It’s now officially campaign season—though some of us wonder whether the real high-intensity campaigning couldn’t be put off until maybe the first of October—and it’s also the time for figuring out just what breed of Republicans is going to be running things.

Some giant issues aren’t likely to be solved while Gov. Sam Brownback finishes out the final two years of his final term, so some observers are hoping they have enough gas to keep the car idling in the garage for the next two years.

Everyone under the dome is expecting more Democrats in each chamber, and the division between moderate and conservatives is likely to shift slightly but probably not yield majority-sized moderate/Democrat linkups.

Probably the key for Republicans in virtually all House and Senate races is to remain polite to the governor but not show up close enough to him that a chat in the hallway or at a parade or at the grocery store turns into a “Brownback and lackey” photo for Democrats’ campaign use.

So a tilt toward moderation…less iron-handed budget cutting and taxing of everyone except maybe those Limited Liability Companies and the rest of the 300,000 or so who don’t pay state income taxes is likely, but this upcoming session will see some real debate, not committee action that is already slated for defeat before a bill is printed up.

But…there are going to be those candidates on your doorstep, and once again, we’re down to making that time talking through the screen door worthwhile.

Candidates by this time often have some background on individual voters…whether they can just say “2nd Amendment rights” and be done with it, or “dismemberment abortion” and move on, having sealed the deal with the constituent.

But besides just party affiliation or one or two hot-button issues that are deciders for many voters, it’s probably worth your time to ask about the budget, and whether the candidate is willing to vote for tax increases for anyone specific, or in general. This is probably the best time you’ll spend while air conditioning is leaking out onto the porch: Where’s the money coming from? By this time, candidates ought to have some idea (unless they were unopposed in the primary in which case they might not have a clue, but have gotten good at tossing candy to children along parade routes).

Now, not all the candidates have served time in the Legislature, but they’ve gotten enough mail from lobbyists and party organizations to get at least some ideas.

And, it’s probably school finance positions that some will try to get away with by just saying “adequately fund schools” with no concept of where that support—it’s all tax money, after all—is going to come from.

Besides some federal assistance for specific programs, that tax money comes down to state income and sales taxes or local property taxes. Do legislators vow to raise taxes, if needed, to meet Kansas Supreme Court mandates on adequately financing K-12? Or, maybe just meet the court demands with spare change from other areas of the budget?

A tax is a tax, but local property tax for schools is always a touchy issue: Voters (they call them patrons in school districts) where special local property taxes are levied want those taxes to stay right at home in the district, not be spread around the state. That’s something that candidates will probably respond to differently district by district. But…you might want candidates to have an answer before you sew up the vote.

And…maybe if they have to come back with an answer, they can bring some of that extra parade candy that they didn’t get a chance to throw…

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

I’ve done a couple columns over the years on how dry it has been, so I thought why not try something about how wet it’s been of late? Who’d have thunk’ that we Kansans would ever be complaining about too much rain?

Then when it finally stops raining and the sun comes out, the humidity is so high you feel like it’s raining again! Even though I know how high rivers and streams get around here when we’ve had big, hard rains, I can take solace in the fact that we live well above sea level, unlike the poor southern states that have nearly washed away lately. I’ll always remember a picture I saw the other day on Fox News of a casket floating down the street in Louisiana.

I just don’t think I could live somewhere that was below or barely above sea level.

Wildlife are greatly affected by floods too as it temporarily drives some from their homes. It’s quite common to see more snakes, rats, mice and rodents during and after a flood, as animals that would normally not dream of parking themselves in your yard this time of year are suddenly there in abundance. So if you suddenly see more critters around your home and buildings after an extended time of heavy rain don’t worry; the Ark has not suddenly unloaded in your backyard! As the water recedes they’ll be gone.

So with that in mind, here are some zingers I came up with that play on our recent glut of rainy weather.

It’s been so wet that the other day I watched some rodeo cowboys practicing calf roping from seahorses.

I noticed a fire hydrant near the dog park yesterday that was so tired of getting wet it had on a raincoat.

It’s rained so much lately that last night the ducks in the park were all wearing floaties and carrying canoe paddles.

The other day I was walking along a creek where I trap beavers and heard a strange sound coming from the weeds ahead. It’s rained so much lately it was a beaver trying to blow up a life raft, but his teeth kept getting in the way.

I got stopped for speeding the other night, and it’s rained so much lately that the officer also gave me a citation for not having the specified number of life jackets in my pickup.

It’s rained so much lately that all the “crabgrass” in my lawn is pulling itself out of the ground and heading for drier land.

It’s rained so much lately that now when our dogs have to go out to pee, I strap each one to a pool noodle and just toss them off the deck.

I heard on the news that it’s been so wet lately the walking catfish at the zoo are wearing boots and carrying umbrellas.

It’s been so wet lately that a fish I caught the other day actually climbed into the boat on its own and thanked me for finally pulling it from the lake.

During the summer we pick up unwanted apples and feed them to the deer by scattering them on the ground around our deer feeders, where we have trail cameras. It’s rained so much lately that we actually have pictures of deer bobbing for apples.

Mosquitoes love wet weather, but it’s rained so much lately that our Kansas mosquitoes are flying around with protest signs.

A bull frogs call sounds like a deep base “harum, harum, harum,” but it’s been so wet lately that the other night I would swear one frog was saying “enough, enough, enough.”

As the saying goes here in Kansas, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.” Today it’s nice and sunny, but when it gets hot I’m sure I’ll complain about that too.

I guess it all boils down to which I dislike the most, but at least sunny days won’t cause the local ducks to wear floaties and carry canoe paddles….Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

September signals a time for change– a shifting of the gears of life.  Shorter days, cooler nights, the beginning of school cause all of us to shift gears, to pick up the pace, to move from our summer schedule to a more rigid fall routine. It’s the same at the Extension Office. We’re shifting gears this month and we’ve got lots of learning opportunities to share.

Servsafe Food Handler Short Course
September is Food Safety Education Month, so I’ll be presenting a 3-hour Servsafe Food Handler Short Course on Tuesday, September 20, 1:30-4:30 pm at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays.  The cost for the course is $10 per person.  The training covers basic food safety principles and is appropriate for commercial food service employees, non-profit establishments and volunteer groups.  This class does not include an exam and does not provide national certification.

Advance registration is requested to allow time to order student handbooks. Contact the Ellis County Extension Office at 785-628-9430 no later than September 9 to register and pay fees. A minimum attendance is required to hold this class.

Food Handler Training for Churches
I’ve been invited to present a volunteer food safety training next week for groups and individuals who prepare large meals at the Hays First United Methodist Church. Volunteers will learn the extra food safety precautions to take when preparing food for a large crowd, how to use and calibrate a food thermometer and do high-speed handwashing.

No one wants their church meal to be involved in a foodborne illness outbreak.  It pays to be proactive. If your church could benefit from food handler training, call me at the Ellis County Extension Office, 785-628-9430, to schedule a presentation.

Prepare Kansas Campaign
For National Disaster Preparedness Month in September, K-State Research and Extension will launch a preparedness media campaign. Prepare Kansas 2016 will emphasize food concerns before, during and after emergencies – foods and supplies to have on hand in case of emergencies, how long food will stay safe if the power is out, how to evaluate food safety after a disaster and reduce the likelihood of people getting sick from eating contaminated food.
Watch for this helpful information on social media in September and then take action to protect yourself and your family.

Program on Bed Bugs
We’ll shift gears again in mid-September to address a growing concern– bed bugs.  Join us for the informational meeting “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite” on Thursday, September 15 at 7:00 pm at the Ellis County Extension Office.
In recent years, bed bug infestations have increased.  Bed bugs are most often associated with clutter and filth, but have also been reported in the finest hotels and living accommodations.  K-State Research and Extension entomologist, Dr. J.P. Michaud, will provide information on the life cycle of bed bugs, what to look for and steps to take if you find them.

There is no charge for this program, but please pre-register by September 13 at the Ellis County Extension Office, 785-628-9430, to ensure adequate materials.

Better Breakfast Month
The rush to school and work each day means some things may have to be sacrificed – and often that includes breakfast. But making time for breakfast will benefit adults and children alike.

September is designated as Better Breakfast Month–a reminder that food is needed to break the overnight fast in order to jump-start daytime activities. Eating breakfast improves problem-solving ability, mental performance, memory and mood. With breakfast, people think faster and clearer, have better recall, score higher on tests and have better concentration and muscle coordination.

Breakfast need not be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. For quick breakfast menu planning, choose foods from two or more MyPlate food groups. Nutrition research proves that people feel full longer and get less hungry during the day if the first meal includes protein-rich foods such as eggs, peanut butter, lean meat, lowfat milk or cheese paired with fiber-filled whole grains, fruits or vegetables.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

The tail wags the dog when it comes to the politics of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. A few businesses underwrite the Chamber’s electioneering with results contrary to the interests of most Kansas businesses.

The Kansas Chamber Political Action Committee (PAC) conducts the Chamber’s campaign tactics, and prior to the August primary elections took Kansas politics to new lows with postcard smears designed to befuddle voters with diversionary messages. The deceptions included specious charges and slanders targeting opponents.

Front groups with misleading labels were used to hide the Chamber’s name from the most scurrilous mudslinging. Rather than addressing issues directly their postcards resorted to unsubstantiated allegations, guilt by association, and innuendo to denigrate opponents. Late reporting helped conceal their tactics from voters and the press.

The Chamber’s descent into election trickery is a relatively new development. For most of the last 40 years not only did the organization responsibly represent business interests in the State Capitol, but it also supported a balanced tax policy and defended funding for good quality public schools, postsecondary education, and highways, among other core services.

The change in campaign strategy parallels the Chamber’s call for eliminating state income taxes and opposing any change in the reckless tax cuts of 2012 that exempted over 300,000 businesses from income taxes.

Beginning in 2012 the Chamber PAC dramatically boosted its campaign coffers, raising $2.2 million for the period, 2012-2016, according to data compiled from its reports available through the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. That amount is more than triple the comparable figures of the prior five-year period.

While the Chamber PAC has upped its campaign game, a declining number of Kansas businesses are carrying water to support its chicanery. For example, according to its reports to the Ethics Commission, four businesses and business owners alone contributed over 59 percent of the PAC’s war chest over the past five years. And in the last two years these same four businesses financed over 63 percent of the PAC’s campaigns.

Those four businesses and owners identified in PAC reports are: Koch Industries of Wichita; Justin Hill, Jr., of Lawrence and the Lawrence Paper Company; Ivan Crossland and Crossland companies of Columbus, Kansas; and David Murfin and Murfin Drilling of Wichita.

In essence four Kansas businesses are driving the nefarious campaigns of the Kansas Chamber to the detriment of the legitimate interests of all Kansas businesses in high quality public services. In good public schools. In accessible and excellent state universities and colleges. In vocational education. In dependable state highways. In assistance to the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Kansas business owners may want to take a cue from Kansas voters who overwhelmingly rejected Chamber-endorsed candidates in August primary elections. Voters defeated 18 candidates anointed by the Chamber, including 13 incumbent state legislators. More candidates aligned with the Chamber are likely to fall in November.

The Kansas Chamber should represent the broad and varied interests of Kansas businesses not just a few with deep pockets who finance the Chamber PAC.

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

Learning more about how our ancestors lived fascinates me so I’m always up for any adventure that involves the past. A favorite place to explore old times is the nearby Cottonwood Ranch at Studley, Kansas. First, the architecture is interesting. However, the tales about it are better. The curator and his support team have skillfully preserved this English-style sheep ranch and its history. Fortunately, the original owner kept meticulous records that open windows into his world. In addition, the property caretaker is a great storyteller for those inclined to listen.

Walk around the house and outbuildings once, and you’ll have a dozen questions. Spin around again and multiply those by ten. A pressing question during one early fall visit was why was the porch ceiling blue?

Don Rowlison, long-term custodian and keeper of the past, had a ready answer. I should’ve expected this since I never ask anything about this place that he can’t explain, from the arrival of the residents to the unique architecture to–well—blue porches.

Expectantly, a group of us sat on that old-fashioned porch surrounded by Victorian gingerbread wood- work and waited for Don to tell us about the blue ceiling directly over our heads.

Interestingly, it had to do with insects, which, by the way, infest farm and ranch yards especially in late summer and fall. In particular, this had to do with flies and wasps, creatures that drive western Kansans crazy during these seasons. To prove it, we swatted some during our visit.

Apparently, Victorian era Americans believed that painting a porch ceiling blue reduced the number of flies and wasps invading favorite resting spots. Don explained that people of this time believed the color resembled the sky and, thus, confused flying irritants into thinking they couldn’t land and do their creepy crawly business.

After confirming Don’s explanation, I researched further and learned blue porch ceilings and even floors were, well, the bee’s knees to our late 1800 to early 1900 ancestors. New Englanders, or in this case, Englanders, were convinced the color blue deterred insects. Several writers agreed with Don’s explanation about the sky. However, others suggested a different reason for this belief. Victorian homeowners used milk paint, which has lye in it. They said this alkali functioned as an insecticide as well as a paint ingredient. Occupants increased its effectiveness by frequently repainting weathered porches.

My search offered an additional explanation–the haint blue story, which doesn’t fit the history of the ranch’s first occupants. However, it’s worth knowing because it explains the abundance of blue ceilings and floors in the South. Slaves believed the color blue kept spirits away. This belief transferred to the general population, becoming so ingrained that even today paint stores in that region sell haint blue.

Don’s and the researchers’ explanations interest me, but even more than these reasons for tinting a porch ceiling, I like relaxing under that hue. If that color prevents a bug or ghost from appearing, more power to it. If it doesn’t, it’s still good for my spirit. That’s a dandy reason to slap it on during a painting spree.

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.

Record crops, low commodity prices and stalled trade negotiations spell difficult times for Kansas farmers and ranchers in 2016.

That’s the consensus of many ag producers throughout the Sunflower State. After many harvested one of the best wheat crop in years, farmers felt good. That’s when the reality of low sale prices for this commodity set in.

Like many other small businesses, inputs to produce a bumper crop generally entails an abundance of input costs as well. Except for lower fuel prices, most agricultural inputs remain high and continue to rise.

Drive through rural communities, especially in the western half of Kansas, and you’ll see huge, long piles of wheat lying on the ground. Talk to farmers and ranchers and they’ll tell you their near-term economic prospects don’t look good.

While fall row crop harvest has recently begun, there’s a huge shortage of storage space for the expected bumper crops of corn and milo. During the next few weeks, Mother Nature will decide whether the bean crop will be a good one.

This winter could be tough, if prices don’t improve. Farmers don’t have money now.

What some do have is debt and payments on high-priced machinery, trucks and land. I stopped through one northwestern Kansas county and visited with one farmer who told me at least six land sales occurred in the last month or so. And while the price of land has leveled off, or in most cases dropped from record high prices, no one is buying this precious resource.

Most will tell you they can’t afford it. Others say low commodity prices have tied their hands or they’re moving into a survival mode. Making ends meet, they say.

So what’s the answer?

Higher commodity prices would help solve the problem in farm country. But most farmers, ranchers and economists don’t see this happening any time soon.

Improvement in international trade could also make a difference.

For Kansas farmers and ranchers to survive and prosper, they have to sell the products they produce. They must be able to export their wheat, corn, soybeans and livestock products.

Exports account for almost 25 percent of U.S. farm receipts. The current Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement would provide new markets for U.S. farm products. It could also increase net farm income by $4.4 billion and ag exports by $5.3 billion. This trade agreement could also result in an estimated increase of 40,000 jobs.

In spite of stalled trade negotiations and low commodity prices farmers and ranchers receive for their crops and livestock, most remain hopeful and look forward to better times in the future. They’ll continue to rein in their spending while cutting costs wherever they can. Their livelihood depends on a vibrant, healthy agricultural economy bolstered by international trade and a kind Mother Nature.

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

Kansas state government’s equivalent of the Catholic College of Cardinals may be moving into the spotlight this year.

What?

Yes, just as the College of Cardinals names the Pope, and its announcement is marked by a puff of white smoke rising above the Vatican, the less well-known Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission selects three candidates for open slots on the Kansas Supreme Court, and—without the puff of smoke—sends those names to the governor who selects from them a new member of the state’s highest court.

Yes, we know the names of the four governor-appointed and five lawyer-selected members of the commission, but they vote in secret, or at least have until the next vacancy on the high court occurs. A law passed this year will make public who voted for whom for the governor to choose from for that black robe and ultimate law-defining job.

So, what’s the news?

Well, that lawyers in the 3rd Congressional District have a new representative on the commission after Matthew Keenan’s term expired and Lenin V. Guerra, of Olathe, was named to fill the vacancy. He was the only candidate nominated for the post and because there was no opposition he was put on the commission without a vote of the district’s lawyers, and very little is known about him.

That new appointment might—or might not—produce a different trio of nominees for high court seats.  The “might or might not” business is because nobody knows the vote of commissioners on the last slate of nominees handed the governor, back in 2014, when Gov. Sam Brownback chose his former chief counsel, Caleb Stegall, for the court after the commission put him in a three-candidate bucket for the governor’s selection.

For all of us who, when buying a new car, tell the salesman that we don’t need to see the engine because we drive with the hood down, this changes things.

Five Supreme Court justices stand for retention election in November, and if any of them is not retained, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission gets to interview candidates and send that list of three nominees to the governor for his selection.

There are campaigns under way to defeat Supreme Court justices—though the conservatives like Stegall—and the composition of the nominating commission will to a large degree determine who might be new justices who will interpret the law on issues including the death penalty, school finance, abortion, tax law, nearly every scrap that makes its way from the district court to the court of appeals to the high court.

And, there is a campaign under way to retain the five justices so that the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, and of course, then the governor, doesn’t change the makeup of the high court.

The political presumption has always been that the governor appoints nominating commission members who think like he does, and lawyers elect their representatives who think like they do.  We’ve never known for sure because of the secrecy of the vote on the commission, but that’s the halltalk.

So…if you like the court and its decisions, you want to keep those on it now, and vote to retain them. If you want something different, you might…or might not…get it depending on the legal/political tilt of the nominating commission and the candidates it sends to the governor.

All of a sudden, it looks like we’re going to have to look at the motor of that new car, though we probably aren’t going to be sure what we’re looking at.  It was simpler in the day when we just chose cars by their color.

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.

Living 150 miles from the nearest antelope hunting here in Kansas kinda’ makes the good fortune of drawing a tag just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

I have friends who have gotten tags in the past and they merely went out a couple days in advance, bought a map and started knocking on doors. My niece graduated from Colby Community College a couple years ago and was able to get me a short list of landowners from around the Sharon Springs area, so after many phone calls I headed out there Monday to spend 3 days meeting landowners I had contacted and scouting the “lay-of-the-land.”

Call them antelopes “speed goats” or whatever you please, most ranchers and farmers out there have little use for them, and I got the distinct impression most wouldn’t care if they were all gone. I knew that but never knew why they felt that way until now. Everyone I spoke to gave me the same two reasons, both seemingly equally important to them. The first involves fencing, an absolutely necessity to ranchers.

It seems antelope, for all their jumping ability, will not jump over a fence, but instead go under or through them. 99.9% of fences out there in ranch country consist of one hot electric wire or three strands of barbed wire, so an antelope going under them often stretches the fence loose from the posts, and going through them creates the obvious problem. The second reason for their dislike of the critters centers on the very believable if not proven fact that antelopes spread bindweed, which they seem to relish as much as alfalfa. The physics are simple; antelope eats bindweed including seeds, antelope poops out seeds which now come fertilized and incased in their own little greenhouse.

My research on antelope spreading bindweed yielded mixed opinions, most sources agreeing that a majority of the seeds are killed by the animal’s digestive system. But by the same token, most sources agreed that a small percentage is probably still viable when dropped in antelope feces. Considering that each bindweed plant can produce a few hundred seeds, that’s still a big deal to a farmer or rancher trying to keep their crop fields or pastures clean. Multiply that by several antelope on each property eating bindweed every day of its life and the problem becomes quite believable to me.

Before even considering hunting antelope in western Kansas, two things are mandatory; a very dependable pickup and lots of gas money. On my recent scouting trip I took my whitetail deer hunting mindset along with me, figuring to find waterholes which are often few and far between, where I could set up a blind nearby and hunt them early morning and late evening as they come to drink. That is a very common and recommended way of hunting antelope.

The problem is that one area where I have permission had a recent two inch rainfall, making for many little waterholes. Land ownership out there is talked about in numbers of sections or in thousands of acres owned. That particular landowner has a couple thousand acres of pasture with a total of 15 little dams built across draws to catch and hold rain runoff, and currently they are all holding water, making for 15 little waterholes. Maybe it will stay dry from now until the October season dates. If not, the strategy may have to become finding the antelope with binoculars then finding a way to get near them for a shot.

The first landowner I looked up I had spoken with on the phone some weeks before my visit and he informed me they had land all around the little town Of Wallace, KS, 9 miles east of Sharon Springs. Much of their ground is enrolled in the walk-in hunting program called WIHA (walk-in hunting area) which opens it up to public walk-in hunting during certain dates which are printed on the WIHA signs posted around the property. As I asked him about his land boundaries, he advised me I needed to get a plat map from the courthouse.

Called a Rural Directory, the book divides an entire county by sections of land and by townships and lists landowner’s names of each property. The book was a $20 investment but proved invaluable in showing me landowner’s boundaries. The state of Kansas also prints an annual Hunting Atlas that shows all walk-in hunting land in the state; atlases are available free at Walmart and at most places that sell hunting licenses.

Like I said, I went out there dragging my whitetail deer hunting mindset along behind me and soon found out antelope hunting is a whole different ballgame. I’m not giving up on the possibility of putting up blinds at waterholes and catching them early and late as they come to drink, but I only have four days to figure them out, as rifle season for antelopes in KS is very short. I’ll let ya’ know how it all works out.

Meanwhile, continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

By U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran

Another stalemate, another party-line vote – another failure to combat the Zika virus is unacceptable when Congress returns to Capitol Hill. Since its initial outbreak in April 2015, the Zika virus has spread to more than 60 countries and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,900 cases have now been diagnosed in the continental United States.

Our country is already vulnerable by virtue of geography. The virus has spread by mosquitoes whose climate includes much of the Americas and our home state of Kansas. We have begun to see person-to-person contraction of the virus among men, women and children who have never left the country. This means that, in our global society, Zika poses a serious threat no matter where you live. Zika is unique in that it disproportionately poses a risk to pregnant women, carrying with it the possibility for microcephaly – a condition that stunts fetal brain development and head growth during pregnancy. It is suspected Zika may also cause Guillain-Barré syndrome and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), both of which are devastating, potentially fatal neurologic diseases.

Through my role – as both a member and lead Republican – on the Senate Health Appropriations Subcommittee, I developed a relationship with CDC Director Tom Frieden. In addition to visiting the CDC last fall to learn more about its response to disease outbreaks, I also worked with Director Frieden at the height of the Ebola crisis. When I first heard from him about Zika during a committee hearing this spring, the need for our nation to act was clear.

The good news is that medical experts are hard at work developing a vaccine to restrict Zika’s spread and a treatment to alleviate its effects. This includes the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at Kansas State University in Manhattan. I visited the BRI this week to learn more about the progress being made to defend our country from this dangerous virus and eliminate it worldwide.

Our medical researchers are the best in the world, but they cannot stop the spread of this virus or find a cure without resources. Progress has been made possible by reprogramming CDC funds, but that funding is only sufficient through September. Congress must make certain our experts have what they need to protect the health of mothers and children.

I have already supported a fiscally responsible approach to fighting Zika, which reprioritizes unspent federal funds to be made available to the CDC. A large portion of these dollars were originally intended to set up health care exchanges in U.S. territories through the Affordable Care Act, and can immediately be put to use.

Our nation’s citizens are fed up with the excuse-making in Washington. They want results. They want to see challenges met head-on. Americans should know that their representatives are fulfilling their constitutional duty to protect the health of the American people. Despite our differences, consensus must be found for the good of the country and its citizens.

Americans are at risk and they are frustrated – they deserve to be. I’m frustrated, too. I will continue to advocate for a solution to ensure this opportunity to make a difference is not squandered. No woman’s reaction to learning she is pregnant should be fear due to the Zika virus. No newborn child’s well-being should be endangered because their nation’s leaders lack the will to get the job done. With stakes this high, the status quo just won’t cut it.

Ice storms, tornadoes, and flooding – Kansas has them all and more. Do you really know how long food will stay safe in the refrigerator if your power is out? Or what foods and supplies you should have on hand in case of emergencies?

Starting September 1, Prepare Kansas 2016 will provide tips on keeping food safe in emergency situations. This year’s program will be conducted through social media on Facebook. No registration is required, so Kansans and anyone interested in planning ahead for emergencies can follow on Facebook at any time during September, pick up handy information and interact with K-State extension specialists and agents.

Throughout 2015, a total of 126 tornadoes occurred across the state, which made it the fourth highest year for tornados since 1950, according to the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

“Kansas has its share of disasters, whether it’s a tornado, a house fire or a homeowner’s basement flooding. K-State Research and Extension is committed to working with people across the state to help them be prepared for anything that comes their way,” said Kansas State University associate professor Elizabeth Kiss. “We can’t always keep disasters from happening, but we know that being as prepared as possible– whether it’s putting a thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer, making an emergency kit or having copies of your important financial records in a separate, safe place– aids in the recovery from disasters.

Kiss, a K-State Research and Extension financial management specialist writes the Prepare Kansas blog, which provides tips and resources on a range of emergency preparedness topics, including this year’s focus on food safety during September.

“It is very important to keep food safety in mind before, during and after emergencies such as power outages and floods, to help prevent food loss and to reduce the likelihood of people getting sick from eating contaminated food.” said Londa Nwadike, consumer food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “Some of the food safety practices that are important in emergency situations are good practices to help prevent people from getting sick at any time.”

More information on Prepare Kansas will be available in September on our Ellis County Facebook page at www.facebook.com/K-State Research and Extension- Ellis County and any time at https://blogs.k-state.edu/preparekansas/. Please follow the Prepare Kansas media campaign to be better prepared in September.

Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

I will try like the dickens not to sound sarcastic in this letter to the editor, however, what is happening on the Democrat side of this presidential election is nothing short of incredulous!  Like me, there are many people I run into shaking their heads in disbelief about Dems again out to control our government come January, 2017 on false pretenses.

During the last month’s Democrat National Convention Barack Obama said “by so many measures our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we started.”  Hillary pretty much said the same thing during the convention. Maybe in one’s dreams!

What planet do these people live on?  Preposterous, not prosperous!

During the past eight years we have had the slowest economic recovery since 1949 and that’s when I was still in grade school.  Our GDP growth has never been worse in this country’s history; worse than any other president.

We have more people on food stamps than ever before.  We have more people living in poverty since Obama became president. We have a staggering number out of the labor force because they can’t find work.  Wages are stagnant, middle class incomes down, record low home ownerships, etcetera.

Blaming George W. Bush who left office nearly eight years ago is ludicrous.

A current unemployment rate below 5% is so very unrealistic it is laughable. It’s probably close to 20%.  The millions who have left the labor force for lack of jobs aren’t even counted by the corrupt Department of Labor. The unemployment figure is a fabrication.

Not to be sarcastic or condescending, but what in the world are you Democrat voters thinking?  It boggles the mind.  Another Democrat in the White House would be more of the same, and a good chance worse.

Could somebody (preferably one who lives on planet earth or in the right state of mind) tell me and readers how Hillary is going to make America great again?  How will raising taxes, even on the middle class according to Hillary, create jobs?   How will a $15 minimum wage keep small businesses in business?

How is giving away free stuff to everybody and their uncle going to pay down our debt?

If nearly 3 out of 4 polled say this country is on the wrong track how in the world are things supposed to get better voting Democrat?  That kind of thinking clearly shows Hillary has support from a lot of people who live in a fantasy world. Low information voters, obviously, don’t get it.  Single issue voters don’t look at the big picture and the emotional ones still live in the last century when the Dem Party was different.

Hillary’s successor is Secretary of State John Kerry.  He says air conditioners and refrigerators are more of a threat to us than ISIS.  Climate change (a hoax) is a greater threat than ISIS according to our government.

How can we have national security when the administration and potential next U.S president Hillary won’t even admit ISIS is “radical Islamic terrorism?” Are people out of their minds selecting her as Commander in Chief?  She once said we need to empathize with those who want to kill us.

How insane is Obama’s transgender bathroom mandate in our public schools and elsewhere?

The Black Lives Matter movement, embraced by Dems, is proof a whole lot of people live in another world.  “Hands up, don’t shoot” is a falsehood.  There’s undeniable proof that did not happen to Michael Brown of Ferguson, MO.  Thousands and thousands of blacks killing other blacks is far worse than a handful of incidents where there might be law enforcement injustice, but looking at reality is off limits by Dems.

Let’s get real!  Come down to earth please!  We can’t right the ship living in a “Disney World” of politics where facts don’t matter.

Is it planet earth with Trump on the one hand, and Hillary’s Mars on the other?

Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.