Issues
Global Warming
Food for Thought...Civilization Without Electricity
Illegal Immigration
A Letter to the Editor
8,000 Students Need Your Help
As the representative of the 86th District,
- I will work to maintain reasonable utility rates by supporting comprehensive energy measures that include fossil fuel as well as alternative fuels.
- I will work for Wichita jobs by seeking to create a positive business environment that promotes economic development in Kansas. This will also call for a reform of our current education curriculum to prioritize vocational training as part of the post secondary education options.
- I will work to establish transparency in Government to be able to reduce spending where necessary and have No New Taxes.
- I would appreciate your support in my run for the 86th district. Good government requires active citizens and I am ready to take action and work for the citizens of the 86th District and all Kansans.
Global Warming?
see also: Global Warming Petition Project
If you ask ten people on the street if mankind was causing global warming, at least eight out of ten would say yes. After all, Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth provides presentation "evidence" that this is the case. Yet, contrary to what is heard in the media, there is overwhelming evidence that the “global warming” we are experiencing is natural, with maybe a very small amount contributed by man’s activities. The scientific community and with over 31,000 college science majors with high degrees, climate scientists and biologists from numerous sources are able to explain step by step why Al Gore and his global warming alarmists are incorrect. Global warming alarmists are just plain wrong and in some cases, blatantly so. The idea that Al Gore may be the highest profile con artist in our lifetime, because of the billions of dollars worth of projects effected by this man’s stories. Global institutions around the world are plagued by this non scientist who presents information that is not backed up by the majority of the science community. Every Kansan needs to hear the other side of this global warming hoax.
In the Wichita Eagle May 17, 2008, Rod Brumby Director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) told how he would not necessary turn down a $10 billion dollar refinery project because it would produce CO2. Now that the $3.6 billion dollar Holcomb, Kansas electric project has been turned down because of Rod Brumby’s fear of “CO2”, T Boone Pickens announced his $10 billion dollar project for the pan-handle of Texas. What other economic development projects will Kansas loose because of “Brumby Law” instead of Kansas Law.
Food for Thought...Civilization Without Electricity!
Download the Powerpoint file here
Illegal Immigration
The major part of the illegal immigration issue belongs at the federal level. Designs to manage the inflow of poor folks who want a better life needs to be part of a Federal immigration package.
States like Kansas are left with what to do with the immigrants who have not followed due process to become citizens and now reside illegally. Most illegal immigrants are willing to work to exist, but the State of Kansas needs to make sure these folks are identified by finger prints and photos and given tax numbers with a guest worker card to be renewed annually. If any illegal immigrant refuses to be identified, registered and signed up for a guest worker card with a tax number, then they should be turned over to the Federal authorities for deporting. Normal American citizens pay taxes and are identified with a birth certificate and a social security number. If normal US citizens travel to another country they are expected to have ID etc.
My ancestors were all immigrants from other countries and followed Teddy Roosevelt’s immigration philosophy: "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people. Theodore Roosevelt 1907"
(A letter to the editor)
This is about the increase in YOUR taxes
What will we have in 20 years for agreeing to an additional $350 million in bonds plus interest? Will we have better students? Will the establishment we have in place now have spent the bond money on brick and mortar, but not done anything to really change what is important, the EDUCATION of your children, or grandchildren, attending Wichita Public Schools?
If future behavior is forecast by past behavior, then we will have a bigger problem in another eight years. If we allow the present administration to spend bond money and do not demand improvement in performance, which can be shown in graduation rates and student performance numbers, then we are increasing taxes without good reason. In 2000, our community agreed to a bond issue of $285 million plus interest. Now eight years later, the same administration wants another $350 million plus interest, with fewer students and no guarantee there will be an increase in graduation numbers or increased test scores on the state assessments. This is shameful! Another aspect to consider is that your tax money is spent on aesthetically pleasing buildings, but we must have police officers in the halls of our middle schools and high schools to maintain order. It is unfortunate the school teachers and staff can not maintain discipline in the classroom. Some students are so disruptive that law enforcement officers are needed so good students can attempt to pursue an education.
You and I must demand better performance now. Wichita Public School’s graduation rates are about 16% below that of the State of Kansas graduation rates. The perception that money will repair the problems this school district has is irrational. The scale and size of Wichita Public Schools is such that our community should be enjoying a big savings over that of other school district’s operations. Instead, we are faced with higher costs. It is outrageous that the price of educating a student in Wichita Public Schools is $12,035. Maize Public Schools has a price tag of $9,430 per student. Wichita Public Schools has more employees per student than any other school district in Kansas.
A sociological study of Wichita Public Schools needs to be commissioned. Why would the citizens of Bel Aire want to educate their kids at the cost of $12,035 per student, when the Circle district can do the job for $9,181 per student? The constituents of Wichita Public Schools are getting what we deserve, because we have not demanded accountability of quality education and fiscal responsibility from Wichita Public Schools. Making the dilemma of Wichita Public Schools worse is the fact that new school buildings will not solve the lack of education we see in so many students that are graduating and of the students who make the unfortunate decision to drop out, because their educational needs were not fulfilled. Now is the time for the Wichita community to stand up and say NO to spending more money on the educational shortcomings of our students entering and exiting Wichita Public Schools.
John Stevens
8,000 Students Need Your Help
Within the next 10 years Wichita will face a huge labor shortage. We currently are not educating enough students to fill the needed positions in teaching, nursing, aircraft and other important industries.
World wide changes are coming over the next 20 years that are so great that we must prepare our students in order for them to prosper in this new world. China and India will have, at the current rate of growth, a combined economy larger than that of the United States. With populations in excess of 2.3 billion total, they are becoming free enterprise minded while our own students are no longer being taught the benefits of a free enterprise system. Unless something changes in our own education system our students will be prepared for a world that no longer exists.
Happy teachers are becoming rare. Discipline problems in our schools make it impossible for teachers to teach and students to learn. We should have a new civil right, “LEARNING” where the teachers have authority in the classroom to teach without having to pay more attention to the bad students than the lessons. Misbehaving and difficult students who are not teachable because of bad behavior should be bused to special schools so the well behaved students can learn.