The Hays community launched the Fake or Borrowed ID 101 project in January of this year and, five months later, several successful enforcement operations have occurred with minimal infractions.

However, the efforts of many Fake ID project partners and local liquor licensees cannot go without recognition for the success of the project.

The Fake or Borrowed ID project was intended to provide multiple waves of education and awareness about the legal consequences related to minors possessing or obtaining a fake, borrowed or altered ID in order to access alcohol. Media and information
dissemination stints were followed up with a wide range of law enforcement operations implemented during high-risk times for underage drinking to occur or during large-scale community-sponsored events.

Enforcement operations consisted of officers from a number of agencies collaborating to conduct organized controlled buys, Cop N Shops and bar checks, as well as offering individual liquor licensees consultation on a number of related topics. Five enforcement operation stints have been held and the following violations occurred: 11 minors in Possession, one furnishing to a minor, one CMB violation, one disorderly, one False ID, one warrant arrest, and two administrative citations.

Law enforcement partners noted that Fake IDs are not as prevalent nowadays as they may have been five or 10 years ago due to all of the security features built into the state-issued IDs that make them difficult to replicate; however, borrowed IDs seems to be
the bigger issue these days. ID checking practices among alcohol licensees and employees is a very important step in deterring underage alcohol purchases and consumption.

Fake ID project partners would like to thank the business community, specifically bars, liquor stores and convenience stores that were targeted by the enforcement operations for abiding by the law in preventing youth access to alcohol, as well as, being supportive partners in the additional enforcement checks that occurred and posting Fake ID signage in efforts to decrease and deter Fake or Borrowed ID usage.

Additionally, a thank you goes out to Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office and Kansas Department of Transportation for the grant award and technical support offered, as well as, local partners including Alcohol Beverage Control, Hays Police Department, FHSU
Police and the Regional Prevention Center.

Few experiences are more powerful or moving than a visit to a cemetery on Memorial Day. Unlike a military cemetery where rows upon rows of graves give silent testimony to the human cost of war, in most Kansas cemeteries the stories of the dead – young, old, male and female – tell a story about the community.

But like their battlefield counterparts, cemeteries that dot the Kansas countryside are the resting place for veterans. Some of these graves are filled with young men who barely reached adulthood when they died. Their stories tell of dreams unfulfilled, of promises and potentials cut short.

When visiting these places, it is possible to be overcome with a sense of yearning. It is also possible to feel something larger, a sense of finality and rest, and a sense of peace.

The soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan are at rest in these cemeteries. They live on in the memory of their families and friends and, in a larger sense, in the memory and gratitude of the nation they gave their lives for. Lingering among the memories is always the nagging question: Did they die in vain?

On Memorial Day, Kansans will once again gather in cemeteries in Iola, Valley Falls, Meade, Washington, Hoisington or Grinnell to recall and reassure themselves that the lives and deaths of these young men and women had meaning.

When we think of our liberties this Memorial Day, remember that some gave all. Remember those veterans who died so we could remain free.

Only a handful of those who served in World War I remain, and the number who served in World War II dwindles daily. Vietnam veterans have reached middle age and today’s young men and women are the veterans of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

For many their story remains the same. They grew up as farm kids in the Midwest or some other region of our country. Those from the Midwest grew up with the feel of the prairie earth beneath their feet, the wide-open sky overhead and the rhythm of the seasons in their blood.

At an early age, most of the young men and women learned to cultivate the soil, plant crops and harvest the bounty with their parents. Like many farm boys and girls, they understood machinery and the use of tools. They developed self-reliance and initiative.

Soon, many found themselves in another field far from home. This field was a battlefield in Europe, the Far East, Vietnam or the Middle East. These veterans become the unsung heroes of war.

But these young men and women were not repairing a combine in a harvest field or operating a small business on MainStreet. Instead, they were patching up a tank under enemy fire, threading their way through the jungles of Vietnam, avoiding anti-personnel mines in Iraq or keeping an eye peeled for snipers in Afghanistan.

This Memorial Day, mothers, fathers, families and friends will travel to cemeteries across Kansas and our country. Once on those hallowed grounds, they will pause to remember and pray for the young men and women who did not return from war. For many, visiting a cemetery on Memorial Day somehow eases the pain and loss of loved ones.

At the same time let’s give thanks and remember those veterans who are still with us. Let’s not forget those serving around the world today in the armed forces.

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

In the midst of multiple foreign crises that demand our attention as a nation last month saw the little-noted collapse of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Each side blamed the other.  Possibly the U.S. shares some culpability since our country has rarely been an entirely neutral arbitrator in the dispute.

As if to underline the point Republican Presidential hopeful Chris Christie spent the evening of May 18, 2014, speaking to the Champions of Jewish Values International awards gala in New York. This was the second time in two months that Governor Christie had spoken to an influential group of Jewish donors. The audience included billionaire Sheldon Adelson (personal wealth estimated at $35 Billion by Forbes magazine), who funded much of Newt Gingrich’s ill-fated 2012 campaign.

During his speech Christie touted America as “the strongest moral power for what is good and right in the world.” The governor, speaking a month earlier in Las Vegas to a Jewish group that included Adelson, had made reference to “the occupied territories,” land taken by Israel in the 1967 war. Afterwards he scrambled to assure Adelson that he had “misspoke.” The pro-Israeli lobby cites the Bible and regards all occupied territory as a permanent part of the Jewish state.

One of the best accounts of the behind-the-scenes machinations leading to the creation of Israel can be found in David McCullough’s Pulitzer-Prize winning biography of Harry Truman. Recognition of an independent Jewish state was fiercely opposed by our Department of State and the then Secretary of State Gen. George Marshall (namesake of the Marshall Plan).

What followed Truman’s decision to recognize Israel remains largely forgotten by Americans. Nearly a half a million Palestinians were forcibly made to flee their homes. Some who resisted were shot and many elderly who presumably could not walk long distances were left behind to their fate. Many who survived have subsisted in refugee camps for generations or live currently under Israeli military rule on the West Bank or Gaza Strip. Herein lies the heart of the problem.

Arnold Toynbee, former professor of Modern History at the University of Jerusalem, wrote in 1967 that “the Palestinian Arabs have suffered injustice.  To put it simply, they have been made to pay for the genocide of the Jews in Europe, which was committed by the Germans, not the Arabs.”

One cannot make light of the legitimate security concerns of the state of Israel.  On the other hand, its desire to pursue a peaceful solution over the years can be questioned in light of its continued refusal to curtail settlement activity in the occupied territories. According to U.S. government statistics 556,700 Israeli Jews now live in the occupied territories. Israel again refused to stop settlement activity at the beginning of the latest round of peace talks.

Any U.S. politician who tries to press Israel into a more accommodating stance with the Palestinians does so at his own risk. President Obama has tried to lean on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reign in settlement activity. As a result, 2012 Presidential challenger Mitt Romney vigorously attacked the President for not being sufficiently supportive of Israel.

When Obama nominated former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be the Secretary of Defense numerous Jewish groups cried foul and noted his past complaints about “intimidation” from the Jewish lobby. David Suissa, writing at the time in the “Jewish Journal,” also criticized Hagel for a 2006 remark that “the core of all challenges in the Middle East remains the underlying Arab-Israeli conflict.” Hagel went on to say that failure to address this problem allows the type of hate to fester that breeds terrorism. Jewish groups reject this linkage.

The 1979 Camp David Peace Agreement between Israel and Egypt taught us three lessons. First of all, it showed that peace is possible between Israel and the Arabs. Secondly, a U.S. role is key in the process. And lastly, a comprehensive Mideast solution must address the Palestinian issue. There lies the unfulfilled promise of the Camp David.

To achieve a lasting Middle East peace, the American people need to insist that our government be a neutral party pushing both sides towards a compromise.

Alan Jilka is a businessman and former mayor of Salina.

The following is a release from the Salina Police Department:

The City of Salina and the Salina Police Department have recently received numerous complaints regarding panhandlers in our community. A common question is why can’t the police just move them along or why can’t they be arrested.

The simple answer is each of us has a constitutional right to ask others for money as long as it is not done in a threatening or aggressive manner. Salina does have ordinances forbidding aggressive panhandling. This offense requires a victim and the elements of the crime of aggressive panhandling to be present. Aggressive panhandling would entail threatening approaches, following, physical contact, or verbal threats.

It is also illegal to stand on a highway or roadway for the purpose of soliciting, business or contribution from the occupant of any vehicles. Merely standing on the shoulder of a roadway does not constitute standing on the roadway.

Panhandling is more of a societal problem than it is a law enforcement issue. An easy solution to this problem is to NOT give money to panhandlers. Giving panhandlers money discourages them from seeking the services they may truly need and encourages them to keep doing what they are doing, sitting on a bucket holding a sign.

Giving money to a panhandler can actually be harmful to Salina as it diverts money that could be going towards assistance programs already in place designed to help those in need. Research has shown that the donated money received by panhandlers often is used to buy alcohol and/or illegal drugs.

It is imperative that citizens of Salina and Saline County realize that there is a strong relationship between panhandling and substance abuse.

Many of these panhandlers do not access readily available social services because they may not actually be in need or may not even be from the area They are simply taking advantage of the compassion and generosity of the citizens of Salina.

Please chose to donate to programs such as Catholic Charities, Emergency Aid Food Bank, Salina Area United Way, of the Salvation Army and not directly to panhandlers. By giving panhandlers money, your are part of the problem, not the solution.

Panhandling will cease to be an issue in our community if the community collectively decides to cease giving individuals money for dubious reasons at best.

By ROD HAXTON
Scott County Record

Taxpayers in Scott County USD 466 are being asked to approve a two mill increase in the capital outlay levy – taking the overall levy to eight mills. This will generate roughly $180,000 in added revenue next year (possibly more) based on current property valuations.

Of course, the levy is subject to petition and – not surprisingly – there are people chomping at the bit to stop the levy from going into effect. People are angry about the $1.1 million shortfall in the school district’s budget. They are upset about people losing their jobs. Quite honestly, there are people who won’t be satisfied until the superintendent is gone.

That’s understandable. It’s a situation that none of us enjoy and we certainly don’t like the consequences. So the initial reaction is to “get even,” but with whom?

The district superintendent because he got us into this mess, right? It’s easy to blame him because he is the man in charge. Ultimately the buck stops at his desk. And we haven’t heard Superintendent Bill Wilson deny that. He admits to making a “mistake.” But it’s not that simple. It never is.

Here are some simple truths:

1) The superintendent isn’t entirely responsible for us getting less money from the state than anticipated. The state legislature has been putting the screws to school districts for years. The latest Supreme Court ruling confirmed that. And while this financial shortfall is, in part, self-inflicted, we aren’t alone in feeling the financial pinch. Many other school districts around the state (i.e., Hutchinson, Hays, Holcomb) are also experiencing similar problems and cutting staff and budgets.

2) In addition to overestimating the amount of revenue the district would be receiving from the state, the school district also took on expenses that, in hindsight, the board and administration would have scaled back.

After a five percent salary hike in 2012-13, there was no COLA in 2013-14 for the staff. However, those on supplemental contracts (coaches) received a 10% pay hike for 2013-14.

For the past two years, the district has been reimbursing its employees the $500 deductible on their health insurance plan. And the district is paying the premiums for a single plan for each of its full-time classified staff (cooks, secretaries, custodians, etc.).

This was an attempt to reduce the employee turnover and keep good people. We know of one individual who began working for the district because of this benefit.

“We need that insurance coverage,” said the employee’s spouse.

As Wilson said recently, “It’s easy now to look back and say we shouldn’t have done it . . . that we couldn’t afford it. People can say that knowing what we know now about our budget. But was it the right thing to do? Yes.”

3) We didn’t get into this budget mess because someone embezzled money or because we were spending on things the district absolutely did not need. We got into this situation, in part, because the board and administration chose to invest in its people. A terrible idea, right?

And we made the bigger mistake of trusting that the legislature would do the right thing and invest in our schools and our children.

Apparently another bad idea.

Kansas school districts have been feeling the squeeze for years. It’s impossible not to when basic state aid per pupil is $3,838 – nearly $1,000 per pupil less than it was in 2000-01. Yes, the state legislature has cut basic funding over the past 14 years by 20.2% while expenses for utilities, salaries, fuel, insurance, etc., have gone up.

Let’s look at it another way. Based on the value of a dollar in 2013, basic state aid in the 2003-04 school year was $5,778 per pupil (which includes basic aid and unrestricted weightings). That dipped to $4,497 in 2012-13, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards.

By either calculation, Kansas schools and our students are losing . . . not just in Scott County but in all 105 counties.

Why should the governor and legislature continue to get a free pass with a tax policy that’s nothing short of malpractice, to say nothing of its neglect of public education?

The Joke Called ‘Local Control’

In response, the legislature has wiggled out of some of its responsibility by promising “local control.” Everyone loves local control, right?

What it really means is the legislature is giving local school districts more latitude to tax themselves to offset funding that isn’t coming from the state.

More “local control” is now possible by allowing school districts to increase their capital outlay levy up to eight mills. Which is what the USD 466 board of education is hoping to do.

Taxpayers must keep in mind there are limits as to how capital outlay funding can be spent. For example, it can only be spent for computers, buses and vehicles, building improvements/repairs, etc. Under the new legislation, there are also certain instances where labor attached to improvement projects can be paid out of capital outlay.

This money can’t be used for teacher or administration salaries, textbooks, utilities, to pay off school bonds, etc.

With the latitude to pay for a few more things out of capital outlay, it will give the district a little more room elsewhere in the general fund and – just as importantly – allow the district to begin rebuilding its contingency reserve fund.

This is a goal that’s responsible and, over time, will again put the district on firm financial ground.

Or there is another course of action.

People can sign a petition protesting the capital outlay increase. They can do it out of anger, or spite or simply because they don’t like higher taxes and apparently it’s easier to vent your frustration with the local school board or superintendent than it is with Gov. Brownback or one of the legislators who have been neglectful in their duties.

And even if you believe you’re sending a message to the superintendent or to the board members, you need to ask, “Who really pays the price?” The answer is, of course, our school district, our community and our students.

Defeat of the capital outlay resolution will delay the district’s goal of having four elementary teachers for every grade level in the elementary school, which is a huge asset. Some maintenance and improvement projects will have to be put on hold. It will take longer to restore the 2% pay cut that staff members voluntarily took in order to help the district’s finances. And it will limit the district’s ability to upgrade textbooks (a $150,000 purchase has been delayed indefinitely).

This is just a small example of the price we will pay if some people refuse to be satisfied until someone’s head is on a platter.

A number of factors contributed to the predicament we’re in. How we choose to get out of this situation can either show our ability to come together as a community, or it can reveal the ugly side of human nature when we feel that we’ve been wronged and we want some measure of revenge.

Those are the facts. What we choose to do with these facts is up to us.

Rod Haxton is editor/owner of the Scott County Record.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! To all my donors and volunteers at the blood drive yesterday, thank you! My volunteers, Wade, Terry, JoAnn, Aspen D., Millie, Brenda, Chavonne and Mike, you guys are truly life savers. To all my donors, way to go. You saved a life, and I appreciate that.

I was finally able to donate yesterday — my iron level was up over 13. Whoop, whoop! The last two times I tried, my iron had tanked, but this time, I got it done. A special thanks to JoAnn for making our Life Saver cupcakes for our donors. They are so good! Come donate on July 22 and you can have one. Thanks again, everyone!

Today is the day kids dream about — the last day of school! Awards and fun day at the grade school level, a historical bike tour for the 7th graders and relaxation for the 8th grade.  Congratulations to the 8th grade, you are on to the next step in your education. Good luck and we’re all behind you! High school students are finishing up the last touches and seniors, congratulations as well. Whether you are continuing your education or joining the workforce, put your heart and soul into what you love and make every day better than the day before.

Just because school is out doesn’t mean that the activities slow down any. Baseball, softball, summer track, 4-H, and many other activities will soon be at the forefront of our minds. Do your best, no matter what, and make yourself proud of the job you do.

Garage sale weekend is quickly approaching, June 7! Get those closets and hidey-holes cleaned out and join the fun of the biggest and best garage sale of Western Kansas. Call the Chamber office at (785) 726-2660 to get listed on the map!  Where else can you spend only $8 and have your garage sale advertised from Colby to Hays and North to the Nebraska Line? Only in Ellis, that’s where!

So you say you don’t like to garage sale? I have a second option for you! The Walter P. Chrysler Car Show will also take place on June 7 at North Chrysler Park in downtown Ellis. Stop by, mill around and talk with all the other motor-heads! I’m sure you’ll find at least one or two cars you’d like to have in your driveway. There you go, garage sales and a car show all in one place, all at one time. You can’t beat a deal like that!

The Battle on Big Creek (aka Riverfest) is June 14 in North and South Chrysler Parks. Come down and bring the family for a great time of games, food, music and friends.  We have some new and very exciting additions to our lineup this year. Rocket launching starts at 9am behind the High School on South Monroe and the doubles horseshoe tournament begins at 1pm. I’ll let you in on all the details soon!

Finally, another thank you goes out to all of you that have been trying to get ahold of me in the office. Thank you for your patience and understanding that life with kids in sports and school does tend to wreak havoc on general life and work times. You (and my bosses) allow me more freedom than most and I do appreciate all of you for putting up with me. Things should get a little more back to normal and I should be in the office a lot more. If you ever find a note that says I’m not in the office and I have my cell phone number on it, please call me! Sometimes that’s the best way to find me and I don’t mind!

Well, I think that’s it for today. You all have a great day, and yes, I’m in and out again today.  But, give me a holler if you need me and never be shy about stopping me where you see me and letting me know what you need!

Make today better than yesterday!

Dear Dave,
My wife and I are debt-free except for our house, and she would like for us to go ahead and start a family. I make good money, but I’d still like to wait a little longer and add some extra to our emergency fund before taking that step. Who do you think is right in this situation?
Joel

Dear Joel,
Assuming, of course, you’re talking about a reasonable number of children, the old adage is true: if you wait until you think you can afford them, you’ll never have them. You guys have been responsible and are in pretty good financial shape right now. So my thought is have babies if you want babies. Even if your wife told you that she’s pregnant tomorrow you’d still have nine months to add on to your emergency fund.
Your financial situation tells me you’re both responsible people. You’ll be a good provider, and it sound like you’d both make great parents. And the fact is babies are not that expensive. Having kids won’t break your back like lots of people say. You’ve got extra expenses like diapers and baby stuff the first few years, but it’s not going to drive you to the poor house.
Now, if you go to the extreme and have 16 kids, that many baby birds could become quite a financial problem. But for a normal-sized family with a normal-sized income, children do not create a big financial issue. God bless you guys, Joel!
—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. His newest best-seller, Smart Money Smart Kids, was written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, and recently debuted at #1. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.

We’re not gonna know and nobody is gonna tell, but that little $5 million line item veto by Gov. Sam Brownback last week on the budget bill looks a little…well, let’s say, as politically good as it gets.

Doesn’t it?

Just a pen-flip on the last bill of the 2014 session prevented pulling $5 million of funding from the Kansas Endowment for Youth (KEY), which this election year has to be a good thing, doesn’t it? That money—from the tobacco settlement fund—had been earmarked by the Legislature for the Kansas Bioscience Authority so it could continue to invest in new and expanding technical companies in the state.

Let’s see, this is an election year, and the Legislature previously killed Brownback’s high-profile plan to spend about $16 million this year to make all-day kindergarten available to children in all Kansas school districts. And then, after a Kansas Supreme Court opinion, lawmakers reshuffled school finance and while everything’s paid for, it wasn’t a press release-worthy exercise.

So…lawmakers take money that was supposed to go to such catchily named programs as Tiny-K, Early Head Start and Parents as Teachers, and want to spend it on technology investments?

Brownback’s veto is not a hard decision if you want the votes of parents and grandparents whose children and grandchildren are assisted in getting a good elementary education. Who lost? Well, politically—that’s for gubernatorial voting of course—those starched shirt technology gurus who have an idea for some new app or something.

Count ‘em up, and the votes are on the side of the children, and Brownback gets points for taking care of programs for them.

Was the $5 million a throwaway, a political point-maker handed to the governor? Or was the now-killed transfer a way to put money into important scientific and job-creating businesses across the state?

The Bioscience Authority initially was after $35 million in the upcoming fiscal year to make investments to finance that growth industry, which the Senate agreed to, and the House pared to about $27 million. After negotiations between the four lawmakers who essentially wrote the budget, two from the House, two from the Senate, that $27 million was boosted to $32 million by pulling in $5 million from KEY. Brownback vetoed the $5 million, bringing the authority back to $27 million in new state funding.

A big deal in a $6 billion-plus state budget? Probably not, but it’s a move that children’s advocates are happy about—and that brought them together for a letter-writing campaign for their cause.

The politics of it? We won’t know until November. But it presented the governor a nice play for fans of children’s issues.

Syndicated by Hawver News Co. of Topeka, Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report. To learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit www.hawvernews.com.

I hope that nothing the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina or the Greensburg tornado ever strikes your family.  Disasters can be devastating, not only to property, but also to family emotions. Being prepared in advance will help your family survive the disaster, ease the emotional impact and improve your ability to recover and rebuild your lives.

Experts say you should plan for “when” an emergency happens, rather than “if.” In severe weather season, it’s important to be prepared. Now is the time to assemble a disaster supply kit to help your family survive a storm or other emergency. The latest advice says to be sure your kit includes helmets and shoes.

When they did an analysis of the Joplin, Missouri tornado a couple of years ago, one of the things that came to the attention of emergency management professionals was that there were a lot of head injuries. Consequently, the latest recommendation is to add a bicycle helmet or similar protective head gear for each member of the family to your disaster supplies. Putting on a helmet during a tornado can reduce the risk of head injury from flying debris or falling structures.

Having shoes with your emergency supplies is another important recommendation. Shoes will protect your feet from the large amount of dangerous debris and broken glass following a  storm. I’ve kept shoes for all members of my family with my disaster supplies ever since my Extension colleague in Kiowa County shared that she had to crawl out of her demolished home in bare feet after the Greensburg tornado.

Your family disaster supply kit should also include items to keep your family safe and healthy for two to three days.  Assemble these items in a durable plastic tote, a heavy duffel bag or other weather-proof container and keep it in your “safe area”– the place where your family will go to weather a storm.

Start with necessities such as water, canned food and medications for at least three days.  The recommendation is one gallon of water per person per day. Include formula and diapers if you have an infant, and pet food and extra water for pets.

Add items for first aid, safety and communication such as a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit and a battery-operated or hand-crank radio. If you’re a cell phone user, put in an extra car charger for recharging your phone. Include a small whistle which you can blow to signal for help.

Other useful supplies might include a small fire extinguisher, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, mess kits or disposable tableware and a change of clothing for each family member. In the event of a disaster, you may not have immediate access to your bank account, so a roll of quarters and a small amount of cash or travelers checks would be a useful addition as well.

Recent natural disasters in the news have emphasized the importance of emergency preparedness.  Taking time now to assemble your disaster supplies may help to ensure that your family can survive a disaster and recover more quickly afterward.

For more information, see the steps for building a basic disaster kit at www.ready.gov.

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

Mixing prayer and state has always been a messy, contentious business — but last week it got even messier and more contentious.

In a close 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of prayers at legislative meetings, even when most prayers are prayed in the name of Jesus (Town of Greece v. Galloway).

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy reaffirmed the argument-from-history made by the Court 30 years ago in Marsh v. Chambers: Because legislative prayer dates back to the founding, it must be constitutional.

Moreover — and here’s the new bit — legislative prayers don’t have to be nonsectarian to be constitutional since such a requirement “would force legislatures that sponsor prayers and the courts that are asked to decide such cases to act as supervisors and censors of religious speech.”

According to the Court, once the government “invites prayer into the public sphere, government must permit a prayer giver to address his or her own God … as conscience dictates.”

Before the ink was dry on the court’s ruling, Al Bedrosian, a country supervisor in Roanoke, Virginia, announced plans to jettison the county’s nonsectarian prayer policy and get back to the good old days of Christian prayers at every Board of Supervisors’ meeting.

Asked by the Roanoke Times if non-Christians would be invited to prayer under a new policy, Bedrosian said that was unlikely since “the freedom of religion doesn’t mean every religion has to be heard.”

Supervisor Bedrosian needs to read the fine print.

Justice Kennedy, it turns out, lays out specific ground rules for legislative prayers: No proselytizing. No denigrating other faiths. And the government must have a non-discrimination policy when selecting people to pray.

In other words, free speech during prayer time isn’t so free after all.

It’s ironic that Kennedy rejects requiring nonsectarian prayer in order to avoid government censorship of religious speech only to turn around and require pray rules that could lead to even greater government censorship of religious speech.

What could be possibly be more entangling and confusing for government officials than trying to figure out when prayers cross the proselytizing line or come across as disparaging of other religions?

Messier still, how will local governments practice “non-discrimination” in the selection of prayer givers? Must the policy allow all comers — or can the list be limited to certain groups? In communities with scores of religious congregations — increasingly most American communities — the “prayer giver” list will be long indeed.

Many minority religious groups as well as non-religious people are already planning to test the application of the new prayer regime by lining up to give invocations in cities and towns across the country.

Within days of the Court’s decision, for example, the American Humanist Association announced plans to offer humanists and atheists resources for offering secular invocations at legislative meetings. And in Florida, activist Chaz Stevens has already petitioned his local city commission and the state legislature to allow him to open one of their sessions with a Satanist prayer.

Far from resolving the fight over legislative prayer, the Supreme Court has opened the door for new conflicts and more litigation over who gets to pray and what they can say. That’s bad for religion, bad for government and good only for lawyers.

If history is any guide, government sponsored prayers are a recipe for conflict and division. The only workable solution, in my view, is to get government out of the business of choosing prayer givers and monitoring the content of their prayers.

Perhaps the cacophony of controversial prayers at legislative meetings around the country will soon become so loud that government officials will end the fight — and adopt a Moment of Silence to solemnize their meetings.

Then, and only then, Justice Kennedy, will every citizen be free to pray (or not) “as conscience dictates.”

Charles C. Haynes is director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Washington-based Newseum Institute. [email protected]

Where’s Charles Dickens when we need him? The novelist, who laid bare the shame of gross income inequality in 19th century England, came up with some perfect names for his more despicable characters, including Scrooge, Mr. Tulkinghorn, and Miss Havisham.

So I’m wondering what moniker Dickens would’ve given to Robert Marcus.

Who? He’s the CEO of Time Warner Cable who already won gold in the 2014 Greed Olympics for grabbing the most cash with the least effort in the shortest time.

Marcus became chief of the cable company on New Year’s Day. He immediately reached out to his corporation’s biggest rival, Comcast, offering to sell Time Warner Cable to the giant. Only six weeks later, the deal was done.

Why would a CEO rush to eliminate both his corporation and his own job? Perhaps because of a lucrative little provision in the contract he signed to become Time Warner’s honcho. It’s a CCC — a “change of control clause.”

This is yet another way for CEOs to feather their own nests, for that kind of clause hands a big golden parachute to the top executive of a corporation that gets sold.

In this case, Robert is pocketing $80 million. Yes, that’s roughly $1.8 million a day for each of the 44 days he “worked” to sell off the company.

What we have here is a perverse form of incentive pay for corporate chieftains. Rather than rewarding them for out-competing their rivals, a change of control clause encourages CEOs to sidle up to their competitors and whisper: “Psssst, wanna buy my corporation?”

Not only did Marcus sell off Time Warner, but his self-serving deal will also sell out untold numbers of its employees who’ll be made “redundant” by the merger.

We hear about America’s growing income inequality gap, but here we can actually see it widen: One rich man is gaining an extra $80 million while hundreds of workers will lose their jobs.

OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown. OtherWords.org

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“Prometo: Mi cabeza para pensar claramente, mi corazon para mayor lealtad, mis manos para mejor servicio …” No, I don’t speak Spanish, but I have learned that those are the opening words of the 4-H pledge in Spanish. Today we’ll meet an innovative 4-H club which is helping extend the benefits of 4-H to a new dimension of Spanish-speaking families.

This is the last profile in our three-part series about Steve Irsik, an agricultural entrepreneur in southwest Kansas. We have previously learned about how his family developed their farming operation, including the creation of Royal Farms Dairy east of Garden City. Kyle Averhoff was brought in as manager. A key element to the success of such large, modern dairies is the workforce – many of whom are Hispanic.

In October 2012, Steve Irsik contacted Debra Bolton, the K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences specialist for the southwest area of Kansas.

“We were brainstorming how 4-H could reach more families,” Debra said. Specifically, they discussed how the benefits of 4-H could be applied to the newly immigrated families who had come to work in southwest Kansas.

“Royal Farms Dairy is home to over 14,000 cows and heifers and about 65 employees, many from El Salvador, Guatemala, and many other countries throughout Central America, South America and up through Mexico,” Kyle Averhoff said. “Southwest Kansas is an economic empire in how it’s developed and grown. Without the Hispanic culture and the culture of many other immigrant populations, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

K-State Research and Extension faculty in the southwest area developed a pilot program to reach out to this segment of the population. It was supported by state 4-H leader Barbara Stone and the Kansas 4-H Foundation. Bertha Mendoza is a nutrition specialist in the southwest area of Kansas, and her existing relationship with several Hispanic families was a major help.

These families and those of the workers at the dairies became a target for this innovative 4-H program. Alejandra Romero and Ruddy Yanez were hired as summer interns to assist with the project.

The goal was to create one club of 25 to 30 youth, but the interest grew faster than expected. The end result was four clubs involving 90 youth, with hundreds more on a waiting list. The clubs are located in Finney, Gray, and Kearney counties. These new 4-H members live in or near rural communities such as Garden City, Ingalls, Pierceville, and Deerfield, population 892 people. Now, that’s rural.

The 4-H organization has been around for a long time, but it was new to these immigrant families. Club meetings were implemented bilingually. For example, the 4-H pledge would be said in Spanish and then in English. The club involved youth, parents and even grandparents.

“The concept of 4-H caught on,” Debra Bolton said. “This 4-H club is more than youth development, it is family development. It’s family, it’s education, it’s learning, it’s all the things that integrate a family into a community.”

“They are very family focused,” Kyle Averhoff said of his working Hispanic families. “We think that 4-H is a nice add-on to that, to help their children have opportunities to develop. We can look at countless stories of how our employees have grown and how their children have grown and become successful members of society.”

“It’s created such a great learning community,” Debra said. “It’s even received national recognition. The National 4-H wants one of our 4-Hers to sing at the national gala.”

“The more we can do for the children, that’s going to lift up the whole family,” Steve said. “It will truly lift up these families.”
“Mi salud para mayor bienestar, para mi club, mi comunidad, mi patria, mi mundo.”

Those are the closing words of the 4-H pledge in Spanish. We salute Steve Irsik, Kyle Averhoff, Barbara Stone, Debra Bolton, Bertha Mendoza, Alejandra Romero, Ruddy Yanez, and all those involved who are making a difference by helping more families experience the benefits of 4-H in a whole new way. I believe this is very good: Muy bueno.

Dear Dave,
I know you recommend that no more than 25 percent of your take-home pay should go toward rent or a mortgage payment. Should taxes and insurance be figured into this amount?
Kayla

Dear Kayla,
Yes, they should. Mortgage companies will qualify you for twice as much house as you can realistically afford. They’ll try to put you on a 30-year, adjustable-rate mortgage and leave you in debt up to your eyeballs for half of your life. Payments like that can easily equal 36 percent or more of your take-home pay. That’s just nuts!

I see so many people who can’t take a decent vacation or save anything for retirement or their kids’ college fund because their mortgage payment is through the roof. That’s called being “house poor.” And I’ve even seen it push people into debt just to buy groceries.

It’s fine if you want to follow my guidelines. But what I’m really trying to do is get you to think. Engage in some critical thinking when it comes to your finances. There’s so much more to life than that building we call a house. I want you to think about your future and your family’s future and make smart money decisions that will change your family tree for years to come!
—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. His newest best-seller, Smart Money Smart Kids, was written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, and recently debuted at #1. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.