By DUSTIN ROTHS

There are over 1,000 miles between Hays, Kansas and Washington, D.C., but that doesn’t stop assuming federal agencies from imposing burdensome programs, rules and regulations that they “think” are best on our local businesses and farmers. One of these issues is the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The RFS was created in 2005 to increase demand for renewable fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring a certain percentage of ethanol and biofuels be mixed into automobile gasoline. Along with other benefits, corn ethanol is another source of octane that allows fuel refiners to pass certain octane requirements.

Personally, I do not like the idea of a government mandate that dictates what type of fuels refiners and consumers must use, but there is a lot of support for the RFS in Kansas. It has boosted the demand for corn and ethanol in the state, and given a lift to our state’s economy.

However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to take over complete control of the RFS in 2023 with free reign over required blending levels for corn ethanol, which is bad news for the industry in Kansas. Already, the federal agency has used its power to waive down required blending levels for corn ethanol in 2016 and 2017 rules. Furthermore, the EPA recently proposed an update to the RFS that includes the promotion of electric vehicles. This proposal would further edge corn ethanol out of the marketplace.

As a small business owner and native of Kansas, I am very involved with my community, including other small business owners and our local farmers. A common thread between us is the uncertainty that we all feel due to onerous regulations from federal agencies like the EPA. If the EPA takes over the RFS in 2023, elected leaders from Kansas will have no say over what happens to the program.

Given the agency’s history, it is likely that corn ethanol will be completely phased out and replaced by advanced biofuels and electric vehicles. For farmers, this uncertainty means it is nearly impossible to plan for the future or reinvest in operations and create jobs.

This is what happens when the EPA is allowed to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Government mandates are unfair, they artificially inflate demand and distort the marketplace, and ultimately reduce competition and increase prices for consumers. In this case, Kansas corn farmers and ethanol producers got a temporary boost, and now they’ll suffer as a result of an irresponsible federal agency that is looking to push fuels that are not produced from oil or corn.

Therefore, the most rational solution would be to remove the EPA from the fuels market in 2023 and allow the free market to correct the distorted marketplace. The RFS helped create a strong market for ethanol, and it is now strong enough to stand on its own. Conventional ethanol is the most affordable source of octane on the market, and it would thrive without the agency’s ceiling. An unelected government agency should not be allowed to control the fate of Kansas businesses and farmers.

It’s time to cut the agency’s leash and allow all fuels to compete on a level playing field.

Dustin Roths, Hays, is a small business owner, free market advocate and proud Republican in western Kansas.

My father served in the Second World War. He was on the ground in northern Africa and Italy. He lived during a time when the threat of war engulfed every major nation and when the call to serve weighed heavily on the mind of every American. Millions were drafted into our armed forces, joining men and women who had volunteered knowing that they could make the difference between freedom and tyranny for generations of Americans to come. My father and the people around him served with one thing in mind – one thing that outweighed the fear they felt, the way their lives were upended, and their homesickness: love of country.

I saw firsthand how my father’s service shaped his life, my mother’s life and my own. But his example is just one – millions served before him and millions have served since. Our nation’s veterans represent the very best values of our country: courage, sacrifice, hard work and a willingness to put others first by fighting to protect them. Veterans deserve to know how much we respect them, and on Veterans Day, we have a special opportunity to remind them.

Often what veterans need most when they return to civilian life is the dignity of a job to start anew and provide for their families. Unfortunately, there are still barriers regarding military certifications transferring to private sector jobs, the up-front costs associated with starting small businesses, or the need to play catch-up in educational pursuits put on hold during their years of service. These can all make the transition to civilian life difficult.

We should be recognizing the unique skills and corresponding certifications our veterans possess, not requiring them to jump through unnecessary hoops or waste time re-learning skills they already have. I welcome news that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently provided Overland Park’s Johnson County Community College with a grant to support training veterans and their families for jobs as commercial bus and truck drivers. Those who have served our nation transporting people or critical military assets certainly have the skills and background to be some of the safest bus and truck drivers on the road.

Veterans exude the kind of strong work ethic that makes America strong and the greatest nation in the world. That’s why I introduced the Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Act (VET Act, S.1862) this Congress to give veterans the choice and opportunity to pursue resources through the Small Business Association and utilize their G.I. bill benefits in order to start their own businesses.

Some of the best local businesses across our state are owned and operated by veterans. In Overland Park, Major Emma Toops, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2013, and her husband started Toops Consulting, a firm working to bridge the gap between veteran and civilian culture. Joe Boeckner of Hays served in the U.S. Army National Guard and started a screen-printing and apparel business, Hays Tees, and firearm retailer and online dealer, Joe Bob Outfitters. And in Junction City, Jim Fawcett, an Army vet who served in Vietnam, owns Junction City Abstract and Title and The Pampered Pet, a pet goods store specializing in animal rescue. The success these servicemembers and many other Kansas veterans have creating jobs, growing the economy and providing services to communities across our state reminds us of the contributions our veterans can make when we support and empower them.

We can do even more than remembering and thanking our veterans on November 11. We must do everything we can to support them and their families and demonstrate our gratitude through action. I will continue working to enable veterans to find meaningful work after separation from service. Their sacrifices have made it possible for us to grow up in a country where freedom and opportunity are woven into the very fiber of our nation. This Veterans Day, we can show our love of country not only through sharing our thanks with the veterans we know, but also by offering veterans jobs and career opportunities, mentoring them during their transition from service and supporting veteran-owned and operated businesses.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)

By Gov. Sam Brownback

November 11 marks Veterans Day and I hope every Kansan honors those men and women who have served or continue to serve our great nation.

Please say thank you to all veterans for protecting and defending our freedom and way of life. We are the greatest country in the world because we have the greatest people in the world defending us. Nothing is more important than remembering and honoring those who gave of themselves so that we can continue to be the home of the free because of the brave.

The State of Kansas has always valued our military and its service members and we are privileged to support the quarter million veterans who live in our state. The sacrifices made by veterans in defense of our great nation deserve our respect and praise. They also deserve the best benefits and medical care available. Kansas is dedicated to providing quality benefits, care, and facilities for our veterans and I’m proud of the progress we have made over the past two years.

This commitment to our veterans and their families has led to numerous improvements in our veterans programs. As an example, the Kansas Veterans Home in Winfield opened Triplet Hall on its campus to expand its long-term nursing care capacity by 40 beds. This expansion provides additional services and resources to many deserving veterans and their families at little to no cost to the state.

At the Kansas Soldiers Home at historic Ft. Dodge we are witnessing a significant upgrade to the two main buildings on campus including a major renovation of their assisted living facility in Lincoln Hall. This upgrade includes new flooring and carpet, showers and bathrooms, covered entryway, paint, and new furniture. The long-term care facility, Halsey Hall will get a complete kitchen renovation, covered entrance, new windows and air conditioning units, electrical upgrades, and new paint and flooring.

It is important that the quality of the facilities matches the quality of care at both facilities.

We have also hired additional veteran service officers to improve outreach to Kansas veterans and help them gain access to the federal benefits they are entitled to such as health care, education assistance, disability compensation, and home loan guarantee programs.

The service of the men and women who served in the military is the greatest gift an American can give to his or her fellow citizens. Kansas remains unwavering in our support for our deserving veterans.

Two coeds were discussing the nice young man sitting next to them in class: “Oh, he was so cute, and I really liked the smell of his colon.”

Fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid, too. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulacity uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch sutdy at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy satets it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihing is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig, huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

In the world of marketing today, it is amazing how many misspelled words are used. If a company cannot take the time to use proper grammar and spelling, one might wonder if they’ve taken proper measures to manufacture the product, itself. Or have they cut the same corners there, also? It appears the worst examples come from companies overseas that use a translator (not a very good one) to transfer the instructions from another language into English.

For example, in the English language there are three spellings of the word, to, too, two, that all have different meanings, and yet how many times have we seen “to” for the meaning of “also?”

Someone may ask, “What’s the big deal?” When a person attends a musical concert and some soloist plays a b flat instead of a b natural, it’s a mistake and reflects on his/her musical talent. The difference between an air ball and a swish in basketball is only a few inches– one is a work of beauty and the other is a total blunder that surely the opposing fans will bring to your attention. The difference between a completed pass and an incomplete pass in football, or a ball and a strike in baseball, again is a difference of inches. Striving for perfection is expected in these instances; why are we not insisting on the same standards regarding our communication techniques?

You don’t “loose” a ball under the fence, and you don’t wear “lose” fitting pants. “Two” is a number that comes after one. “Too”, means also, and “to” is a preposition or adverb normally meaning toward a person, place, or thing.

Some might find it understandably difficult to properly use and spell some words, as the English language has many exceptions to the rules. Take “I” before “E” except after “C”. This is OK unless you are a “feisty,” “weird” “foreigner” that spends “their” “leisure” time “seizing” “veins” from gold mines.

However, with the technology in place today, is there really an excuse for improper spelling? Although in the end, proofreading one’s work is, by far, the best solution. Certainly, texting on cell phones has not helped the issue at all, as a simple “U” can replace “You” and be perfectly understood.

However, in the business world, do we accept these errors or do we understand that this negatively reflects on the company and products produced by the company and avoid doing business with them? Along with this, aren’t we l taking ourselves a step away from conserving our own English language? Like the college coeds, I’d like to think there’s a difference between the smell of the cute guy’s cologne and his colon.

Tim Schumacher represents Strategic Financial Partners in Hays, Kansas. [email protected]

Kansas voters rebuked legislative allies of Governor Sam Brownback and his reckless tax experiment in the August primary elections and again last Tuesday in the general election. Forty legislative seats currently held or contested by backers of the experiment changed hands, 25 going to centrist Republicans, 15 to newly-elected Democrats.

Centrist Republicans gained 16 seats in the house, nine seats in the senate, and will likely chose the next speaker and majority leader of the house, though that outcome depends on how a handful of newly-elected Republicans line up in those leadership races. Senate President Wagle will likely hold onto her post, even though her caucus will be significantly rebalanced with centrists.

Democrats gained 12 seats in the house, one in the senate. Thirty-two incumbent Democrats held onto their seats but lost in one open contest they currently hold. Democrats improved their standing in both houses but remain a clear minority, 31 to 9 in the senate, 85 to 40 in the house.

Brownback’s principal champion for his tax experiment, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, took a shellacking in these elections. Centrist Republicans deposed 18 candidates endorsed by the Chamber in the primary. Democrats defeated 12 more in the general election, including seven incumbents. Over half of the Chamber’s anointed candidates were defeated.

Brownback and his legislative allies were rebuked on court retention, as well, a good indication that voters believe education funding has been shortchanged. An unprecedented amount of dark money flowed into the campaign to oust the justices, but all were retained by safe margins.

The governor professed neutrality in these races, but that was a charade. He has spent the last five years trying to undermine the independence of the judiciary. His surrogates managed the anti-retention campaign that was funded in part by his own PAC money.

What does all of this mean? State finance and school funding now become front and center in the upcoming legislative session. Given the financial mess left by Brownback and his far right coalition, the challenge will be monumental and call for negotiation among three parties of roughly equal strength—newly emboldened centrist Republicans, minority Democrats with slightly improved numbers, and the remaining Republicans whose votes created the mess.

However, the stranglehold of the radical right has been broken. Centrist Republicans will not be operating in an ideological fog and should be expected to address state finance issues with realism and common sense. Many other Republicans who backed the experiment have been chastened by the Brownback brand and are seeking to escape that association. Democrats want to end the experiment.

As voters have experienced the damage inflicted by ideological folly, Brownback has become toxic in state politics. Yet, he remains in the governor’s chair for two more years and will likely cling to his discredited experiment at all costs. Legislators may have to rally the votes necessary to override the governor in charting a new course on state finance and school funding.

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

T, W, and S are three letters which are sometimes used to precede the title of a project in southeast Kansas. What does TWS stand for? The Weather System? Toward West and South? Some company? No, in this case, it stands for “Together We Succeed,” which is an apt description of the mindset which drives Project 17 in southeast Kansas.

Last week we learned about Project 17, which uses Together We Succeed as an unofficial motto. Heather Morgan is the executive director. She grew up in Pratt, did undergraduate work at Kansas Wesleyan and then got her master’s in public administration at K-State while working with the women’s basketball team and K-State Athletics.

After graduation, Heather worked in the governor’s budget office in Topeka. She joined the state Juvenile Justice Authority where she became assistant commissioner and also served for a time as a county manager.

In 2011, four senators went to the governor and to K-State’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute, or AMI, to express their concerns about the 17-county region of southeast Kansas which they represented in the legislature. AMI became the backbone organization to organize the project, gather lots of grassroots input, and seek grant support to make things happen.

The initiative became known as Project 17. Heather Morgan became executive director of Project 17 in 2013.

Directing this project was a daunting task. “I spent the first year in communication, education and outreach,” Heather said. That groundwork would provide invaluable in the long run.

“We wanted to strategically identify opportunities,” she said. Eventually, people coalesced around the following key issues: Health, economic development, leadership, education and workforce. The Kansas Leadership Center came through with an in-kind training grant valued at $1 million.

“We did 13 one-day leadership workshops throughout the region and trained more than 1,000 leaders,” Heather said. “They were then plugged into work teams to work on local issues.”

Broadband access was one key issue identified by businesses in the region. Project 17 worked to encourage KsFiberNet to place a multimillion dollar internet trunk line through the region and is continuing to work on improving access to high speed internet.

Economic development was another key topic. Such development can take different forms. On one hand it meant creating jobs, but it also meant combating the issues of low income and multi-generational poverty which are major challenges in southeast Kansas.

“We wanted to do something about poverty,” Heather said. Along with other partners, Project 17 adopted a national model of an anti-poverty program, worked with a private foundation, and rebranded it to work in southeast Kansas. The program consists of a 12-week curriculum of work force reengagement where participants are paired with experienced supporters. Meals and child care are provided. Participants learn essential life and work skills.

The program had major success. “One mom hadn’t worked in three years, and after going through the program, she now has three jobs,” Heather said. “The program in Ottawa went from just a few employed, to a celebration one night where everyone in the group had found employment.” The program has benefited people in the larger cities as well as rural towns like Wellsville, population 1,607, and Princetown, population 315 people. Now, that’s rural.

The results were so positive that Project 17 was awarded the 2016 Excellence in Engagement Award from K-State’s Center for Engagement and Community Development.

For Heather Morgan, the greatest rewards come not from the honors, but the opportunity to make Kansas a better place and in helping local people discover their talents and the hidden treasures that lie within the region. Her dedication and sincere connection with local people ultimately helped Project 17 gain acceptance and provide real benefit at the grassroots level.

“The breakthrough happened when people could see that people were being helped by Project 17,” Heather said.

For more information, see www.twsproject17.org.

T,W, and S. Those letters stand for Together We Succeed, which symbolizes the cooperation which is at the heart of Project 17. We commend Heather Morgan and all those involved with Project 17 for making a difference by working together – because together, we succeed.

Nowhere on earth can you invest your money more safely or profitably than western Kansas. That was the marketing pitch back in 1905 from Wise & Stern dealers in farms, grazing lands and stock ranches.

Wise & Stern, located at 806 Grand Ave. in Kansas City, Mo., had already been selling land in western Kansas for several years; in addition to making money, this company was convinced western Kansas was the new heaven on earth and destined for greatness.

Crops that year were excellent and a feeling of prosperity prevailed across the western third to half of Kansas. Reports of wheat yields of more than 25 bushels per acre in the region of Lane, Finney, Kearney, Wichita, Greely, Hamilton and Scott counties were heralded as average with many farmers reporting even “better” yields. Wheat sold for a whopping 80 cents per bushel.

A decided change for the better in rainfall during the last few years steamrolled the excitement among those like Wise & Stern who marketed a 28-page pamphlet touting Western Kansas as the land of opportunity. They also provided rail trips to show off their holdings to anyone wishing to invest in land.

“The breaking up and cultivating of these prairies south of western Kansas (in Oklahoma and Texas) has changed these prairies and has changed these winds to more moisture-laden breezes, so that there is an appreciable increase in the rainfall on the plains of Western Kansas over the average of ten years ago,” according to Wise & Stern’s pamphlet.

A story in the Kansas City Journal, a western Kansan was quoted as saying, “we have found out how to farm Western Kansas now and the rainfall has changed. It used to rain all at once, and then stay dry – now we have gentle, soaking rains all over Western Kansas. Cloudbursts and floods no longer trouble us.”

Blessed with well-watered, fertile soil – rich, black loam ranging from two to four feet deep and a “mild” climate with short winters, cool nights in the summer and almost always a gentle breeze, western Kansas was touted as “God’s Country” at the beginning of the 20th Century.

During the nine-year period between 1897 and 1905, western Kansas averaged more than 20 inches of rainfall per year in Finney County, according to B.F. Stocks, a local observer with the U.S. Weather Bureau. Such a rosy rainfall record provided even more reason to invest in western Kansas land.

Another attribute that boded well for buying farm and ranch land in western Kansas 108 years ago was the cheap price.

Land in this region of Kansas could be purchased from $2.50 to $15 per acre. Individuals interested in buying land were encouraged to look around at the rich farmer neighbors from Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. They all became wealthy because they bought land when it was cheap, so the sales pitch went.

“The same opportunity is open to you, providing you choose to take advantage of it,” according to Wise & Stern. “This is probably your last opportunity for good, smooth and productive lands at $3 to $15 an acre.”

Yes, western Kansas was indeed the Promised Land back in 1905. Visions of this rich, smooth, fertile prairie becoming the breadbasket of the world were being heralded throughout the land.

Fields producing 20 to 45 bushels per acres with a test weight of 60 to 66 pounds per bushel were commonplace with never a thought given to extended periods of drought, blowing winds and soil. More than 100 years ago, western Kansas was indeed the new, undeveloped region where opportunities and advantages were limitless.

Examples of production costs including interest and taxes – but no mention of labor, toil and trial – totaled $874 to put in a wheat crop and harvest it on 160 acres. With a yield of 20 bushels per acre, at 60 cents per bushel, a farmer could gross $1,920. Net profit on 160 acres for one year and one wheat crop totaled $1,046. Quite a return in 1905.

This formula for success was sound. No need for argument. All that was required was for the farmer to till the soil properly and the elements would do the rest. However, no man should expect nature to do it all.

Welcome to the land of opportunity.

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

Within minutes of the last election being called on Tuesday night, or probably early Wednesday, the real action starts in the Statehouse, as the Senate—but more interestingly, the House—starts to organize to become your Legislature.

It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be quick and it’s not going to be politically pretty.

For most Kansans, Election Day means it’s time to start thinking about where the good china is and when to start thawing the turkey for Thanksgiving.

But for Statehouse habitues, it means watching every move, every gesture, who’s talking to whom, and trying to figure out where the real power is going to be in the upcoming two years of Kansas government and how it is going to effect what happens to them and to their clients, whether they be welfare recipients, highway contractors, schoolteachers or payday loan companies.

So, for insiders, things just start when the voting ends.

Key is going to be election of House and Senate leadership in early December Republican caucuses (the GOP is likely to maintain majorities in both chambers). Chances are good that Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, is re-elected to a second four-year term as leader of the upper chamber. Might be some squawking, but that race is about wrapped up. It gets more complicated when the leadership of the Senate—and it will need a new vice president and majority leader—gathers to select the chairs of committees and appoint members to those committees. The chairman of a committee pretty much runs things and can often decide how a bill gets amended-up for presentation to the full Senate.

There may, or may not be, significant under-the-covers deal-making to decide who will chair the committees.

In the House? Well, with the retirement of Speaker Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, there may be a two-way or three-way race for Speaker—and the Speaker gets the power to make single-handed appointments to committees.

A race for House Speaker among what is near-certain to be a Republican-dominated House means that the character of the new House GOP caucus is key. If it’s conservatives, look for them to vote for a conservative leader, and if more moderate Republicans hold the majority in the caucus, look for them to make their move.

But that scrap within the GOP caucus—and yes, there are committee memberships and chairmanships in the negotiating—is just the start of the organization.

The House Speaker is elected by the full House. That means that Democrats get to vote, too, for House Speaker but not until the first day of the session. In recent memory, the minority party has generally just confirmed the majority party’s leadership—but it doesn’t have to. It’s been a matter of political courtesy, which is starting to wear thin.

So, if Democrats decide to vote in return for political concessions, they could well back a Speaker candidate who didn’t win the majority in the GOP caucus.

What happens then? We don’t know for sure. Does a moderate GOP Speaker name some Democrats to committee chairs or stack committee membership so that Democrats have more voice?

Or does a conservative Speaker make friends with the moderates in the caucus and try to maintain enough unity so that Republicans can defeat on the House floor tax increases, school funding increases, and taxes on LLCs and other now tax-exempt Kansans?

It may be Jan. 9, first day of the session, when a House Speaker is formally elected that we learn who is leading the House and whether lawmakers spend the first week or so on the payroll waiting to find out who’s running committees. H’mmm…

So, while the politicking is over for most Kansans, it’s just starting for those folks you elected to represent you. This ride isn’t over yet…by a long-shot.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

One of my favorite pastimes is using primary sources such as letters, diaries, old account books, and news stories to interpret the past. Learning about history directly from someone who lived it sparks an interest that brings that era to life better than any textbook can. You can imagine the fun a retired English teacher and self-professed Cather geek is having reading The Selected Letters of Willa Cather.

Once I got over the guilt of reading postings my favorite author never intended for public consumption, I’ve relished every letter. I particularly enjoyed those offering insights into O Pioneers! My Antonia, A Lost Lady, The Professor’s House, Song of the Lark, and Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Her business correspondence reveals how involved this artist was involved in everything from the selection of covers, paper, fonts, and artwork and fascinates me. More personal missives disclose that she loved the West and those who called it home. Here’s a woman who left Nebraska to spend most of her life navigating life in the world’s largest cities. Despite her urban prowess, she tells one mail recipient that she’s “just a corn farmer.” In other notes, she details Southwest adventures and how she hopes her novels set in that locale make its beauty clear to those who’ve never visited.

Her letters aren’t terse communications. She writes so that you sense you’re eavesdropping on private conversation. I loved when she explained how novels poured from her pen. In one passage she mentions how writing is akin to channeling as if she’s the receiver of otherworldly signals. Though she’s been gone decades, I feel like I’m chatting with a friend to learn how her artistic process works.

In addition to insights into this Nebraska novelist’s published collections, Cather offers tidbits about life in the early 1900s. Her readers view Pittsburg, New York, Europe, and Red Cloud to learn about theater, opera, magazine editing, setting up apartments, socializing, and eventually World War I through her observant lens. Her commentary about editing is so frank that I’m sure she’s spinning in her grave to think private words are now public. Her anecdotes about France after the war personalize that tragedy more clearly than anything except battlefield photos can.

As I savor this peek into the past, it makes me wonder what future students of history will lose now that so few of us compose beautifully written conversations with friends, loved ones, and colleagues. Digital contacts are typically brief and to the point, sharing few insights into a writer’s character. Besides, once a computer program is outdated, it’s difficult to access stored material. How many of us have floppy discs we can’t open?

It’s a thrill to crawl inside the mind of a writer I’ve loved since I was a teen. However, this time machine made of postal notes sets off noisy alarms. Good historical research requires access to primary sources. If we have no well-written letters and journals for future historians to examine, scholars lose personal perspectives into the era they study. What a loss!

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.

We older outdoor sportsmen are frequently reminded of the importance of passing on our love and knowledge of the outdoors to the younger generations. I usually fail miserably in that department. I’m the kind of guy who is quite happy by myself and I don’t need a lot of conversation, so it just seems easier to head out the door to set or check traps, to hunt turkeys or deer or to just knock around in the woods entirely by myself or with my wife Joyce.

Last spring, I wrote a column about a young McPherson lad, Jared Austin, who is on the Pheasants Forever National Youth Leadership Council. When we first talked, Jared expressed an interest in learning more about trapping and I promised to meet him at the Kansas Fur Harvesters convention (which was in McPherson a month ago) and help him get some equipment, then to help him learn coyote trapping this fall. Well, wouldn’t you know, after five years of applying I got a Kansas antelope tag this year and the season when I’d be hunting fell on the exact weekend of the Fur Harvesters Convention. The president of the KS Fur Harvesters does a lot with trapping education and was glad to meet Jared, and helped him get what he needed to trap this year. Now the ball was squarely in my court again to help him get started.

I got a call from Jared last week telling me the McPherson Golf Course was having beaver problems, and asked if I’d be interested in trying to catch the perpetrator(s). Another trapper caught and removed several from the golf course last spring, but suddenly new chewing was showing up, so evidently at least one beaver had not gotten the eviction notice.

I put together traps and equipment and met Jared at the golf course shop where we hopped a golf cart and followed the superintendant around to look at the beaver’s handiwork. A manmade creek runs the length of the course and new trees were being chewed and cut down along its bank. The creek is fairly deep making it very difficult to find beaver’s dens or travel ways. We were using large beaver-sized body grip traps that the critters swim or walk through, so we set one in the water at the base of a slide being used by the beaver to crawl in and out of the water just below a 4 inch diameter tree it had recently cut completely down and stripped of its bark. We went to the other side of the creek and set one in a spot narrowed down by a big brush pile, hoping we could entice the bugger to swim through the trap to get to a stick dipped in beaver lure.

I wasn’t feeling too confident with either of those two locations, but the options seemed few. As we walked the banks I spotted a slight indentation along the bank that gave me an idea. Male beavers are very territorial and occasionally scrape together piles of mud which they mark with a musky smelling secretion from glands near the base of their tail called castor glands. This secretion known as “castor” marks their chosen territory much like a whitetail buck uses a scrape on the ground. These castor mounds can be replicated and scented with beaver lure to entice male beavers to stop and investigate, and the indentation along the bank was a good spot to try that. With a shovel I dug a short channel, piling the mud into a pile on the bank at the upper end of the channel. I placed a trap in the water at the entrance to the channel, dabbed a stick with lure and stuck it into the pile of mud. The idea is get the beaver to swim through the trap as he investigates the strange new odor in his territory. I had more confidence in this setup than I did in the other two.

Since Jared lives in McPherson just minutes away from the golf course, he offered to check the traps each morning, saving me the drive. Bright and early Friday morning my phone chimed, informing me of a new text; it was Jared telling me that one Mr. Beaver had fallen for the new “imaginary” intruder into his domain and was caught in the trap at our castor mound. I met him there and removed the beaver, which appeared to have been a loner since we caught no other the rest of the week.

Several years ago I caught a huge beaver in an old castor mound I found along the river. I remade it with additional mud and juiced it up with some scent and snagged the big male beaver the first night. In fact, one of my best stories ever described the hilarious antics of Joyce and I getting the monstrous beast dragged up the bank out of the river and across 200 yards of alfalfa field to the truck. And since that was my first beaver ever, it seems only fitting Jared should help catch his first the same way. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

As we find ourselves so near to Election Day, we’re seeing countless attack mailers, radio ads, and commercials. It is imperative that the people of Kansas remain focused on the real issue – Sam Brownback. It is he who has caused our economy to plummet, he who was behind the tax cuts for the wealthy and LLCs, the tax hikes on the middle class, the slashing of the budget for schools and every agency in the state.

The root of all of the problems in Kansas is our own governor. We must fight back. We must vote out Brownback’s allies in the legislature. We must vote for judicial retention. We must elect principled Democrats. We must steer Kansas in a new direction – and it starts with you. With your votes, we can end Brownback’s reign of terror over our state. Your vote is your voice. Use it.

Kerry Gooch
Executive Director
Kansas Democratic Party
Topeka

As each of us ponders the choices we are about to make between now and next Tuesday, I feel compelled to offer my perspective on a few issues before us.

Dishonest and Misleading Campaign Tactics:  Deception has become the norm in political campaigns these days, and that is unlikely to change.  But the recent push by Kansas Democrat party operatives to paint responsible, independent-thinking Republican incumbents as close allies and lackeys of our present governor is really uncalled for.  They are employing that tactic in a number of races statewide.  They obviously are attempting to take advantage of multiple polls which indicate Governor Brownback is the least popular governor in the country, with favorability ratings hovering around 25%.  When I learned that they were targeting my good friend and colleague Rick Billinger with their nonsense I decided I could remain silent no longer.  The Democrat’s postcards attempt to make an issue of how frequently Rick supported the same issues as Governor Brownback. That is a gross misrepresentation of the closeness of his ties to the governor.

The plain truth is that the vast majority of legislation adopted is uncontroversial and is supported by most all legislators as well as the governor.  Consider this:  Democrat Senate Majority Leader Anthony Hensley voted with the Republican majority (and hence Governor Brownback) 81% of the time from 2011 to 2016.  It would certainly be a stretch to characterize Senator Hensley as a close ally of the governor, and yet that is exactly the absurd charge they are attempting to make regarding Republican incumbents like Rick Billinger, who have made responsibility, independence, and responsiveness to constituents the hallmarks of their public service.

Take a quick look at the record regarding some of the key initiatives which Governor Brownback has advanced.  Representative Billinger voted against the overly aggressive income tax cut which the governor pushed through in 2012.  Billinger voted against the block grant school finance bill, recognizing the negative effects it would have on rural western Kansas schools.  He worked diligently in 2015 and 2016 to repeal the income tax exemption for pass-through business entities such as LLCs and sole proprietorships.

Rick Billinger has served as an excellent state representative, and I am confident he will continue that record of service in the Kansas Senate.  Although I am unable to vote for Rick because Lane County is in another Senatorial district, much of my House district is in the 40th Senate District, in which Rick is a candidate.  For those of you who reside in Logan, Gove, Trego, Thomas, Sheridan and Graham counties, I strongly urge you to sift through the muck and reject the misinformation coming from Rick’s democrat opponent and his supporters.  In short: vote for Rick!

Judicial Retention:  I see the same TV ads you do, so I know how difficult it is to make sense of the controversy over whether to retain appellate court judges and supreme court justices.  Several high-profile murder cases are featured prominently in the ads calling for a no vote on retention.  But here is a critically important point that the ads omit in an attempt to mislead.  The convictions of these murderers have never been overturned!  The controversy has been solely over legal issues regarding sentencing.  That is much different than having their convictions overturned.

So here is what everyone needs to understand:  Each of these individuals committed heinous crimes and was found guilty.  They have not been released into society and they never will be.  They remain locked up in prison, where some of them could once again face the death penalty.  If that doesn’t happen then they will rot there for the rest of their lives.  They will never, ever be a threat to any Kansan again.

So why the big push to replace the judges and justices?  I think I know.  In fact I can use the very words of some of the supporters of nonretention to cast light on the issue.  The remarks were made by some political leaders in response to the court’s mandate last spring that the legislature must find the resources to address the issue of inequity of funding for public schools.  The following two paragraphs are excerpted from my May 31 newsletter in which I discussed that issue:

Consider statements made by Governor Brownback and legislative leaders following release of the ruling.  Governor Brownback: “The court is engaging in political brinksmanship with this ruling”.  House Speaker Ray Merrick:  “The court has yet again demonstrated it is the most political body in the state of Kansas… Frankly, I find their actions disgraceful and hope Kansas voters will remember this in November when deciding whether these justices should be retained.”  Senate President Susan Wagle: “Certainly this unconstitutional overreach, and making students the collateral damage of judicial activism, should weigh heavily on the minds of all Kansas voters when many of these justices are up for retention in November.”

These statements appear to confirm what I have long suspected.  The constitutional crisis has been purposely crafted by Governor Brownback and legislative leadership in an attempt to discredit the judiciary.  They hope to turn the Kansas voting public against the judiciary prior to the November election when five of the justices must stand for retention vote.  The future of Kansas school children and everyone associated with K-12 education has been placed at risk as a result of the crass political scheming of these individuals and not through actions of the court.  Certainly it took a great amount of courage for the justices to ignore the reality that their decision might lead to their removal from office and instead to perform what they perceived as their constitutional duty.

I understand how emotional this issue has been for the family and friends of the victims of these despicable individuals.  That is very unfortunate.  But it is equally unfortunate, and frankly disgusting, that some parties would use the misery of these families for crass political gain.  Please do not be deceived.  This is not about the sentencing of a handful of societal misfits; it is instead about continued adequate and equitable funding for our schools.  In my opinion all five Supreme Court justices deserve to be retained, including Justice Caleb Stegall, the lone appointee of Governor Brownback.  I know Justice Stegall well enough to know he possesses a keen legal mind.  I believe he brings important philosophical balance to the bench, and I urge the retention of him and all four of his colleagues.

Constitutional Amendment Protecting the Right to Hunt and Fish:  This issue has been flying under the radar somewhat, but there is some confusion about the issue, and I believe it is important that we get it right.  It started last session when the National Rifle Association requested introduction of a resolution to place before the voters of Kansas the question of whether the right to hunt and fish should be made part of the Kansas Constitution.

It first appeared before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, of which I am a member.  We passed the proposal out overwhelmingly, and it was subsequently passed by a large majority in both the House and Senate and now is before the people of Kansas to decide.

So is such an amendment really necessary?  Not today, no.  But we know that Kansas continues to grow more urbanized, and that the numbers of citizens who hunt and fish are not growing.  That presents the possibility that some future Kansas legislature may one day decide to outlaw one or both activities.  This amendment is designed to prevent that eventuality, and a number of states have already adopted just such an amendment.

Nothing changes if the amendment passes.  Every hunter or fisher will still have to abide by regulations adopted by the legislature and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.  All laws regarding trespass and access to state waters must still be respected.  But adoption of the amendment will ensure that future generations of Kansas hunters and fishers will enjoy the same access to their hobby that we do today.  For those of us eagerly anticipating the opening of pheasant season on November 12, that is a pretty big deal.

Unopposed:  My own quest for re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives is pretty much assured, as I was unopposed in the August primary and am also unopposed for the general election next Tuesday.  I would like to think the lack of opposition indicates support by the voters of the 118th district, and with some that is no doubt true.  But perhaps some would-be challengers were simply deterred by the daunting task of campaigning in a nine-county district which is larger than the entire state of Connecticut!  At any rate, I am thankful to serve the citizens of the 118th for two more years, and I am eager to get back to Topeka and begin working on the many challenges our state is facing.  I would be grateful for your vote on Tuesday.