Now that the tax deadline has passed, its time to get onto more enjoyable things — like spending that tax refund! According the IRS, the average tax refund so far in 2014 is $2,831. What are you going to do with all that money?

While a tax refund may seem like a free gift or a windfall, it´s not! That refund is just your own hard-earned money that Uncle Sam has used interest-free for a year. Before you go on a spending spree, think about ways you can use your tax refund to improve your family financial
situation. Here are four smart uses for your money:

1. Pay off bills. First priority are regular monthly bills (rent, utilities, phone, etc.) and then those with the highest interest rate.

2. Save for upcoming needs.  Build an emergency fund with enough money to get through 3 to 6 months if you lost your job or had major unexpected expenses such as medical bills or car repairs. Then, save for occasional costs like Christmas, back-to-school, car insurance and other irregular or seasonal expenses.

3. Long-term savings. Use that tax refund for future goals like replacing a car, buying a home, sending kids or grandkids to college or building a comfortable retirement.

4. Special purchases. After you have done steps 1 through 3, then consider spending a portion of your tax refund on high-priority special purchases. Ask yourself, do I NEED or WANT that new ….? Then shop around to make sure you have located and negotiated the best deal.
Be patient.

Don´t throw away part of your refund on loan fees. “Quick Refund” companies are just giving you a high-cost refund anticipation loan, which is like paying interest to borrow your own money. A little patience can save you big bucks!
Time to adjust your withholdings?

If you´ve been getting a sizable refund each year, maybe it´s time to readjust your withholdings to receive a bit more in each paycheck- to use or invest during the year — instead of waiting for a refund at tax time.

The bottom line? Put some of your tax refund toward financial security by paying off debt, planning for the year ahead, and setting money aside to help you reach your goals.

Dear Dave,
I’m 20 years old, and I’m trying to get out of debt. However, I’m concerned about what might happen when I’m older and don’t have a credit score. My girlfriend says I won’t be able to get a job or rent an apartment without a good one. Is this true?
Ian

Dear Ian,
No, it’s not true. I’m sure your girlfriend is a sweet person, but she has no clue what she’s talking about in this situation.

In either case you can simply explain that reason you don’t have a credit score is because you have no debt. Since you don’t have any debt, you have something known as money. That makes you very stable, and it makes you a fantastic candidate as an employee or tenant.

Listen to me, Ian. I’m a landlord, and if I had my choice between a tenant with no debt and no credit score and someone with a high credit score but lots of debt, I’d take the one who has no debt in a heartbeat. Why? Because that’s the one who is most likely to pay.

Besides, you already have a good credit history if you’ve paid your bills on time. Show them proof of that, if necessary. But taking on a pile of debt to have a high credit score or increase your current score is just plain stupid!
—Dave

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. His newest book, written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, is titled Smart Money Smart Kids. It releases April 22. 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.

Good morning, everyone!

What the heck happened to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?  I can’t believe this week flew by as it did, I guess that’s why people say “Make every day count!” I know that it has been a crazy week, like you’re running as fast as you can and you aren’t moving, that’s what I’m feeling.

Anyway, there is still a lot of week left and a ton of things going on. So let’s get at it! First and foremost, hug your kids, significant others, and anyone else you care about. With the tragedies of this week and in the past few weeks, you never know when it will be your last. Make every day count!

Today, the EHS Golf Team will be competing at Hill City, and tomorrow there is no school.  Yippee!  (I’m sure a bunch of kids just shouted that, so I had to throw it in!)  Saturday at 11:30 a.m., the Ellis Chamber of Commerce will host their annual Easter Egg Hunt in Memorial Park. Bring the kids out for a morning of fun as they can participate in the Ellis Rec Commission’s Easter Egg Decorating Contest in the Depot before the Hunt. Registration for the contest is at 10:30 to 11 a.m. They can pick up their decorated eggs after hunting! There are age divisions from little-bittys to adults so it’s fun for everyone!

Sunday morning will bring Easter services to the Ellis churches. Attend your favorite one with your family!

On Monday, head to the Ellis Golf Club and take part in their Stag. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the meal will be served at 7 p.m.  You can purchase your $12 tickets at the Clubhouse, Golden Belt Co-op, Golden Belt Bank, Equity Bank and Weber’s Service.  Grab your friends and have a great evening!

I have to send out a huge congratulations and good job to the St. Mary’s School fifth-grade students. You all did a fantastic job with your Famous Figures presentations yesterday.  It was a tough job, but I loved it. Great job, everyone!

Next week is shaping up to be another busy one. If you have things that I need to share, please share with me.

Have a very blessed Easter and safe travels to all.

“I hate all Jews” was Frazier Glenn Miller’s mantra, repeated time and again by the well-known white supremacist at rallies, in publications and on the Internet over a period of many years.

This week, on the eve of Passover, Miller translated his words of hate into violent action by opening fire on a Jewish community center and Jewish retirement home in Overland Park, Kansas.

Although Jews were Miller’s apparent targets, his bullets killed three Christians — including Reat Underwood, a 14 year-old boy who was at the community center to audition for a singing competition.

It might be tempting, even consoling, to treat Miller’s hate crime as an isolated case of a deranged man losing control. But that would be a mistake for at least two reasons.

First, Miller is not alone. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors hate groups, Miller is just one of thousands of people who belong to more than 1,000 anti-Semitic, white supremacist, neo-Nazi hate groups in the United States. Many of these people are armed and dangerous. We ignore or underestimate them at our peril.

Second, anti-Semitism is a bigger problem in America than is commonly acknowledged. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 62% of 1,340 religiously motivated hate crimes recorded in 2012 were directed at Jews.

Earlier this month, the Anti-Defamation League reported that although the total number of anti-Semitic incidents fell by 19% in 2013, the number of violent attacks on Jews rose to 31 from 17 in the previous year.

Beyond the hardcore “white power” and neo-Nazi adherents, Americans are generally less anti-Semitic than we were some 50 years ago when the ADL began surveying attitudes toward Jews. Nevertheless, deep-seated anti-Semitic beliefs persist.

An ADL survey released last October found that 14% of Americans believe that “Jews have too much power in the U.S. today,” 15% agree with the statement “Jews are more willing to use shady practices,” and 18% say that Jews have “too much influence over the American news media.”

History teaches that ignorance and fear are root causes of hate and violence. That’s why the best way to counter the growth of hate groups is to educate young people about Judaism — and other religions — and give them the civic skills needed for engaging people of different faiths and beliefs with civility and respect.

If your local school district largely ignores issues concerning religion (and far too many do), here are three sound resources for teaching civil discourse in a diverse society while simultaneously educating students about a range of religions and beliefs:

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Teaching Tolerance” program provides a wealth of resources for k-12 educators, including classroom lessons, professional development opportunities and publications on key issues of religious diversity in our society.

Tanenbaum has in-depth materials and workshop offerings for schools interested in addressing religious diversity and teaching conflict resolution.

Face to Faith is a program offered free to schools that enables American students to engage directly with students of many faiths and beliefs in more than 20 countries through videoconferencing and secure online community.

Little can be said or done that will assuage the grief of those who lost family members and friends in the Kansas shooting. But we can act to inoculate the next generation against the sick and twisted ideology that inspired Frazier Glenn Miller to gun down three innocent people in a fit of rage against the Jews.

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

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

The little girl’s eyes grew big as she pumped the foot pedal and fed yarn into the loom.  As the loom moved back and forth, the little girl gazed in amazement. For the first time in her life, she was creating a rug before her eyes. It is the type of wonderful experience which one can find at the annual Living History Day in Havensville.

Jim Armstrong is the person who told me about Living History Day. Jim grew up and went to school in Havensville and worked for years in Topeka. He always appreciated the small town values in his hometown.

In 1937, the school building was built to house Havensville Rural High School, or HRHS. The high school closed in 1961 and the grade school moved in a couple of years later.

In 1984, the principal at Havensville Grade School, Sharon Goodwin, decided that she wanted an event to educate schoolchildren and bring local history to life. She and her secretary, Jim Armstrong’s wife Paulette, identified sources of local history and organized craftsmen and volunteers to put on the event. It was so successful that it became an annual event. Many of the kids would wear old time clothing, such as Indian costumes or long pioneer dresses for the girls.

“The first one was done around Kansas Day,” Jim said. “After a few years, they decided to move it to later in the spring so they could have better weather. Of course, the first year that it was held in April was the year it got snowed out.” Gotta love Kansas.

Eventually Jim and his family took responsibility for organizing the event. In 2002, the grade school at Havensville closed. The school building was purchased by a group of local citizens, including Jim, which called themselves the HRHS Association.

Living History Day continues at the Havensville school building in the spring. Each April, a group of volunteers – including Jim’s grandkids – and hundreds of schoolchildren convene at Havensville to celebrate and learn about our state’s rich history. 2014 marked the 30th anniversary of Living History Day.

There is a remarkable diversity of activities demonstrated at Living History Day. Kids can do everything from churning butter to weaving rugs to making candles. The saddle club provides horseback rides. The U.S. Cavalry unit from Fort Riley demonstrates old time uniforms and artifacts. There is a model railroad display, Indian arrowheads, antique toys and much more.
A local buffalo rancher showed buffalo hides and discussed the uses of this magnificent creature, known as the Monarch of the Plains. A local beekeeper told about bees and honey. Kids could see a covered wagon and Indian tipi, ride the railroad pump car, see the Native American spirit dancers and learn about these vanishing crafts of yesteryear.

Living History Day is absolutely free for anyone to attend. Ladies of the community prepare a meal and concession stand. In some years, they have had as many as 800 schoolchildren attend the event. Bob Cole, the Pottawatomie County economic development director, called it the “best kept secret in northeast Kansas.” This is a remarkable achievement for a rural community like Havensville which has a population of 145 people. Now, that’s rural.

Jim Armstrong, under the pseudonym Red E. Ornot, also writes a humorous column titled The Upper Crick which appears in the Onaga Herald newspaper. In his countrified Red E. Ornot persona, he wrote about Living History Day: “I’ve had folks ask “why do we do this program?”….My answer would have to be thet it’s a tradition in tha Upper Crick area to give back to our kin, some of the things we’ve been blessed with.”

The little girl’s eyes got bigger as she watched the rug she was weaving take shape on the loom before her. It’s an example of the hands-on activities which children can experience at this event. We salute Jim and Paulette Armstrong, Sharon Goodwin, and all the volunteers who are making a difference by conducting Living History Day. They are giving back to their community and helping bring Kansas pioneer history to life.

What’s today’s fashionable farmer wearing to work?

If you guessed any of the high fashions featured in GQ, Vanity Fair or Esquire, guess again.

Looking good is great when you go to town but safety and comfort are more important when dressing for farm chores.

Let’s begin with the head, after all that’s where thinking about safety should start.

Head injuries are common on the farm and tend to be serious. When doing work that may involve head hazards, trade your comfy ball cap for a hard hat.

When you’re spraying chemicals overhead, wear a wide-brimmed hat that is impervious to liquids. Make sure the brim is wide enough to keep chemical spray from drifting down on the back of your neck or face.

Eyes have been called the “window to the soul” but just like all windows they can break if something is hurled, splashed or sprayed into them.

Safety goggles and sunglasses should be just as much a part of your daily garb as a good pair of steel-toed shoes. Sunglasses are important because they lessen eye fatigue after long hours in the bright summer sun.

While many people consider the farm and rural America a place of quiet tranquility, many farmers experience hearing loss.

As a general rule, whenever the noise level reaches 85 decibels, farmers should reach for ear protection. While farmers don’t carry testing equipment to measure decibel level, they should wear protection when in doubt as to the noise level.

Ear covers are preferable to ear plugs because the latter can cause compaction of ear wax that is difficult to remove.

While they may be more comfortable, avoid wearing loose fitting clothes. If you plan to stay in the sun most of the day, wear long-sleeved cotton clothing. Natural fibers allow the skin to breathe and offer protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

Avoid wearing sweats with long drawstrings that hand from the waist or around the neck. These strings are made of extremely strong nylon or other artificial fibers. Such fibers don’t rip or tear as easily as clothing like cotton. It’s easy for dangling strings to catch in augers or other moving parts.

Shoes and boots can provide foot protection and good traction. Make certain your shoes are clean of mud and manure that can cause slipping and falls.

Good fit is important for both daylong comfort and stability. When spraying chemicals, wear waterproof or impervious footwear that won’t absorb chemicals.

Rings hang up on bolts, sharp corners – just about anything you find around a farmstead. Always remove rings and other loose-fitting jewelry. If you fail to do so, you could easily lose or injure a finger or some other limb.

While the safely-dressed farmers will not make the fashion pages of GQ, Esquire or even his local paper, you won’t find them in the hospital, emergency room or obituary pages either.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. He writes for the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Let me get right to the point!  It is my opinion that the total disconnect between what most voters in this country want and what our current liberal Democrat government is doing has everything to do with media bias. Mainstream media is engaging, like never before, in presidential and political party complicity.

If there are two conservatives to every one liberal in this country (probably 3 to 1 in flyover America) how is it that our government is far-left liberal? And, when you add all the independents who do not like current liberal agendas it is probably 3 out of 4 voters who don’t see eye to eye with liberals.

Mainstream media has the same ideological perception as our president and that is big government, redistribution of wealth due to income inequality, etc.  There is little (if any) difference between what journalists believe America should look like in this day and age as compared to Obama and his Democrat Party.

Why do journalists (and other media personnel) donate over three-fourths of their money to Democrats if they are bipartisan? Journalists in mainstream media today do not engage in investigative reporting. Most are in the business, just like Obama, of transforming America.  In other words, they’re not reporters but political activists.  That’s not supposed to be their job, but it is the job their bosses give them. Reporting the facts of an issue and then letting the public decide what to do with that information no longer matters.

Let me get right to the point on something else. It’s easy as pie spotting biased news personnel. Simply take any issue of the day and apply the following: “What would the news be if Bush 43 did the same thing that Obama 44 is doing?” “Or for that matter a Republican versus a Democrat?” Media would have Bush impeached by now. There’s a double standard and there’s hypocrisy. There’s complicity and worst of all there are sins of omission. And, let’s not forget there’s a thing called “spin.” Media looks the other way in one case and implodes if it’s a Republican, especially a conservative one.

If space permitted, I could give dozens (plural) of examples to prove total unmitigated media bias.

Media has dumbed down voters with news that has no factual basis like the GOP’s war on women, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, bigotry and that kind of thing. Add to those just mentioned that Dems are for the poor and Reps for the rich and what we get is a daily dose of propaganda.

The majority of voters in 2012 were not in support of Obama’s agendas, but media made sure the majority did not even connect our tall, dark, and handsome African-American president to those agendas. What Obama did his first four years in office was immaterial to media.

If you think conservative media is no different, think again!  Better still, tune in as that media constantly criticizes the GOP establishment elites like Republican Sen. McCain and others. If facts call for criticism of Republicans, conservative media will call them out, not so with mainstream liberal media, an arm of the Democrat Party.

Not in your wildest dreams could a Republican president do what Obama did for four years leading up to his re-election in 2012 and avoid being taken to the woodshed by today’s mainstream media.

Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.

How can pay be unequal for male and female teachers of identical experience when there is only one uniform pay scale at each Unified School District?

Each Kansas school district negotiates a salary base for teachers. The starting salary for a teacher fresh out of student teaching establishes this base. This scale then extends downward in steps adding increments, often $500 each year. Horizontally, the scale adds a roughly similar amount for increases in college credit, usually with steps at bachelors degree plus 15 and 30 hours, masters degree, and 15 and 30 credit hour steps up to a doctorate.

Larger rich school districts may load more pay for advanced degrees because they want a more highly trained and specialized faculty. Rural schools that need broadly trained teachers often load their salary scale with greater increments for staying over time.

But there is only one salary scale — not two separate scales for men and women teachers. Therefore, why do surveys of public school teachers—based on the same years of experience and education — show an average lower pay for women teachers doing the same job?

The answer is not in added pay for coaching or sponsoring student government or other activities because those are paid “add-ons.” And while historically more money was available for coaching boy’s sports than girl’s sports, that disparity is shrinking due to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. That statue prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. And that is having a great pay off for our female students. But salary surveys also exclude those ancillary duties.

Some years ago, a veteran woman teacher sat down and explained her situation to me. Her husband was in an industry that moved its offices. She therefore had to leave the school where she had been an exemplary science teacher for over a decade. She applied in the new district where she now lived. This is common for teaching spouses. Teaching is considered a portable occupation. And science teachers are in demand nearly everywhere.

In her interview, the discussion went as follows: Mrs. Smith (not her real name). We really are impressed with your teaching record and really need you here at such-and-such high school. But we have two applicants fresh out of student teaching. We know they will not bring your experience. But our school is on a tight budget and we simply cannot afford you at your level of 12 years experience. Now if you would only claim two years of experience, we could offer you the job.

So she was faced with a dilemma. If she wanted a job teaching in her new home district, she would have to take a pay cut that would cost her over $5,000 each year. And she would be shorted that amount on the pay scale, compounded for the rest of her career — over $50,000 each decade.

This practice is wrong. Unethical. Despicable.

And that school district was not in financial exigency.

This coercion does not occur when men teachers move to new districts. This reflects the male chauvinism of an older generation of male administrators who only see the man as the “bread winner.” Yesiree! Nursin’ and teachin’ is “women’s work” in their eyes.

This attitude deserves utter contempt. I suspect and hope that this practice is becoming less common as this 1800’s attitude retires off. As more women move into administrative positions, this practice should decline. But even if this practice were to stop today, it would take forty years for the pay disparity and injustice that it causes to flush from our system.

Unfortunately, there are simple-minded politicians today who wave the single pay scales and proclaim that there is no distinction on paper between pay for men and women teachers and therefore no discrepancy. Their ignorance of what has occurred in the field perpetuates this injustice.

A week ago, the Kansas Legislature passed and sent to Governor Brownback a bill that provides court-ordered equity funding for public schools. The urgency of passing that legislation made it possible for certain factions to attach some policy items to the legislation which had not been through the committee process. One of those items was the elimination of due process rights for teachers. Some have asserted that it really doesn’t go that far… that the bill does not alter teacher’s due process rights when they believe their constitutionally guaranteed rights have been violated.

My response to that is “well yes, of course.” Obviously, a Kansas law cannot take away rights that are guaranteed in the federal Constitution. But one point that is overlooked is that if the bill becomes law then teachers will lose the right to learn why they were fired. In the absence of that information, it becomes more difficult to prove that one’s constitutional rights have been violated.

But here’s the thing: it is not the loss of their constitutional rights that has teachers throughout the state waking up in a cold sweat these days. It is the possibility that they could be fired for giving a failing grade to the daughter of the superintendent. Or that they could be let go for failing to start the son of the school board president on the basketball team. Or that they could be canned for advocating for a special needs child when the system is failing to provide the necessary resources for him to succeed. In each case there are no constitutional rights being violated, but the possibility of being fired for reasons other than competency is very real.

I believe that the current due process system for teachers deserves a close examination. There are far too many anecdotal reports of incompetent teachers remaining employed when nearly everyone agrees they are not effective teachers. Documenting their deficiencies and giving them a pathway to improvement ought to be achievable. And yet it appears the system frequently fails to work. Are administrators simply too busy or too distracted to properly identify, document, and communicate teacher inadequacies? I don’t know, but I have to wonder. Or is the due process system just too cumbersome and demanding? Again, I don’t know, and I wish these issues had been fully examined before the bill was passed.

If the bill becomes law it is very possible that the loss of teacher due process will act as an impediment to the larger question still before the courts – adequacy of educational opportunity for all public school students. If a teacher gives a passing grade to a student who does not deserve one or fails to advocate for a special needs child out of fear of losing their job, then the system will have failed those students. In short, the state will have failed to provide adequate opportunity for those students to achieve their full potential, either academically or in their pursuit of a career later in life.
When incompetent teachers are identified there must be a workable system in place to allow for their removal. That is essential to providing adequate educational opportunity for all Kansas students. If they remain in their job then we have failed the students in that classroom. But I believe that we have also failed that teacher. No one wants to be incompetent at what they do, and if an individual is truly not cut out to be a teacher then they would be better off knowing that. Then they can move on with their lives and search for a career that better suits their talents and interests. Everyone gains when that happens.

One more thing bothers me about this whole debacle. Kansas ranks 42nd in the nation for average teacher salary. It now appears likely that teacher due process will be eliminated. Whether it is intended or not, there is a growing perception among teachers that they are not appreciated, and are in fact considered by some to be the enemy. That is truly unfortunate. Might the best and brightest teachers start thinking about pursuing another profession where they don’t feel like a target? Might some bright young potential teachers have second thoughts about pursing education as a career? I worry a great deal about both possibilities. If my fears are valid then we will have diminished public education in Kansas and we will have failed to provide the best possible education for Kansas children.

Rep. Don Hineman, R-Dighton, represents the 118th District in the Kansas House.

While most Kansans with real lives are wondering whether the lawnmower will start this year, a bunch of us Statehouse habitués will be waiting to see what is happening to the Kansas tax base.

It’s called the Consensus Revenue Estimate, and it will be released later this week and will predict just what the state is going to have in the way of tax income for the rest of this fiscal year — that’s until July 1 — and for the next fiscal year which we’ve cleverly named Fiscal Year 2015.

The CRE, as we call it, is compiled by the state’s fiscal experts with some university help, and it will become the marker for figuring how much the state has to spend.

Now, there’s no doubt that the state will have enough money to pay the bills that come due before July 1. The question is going to be how much money will be available for the next year, and that’s tricky.

Gov. Sam Brownback, who had to swallow more income tax cuts than he was hoping for last year, knows that the tax cuts mean less state revenue for, well, everything the state spends money on or hands over to local units of government and schools for them to spend.

The concept was that if Kansans paid less income tax, they’ll spend that money on other things that are subject to state taxes, ranging from the sales tax to liquor and cigarette taxes.

But you never know the trends in spending and what that means to state revenues until the CRE looks at the tea leaves and makes the estimate on which the governor and the Legislature base spending decisions.

Is there an indication that Kansans are taking that income tax money they’re saving and buying stuff? Or are the businesses that are now largely tax-free hiring workers who will pay income taxes and all?

Or, is it just too soon to tell? Has everyone adjusted their income tax withholding to account for lower tax rates, and are those businesses which aren’t paying state income tax anymore expanding or are their owners just pocketing the money?

Or…did the massive income tax cuts actually put more money in Kansans pockets, but with the recession just over and the national economy not very healthy, are Kansans just afraid to spend it on those items that come with a “consumption” tax?

Because the fiscal experts who make the estimate are tied into many areas of the economy they’ll be studying whether airplane sales are rising or whether there is enough rain for healthy crops or whether  livestock diseases are likely to pare output—or increase prices, or both.

Yes, we’ll get the best estimates of what state revenues are going to be for the end of this fiscal year and the predictions for the upcoming new fiscal year; there may well be more than just numbers to be read.

There may be a peek at whether the massive tax cuts are working.

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.