Just a few short years ago, no one would have imagined the U.S. could increase production of oil and natural gas while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which are now near 25-year lows. A recent study by the Energy Information Administration indicates the U.S. emitted 23% fewer energy-related CO2 emissions in 2015 than in 2005. Further, thanks in part to increased use of domestic natural gas, ozone concentrations have dropped by 17% since 2000.

Energy production in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the last decade because the independent oil and natural gas industry is committed to investment and job creation in the U.S. and are using technology and innovation to access more oil and natural gas reserves. The U.S. is the world’s leading producer of oil, natural gas, and emission reductions.

The oil and natural gas industry has proven that over the long-term it is possible to lead in energy production AND in environmental stewardship.

For the first time in generations, American energy policy is focusing on domestic abundance, global leadership, and economic opportunity.

America’s rise to global energy leadership continues to create economic opportunities and well-paying jobs across the country. Direct, indirect and induced employment in our industry has increased by 500,000 in the last few years to a total of 10.3 million, including 118,000 Kansas jobs.

Also, American energy abundance is driving a resurgence in manufacturing. Energy costs to producers of steel, chemicals, refined fuels, plastics, fertilizers and numerous consumer products are lower as a result of affordable and abundant domestic natural gas.

America’s energy abundance has also meant that the American consumers’ energy costs are lower today. AAA reports that American drivers saved as much as $550 in transportation fuel costs in 2015. And the average American household saved as much as $1337 that same year due to lower utility costs and other energy-related savings.

The reliability of electrical power generation has been enhanced by the increased use of natural gas. Electric generation policy should focus on cost-effective electric grid reliability and resilience. Market forces, not government mandates, should drive energy policies and determine the fuel mix of power generation portfolios.

The fact is that relying on markets is how the U.S. became a global energy leader. And it is how we will remain one. Remaining a global energy superpower requires an all-of-the-above approach that is informed by market realities and focused on what’s best for consumers, the economy and the environment.

The Energy Information Administration reports that oil and natural gas supplied 65% of our nation’s energy in 2015. By 2040 they estimate that oil and natural gas will supply more than 60% of U.S. energy needs, even under the most optimistic projections for renewable and other sources.

Globally, the International Energy Agency estimates that energy consumption will increase 27% by 2040 and 77% of that energy consumption will be met by fossil fuels.

Petroleum plays an integral role in nearly every aspect of our lives. More than 6,000 products come from petroleum. People use oil-based products every day, whether it is your television remote, cellphone, or even the toothpaste and toothbrush used to brush your teeth. As a key component in heart valves, seat belts, helmets, life vests, and even Kevlar, petroleum is saving tens of thousands of lives daily. Furthermore, oil and natural gas are key components in many medicines and antibiotics such as antiseptics, antihistamines, aspirin, and sulfa drugs.

A new Pew Research Center survey found that 42% of Americans credit advances in technology with having the most impact on improving lives over the last 50 years. Technological advances that have improved daily lives and extended life expectancy are absolutely connected to oil and natural gas. The reality is that many of the technological innovations over the past 50 years have been possible because of energy, specifically oil and natural gas.

All Americans benefit from a safe, environmentally responsible, and thriving oil and natural gas industry. Market realities and a respect for consumers and their preferences should drive smarter regulations that focus on protecting the environment and growing the economy.

We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to find solutions for many of today’s most pressing issues, including creating well-paying middle-class jobs, ensuring sustained affordable energy for consumers, and enhancing our national security while continuing environmental progress.

Future generations are looking to us to get America’s energy policy right. They are counting on us to leave them with a country that is second to none in energy production, security, economic prosperity, and environmental protection.

In recent weeks, registered voters in the 118th district have received four different postcards from Americans for Prosperity (AFP, telling them what I jerk I am for voting to raise Kansas income tax rates last spring.  I take comfort in knowing that I am certainly not their only target.  Dozens of other Kansas House members, including Speaker Ron Ryckman, have also been targeted with identical postcards into their districts.

AFP ‘s source of funding is impossible to track, but it is widely reputed that they are primarily funded by the Koch Brothers of Wichita.  They advocate for lower taxes and smaller government, but in their single-minded pursuit of those goals they ignore the fact that those of us who hold public office have a duty to ensure that government continues to deliver essential governmental services.  The structural imbalance between Kansas state revenues and expenditures has been a persistent problem ever since the Brownback tax experiment was passed in 2012.  Finally, the legislature passed comprehensive tax reform.  It closed the LLC loophole, halted the march to zero, and restored several key deductions.  The measure raised income tax rates, but not so high as they had been prior to the 2012 tax cut.

Recent legislatures have worked hard to cut costs and make government more efficient.  In fact, there are only two functions of state government where expenditures are greater today than they were in 2011.  Those are human services caseloads, which are a function of enrollments and medical costs, and KPERS, which had to be beefed up due to inadequate contribution levels in the past.  In every other area of state government expenditures were either flat during that time (K12 education) or substantially less than six years ago.  Where it was possible to cut, the legislature has acted responsibly and done exactly that.

But for AFP and the Koch brothers, enough is never enough.  They want less taxes and more downsizing.  Their assertion that “we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem” rings hollow when they and other smaller government advocates cannot present any reasonable suggestions for further budget cuts.  Evidently that irresponsible approach is OK when you are a well-funded dark money special interest group.  They don’t actually have to govern.  They don’t have to concern themselves whether funding for schools is adequate to prepare Kansas school children for life and career.  They don’t have to worry about whether college students can afford to continue their education.  They evidently aren’t bothered by turmoil in the state’s prison and foster care systems, the deteriorating condition of Kansas roads and bridges, or whether the KPERS retirement system is adequately funded.  In fact, it is easy to conclude that AFP really does harbor the intent to “shrink government down to a size that it can be drowned in a bathtub”.

The general election is still eleven months away, and AFP has already dropped postcards into dozens of House districts, at an estimated cost of $3000 to $5000 per postcard per district.  Incredibly, they are also mailing out postcards against Kansas senators, who do not stand for re-election until 2020.  It is apparent that AFP intends to continue spending their dark money freely in attempt to buy a legislature which will do their bidding.  And when four members of legislative leadership (myself as House Majority Leader, Speaker Ron Ryckman, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning and Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine) are on their hit list, you can be sure these political terrorists are quite serious.

We can expect a steady barrage of postcards, social media ads and even radio spots over the coming months from AFP and other dark money groups.  Their hope is that a steady stream of misleading mailers will create doubt in the minds of the voters.  I respectfully urge you to not fall for their tactics, and instead contact me with whatever questions you may have at 620-397-3242.   And when those postcards arrive, ask yourself whether the senders really care about the 118th district and the people who live there.  My guess is they would have to use their GPS to even locate the 118th.

Those of us who have been targeted for defeat by AFP can never hope to match their dark money expenditures.  But a healthy campaign war chest will be critically important to stand up to their continual misleading attacks prior to the 2018 elections.  The anti-government forces at AFP and their allies would consider defeating me, a member of House leadership, a major victory.  I am determined to fight back, and I expect to win.  But I cannot succeed without your help, and I respectfully ask for your support now.  Contributions may be made online:  http://www.hinemanforkansas.org/donate/.   Contributions may also be sent to Hineman for Kansas, 116 S. Longhorn Road, Dighton, KS 67839.

Smaller Government: A Case Study

The 2017 tax bill eliminated the small business income tax exemption which the 2012 tax cut had granted to small businesses, partnerships, LLCs, and other pass-through entities.  There was widespread support for doing so, because the exemption was perceived as unfair and much too broad and untargeted.  But there is something about that course-reversal which should be a concern to us all.  It now appears that the Brownback administration’s singular focus on the pass-through exemption as an economic driver led at least indirectly to elimination or significant reduction in other initiatives to grow the Kansas economy.  Consider the following:

1. The Kansas Bioscience Authority, once considered the bright shining light of Kansas economic development initiatives, has been totally dismantled because the resources once dedicated to it were needed to shore up the State General Fund (SGF).
2. The Economic Development Initiative Fund (EDIF) was established in 1986 following creation of the Kansas Lottery.  It is funded annually with $42,432,00 from lottery net revenues, to be used for promoting and assisting economic development within Kansas.  However more than $130 million has been transferred from EDIF to the SGF since 2010, once again because revenues were insufficient to meet the general obligations of the state.
3. From 2011 to 2016 the employee headcount at the Department of Commerce has been reduced by 21.6% and the department’s budget has been slashed by 33.5%.

As state’s revenues declined, partly because of the tax break granted to small businesses, the state has been forced to downsize or eliminate essential programs designed to help business and grow the economy.  Now that the tax break has been eliminated we must turn our attention to other tools in the eco devo toolbox and ensure that they are up to the task of growing jobs and expanding the economy of Kansas.

Incredibly, as the Department of Commerce was being downsized, Secretary Antonio Soave was using his position to reward his friends and business associates at taxpayer expense: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article182419146.html

Less Business-Friendly?

It has been observed that a business-friendly government is an important component of economic development.  To the extent that governmental agencies are difficult or expensive to deal with, that impacts business profits, growth and recruitment.  The Department of Commerce is not the only state agency which businesses regularly interact with, and many of them have been similarly downsized from 2011 to 2016.  Here are some examples:

1. Kansas Corporation Commission employment reduced 14.7%
2. Department of Revenue employment reduced 8.0%
3. Board of Tax Appeals employment reduced 25.1%
4. Kansas Real Estate Commission employment reduced 17.0%
5. Department of Labor employment reduced 32.6%
6. Secretary of State employment reduced 22.6%
7. Insurance Department employment reduced 14.9%
8. Kansas Water Office employment reduced 11.0%
9. Department of Transportation employment reduced 18.0%

No doubt there are instances where efficiencies have been found and unneeded employees have not been replaced, and that is a very good thing.  But the consistent trend of fewer employees across most all state departments and agencies raises the possibility that for many businesses and individuals, interacting with state government is now more burdensome, time-consuming, and costly.  Messages I receive from constituents seem to confirm that this is true.

Cowboy Logic

Quote of the Week

By now you’ve probably heard most of the “It’s so dry that”….jokes, but here are a few more for good measure. It’s so dry the catfish are carrying canteens, trees are bribing dogs, and fire hydrants are chasing dogs down the street.

The Democrats have announced a water pistol buy-back program, Baptists are baptizing with wet-wipes, and migrating ducks and geese have to bring their own water. CRP now stands for Crispy Rotational Pasture, and the Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is offering a new hunting license this year; it’s good for the harvest of one camel, either sex. Yes, we need rain…again. Farmers and ranchers, please don’t tar-and-feather me for this statement, but a long dry spell this time of the year can have its benefits for outdoorsmen.

First let’s look at the obvious, that being how this dry spell will affect waterfowl hunting. Most of the McPherson Valley Wetlands near McPherson are dry, and the wetlands just outside Inman have water in perhaps only one-half the pools. There are several ponds along the 61 four-lane highway that are completely dry, as are many other ponds in this part of the state.

Many of these ponds and water impoundments are favored by ducks and geese over the next couple months, so now all those birds will have to find other water in farm ponds, stock ponds and sand pits for example. There is just as much feed around for them this year as any year, so that will probably mean just as many ducks and geese will stop here for a spell as on any year. Putting two-and-two together means if you can get permission to hunt some of those otherwise overlooked and out-of-sight spots, the waterfowl hunting for you this year may be tremendous.

Whether big game, small game, winged or four footed, furbearers or predators, all critters need water, and even though dry spells don’t affect critter movement patterns much, it’s a no-brainer that more wildlife will be watering at the ponds, creeks and rivers that still hold water. Deer stands placed near water are good bets near dawn and dusk on any year, but this season hunting near a water source may be especially productive as more deer will be drinking from those spots.

If your hunting property doesn’t have water on it, try hanging a stand or putting up a blind as close as you can get to the nearest water. Stock tanks and windmill tanks will probably be more popular watering spots this season for wildlife too, so if possible, find some cover within shooting range of them. In short, this year water sources may be as big a draw as corn feeders or salt blocks, so place you deer stands and blinds accordingly.

Although the properties I trap rarely have ponds on them, most predator trappers agree that pond dams are good spots to set traps for bobcats and coyotes, as they also need water and like to nose around on the dams. All pasture ponds will have cattle trails leading to and around them, and predators use those same trails too. Following the same thinking, since some of those ponds are dry this year, the ones still holding water might be better trap sites this year than usual, as more predators and furbearers will be traveling there to drink. Deep holes in creeks and rivers that still have water will also see more wildlife traffic that normal.

I always wonder where all the beavers and muskrats go when ponds and drainage ditches go dry, and this year water sources still with water could see an influx of them too.

Fishing is affected by extended dry spells also as water levels drop in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams and fish become more concentrated around cover in the available water. I questioned a friend who is a tremendous fisherman about this and he confirmed my assessment. He also added that ice fishing is often great on years when water levels are low, as fish are easier to locate beneath the ice.

Jacques Cousteau once said “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Leonardo da Vinci saw that “Water is the driving force of all Nature.” Yes, it’s dry again and we need a good soaking rain. It seems that all the native Kansans I know have long ago made peace with our states propensity to stay dry, but as a Kansas transplant, I still struggle with that. Nelson Mandela said “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” I guess we can furnish the work, bread and salt, but only God can send the water. Even though it’s dry, use some of the above tips to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Art day in grade school was so much fun. I looked forward to it all week and could barely contain my excitement through morning lessons. Throughout lunch, I’d mull what we’d create when the teacher told us to clear desks for art. My favorite activity was painting, but coloring, gluing, forming clay, whatever hands-on mess making was a hit as far as I was concerned. Art time meant dabbling, creating, and chatting with nearby classmates. What could make it better?

Well, as an adult, I have an answer. Sip or snack and paint class for grownups. The sponsoring artist provides the easel, paint, brushes, and canvas, while students bring beverages and treats.

Several area artists have discovered they live in communities filled with wannabe Picassos. They’ve learned they can offer classes several times a month and teach others to enjoy capturing a scene on canvas. Friends even plan birthday parties and showers involving such activities.

I’ve attended sessions in different area towns and enjoyed every one. In the hours leading up to class, I build the same anticipation that kept me on the edge of my grade school seat. My mind rehearses familiar questions: what are we going to paint, will it be hard, how can I avoid a mess, who’s going to sit nearby, will I like the finished product? Some personality traits never go away, and these have remained mine for decades, even those where I never touched a brush.

No matter whose class you take, teachers understand student limitations and the old adage that nothing succeeds like success. Every course I’ve seen advertised has a great picture for students to paint. Sometimes they focus on scenes involving trees, clouds, sunflowers, water, or farmsteads. Holidays offer options from pumpkins and black cats to big-eyed owls to trees silhouetted against a haunting full moon. Thanksgiving scenes involve everything from autumn leaves to jolly turkeys. My favorite’s Christmas snow men. These whimsical characters might be skating, sledding, trimming trees or even standing on their heads. I enjoy such charming and colorful scenes so much I could paint them year-round.

I credit instructors with setting up the perfect get together. By the time we “artistes” arrive, they’ve arranged plastic protected tables, canvas on easels, paint brushes, Styrofoam plate palettes, and paper towels for messy pupils. They’ve finished at least one if not more demonstration pieces that model what the end result’ll look like if students follow directions. It’s fun to listen to everyone’s remarks as they anticipate the task before them.

It’s interesting how a special energy happens when creative spirits unwind and loaded brushes starting slapping canvas. When colors fill in forms and designs take shape, everyone relaxes. Breathing slows as folks capture key elements of the painting. As participants relax, stories and laughter emerge, adding to a perfect event.

Thank goodness, local artists invite dabblers into their studios and offer opportunities to rediscover joys found in grade school art class. For some, this’ll be their only painting experience, for others this is a springboard to more advanced skills. Regardless, it’s time well spent.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

The USD 489’s School Bond proposal was rejected by voters on election day. It was the third time in recent years a school bond has failed. After the last bond failed a couple of years ago, I wrote a letter explaining why I believed that one failed. At that time, I argued that the single most important reason was a lack of trust in the school board. But a close second was the $94 million price tag.

I believe the failure of this year’s school bond was for one overarching reason – its still massive $78 million, 30-year term with a resulting $154 million tax increase on property owners. There were obviously other reasons why people voted against the bond, including a subtler sense of a lack of trust in the school board, but in the end they factored less into the results. Several analogies will help illustrate my analysis, two of which are general in nature and one that is personal.

A person wants to engage in farming. That person has a couple of options. 1) Start with a piece of land with perhaps a home on it. As time goes on the farmer wants to expand and decides to buy more land, more equipment to farm the land, maybe even some cattle. The farming operation grows at a rate that is affordable and sustainable. 2) The farmer dreams about a farm with a lot of land, equipment and so forth, and wants it all now. In order to accomplish this dream, the farmer will have to get the help of a banker, but the banker questions whether the farmer’s plans make sense and declines to loan the necessary money.

A person wants to become and oil and gas developer. That person has a couple of options. 1) Start with some knowledge and experience in the oil field, acquire some leases, find some investors and start drilling some wells. With time the oil operator adds to the inventory of leases, develops a good list of investors and drills more wells. Maybe the oil operator even acquires other types of oilfield equipment, like a pulling unit or a water truck to generate more revenue, all of which allows the oil operator to become more efficient and successful. 2) The oil operator dreams of a big vertically integrated oil business with lots of wells, a pulling unit, a water truck and maybe even a drilling rig and thinks it’s better to have it all now. After all, who knows how much all that equipment will cost 10 or 15 years from now. So, the oil operator goes to a banker to explain the plan and gives the banker all sorts of reasons why now is better. The banker, however, doesn’t share the oil operator’s optimism, questions the yearly financing expenses to buy all that equipment, and doesn’t loan the oil operator the money needed to accomplish the oil operator’s dream.

My wife and I moved back to Hays in 1985. In 1986 we bought the house in which we currently reside. It was a 56-year-old house then and had no central air or heat, galvanized pipes, a cobbled-together electrical box that couldn’t support central air, and didn’t have a garage. Initially we spent our money on new plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. Looking from the outside and at the inside the house didn’t look any different. But for us these were truly needs.

As our family grew we wanted new bedrooms and baths, a remodeled kitchen, a functional basement and a garage. It took us another 14 years to accomplish our needs as well as our wants, and finally built that garage in 2000 just in time for our oldest child’s high school graduation (from Hays High). We could have gone to a banker in the beginning and asked for the money to do everything right away. However, we realized that the likelihood of a banker loaning us all the money we would need to build our dream house all at once was slim based on our business earnings at the time. So, it took us longer and the costs of construction increased somewhat over the years, but in time we were able to get what we wanted by saving and borrowing as little extra money as possible as we took on each new project.

The point is the property owners who pay the taxes necessary to finance any school bond are the bankers. The bankers, other than the overwhelming majority of the vision team, school principals and teachers, tried to suggest to the school board a different approach to improving our school buildings, but the school board didn’t listen.

Once again, the vision team’s plan endorsed by the school board took the all-or-nothing attitude to achieve the needs and more importantly the wants for improvements to school facilities. Once again, the school board ignored the voices of those who earnestly desired things to be done differently, as well as its own polls which informed the school board that individuals in the community at large that were not represented by the vision team wanted smaller more frequent bonds. Once again, the school board relied upon out of town architects to “guide” the planning process which in time, not surprisingly, produced a bond with the highest dollar amount possible.

Once again, the school board failed to understand or appreciate the local politics involved in a bond campaign and failed to rely upon those with extensive campaign experience who could have been helpful. Once again, the school board used tax payer dollars to inundate us with those slick four colored brochures to justify the plans and attempted to use an academically faulty Rutgers University study to puff up the alleged economic benefits of the bond, while ignoring the actual negative impact the bond would have on our local economy.

USD 489’s school bond was rejected 61% to 39%. One could reasonably conclude that it was a noteworthy failure. Given all the effort and resources expended by the school board and the vision team in this political campaign, one could also reasonably wonder how their campaign never amounted to more than a political cliché.

In addition, one rather obscure item in the election results is politically telling and significant. The Under Votes in the school board election were double the Under Votes in the Hays City Commission election – 6,426 to 3,206. Will the school board appreciate the meaning of this cryptic tidbit of information?
So the question now for the school board is whether or not it will be open to different ideas about how to put together another bond. Or will it once again only listen to those who have become a part of the echo chamber that is represented by the vision team members and architects who produced this failed school bond. In other words, will the school board learn from its past experiences with failed bonds or will it simply repeat the same flawed process yet another time?

I am not sure of its origin, but there is an often used saying that suggests one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For the record, despite accusations to the contrary, I was not against a bond when I started as a member of the vision team, and I am not against all bonds. Obviously though, I favor a different approach and I think I speak for a substantial number of other people in this community who will not speak out publicly for fear of the consequences. As some of the school board members already know, I am willing to use my political experience to assist in formulating a different plan. They just need to let me know.

Thomas M. Wasinger, Vision Team Member with a different viewpoint

Let’s stop talking so much about “fake news.”

Not that we should ever cease identifying, talking about or countering misinformation, be it accidental error, the result of negligent work, or deliberately false — to which we must now add propaganda tactics aimed at destabilizing our democracy.

We face all those types of misinformation today; amplified as they are by platforms that allow for instantaneous, worldwide communication.

But the term “fake news” no longer has any real meaning as a national concern or a problem to be dealt with. The term has become far too politicized and much too imprecise, now serving as a catch-all for information anyone sees as divisive, disagreeable, biased or plain wrong. Instead, I prefer a term offered by my Newseum Education colleagues: “junk news.”

Regardless of what we call it, less talk and more action on misinformation is where our focus ought to be. Media Literacy Week, taking place Nov. 6 through 10, is as good a time to start as any.

NewseumED, the Newseum’s nonpartisan education arm, offers information and tools to help students — and all of us — navigate today’s complex media landscape. Its collections of resources are all aimed at helping us understand how news is made and how we can take a more active and responsible role in the information cycle. That includes having the skills to evaluate information, filter out fake news, separate facts and opinions, recognize bias, detect propaganda, spot errors in the news and take charge of our role as media consumers and contributors.

As junk news continues to infiltrate the newsfeeds of millions of social media users, education and awareness have become the best line of defense against the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Where journalists once served as the “gatekeepers” of society’s daily information consumption, today anyone with Internet access can create and distribute content, and spread information by sharing it on social media.

For many, that’s more comfortable and a better option: the power to choose and shape what we need to know, rather than having it fed to us by a select few. But with that power should come a greater sense of responsibility to draw our news from as many reliable, diverse sources as we can.

Failure to do that has created the now-infamous condition in which social media’s omnipresent algorithms track our every keystroke to present us with news that we “like” — or in other words, news that plays to our existing opinions and biases.

Sure, there was a time when readers would settle on a favorite TV network or, in an even earlier era, a favorite radio station for the nightly news. Newspaper readers in communities where there were multiple daily publications would subscribe to one over the others. Much of the non-local news, for good or bad, contained the same information — very often taken from wire services that prided themselves on their ability to “get it first, get it right — but above all, get it right, first.” Those were the days when CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite was called the “most trusted man” in the nation, by virtue of that news media mantle.

In today’s news world, where those long-standing print and broadcast news outlets are barely standing, and new media players have yet to show the depth or credibility it takes long to develop, we as consumers must take less on “faith” and more on “fact.”

For their part, news operations, think tanks, social media companies and others are working on ways to help consumers play a more responsible role in the daily news cycle. Verifying stories and tightening ethical standards are good starts, but significant obstacles lay in the path — namely, the declining revenue and resources of traditional press organizations, and the new web-based media economy that depends on eyeballs and clicks. In such an environment, thorough “accountability” reporting — often dull but always necessary — has fallen by the wayside.

There are some signs that people are rethinking a reliance on just one site, which is a good first step to improving our news diet. According to the Pew Research Center, about a quarter of all U.S. adults (26 percent) get their news from two or more social media sites, up from 15 percent in 2013 and 18 percent in 2016. But consumers shouldn’t stop with just “more” — our daily intake needs to consist of varied, credible sources. Otherwise, consumers trap themselves in a news bubble or echo chamber, in which they only see information that confirms and reinforces their opinions instead of challenging them.

At a forum last week on First Amendment issues and fake news, I advanced a long-held theory of mine that eventually news consumers will demand information on which they can rely, and will over time migrate to those sources; that credibility will be the news currency of the 21st century.

But it’s no longer the province of news providers alone to build that demand. Individual consumers must join in that effort by getting savvier about the news. In a twist on an old saying, “Let the buyer be aware.”

Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and of the Institute’s First Amendment Center. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.

Remember the sound of popcorn popping on a stovetop? Today, we’ll meet a Kansas manufacturing company that is continuing the tradition of stovetop popcorn poppers and bringing it into the modern era.

Nilus Orth and his brothers are owners of Bushton Manufacturing and QuinCraft Products which produce the Atom Pop popcorn popper today. This product goes back to the 1950s, when a man named Edwin Lewis started a business in the rural community of Quincy, Kansas. Quincy township today has a population of 136 people. Now, that’s rural.

Mr. Lewis named the company QuinCraft Products. It was stocked with surplus aluminum spin forming machines from the post-war airplane industry.

In 1952, Mr. Lewis met an electrical engineer who had designed a cone-shaped, aluminum popcorn popper which was heated on a stovetop. The cone shape worked ideally to evenly pop the corn without shaking or stirring. The aluminum dispersed the heat quickly once it was done. Mr. Lewis bought all rights and started producing the popper in Quincy.

This was in the early 1950s when there was lots of excitement about the possibility of producing energy from atomic power. In that spirit, Mr. Lewis named the product the Atom Pop. With that, a new no-shake, no-stir popcorn popper was born.

The business grew to the point that Quincraft was producing more than 20,000 poppers a year. Then two things happened: Mr. Lewis passed away suddenly, and, eventually, microwave ovens came onto the market and took away market share from stand-alone poppers. Mr. Lewis’ widow and daughter kept the popper business going and moved it to Fredonia. In 2005, the Orth brothers bought it and moved it to their manufacturing site in their hometown of Bushton, Kansas.

The Orth brothers also have historic roots in rural Kansas. “My family’s been here longer than Bushton,” Nilus Orth said. Orth ancestors came to Kansas in 1857 before Bushton was officially organized. Nilus and his brothers were among 10 children born in their generation of the Orth family. “We have always been farmers,” Nilus said.

Nilus got bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas. He taught at Lamar University and, in 1995, came back to Kansas and joined his brothers in a manufacturing business. Ten years later, they bought QuinCraft and the Atom Pop popcorn popper business.

The Atom Pop still comes in the original cone-shaped design which goes on any stovetop. The design is simple and the process of using it is easy. Just add cooking oil and popcorn kernels, place on a stovetop or heat source, and enjoy the popcorn when it’s done.

“My daughters did a test to compare how long it took to use the popper or the microwave,” Nilus Orth said. “By the time you unwrap the microwave popcorn, unfold it and get it done in the microwave, the popper was faster,” he said.

Nilus also prefers the taste of popcorn prepared in the popper compared to the microwave. “It is a night and day difference,” he said.

He also believes it is healthier. As a 2015 Kansas City Star article said, “The corn stays crisper, bypassing the chemical additives in the microwave stuff that can give it an unpleasant rubbery taste.”

Perhaps nostalgia is also part of the appeal of this product. The retro look of the company website is taken directly from the classic Atom Pop marketing brochure of the 1950s. The website even has an old-time-looking video in black-and-white demonstrating how easy it is to use. The Atom Pop popcorn popper is available for purchase from dealers or from the website directly at www.atompoppopper.com.

“We’ve sold these poppers to all 50 states and Canada, and we’re always looking for more retail outlets,” Nilus said. “Contact us if you’re interested.”

Remember the sound of popcorn popping on the stovetop? It can still be enjoyed today, thanks to the classic Atom Pop popcorn popper. We salute Nilus Orth and all those involved with Atom Pop for making a difference with their entrepreneurship. The only thing better than the sound of popcorn popping, is the taste when it’s done.

Friend,

This weekend we pause in honor of our veterans. Few people know that the tradition of Veterans Day is deeply rooted in Kansas. Back in 1953, Alvin King, a shoe salesman from Emporia proposed that November 11th be a day to not only remember the Armistice of World War I, but to honor all veterans.

Not only is the Big First home to around 50,000 veterans, it is also home to the Big Red One at Fort Riley. We thank them for their service, but also for their many contributions to the region. In Congress, we serve those who served, and every day we are working on ways to improve the lives of Veterans. Our priorities remain with ensuring a path to a career or to further education after service, while also making sure that the very best of care is being made available to them.

I am often asked, what more each of us can do for our veterans. To that, I say be like Alvin King. Hire a veteran. Be the voice of advocacy and support. On a daily basis, when we see a hat, license plate or the salute, we should all take a moment to show our gratitude. To the men and women who serve and have served our country and their families, on behalf of my family and the Big First District of Kansas – thank you.

One of the biggest honors I have in this job is thanking the veterans who come to Washington on an Honor Flight (shown right) for their service. I want all veterans and their families to know my office is an available resource.

If you are a veteran or know a veteran that is in need of assistance, you can contact my office at 785-829-9000.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns or know of ways my office can be of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the House

Progress on Tax Reform

This week the House continued to make great progress on our tax reform plan. The House Ways and Means Committee has spent the last four days engaged in mark-ups in order to prepare the bill for a vote. I am keeping a close eye on progress and making sure that the best interests of Kansans are safeguarded in the process.

To keep up with progress and find out more about the tax plan, head over to fairandsimple.gop

Meeting with Sec. Perdue

It was a pleasure this week to meet with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, along with Chairman Mike Conaway, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and others (shown right). NAFTA isfront and center of our discussions, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to bring the Big First’s voice to these discussions.

Thanks you to all that attended, these kind of vital discussions are the foundations of our path forward.

Internship Opportunities in my Office

Have you ever wondered what it is really like to work for Congress? If so, I encourage you to apply to my internship program that runs year round! Internships provide an opportunity for students to work closely with me and my staff, and assist our efforts to represent Kansans on Capitol Hill. You can apply directly from my website. I am excited to have some of you join me in working for Kansas and the First District! Applications for the Spring semester internship are due by November 13th. (Seen left with Fall ’17 intern class)

Please visit my website, marshall.house.gov to apply!

Congressional Republicans have released their “tax reform” plan. Words flow from their summary sheet like seductive whispers: “More Jobs. Fairer Taxes. Bigger Paychecks.” What’s not to like? The economy will boom. It’s for everyone. We can afford it.

Listening to their rhetoric transports many Kansans into the past, to 2012, when we heard those same sweet nothings. Back then Kansas succumbed. Our tax experiment was launched. And what happened next?

Income tax revenue dropped like a rock, creating a perpetual budget crisis that threatened public education, highways, and a host of other services. The promised jobs and economic shot of adrenalin never materialized, leaving Kansas’ economic performance lagging neighboring states and the nation. And the poorest Kansans ended up paying more while the wealthiest Kansans got big breaks.

By 2016 Kansans figured things out and changed their Legislature. Then a bipartisan supermajority of lawmakers rescinded the tax cuts with a veto override and started Kansas toward recovery.

After all that, how can it be that every member of the Kansas congressional delegation—every single one—now supports a Kansas-style tax cut plan for the nation?

Lynn Jenkins, your proposed plan includes a huge LLC loophole, something Kansans came to understand as deeply unfair. Actually, the proposed loophole is worse. It may be advertised as benefitting “small business,” but it only applies to individuals with “pass through income” in the top income tier.

Kevin Yoder, your bill gives corporations enormous, permanent tax breaks, but does not require one job to be created in return. The Kansas tax cuts had no job creation requirements either. Look how that worked out.

Ron Estes, you were State Treasurer during the Brownback years and never said “boo” about the tax-cut-caused budget trouble. Surely though, now a Congressman, you must realize that the financially unsustainable plan you support adds $1.5 trillion to the national debt, placing huge financial burdens in our future.

Roger Marshall, yes, your plan lowers individual income tax rates for most earners. Kansas did that too. But remember the offsets—personal exemptions, college tuition breaks, and medical and other deductions gone. Netted out, millions of Americans will actually get a tax increase. Any remaining middle-class tax cut amounts to window dressing. Can’t you see? Your plan is skewed to benefit the wealthiest, as was the Kansas plan.

Jerry Moran, you managed some plain, honest talk with Kansans on health care earlier this year. Why not do that on taxes too? We’ve been schooled, and can handle a real discussion.

Pat Roberts, many say you’ve become out of touch with Kansas. Support for this tax plan certainly proves that true.

The stance of the Kansas delegation highlights a brokenness in national politics. In front of their noses lies a crystal-clear example of a “trickle-down economics” disaster, but to a person the delegation appears unable to understand and engage the very thing that roiled their home state. Instead they read from Sam Brownback’s old script and fall into soulless formation with party, apparently intent on dragging Kansas (and the nation) through another tax fiasco.

Our Kansas delegation’s behavior is perhaps predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less depressing or unforgivable.

Duane Goossen formerly served 12 years as Kansas Budget Director.

I want to start this letter by saying thank you to the local police force. I have recently succumbed to being a victim of a crime that involved theft of my property. The Hays police was kind enough to find my property and return it to me under some strange circumstances.

The way this unfolds is a bit bizarre. On the night of Nov. 8, I was visited by an officer of the Hays police force. I happened to be in my backyard at the time the officer knocked on my front door and was not sure if it was my house that the knock actually was for. As it was, my wife had the front door open so I could see from the backyard through the front door and decided I should go check if it was indeed our house. I noticed a police vehicle parked in front of my house, so I decided to go out just in case they were the source of the knocking.

As most people are when they see an officer at their door, I was a bit worried as to what the problem could be. As I walked out the door, the officer got out of their vehicle so I knew that I was most definitely the reason they were there and the knocking was for me.

As they approached me, they asked if I was missing a trailer from my property. I said “not that I know of, but let’s check!” It turns out that some inebriated fellows thought it funny to take my small pickup-style trailer from the side of my house and proceed to walk it down the street.

According to the officer, the fellows mentioned grew tired of walking the trailer down the street and decided to leave it about a block and a half from my house. A concerned citizen heard them drop it and called the police. That was two weeks ago. Now fast-forward two weeks to when the officer visited my house. This is the first time I noticed my trailer as missing. Now the officers could have just gotten rid of my trailer as I obviously had not reported it stolen yet. They could have waited for a report to come in and then figured out the owner. The great thing is that they decided to go a step further and investigate where the trailer came from.

The officer who was at my house explaining to me that he knew where my trailer was went the extra mile to find me instead of waiting for me to call them. They went on Google maps and looked at the houses along the street that the trailer was found. They were able to find my trailer in a picture that was taken of my driveway a few years ago. This drew the officer to my house to ask if the trailer was indeed mine. Now keep in mind the image was old and this could have been a dead end, but luckily I still lived in the house that the image was taken.

I have to say there are so many ways this could have gone worse for me. I did not even notice the trailer gone in the first place. It is not something I use on a regular basis. The officers could have just let it be a piece of stolen property. The whole thing could have been a disaster for me. Instead, the good work of the Hays police officer got me my property back and through concerned citizens was able to catch the fellows who thought in their drunken state to take someone else’s property.

This is my personal thank you to the officer Donovan Richmeier and anyone else who may have helped in this. This was definitely a case of a public servant “serving” the public. Again, thank you, and I hope many see this as proof that our police force is there to help us even though there is so much bad news out there today!”

Brandon Mai, Hays

“One Kansas farmer feeds you and 138 people” reads one rural Kansas sign that badly needs updating. If China had such signs, they would read “One Chinese farmer feeds you.” For until recently, half of the people in China were farmers. An average American farm is 400 times larger than the land used by the average Chinese small farmer. But times are changing over here.

I first came to Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University in 1999 when China decided to build a new university town in the little village of Yangling. It is one hour west of Xi’an and the first time I travelled that road, there were small family plots all along the small superhighway, new at that time. The family plots had raised walkways between them. And if was after school, children joined their parents and grandparents working in this patchwork field.

A few years later, the kids weren’t in the fields. Parents demanded their children spend the remaining daylight inside their old rural houses, studying for the exam so they could go to college. By 2010, only the old folks, mostly grandparents were still working the fields. Many younger adults had migrated to larger towns and cities for better paying jobs.

Today, that superhighway is double-wide and the small family plots along that route are gone. Heavy equipment has leveled the walkways. Fields sown in wheat resemble fields in Kansas. The retired farmers get a percentage from these new farm operations that have replaced them. Some now live in nearby towns in simple but modern apartments…”townification.” I suspect China could have moved from small plots to big farming a decade ago, but moved at a speed that allowed the older farmers to keep their jobs and dignity. I respect that.

China works hard to maintain national food security. Its policies include regulations for food safety, reforestation of marginal lands, reduction of pollution, and fair treatment of the 603 million people in 200 million farm households who now include the majority of their 70 million citizens still in poverty.
On a map, China looks the same size as the U.S. but has far more mountains and deserts. China must feed 22 percent of the world’s population with only 9 percent of the world’s cultivated cropland. Fifty years ago, everyone in China was indeed equal—equally poor. Food was distributed evenly and the obesity rate was essentially zero. Everyone knew times of hunger. After 1980 and the end of farm collectives, per capita food production in China increased 3.5-fold.

China stacks their population vertically in high-rise apartments and attempts to limit diversion of cropland to other uses. Every square foot of good land is cultivated. Along much of the high-speed train route from Yangling to Beijing, I see much farmland that formerly saw one or two crops a year is now under greenhouses that stretch out of sight and allow double or triple-cropping. Far from cities, you see wheat and other field crops. Near cities, it changes to vegetable crops.

China is in the forefront of developing high-yield crop strains improved through both conventional breeding and engineering for hybrid rice, corn/maize, and wheat germplasms. China has also dramatically increased use of fertilizers and pesticides. Agricultural irrigation has been expanded. Good roads are being paved to all rural towns. China now grows over 95 percent of its own grain.

But there are problems, too. China is using 35 percent of the world’s fertilizer, three times the world per capita average. That results in pollution and reduces food safety. Same with pesticides.

Education and extension work will be critical as China moves into modern farming. Having sent kids off to higher education, the old farming population averages less than 7.8 years of education while 85 percent of U.S. farmers have graduated high school and nearly 20 percent hold bachelors’ degrees.

As China moves to large-scale farming operations where mechanization will improve efficiency, the solution comes back to education. China openly speaks of farming becoming a profession. Of the 40+ national universities, only two (Chinese Agricultural University and NWAFU where I am reporting from) specialize in serving this half of China that is still rural.

The pure and applied research that is conducted here, and the extension work that must be done, are highly valued in China—a country where parents and grandparents remember hunger.

John Richard Schrock is a professor at Emporia State University.

Is there room in your refrigerator for that turkey you’re going to thaw? It takes 24 hours for each 4-5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator –that means if you have a 20 pound turkey you’ll need to get it into the refrigerator at least five days before you want to cook it. Even if you’re going to buy a fresh turkey, you’re still going to need refrigerator space for a day or two.

It’s no coincidence that National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day is observed annually on November 15. Holiday hosts will need space in the refrigerator for thawing the turkey beforehand, and afterward for all of the special holiday food and upcoming leftovers. Don’t expose your expensive holiday specialties to lurking bacteria and mold, or suffer the embarrassment when guests can’t find a place to store their items for the holiday buffet. Get together a bucket filled with warm soapy water, disinfectant, a sponge and a garbage bag, and tackle that refrigerator early in November.

The same goes for the freezer. There are usually sales on whole turkeys just before or just after the holiday. Do you have space for an extra turkey at a great price? If a whole turkey is too big for a regular family meal, ask the meat man to cut the frozen turkey in half or quarters and rewrap for the freezer. His meat saw can cut through a frozen turkey with ease.

Another somewhat related question…..Can you use that year-old turkey in your freezer for the holiday meal? Technically, YES.

Frozen turkeys will keep for a long time if held below zero degrees. They’re usually packed in air- and water-resistant plastic wraps that help prevent loss of quality during freezer storage. The general recommendation for freezer storage is one year, if the food has been frozen that whole time. This is a quality recommendation and not a food safety deadline.

One idea is to thaw and cook that year-old turkey early in the month as a “trial run”– because if it’s a year-old you probably haven’t cooked a whole turkey in a long time. This will give you practice– and then purchase a new turkey for the holiday. It isn’t necessary for safety, but you really want the best quality for your holiday meal. With any food storage, remember FIFO—first in, first out.

Another early November task is to find the food thermometer. You may have an old meat roasting thermometer rolling around in the back of your silverware drawer—these can be put in the food inside the oven. They work better than nothing.

A better bet would be to invest in a new instant-read thermometer. These thermometers are designed to read the temperature in just a few seconds, and they do NOT go into the oven (the heat of the oven will ruin them.) Digital ones are great and can be used for many different types of foods. But even the most basic instant-read thermometer is an important kitchen tool for food safety. Buy a basic instant-read food thermometer for around $5-8 at discount and grocery stores; digital ones may cost $15-20 and up, depending on the features you choose. Check hardware stores for a digital thermometer or purchase one online.

With these basic things out of the way, you can get on with the rest of the planning for your holiday meal. Sometimes when you get in the store you see so many ideas for side dishes, desserts, appetizers, and beverages that you can get overwhelmed and feel unprepared or make excessive purchases. It is a good idea to plan your menu, research and print your recipes, and stick to a shopping list.

And don’t forget to enlist help from your guests, if needed. The joy of the holiday is a bounty of delicious food choices, and it’s easier on the cook if others bring some of the delicacies to share for the feast.

Whether its your first attempt at cooking a turkey, or you’ve been hosting the holiday meal for years, you may have questions or need additional resources. Feel free to call me at the Hays office of the Cottonwood Extension District, 785-628-9430, or check out the online holiday resources from K-State Research and Extension at www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety/topics/holiday.html.

Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.