I saw an old friend in town the other day and he asked how I had done trapping last year. I told him I hadn’t set as many traps as I’d wanted and thus hadn’t caught as many coyotes as I had planned.
I’ll never forget his reply; he told me “I was never a very good trapper. I had a friend that was very good, and I would set twice as many traps as him and I would catch twice as little!” I chuckled at his wording, but it got me to thinking. If I had thrown in the towel every time I hadn’t gotten a deer, or trapped as many coyotes as planned, or caught all the fish I’d wanted I would probably have ceased even going outdoors years ago.
There have been plenty of years when I haven’t harvested a deer or trapped as many critters as I’d wanted, but my biggest challenge has always been my fishing skills, or better yet my lack-thereof.
Growing up in Ohio, we enjoyed Lake Erie and one of the many islands in Lake Erie is named Kelley’s Island. Our neighbor was pastor at one of the churches on Kelley’s Island and stayed there in the parsonage during the weekend, and lived next door to us during the week. Because of our friendship, if we went to Kelley’s Island on week days, he let us stay in the church parsonage, so each year we planned a short fishing trip there during the week. One of the fish Lake Erie is known for is the Yellow Perch.
They are nothing like our invasive species White Perch here in Kansas and in my book rank just below Walleye as far as eating quality. In the fall the perch would be biting around Kelleys so we planned our trips around that. We sometimes fished from the ferry dock alongside native islanders. I always bought the same bait from the same bait shop as them and used the same fishing rigs as them, but sitting 3 feet away from them on the dock, they would catch 12 fish to my one.
Some years back when Joyce and I still had a boat, we went to Kannapolis fishing with another couple who were both avid fishermen, they in their boat and Joyce and I in ours. They had numerous brush piles in the lake marked on their GPS, so we anchored on each side of a long narrow brush pile. Joyce and I both rigged our rods exactly like theirs, and our boats were so close that at one point they tossed us the exact jig they were using. They caught crappies left and right and the only thing we caught was the rope anchoring the marker buoy.
My points here are, number one, I’m a lousy fisherman, seemingly almost cursed at times, but yet I still go when I can. Point number two is that although harvesting fish and game is usually the goal when in the field or on the lake, it is not all that’s gleaned there. On one particular deer hunt during my youth, I was standing in a pre-determined spot in a large woodlot awaiting other hunters walking toward me.
I heard rustling in the leaves, and watched as a mother red fox and her family of half-grown kits ran past me just a few feet away. As I recall, I didn’t harvest a deer that year, but would have missed that once-in-a-lifetime-sight had I not been there anyway.
I could fill pages with other stories like that of bobcats that peered at us from a few feet away, or hawks that cruised past us mere feet above the ground and only a stones-throw away, or the beaver that swam beneath my feet under the ice of a frozen creek. The bottom line is that all that would have been missed had we not been there, successful harvest or not.
Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors (successful harvest or not!)
Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Editor’s note: This article was mainly composed with the help of Dr. Andreas Maheras of Hays, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Greece, and is currently in Athens, Greece.
The Greek debt crisis is rapidly unfolding as these lines are written and the repercussions from Sunday’s referendum (7-5-15) are still unknown as the country is struggling to find its place within Europe having being financially ravaged by years of malfeasance. As of this writing, the Greek banks have been closed for over a week, cash is getting more and more rare, and taking care of the daily business is getting increasingly difficult. However, no matter how the crisis may eventually be resolved, the problem in Greece is clear. Its governments spent some 40 years making promises it could not honor. Add a bit of rampant corruption and embezzlement and you have a recipe for disaster. Since the crisis was underway in 2009 and until now, Greece had no option but to borrow money in the order of over 300 billion Euros (c. 340 b. dollars) to cover its deficits, and then ran out of money to pay even the interest on the loans. By 2015 it was obvious that the debt was unsustainable and, as part of the Eurozone, Greece cannot simply print the money to make good on its promises.
It seems that the United States has been moving in the same general direction, with the significant exception that the United States can and does print the money to make good on its promises, as the dollar is still in great demand in times of uncertainty. The question here is whether the United States is immune to a similar crisis like the one we are now seeing in Greece. Can a government overspend and borrow forever and never be asked, by the lenders, to deliver? It may be a mistake to think that the financial laws do not apply to the United States.
The echoes that come from Greece tell us that balanced budgets matter. A country can get away with overspending for a while, but eventually its creditors want to see signs that the government is able to make the interest payments on its debt. Sensible tax and spending policies are a must.
The echoes further tell us that when confidence in the economy is questioned, people react accordingly. Greek businesses and citizens withdrew billions of Euros from their accounts in the weeks and months leading up to the referendum. Could it happen in the United States? We did come close in the inflation of the 1970s, when everyone wanted to
exchange dollars for gold or other commodities, and more recently with the financial crisis of 2007-08.
It is also known that austerity imposed at the wrong time can ravage an economy. Although Greece got into trouble because its socialist government made promises to labor that it could not deliver, its creditors made things more difficult by demanding austerity with big cuts in pensions and in other government spending, along with big tax increases. Those demands only slowed the Greek economy, raising the unemployment rate to over 25%, resulting in less in tax collections and more demand for government unemployment payments.
Those echoes do tell us that economic growth is the only way out. For example, the economy of Greece depends heavily on tourism, and the current closing of the banks and the limit in cash withdrawals has reduced Greece’s largest source of revenue. If cutting back won’t solve the economic crisis, then the government must focus on stimulating growth in order to generate tax revenues.
Quite important, those echoes explain that politics and economics don’t mix well. Politicians need to get re-elected and that means literally “buying” votes by being generous to the voters with the voters’ own money. As British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
Tim Schumacher represents Strategic Financial Partners in Hays. [email protected]
This article is provided for personal financial information and is not to be construed as financial advice. The view and opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the affiliates he represents. Schumacher is a Registered Representative of, and Securities and Investment Advisory are offered through Hornor, Townsend and Kent, Inc. (HTK) Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. OSJ Branch office: 130 Springside Drive, Suite 100 Akron, OH 44333 (330) 668-9065. Strategic Financial Partners is independent of HTK. HTK does not offer tax or legal advice.
Linda Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences with Kansas State Research and Extension.
The 2015 Ellis County Fair is at the fairgrounds in northwest Hays now through July 18.
Events, entertainment and exhibits will feature the fair theme “Country Pride, County Wide.” There’s fun for everyone at the fair.
Traditional evening events include two nights of races, two nights of rodeo, a truck and tractor pull, a concert and a demolition derby. The fair also includes a carnival and plenty of free entertainment– such as pig races, petting zoo, nightly free-stage concerts, a clown and face painter in the building and a strolling magician, stilt-walker and clown on the midway.
The official fair book gives all the details– from event schedules to competition categories and all the information you need to get involved. Pick up a fair book at the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays, or check out all the fair information online at www.elliscountyfair.org.
Here are just a few of the highlights of the this year’s Ellis County Fair; plans may be subject to change due to weather or other circumstances: Saturday, July 11
• Rodeo Queen Contest- 8:00 am in the Rodeo Arena
• 4-H and Open Class Dog Show- 3:45 p.m. in the Unrein Family Building
• Car Races- 7:00 pm at RPM Speedway Sunday, July 12
• 4-H and Open Class Horse Show- 8:30 a.m. in the Rodeo Arena
• Car Races- 7:00 p.m. at RPM Speedway Monday, July 13
• Enter all exhibits (except food/crops/gardening/flowers)- 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Schenk Building. You can speed up the check-in process by picking up an exhibitor sheet and entry cards in advance at the Ellis County Extension Office. Tuesday, July 14
• Exhibitor Breakfast sponsored by Bank of Hays- 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in the Deutschfest Hall.
• Enter crops, gardening, wheat show and open class foods- 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. in the Schenk Building. The building is then closed to the public until 7:00 p.m. for judging.
• 4-H Food Sale -10:00 a.m. to about 3:00 p.m. (or until sold out) in the Schenk Building lobby. Support 4-H by purchasing prize-winning baked goods at bargain prices.
• Ribbon cutting for new 4-H Food Stand- 6:00 pm at the 4-H food stand on the midway.
• KPRA Rodeo and Rodeo Queen Coronation- 7:00 p.m. in the Rodeo Arena. Wednesday, July 15
• Enter flowers- 8:00-9:30 a.m. in the Schenk Building; judging begins at 10:00 a.m.
• 4-H Small Pet Show- 1:00 p.m., 4-H Cat Show- 3:00 pm, Deutschfest Hall.
• Safety Fair- 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Eagle Radio Kids Pedal Pull- 7:00 p.m. on the Midway
• KPRA Rodeo and Mutton Busting- 7:00 pm in the Rodeo Arena. Thursday, July 16
• 4-H Foods Challenge- 10:00 a.m. to noon, Deutschfest Hall
• Truck and Tractor Pull- 7:00 p.m. at RPM Speedway Friday, July 17
• 4-H Barbecue- 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Unrein Family Building. Tickets cost $9.00 and must be purchased in advance from a 4-H member or the Ellis County Extension Office, no tickets will be sold at the door.
• 4-H Livestock Sale- 6:00 p.m. in the Livestock Show Arena.
• Swon Brothers concert with Curtis Grimes opening- 7:45 p.m. on Midway in front of buildings; bring a chair. Saturday, July 18
• Release exhibits and building clean up- 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Schenk Building
• Demolition Derby- 7:00 p.m. at RPM Speedway
Bring the whole family to the 2015 Ellis County Fair. Be sure to check out the indoor exhibits, commercial vendors, livestock shows and delicious fair food. There will be fun for everyone!
One prominent op-ed theme this spring has argued that Kansas voters have been misled by the current crop of politicians. Conservative politicians, instead of executing pledges to end “ineffective programs,” eliminating services they believe to be inappropriate for government to do, and engaging in what Governor Bob Docking used to call “austere but adequate” budgeting, made a mess.
Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka.
Previous tax cuts have failed to stimulate the economy. Unable to identify or agree on programmatic changes, the 2015 legislature made $50 million in euphemistic “efficiency cuts,” and enacted over $400 million in consumption and other tax increases.
This uncoordinated yo-yo approach to the state’s fiscal matters must be driving voters crazy. Then there are the universal convictions that however it works, “the system” doesn’t work properly or fairly. It’s probably safe to say that Kansans are pretty sure they are personally paying too much for government, and others are not paying anything. The error in that opinion is that those perceived to be paying nothing are generally thought to be the people at the bottom of the economic heap rather than the top. It’s not true. There’s a familiar adage attributed to former Louisiana Senator Russell Long: “Don’t tax you and don’t tax me, tax that fella behind the tree.” What is a plain Kansan to think about her government and what it costs?
In general, no one except infants and those in the custody of the state avoids paying taxes. Some unlucky Kansans with incomes below the average actually pay proportionately more in state and local taxes than those with above average incomes. People at the low end of the economic ladder consume and therefore pay tax on all of their incomes while individuals with higher incomes do not have to consume everything leaving some income and wealth to shelter from taxation, especially if they happen to be independent Kansas business owners.
The average American pays approximately thirty cents of every dollar he or she makes in a working lifetime to government for the public goods and services they receive. It is fairly simple to quantify and demonstrate that over our lifetimes we are likely to receive greater aggregate value in those public goods and services than we actually pay. This is one reason why the national government runs deficits. It’s also why things like education seem to cost so much. Taxpayers are often paying current resources for things that will not yield a return until long into the future.
My colleagues Ed Flentje and Joe Aistrup in their excellent 2010 book Kansas Politics and Government: The Clash of Political Cultures note the Kansas public’s strong admiration and attachment to an individualistic culture whose highest value is liberty and freedom from the dictates of government. Truth told, this is little more than frontier romanticism. The maintenance of international and national markets, the provision of transportation infrastructure, the provision or subsidization of healthcare for the poor, the disabled, veterans, and the elderly, the public funding of K-12 and higher education, the provision of sanitation, recreation, and public safety, and a myriad of other public goods all have considerable collective support. Paying excessively for such things is unwise, but denying the need for them and believing bombastic arguments against them is foolish, if not delusional.
A lot of Kansans believe there was a surplus of bad policy making on display during the 2015 legislature. It’s up to them to decide if they want to endure more of it in the future. So far they seem to be waiting for “that fella behind the tree” to take the initiative; perhaps it needs to be that fella in the mirror.
Dr. Mark Peterson teaches political science at the college level in Topeka, KS.
January 12, 2015. It’s a day that I’m willing to bet was just “another Monday” for most Kansans.
For our state’s elected legislators, it was the first day of the state’s longest legislative session, and likely one of the most controversial. While issues like tax reform, budget and education funding received a great deal of attention, there were other issues, issues of great importance to Kansas farmers and ranchers, to be debated and addressed.
As the dust settles from the 2015 legislative session, it’s time to recognize the efforts of our state’s lawmakers to pass legislation benefiting the agricultural sector and block efforts that would have resulted in significant financial hardship for our state’s farmers and ranchers.
Before going any further, we must recognize lawmakers in the Kansas legislature who are champions for agriculture. Running for office and then serving a diverse constituent base is a hard job – one most of us aren’t willing to take on. State senators and representatives take time away from their home and families in order to represent, stand up for and be the voice for their constituents in Topeka. To Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Garrett Love, House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Sharon Schwartz, Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Larry Powell, House Budget Committee Chairman Kyle Hoffman, and their committee members, I offer a sincere thank you. I thank you for your service to agriculture – our state’s largest industry, employer and economic driver.
In agriculture, whether you’re a corn farmer from Brown County, a feedlot manager from Finney County, a wheat farmer from Stafford County, an equipment manufacturer from Saline County, or somewhere between, your business relies on access to water. And thankfully for our state’s agricultural industry, leaders in Kansas, including Governor Brownback, state agencies and the state legislature, have demonstrated a commitment to water conservation by advancing flexible, locally-driven water resource conservation efforts.
For example, in 2012, the Local Enhanced Management Area law was passed allowing locally-driven water conservation plans within the boundaries of established Groundwater Management Districts. The “Sheridan 6” LEMA, initiated by farmers and ranchers in Sheridan and Thomas counties, will result in a 20 percent reduction in water use over five years. This year, the legislature applied the same locally-driven water conservation model and applied increased flexibility with regard to size and geographic boundaries. The new Water Conservation Areas will allow groups of water right holders, with 100 percent consensus, to form a WCA to enter into voluntary water use reductions.
That was not the only water-related success story in the 2015 legislative session. The popular multi-year flex account (MYFA) program, first enacted in 2012, was updated to provide additional flexibility to water users. MYFAs give farmers and ranchers the ability to manage their groundwater resources over a five-year period, ending the old “use it or lose it” mindset. The law was updated this year to allow water users to rollover into a new five-year MYFA up to one year’s base average water use. In addition, changes made this year allow water right holders to make small adjustments in the place of use while enrolled in a MYFA. These common sense changes to the MYFA program will further encourage water users to responsibly manage water resources – using water when Mother Nature does not provide us with the necessary moisture but also saving water during wet times.
With regard to the livestock sector, state lawmakers also took strides to ensure our state’s farmers and ranchers have access to veterinarians to help them raise healthy animals. Creating an institutional license category for veterinarians employed at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine and removing previous sunset language from the Rural Veterinary Training Program that assists with student loan repayments for veterinarians practicing in qualified rural areas will help ensure all Kansas farmers and ranchers are able to access veterinary care for their animals.
The success of this session is not just what the lawmakers were able to do, but it’s also about what agricultural leaders in the statehouse were able to prevent from happening. Ideas were floated earlier this spring that would have changed the way agricultural land is taxed. The bottom line is this – we have a system in Kansas that works – it’s a system that has been used as a model in 42 other states. Toying with land valuation methods and increasing property tax burdens on farmers and ranchers would be devastating to thousands of farm and ranch families. Those lawmakers who stood up and ensured such misguided ideas did not make it into any final bill should be commended.
The 2015 legislative session was many things. It was challenging. It was controversial. It was downright frustrating at times. But it would be shortsighted to ignore the positive actions taken to advance agriculture in Kansas. While the session may have officially concluded on June 26, the work is now beginning at the Kansas Department of Agriculture to implement the new programs, while continuing to focus on providing high quality service to Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. We look forward to continue to work hard on behalf of farm families across our great state.
Jackie McClaskey is the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture.
OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer and public speaker.
If you think that none of today’s presidential candidates care about people like you, check out Republican Scott Walker.
The Wisconsin governor not only cares, he wants to sit down with you, get your ideas, and stay in close touch. No matter who you are, Walker wants you to join his team, so his presidency can be your presidency.
Not a Republican? No worries. Walker doesn’t check your papers.
Well…except for that million-dollar check you have to write to his super PAC.
That’s the ticket price for entering Walker’s inner circle, where you can discuss your policy concerns and seek personal favor — straight from your lips to the candidate’s ear. Even if you’re a common working stiff, just give a million dollars and you’re in.
Is this a great country or what?
Maybe you’re wondering what, specifically, your money buys. Well, Scott’s super PAC even prints out a handy purchasing slip showing what you’ll get as an “Executive Board Member” of the campaign.
You’ll get two private dinners with the governor, a Walker staffer dedicated to your needs, special briefings and weekly emails, bi-monthly conference calls, bi-annual retreats, and — best of all — an “Exclusive Executive Board Pin.”
Golly, I haven’t felt so included since the 1950s, when I became a member of “The Mickey Mouse Club” and got my own set of mouse ears.
When the Supreme Court descended into the Alice in Wonderland fantasy that corporations are people and money is speech, it was inevitable that American politics would devolve to a frivolous game that shuts out the workaday majority and enthrones a Koch-brothers plutocracy sustained by super PACs.
To help end this corrupt mockery of our electoral democracy, go to www.DemocracyIsForPeople.org.
Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute.
In recent years, religious freedom — or, more precisely, religious-freedom claims — have been front and center in the battle over same-sex marriage.
From bitter debates in Arizona and Indiana to the grand compromise in Utah, proponents and opponents have shouted past one another about if and when to grant exemptions for conscientious objectors to same-sex marriage.
The Supreme Court’s decision on June 26 in Obergefell v. Hodges recognizing gay marriage as a constitutional right will not end this debate. But it might, just might, move people of goodwill on both sides from battleground to common ground on how best to balance competing visions of equality and liberty.
Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy acknowledges that “an open and searching debate” will continue in a country with deep religious and secular convictions on all sides of arguments about the definition of marriage.
But Justice Kennedy also sets the table for a more reasonable, productive dialogue by reminding Americans of the need to uphold religious freedom even as we recognize marriage equality.
“The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection,” Kennedy writes, “as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered.”
The big question now, of course, is the meaning of “proper protection.” Beyond the freedom of religious groups to perform marriages in accordance with their faith — a right no one save a few alarmists believe is threatened in America — how will we address the broad range of religious-freedom claims that will flow from the Court’s same-sex marriage decision?
“Hard questions arise,” writes Justice John Roberts in his dissent, “when people of faith exercise religion in ways that may be seen to conflict with the new right to same-sex marriage — when, for example, a religious college provides married student housing only to opposite-sex married couples, or a religious adoption agency declines to place children with same-sex married couples.”
As the country struggles with these and similar dilemmas, it is worth noting that a majority of Americans do not believe that the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of gay marriage will undermine religious freedom, according to a State of the First Amendment Survey released on July 3 by the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center.
When asked (before the decision) about the impact on religious freedom of a Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, 54% of Americans believe the decision would have no lasting impact on religious freedom. Just under a third (31%) think the decision would be harmful to religious freedom, while 8% say it will be good for religious freedom.
In other words, beyond extreme voices that dominate our culture wars, a majority of people appears to believe we can simultaneously recognize marriage equality and uphold religious freedom.
While polls tell us that some 60% of Americans now support same-sex marriage as a constitutional right, the First Amendment Center’s survey suggests that a majority would also favor granting some accommodations to religious objectors to same-sex marriage.
When asked about wedding providers, for example, a majority (55%) would not require vendors with religious objections to same-sex marriage to serve same-sex couples. Just two years ago, that number was 45%. As support for gay marriage has grown so, apparently, has support for finding ways to address religious claims of conscience.
Despite these numbers on the wedding vendor issue, proposals for religious exemptions that allow refusal of services in places of public accommodation are deeply divisive — and unlikely to be enacted (think Arizona and Indiana). But other accommodations — especially for religiously affiliated groups — may be more easily agreed to by people on all sides now that the Supreme Court has settled the marriage question.
If it is true (and polls can only tell us so much), that most Americans support both same-sex marriage and some accommodation for religious objectors, then we may have an opportunity to reset the debate — and engage, at long last, in a civil dialogue over how best to balance equality and liberty now that same-sex marriage is the law of the land.
Civility in this arena will be not easy to achieve. Culture warriors are adept as sustaining anger (and raising money) long after the battle is lost.
Nevertheless, most Americans cherish both equality and liberty — and that alone may give political and religious leaders of goodwill the courage to seek common ground.
Charles C. Haynes is vice president of the Newseum Institute and executive director of the Religious Freedom Center. [email protected]
For more information about the 2015 State of the First Amendment survey: newseuminstitute.org/SOFA15. Join the conversation on Twitter: #SOFA15
While food safety will always be the cornerstone of our farm and ranch production process, allegiance is making inroads into why and where consumers buy their products.
Sure, the majority of today’s shoppers enjoy and often take for granted the expanded menu in supermarkets. They look forward to shopping in a meat case filled with dozens of new cuts, pre-packaged, oven or grill-ready, custom portioned, “natural” and pre-cooked products. Today’s shoppers can’t wait to get their mitts on the marinades, dry rubs, cooking bags and other specialty items designed for time strapped, two-income families.
There’s also another growing group of consumers who are purchasing products based on trust and nostalgia. This notion of nostalgia, or pining, harkens back to the good old days – a time when events and lives were perceived as simpler, more wholesome, just downright better.
Many in this new group of consumers want to share in the story behind the product they are buying. They wish to establish a direct link and cultivate a relationship with the producer who provides them with tomatoes, asparagus, corn or that special meat dish for that back-yard barbecue, upcoming birthday bash or summer get-together.
There is a growing number of shoppers who yearn to develop a trust with producers who they believe will provide them with a quality, consistent, wholesome product time after time.
Tapping into this ever-changing consumer landscape, today’s food producer – especially those located near large-population, urban areas – must not miss the opportunity to reach the hearts, minds and stomachs of consumers who feel strongly about their food.
Some consumer-savvy producers are already honed in on this concept. They’ve retooled their farming operation from a conventional commodities-only business to one that includes pick-your-own sweet corn, pumpkins, flowers and strawberries. They’re giving people what they want.
Others now provide home deliveries of fresh produce and sell their produce at local farmers’ markets. Still others have added a corn maze, day-on-the-farm activities, ice-cream socials and chuck-wagon cookouts, while inviting everyone from school-aged kids to wedding rehearsal parties – all to enjoy the farm and ranch way of life.
This new direction in farming is being driven by farmers and ranchers who are attempting to be less dependent on cheap land and vast acreage. This pioneer is tapping into the population surge and wealth of consumers who shop online, drive a couple cars including a pick-up and don’t mind paying a premium for the food they feed their families.
Another common element of this non-traditional farmer is the belief that this shift in production style may not make them rich, but will keep them out in the open spaces, running their own business and doing what they enjoy and want to do. A large percentage of those willing to try something new are younger farmers. In many cases, a young farmer is often considered someone who has yet to reach the half-century mark.
For some, traditional farming became too expensive. Others decided traditional farming was no longer worth the effort. Whatever the reason, any farmer will tell you that farming is a difficult process. Still, most would agree they are glad they bought their land, and glad they’re doing what they enjoy and want to do.
No doubt, more and more farmers will be looking at a different direction to stay on their land in the future. The land will continue to be farmed. There will no doubt be fewer farmers but those who are determined to stay in this business of agriculture will have to find innovative ways to farm.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
If you’ve ever experienced a human relationship, odds are you’ve heard this subtext-laden gem: “It’s fine.” In my experience, “fine” doesn’t travel alone – “fine” flies with distinctly negative, yet socially inappropriate or awkward baggage. “Fine” is a low-grade chemical weapon wrapped in a large layer of anti-toxins, bubble wrap and one of the expensive “get well soon” cards that sings to you when you open it. “Terminator: Genisys” is fine.
I wanted to like this film, I really did. I put effort into liking this film. I made excuses for it. I kept telling myself that it was fine. Ya, not so much. “Terminator: Genisys” attempts to literally follow in the foot steps of its acknowledgeable forebears, “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” The result is an extended series of missteps, fumbles and over-extensions that slowly erodes what was left of the franchise and “Genisys’s” largely strong opening act.
Time travel is tough to do in movies. Simplicity is always the best option. Anytime a property tries to up the ante by introducing alternate timelines or time travel within time travel the result is a almost always a convoluted mess. “Terminator: Genisys” makes this exact mistake. It tries to go for bigger thrills, badder villains, and more important plot twists and it just ends up being woefully disjointed.
I really wanted to like this movie for a number of reasons. James Cameron, the writer and director of the first two “Terminator” movies is one of my favorite filmmakers. In fact, “Judgment Day” was one of the seminal action-movies of my youth. Furthermore, I absolutely adore Emilia Clarke, who plays Sarah Connor in “Genisys.” I’ve been captivated by Clarke’s since her breakout role on HBO’s “Game of Thrones” where she plays Daenerys Targaryen – one of my favorite characters from any book or show, anywhere. While Clarke delivers a great performance as Sarah Connor, her work alone is not enough to salvage a poorly written script and poorly conceived and directed action. “Genisys” attempted to save the franchise’s future by going back to the past, but instead of saving it, it nearly postponed its demise – exactly like the struggle of the human characters trying to stave off Judgement Day.
Now that same-sex marriages are legal in Kansas—oh, yes, and in the rest of the nation, too—Gov. Sam Brownback is mulling the possibility of reviving a Senate-trashed bill that will allow Kansans to decide whether they want to sell a wedding cake for a same-gender marriage.
“Religious freedom” is the key phrase here, and practically, who is against that?
The concept that Brownback is feeling around to find the handle for is whether there is a way to allow some merchants—and it appears for some reason to be bakers who have the most devoutly held religious objection to same-sex marriages—to not deal with same-gender brides and grooms.
Very practically, there’s a big difference between participating in, attending, maybe even giving gifts to a happy couple whose gender diversity you find…well, lacking, and selling them a product that you sell to everyone else who enters the shop door with cash to spend.
If you’re in a business that deals with the public, well, that’s what you do. We’re wondering whether the governor may be exaggerating the need for religious protection in commerce. Like selling a wedding cake.
Maybe this is a diversion for a governor who isn’t happy about same-sex marriage—Kansas still doesn’t recognize for governmental purposes, say, drivers’ licenses which require a name change due to same-gender marriages. Or, even for state health insurance for those same-gender but legally married couples.
It might just be a political position that is appealing to some number of Republican primary election voters who tend to be the most socially conservative voters who turn out regularly. And, in most districts in Kansas, the winner of the Republican primary generally wins the general election and gets a seat in the House or Senate. That’s just how the numbers break.
But…even serious consideration of a “religious freedom” initiative from the governor will undoubtedly face the same problems that House members saw last year, when they passed a confusing and not-well-understood “religious freedom act” that was apparently aimed at bakers. That bill quickly went away in the Senate when it was learned that it covered public employees—what would happen if a clerk refuses to accept the water bill payment from a gay customer, or the county treasurer refuses to sell you a new license tag because he/she has deeply held religious beliefs about whether some genders should be driving? Yes, public services should be available to, well, anyone in the public, and the attempt to narrow that equal-access to public services by public employees isn’t a starter…
How to protect a business’ owners from liability for refusing to do business with the general public—Brownback’s apparent aim—is both tricky and not-very-Republican sounding. The GOP is the party of commerce, of course, and nowadays, that “consumption” by Kansans, presumably including purchase of wedding cakes, is a key to the state’s budget and its ability to provide services to Kansans of all gender preferences.
And, it seems likely that commercial aspects of a “religious freedom” law will not only cause problems for purchasers of those wedding cakes, but for a bakery employee, who unless he/she owns the shop, refuses to do business that he/she was hired to do. The issue shifts from just doing business to the business of employment law and it just goes on from there…
Seems like if the governor isn’t enthused about same-gender marriages, he might just want to mention it a time or two to supportive groups, but not drag Kansas businesses into this scrap.
Curious to see where this goes for a governor who doesn’t have to stand for re-election again, and for a Legislature that does.
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.
Sometimes the empty nest doesn’t stay empty. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans living in multigenerational households has doubled since 1980.
Baby boomers supporting their parents and their college graduates returning home are among the more than 50 million Americans living in multigenerational homes. These modern families may have unique concerns when it comes to home, health, auto and life insurance.
To help you understand how to protect you and your family, our Kansas Insurance Department staff and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) offer these tips.
Household Concerns
Having an adult child, parent or other family member move into your household can be stressful. To make sure your insurance coverage is adequate, here are some questions to consider:
• How long does your family member plan to live with you?
• Are you charging rent (a fee for room and board)?
• Does your new house mate have all of his/her belongings with him/her?
• Will this person regularly drive your vehicle(s)?
Home Insurance
When a new household resident moves in, know what your homeowners policy covers in terms of limitations or even exclusions. First, check with your insurer or agent to see if you need extra coverage. If a fire or theft were to occur, any resident’s belongings are typically covered by a standard homeowners agreement. However, belongings are subject to limitations, and high-priced items may need extra coverage.
If you plan to charge your new household member rent, he or she may want to consider renter’s insurance. Renter’s insurance is typically inexpensive and covers the renter’s property and liability up to policy limits.
Health Insurance
Insurers now allow adult children up to age 26 to be covered by their parents’ health insurance policies. If your adult children are older than 26, they’ll need to look into an individual policy.
If an older relative moves in with you and is over the age of 65, that person may qualify for Medicare. For more information about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov, the official U.S. government site. If your parent is moving in due to health concerns, you may want to carefully consider long-term care insurance.
Auto Insurance
Car insurers are permitted to request information regarding who is living in your household and who drives your vehicles. If your new resident drives, notify your auto insurance company. If the resident owns his/her own car, your insurer may simply want a copy of his or her auto policy.
If the household member does not own a vehicle, you may want to add them to your auto policy if he or she is a licensed driver. Depending on the person’s age and driving history, this may impact your rates. If you misrepresent information to your auto insurance company about drivers using your vehicle, future claims could be denied, and your policy could be canceled or not renewed.
Life Insurance
If you find your family dependent on you to provide for them, you should review your need for life insurance. To determine if you need coverage, ask yourself the following questions:
• How much of the family income do I provide?
• If I were to die, how would my survivors—both children and parents—get by?
• How will my family pay final expenses and repay debts after my death?
• Will there be estate taxes to pay after my death?
In each policy area, you should visit with your local insurance agent or company to determine what is best for your family’s insurance needs. If you have additional questions, call our Consumer Assistance Division, 1-800-432-2484, to speak to one of our consumer assistance representatives.
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University.
After smooth sailing financially for most of the 20th century, risky, ill-considered actions on state taxes now send Kansas’ ship of state lurching from one financial crisis to the next. And Kansans will bear the burden of these decisions for the foreseeable future.
This radical experiment has produced five years of deficit spending, budget cuts, and repeated threats of budgetary disaster, excessive and unnecessary borrowing and credit downgrades, two rounds of huge tax increases, and general incompetence in state finance.
In this new normal, Kansans can expect a continued deterioration of core state services—education, health care, highways, and aid to vulnerable citizens. For years into the future our children and grandchildren will be paying off debts incurred to protect their parents’ tax cuts, and borrowing costs will increase. Business owners and nonprofit organizations will continue to experience an uncertain and threatening tax environment.
Last week’s court order on school finance and this week’s news of sinking revenues foretells that state finance will again be on the rocks sooner than expected.
Republican state lawmakers who took charge in 2010 and solidified their majorities in 2012 and 2014 are responsible for this financial debacle. Well, let’s add that the voters who placed them in office bear responsibility too, but they have been misled along the way.
None of these lawmakers campaigned for the heresy of eliminating the state income tax in 2010, certainly not candidate Sam Brownback. He cloaked his “road map” around quickly forgotten themes of addressing childhood poverty, 4th grade reading levels, and education.
These Republicans drank the tax-cut Kool-Aid as an economic panacea offered by discredited, corporate guru Arthur Laffer. A tortuous legislative process in 2012 broke pledges of compromise and forced through an ill-conceived bill that cut and eliminated state income taxes to the tune of nearly $1 billion annually and would have imposed spending cuts of $7 billion, nearly 25 percent of the state budget over the next five years, based on the governor’s spending plans.
These same Republicans then did a complete about-face on taxes and began advocating increased sales taxes to clean up their self-inflicted financial mess. Remember that they had used their opposition to a “temporary” sales tax in the 2010 campaign to target and successfully defeat twelve house Democrats. They further joined with the Kansas State Chamber to blame moderate Republicans for the 2012 tax fiasco and target them in the 2012 primary, routing nine incumbent state senators.
The first round of tax increases came in 2013 after an extended legislative session. Republicans increased sales taxes and shrunk income tax cuts, totaling $420 million annually, to fill the budget hole.
However, economic reality again undermined the tax-cut dogma throughout election year 2014: state revenues plummeted; economic growth lagged; credit was downgraded; and another budget crisis loomed. Brownback buried his head in the sand with a clever campaign ditty: “The sun is shining in Kansas and don’t let anybody tell you any different.” The ruse worked, as he eked out a narrow victory, albeit with 100,000 fewer votes than in 2010.
The gap between revenues and expenditures, however, had ballooned to $800 million in 2015. During the longest legislative session in state history, state house members were locked in their chamber late into the night, threatened and browbeaten. Finally, at 4:00 a.m., sleep-deprived Republicans enacted a second round of higher taxes, primarily sales taxes and further shrinking of income tax cuts, totaling on average $450 million annually over the next three years. Brownback held no signing ceremony.
Unstable and unsustainable state finance has handed Kansans deteriorating state services, foisted debt onto future generations, and warned prospective businesses to be wary of the state’s volatile tax climate. Is this financial future what Kansans bargained for when they voted these Republicans lawmakers into office?After smooth sailing financially for most of the 20th century, risky, ill-considered actions on state taxes now send Kansas’ ship of state lurching from one financial crisis to the next. And Kansans will bear the burden of these decisions for the foreseeable future.
This radical experiment has produced five years of deficit spending, budget cuts, and repeated threats of budgetary disaster, excessive and unnecessary borrowing and credit downgrades, two rounds of huge tax increases, and general incompetence in state finance.
In this new normal, Kansans can expect a continued deterioration of core state services—education, health care, highways, and aid to vulnerable citizens. For years into the future our children and grandchildren will be paying off debts incurred to protect their parents’ tax cuts, and borrowing costs will increase. Business owners and nonprofit organizations will continue to experience an uncertain and threatening tax environment.
Last week’s court order on school finance and this week’s news of sinking revenues foretells that state finance will again be on the rocks sooner than expected.
Republican state lawmakers who took charge in 2010 and solidified their majorities in 2012 and 2014 are responsible for this financial debacle. Well, let’s add that the voters who placed them in office bear responsibility too, but they have been misled along the way.
None of these lawmakers campaigned for the heresy of eliminating the state income tax in 2010, certainly not candidate Sam Brownback. He cloaked his “road map” around quickly forgotten themes of addressing childhood poverty, 4th grade reading levels, and education.
These Republicans drank the tax-cut Kool-Aid as an economic panacea offered by discredited, corporate guru Arthur Laffer. A tortuous legislative process in 2012 broke pledges of compromise and forced through an ill-conceived bill that cut and eliminated state income taxes to the tune of nearly $1 billion annually and would have imposed spending cuts of $7 billion, nearly 25 percent of the state budget over the next five years, based on the governor’s spending plans.
These same Republicans then did a complete about-face on taxes and began advocating increased sales taxes to clean up their self-inflicted financial mess. Remember that they had used their opposition to a “temporary” sales tax in the 2010 campaign to target and successfully defeat twelve house Democrats. They further joined with the Kansas State Chamber to blame moderate Republicans for the 2012 tax fiasco and target them in the 2012 primary, routing nine incumbent state senators.
The first round of tax increases came in 2013 after an extended legislative session. Republicans increased sales taxes and shrunk income tax cuts, totaling $420 million annually, to fill the budget hole.
However, economic reality again undermined the tax-cut dogma throughout election year 2014: state revenues plummeted; economic growth lagged; credit was downgraded; and another budget crisis loomed. Brownback buried his head in the sand with a clever campaign ditty: “The sun is shining in Kansas and don’t let anybody tell you any different.” The ruse worked, as he eked out a narrow victory, albeit with 100,000 fewer votes than in 2010.
The gap between revenues and expenditures, however, had ballooned to $800 million in 2015. During the longest legislative session in state history, state house members were locked in their chamber late into the night, threatened and browbeaten. Finally, at 4:00 a.m., sleep-deprived Republicans enacted a second round of higher taxes, primarily sales taxes and further shrinking of income tax cuts, totaling on average $450 million annually over the next three years. Brownback held no signing ceremony.
Unstable and unsustainable state finance has handed Kansans deteriorating state services, foisted debt onto future generations, and warned prospective businesses to be wary of the state’s volatile tax climate. Is this financial future what Kansans bargained for when they voted these Republicans lawmakers into office?
H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and returns as a contributor to Insight Kansas after a leave of absence.
Linda Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences with Kansas State Research and Extension.
For many people, summer holidays such as the Fourth of July mean firing up the grill to enjoy outdoor meals with family and friends. Here are four barbecue food safety reminders from Liz Boyle, K-State Research and Extension meat specialist, to ensure everyone enjoys the food and the holiday.
1. Avoid cross-contamination.
Frequently washing hands is necessary.
“Washing your hands becomes important, especially with grilling,” Boyle said. “We are taking food outside, handling door knobs, handling tongs, handling raw meat and poultry, and often also handling fresh fruits and vegetables and other picnic foods.”
Also make sure to wash utensils and cooking supplies. Common items that could lead to cross-contamination include cutting boards, knives, tongs, spatulas and other tableware, and plates used to carry meat to the grill.
Use separate cutting boards for meat and produce, or thoroughly wash the cutting board after each use with soap and hot water. This prevents uncooked meat juices from contaminating fresh, uncooked produce.
Avoid cross-contaminating food with your thermometer, too. When checking temperatures of meat using a food thermometer, make sure if the product hasn’t reached necessary doneness that you wash the stem of the thermometer in hot soapy water and rinse it before checking the temperature of the meat again.
2. Handle and cook meat at appropriate temperatures.
For many, marinating meat comes before grilling. Boyle said to make sure to marinate at refrigeration temperatures.
“We want to keep foods out of the danger zone which is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit,” she said. “Foods can’t be in that temperature range for more than two hours. Otherwise, we have concerns not only with spoilage but also with potential growth of microorganisms that cause foodborne illness.”
To make sure the food you serve is safely cooked, use a thermometer. Most retail stores offer inexpensive meat thermometers and many different versions to fit your preference.
Cook ground meats (beef, lamb or pork) to an internal temperature of 160 F. Whole cuts such as steaks and chops should be cooked to at least 145 F. All poultry products must reach at least 165 F. Check the temperature in the center of the food at its thickest part. For thin foods such as burger patties and thin steaks or chicken breasts, that may mean inserting the thermometer from the side of the meat, instead of top down.
Don’t rely on color to determine doneness. Different factors influence meat color, and those can lead to a condition called “persistent pink”, where even though the product has reached 160 degrees, the meat is still pink in the middle. There’s also a condition called “premature browning”, where the meat can turn brown at 140 degrees– when it is not yet safely cooked– but looks like it’s done. A thermometer is the only way to tell when the meat is safe to eat.
3. Wash produce, not meat.
When you’re working with produce, make sure you wash it before eating. This prevents potential microorganisms on the surface of produce from making people sick.
Some consumers think they need to wash their meat before marinating or grilling, Boyle said, but unlike fresh produce, you do not need to wash meat products.
“Our modern harvesting practices have washing procedures inherently associated with them, so when you buy meat at the grocery store, there’s no need for you to wash it,” Boyle said. “Washing meat can result is a lot of contamination in your sink and on countertops from drops that splatter after hitting the meat surface.”
4. Store leftovers properly.
Usually barbecues with family and friends mean everyone is having fun and doing activities together, but make sure the meal and any leftovers don’t sit out longer than two hours (one hour in temperatures over 90 degrees.) Package leftovers in shallow containers, and put them in the refrigerator or cooler with ice or ice packs to keep them out of the temperature danger zone.
