Why are you a candidate for the Kansas House?

’There is an elephant in the room‘, means that there is a truth that we all know exists, but that we ignore. With great respect for the office, I believe that the proverbial elephant is the current occupant of the Oval office and the truths that we are ignoring are specific Democracy damaging actions coming from the Oval Office that trickle down and are mirrored in actions taken by our Republican led Kansas State legislature. Here are some of them. First, the lack of transparency in the Oval Office is mirrored in gut and go and the passage of unsponsored bills. Second, the Federal tax reform law that is actually a tax cut for the top 1%, includes a section to destroy the individual mandate of the ACA and is mirrored by Kansas state attorney general’s participation in the Texas lawsuit that seeks to end the individual mandate. Lastly, Trump’s actions that politicize the judiciary are mirrored in Kansas by the attempt change the Kansas Constitution in order to disallow judicial review of the current Constitution with respect equity in school funding. I am running to give voice to these damaging actions against our Democracy.

Explain in detail a life experience that guides your conduct and how earning that wisdom would influence your decision as a legislator.

I lived in a Roman Catholic Convent school from the ages of three to twelve. When my parents divorced, my father remarried a Jewish woman and so I acquired a Jewish Grandmother who always made me the best strawberry pie in the world on the rare holidays that I was able to leave the Convent and she made sure that I had two slices to everyone else’s one. When my Jewish Grandmother died the nuns told me that she would not go to heaven because she was not Catholic. I was struck by the great injustice that a person of such good works as strawberry pies and my two slices could not go to heaven because of her differing faith. Justice, fairness, and equality for all regardless of any differences they might have from one another became my faith. I also lived those nine years in the constant state of having no power over how I lived my life and my professional life as a social scientist and author has been one of doing my best to ferret out social injustices and inequities and searching for actions that would empower the unempowered. I cannot wait to apply these life lessons of equity and empowerment to legislation for all Kansans.

What are the specific state government programs in need of spending reductions and programs in need of greater investment?

Spending Reduction: Do not spend Kansan’s taxpayer dollars to take away rights as did Kris Koback when he spent taxpayer funds in a failed attempt to remove voting rights from thousands of Kansans and was challenged by the court for, ’patently misleading representations to the court.’ A second example is the refusal of the Republican led legislature to pass Medicaid Expansion costing of 950 million dollars two years running and the 45% more for Medicaid recipients if Medicaid Expansion is not approved as we move forward. A second example is the spending of the current attorney general on health care by joining a lawsuit for an undisclosed cost against the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act which will result in Kansans paying increased costs for medical insurance. This is an egregious example of spending taxpayer dollars that cause taxpayers to pay more.



Spending Investment: Identify programs within a framework of best return on investment such as investments in small business specific to health insurance and pension benefits. Small business employs 51% of Kansas workers. These investments will lead to reduced turnover, higher wages and increased consumer spending.

How do you perceive the 2012 income tax cut, 2015 sales tax hike and the 2017 income tax increase in context of tax policy reform in 2019 and beyond?

I was against the 2012 income, against the 2015 sales tax, for the 2017 income increase, and would suggest the addition of two additional tax brackets at the top income levels.

A state task force has recommended full expansion of Medicaid eligibility in Kansas. Do you support that idea? Why?

Yes, I support full Medicaid eligibility in Kansas. In a previous survey I recounted the incident in which 27 children tested positive for TB in a public Kansas high school. Low income groups do not access medical care in the early stages causing a risk to all residents. In addition, I would support a Kansas State Health Initiative for income levels above eligibility for Medicaid and age levels below eligibility for Medicare. This population is one medical catastrophe away from financial disaster and health care should not be postponed until they are poverty stricken. There is insufficient time and space here to discuss costs of such a Kansas State Health Initiative I firmly believe is doable.

The Legislature promised to funnel $525 million over five years to Kansas public education in response to a lawsuit. Is that amount sufficient? Properly targeted? Ought the Kansas Constitution be amended to curtail wrangling over school finance?

I don’t think it is possible to project 5 years ahead regarding sufficiency of funds allocated and with the same reasoning it is difficult to project targeting of funds. This said, what we are looking for is an equitable distribution of funds that will have not only equality of opportunity but equality of outcomes. Indicators such as graduation rates, reading levels, math competency, computer skills are quantitative and therefore measurable but qualitative measures are for more difficult to identify and even more so to measure and it is these qualitative measures that must be factored into funding distributions if equality of outcome is our goal as I believe it should be. No! I do not believe that the Kansas Constitution should be amended to curtail wrangling over school finance. To change the constitution is akin to attacking the judiciary because you don’t agree with their responsibilities and the resultant consequences of those responsibilities so you take away those responsibilities. It is, in my view, trickle down Trumpisim. Being fair, opting for equality, being Democratic is not easy. Let’s deal with it on both sides of the isle.

How should the Legislature approach illegal immigration in terms of companies hiring people unlawfully in the US and in terms of election security?

In terms of election security there is little evidence that illegal immigrants, who are attempting to remain undetected, are engaging in our electoral process. Regarding companies hiring people illegally, they are doing so to save on payroll and of course by hiring illegal immigrants these companies are fostering illegal immigration. Levy fines on such companies that are double their savings on payroll and double the fines again for each successive violation.

Should the state allocate money to school districts for purchase of firearms for teachers? What ideas do you have for upgrading security in public school buildings?

No! Teachers are not police officers. I believe that school safety can be upgraded both technically and behaviorally. With regards to technical upgrades, entry–point scanners have been used successfully in other venues. With regards to behavioral upgrades the use of mandated reporters employed in a buddy system and with a well designed follow through protocol can be implemented with appropriate training. The majority, if not all, school shooters have been known to authorities but there is an absence of prospective shooter profile and an absence of a coordinated follow through procedure that is acted upon by identified employees within identified positions. Implementing such a system would not be costly. Lastly, in my view, my opponent’s vote to allow 18 -20 year olds to obtain a concealed carry permit is antithetical to the concern of school safety.

What so you believe should be the state’s legal standard regarding abortion?

According to the ACLU, Kansas has more laws restricting reproductive freedoms and women’s health than any other state, except Oklahoma. I have not been able to determine how much money, taxpayer money [and half of those taxpayers are women] has been spent in efforts to deny women their freedoms and their health. I believe that the state’s legal standard regarding abortion should be no less than that guaranteed by the US Constitution.

A transportation force is meeting to prepare for the state’s next big highway program. What do you want to see in the package in terms of priorities and financing?

I believe that regarding financing highway funds should not be swept into general funds and every effort should be made within the state budget to accept federal match funds. Priorities should be those that will contribute to attracting economic investments and to rebuild and maintain areas most in need as a result of deterioration.

Here is the 2018 C-J General Election Voters Guide as it appeared in the Sunday, Oct. 14 newspaper.