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Published 2/7/2013 in Commentary : Letters to the Editor
Compromise won't fix our problemsIn recent weeks readers have been treated to a variety of commentaries on the subject of Congressman Huelskamp's committee reassignments, principles, and more recently — effectiveness. One outstandingly feeble piece by former Salina Mayor Jilka sets a new standard for speculation, sparing no ink to affright us that agriculture itself may be in jeopardy without direct representation on the House Agriculture Committee.
Mr. Jilka, it seems, is in good company with Chicken Little, former Vice President Gore, and Mayan Doomsdayers — as certainly the sky is falling, the sea is rising, and other terrible things are going to happen simply because some structural changes were made on two committees in which Huelskamp participated.
Reassignments between congressional sessions are made all the time, folks.
In distilling the substance of Mr. Jilka's and like-kind editorials, readers are treated to a couple of stealthy, reoccurring liberal themes that bear noting. First, Mr. Huelskamp and similar representatives are disparaged because they hold tenaciously to their viewpoints — called principles — despite intense lobbying to the contrary. Second, careful study of Jilka's editorial reveals a positive slant toward "revenue-increasing" (read taxation) and pork-seeking (read more debt) measures that serve only to further enslave us and our children.
In short, Mr. Huelskamp is slighted because he will not compromise to gain more trinkets from the federal government, like highway funding, that come at a very high cost.
Simply put, compromise is just that — and it's how we got the mess we have. Pick any topic in the current cultural decline, be it civics, law, art, music, literature, morals ... politics ... and the reoccurring theme is a chronic willingness of a limp-wristed generation to compromise hard-won principles of our forefathers. Indeed, the race to the bottom is fraught with willingness to dumb down consequences; to change semantics; or simply to moderate life's harsh absolutes, like paying for what one buys — and we do it just so somebody's feelings won't be hurt.
American exceptionalism includes a representative system of government, which means we elect legislators who vote in keeping with our values and interests. Last August, Kansans spoke definitively when we exchanged eight compromising "moderates" in the Kansas Senate for more principled leadership.
My hope is the national GOP will mimic the Mr. Huelskamp's example by treating those who disagree with dignity and respect — without compromising on the issues.
J. R. CARLSON,
Garden City
Public television worthy of support
If you and your family watch Smoky Hills Public Television and value its programming, you should be concerned about Gov. Brownback's proposal to cut funding for public broadcasting another 42 percent to $600,000 for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. This cut, after last year's 50 percent cut, shows a lack of appreciation for the service that public broadcasting provides to all Kansans and/or underestimates how difficult it is to replace state funding with contributions from individuals, businesses and foundations.
Cuts in state funding to Smoky Hills Public Television are counterproductive to achieving two of Gov. Brownback's stated goals — increasing population in rural counties and ensuring that all Kansas children can read proficiently by fourth grade. Smoky Hills Public Television airs commercial-free, high-quality educational programming for people of all ages. Its programming for adults and youths brings cultural and scientific amenities into our homes, improving our quality of life by allowing us to enjoy the best of both rural and city life. Smoky Hills' broadcast of 53 hours of children's educational programs each week far exceeds the Federal Communications Commission's requirement of three hours per week. Because Smoky Hills' children's educational television and outreach programs target low-income children who tend to score lower on literacy tests when entering kindergarten, this literacy work is a critical step toward making sure all children read proficiently by fourth grade. In fact, Big Bird has probably helped more kids learn to read than any single teacher.
State funding provides almost irreplaceable general operating support usually not available from private funders. If you value public television, ask your legislators to restore funding for public broadcasting to FY 2003-2012 levels (about $2.5 million) and become a member of Smoky Hills Public Television.
HELEN HANDS,
Great Bend
Found 9 comment(s)!
Rick
President Obama's plan to to help Americans! His plan is not like the republican plan to ONLY help the RICH!
AND you are wrong again about our president. DUBYA is the one who was the most corrupt, dishonest and disruptive and uninformed president EVER, not to mention the WORST PRESIDENT EVER, DUBYA!
Were you around for the Eisenhower years, when taxes on the rich were over 90%? That is where the taxes should be for the millionaires and billionaires. AND Eisenhower is the one who spent money on the highway system we have today. That worked THEN and it can work again.
AND like I said before, Huelscamp LOVES saying "NO", because that is the easiest job in the world. Just say no, and go home for another vacation. The members of the house under bonehead boehner have had more vacation days than any other people on the face of the earth.
Posted by: Concerned Citizen on 2/11/2013
Must say NO
Concern, I lived through Jimmy Carter and his 21% interest rate in 1980, it put me out of my first business, it cause over 40% of my fellow businessmen in America to go upside down. Reagan turned it in 4 years, Obama has no plan except to bankrupt our country. He has put NO budget on the table in 4 years, he has had Reid be his defense on the budget, you can not defend that at all. The only explantiton is Obama wants us to go upside down financially, either he has no idea how to turn this economy around or he wants this for other reasons. Obama is in many Kansans opinion the most corrupt, disrupitve and uninformed President we have had. I get it you hate Republican, I said we have had this sprial for 40 years now, So it is time for our representitives to say NO to spending and more taxes. I predect in less then 5 years Americans will have to make the hard decisions to stop spending on all entitlements program or lose our republic. So I am going to be right or you will ( you support more spending and higher taxes ) and that has never worked. Again I am thankful for Huelskamp being my Congressman.
Posted by: rick on 2/11/2013
CC
If you are going to send all the "NO sayers", then Harry Reid should be the first to go. The Senate has not passed a budget in 4 years, and Reid will not put any bill sent to him by the House to a vote.
Posted by: Kelly on 2/10/2013
Compromise
Rick,
I will tell you what got us in the position we are in today. It started with Reagan and his trickle down, which never happened. The rich got richer and the middle class got poorer. It continued with Dubya with his 2 wars of choice. None of these things were paid for, they were put on the credit card. It is the STRANGEST thing that when a republican is in office, they pay for NOTHNG! But when a democrat is in office, they have to pay for EVERYTHING!
This country will never advance forward until both sides work together and make compromises. It would be so EASY to be a senator or representative who just says, "NO"! It is harder to find ways to work together. I don't want a representative who just says, "NO"! It is time to send home all the "NO" sayers and get someone in there who will work to get things done.
Posted by: Concerned Citizen on 2/9/2013
Thank You
Thank you, JR, for voicing what most Kansans believe. Thank you, Congressman Huelskamp, for doing the job we voted you in to do. It is a rare person who goes to Washington and holds on to their principles in a quagmire of corruption. I pray for you and your beautiful family that you will be safe and protected. God bless you, Congressman Huelskamp.
Posted by: Kelly on 2/8/2013
Laughable
I repeat, Huelskamp is a shining example of a Kansas JackAss!
Posted by: Observer on 2/7/2013
Concern please stop misleading the folks
Concern, I believe your a good person, wanting to help most anyone, but we must stop spending money, we now owe $52,000 per American, no one can pay that amount, not my kids or grands. It is time to say NO, there has been compromise for 40 years now and it has left us BROKE. When I bought my first house I had to stay with in my budget, I said NO to the first 4 homes I tried to buy, I did try to compromise but the realator just had to finally say NO can not sell it for that. So I found one I could afford, that is where we are today in America, in a house we can not pay for or even should have bought. Again it takes more of a strong character to say NO then someone that caves in all the time to a spender. I bet you never caved into your children and gave them everything the wanted, sometimes you had to say NO with no compromise, you knew that was the best for them. Compromise is good, when needed, but those days are gone, we have compromised ourselves BROKE ... Yes to Congressman Huelskamp, I can not compromise with you Concern on this issue, so please don't rant, rave and cry at me for saying NO to your ideas and beliefs, they got us where we are today.
Posted by: rick on 2/7/2013
Compromise
Jr and Rick are exactly wrong! Compromise is the only way to get government functioning again. Why would you send someone to congress to just say NO? That is the biggest waste of a vote I have ever heard of! It is time for both sides to work together. Going to Congress is NOT just opposing EVERYTHING! Until both sides work together, our government will NOT work!
Posted by: Concerned Citizen on 2/7/2013
Well said JR
I could not agree more with JR, he has stated exactly what most Kansans feel they wanted in a leader. Huelskamp is painted by all liberals in Kansas and some moderates as a hound dog, not wanting to compromise on anything, that is what we need now in federal government, someone to stand up and say NO to spending and tax increases. Thanks Congressman Huelskamp for standing up and taking on the hard left and moderates in the GOP.
Posted by: rick on 2/7/2013