the places where it is needed most. Over time, this program has also had beneficial effects for U.S. farmers. The Philippines and Taiwan are countries that once received in-kind food aid from the United States. Today, both markets are major importers of U.S. wheat and other food ingredient commodities.

“U.S. Wheat Associates and NAWG believe time-honored U.S. food aid programs have been engines of peace, food security and local capacity building in countless countries around the world,” said Stoner. “In-kind food donation and monetization should remain a vital part of America’s tradition of global generosity.”