Posted on 10/09/2002 10:16:40 PM PDT by rwfromkansas
I received the following e-mail today:
"Hi, this is Rachelle Colombo, Tim's office manager. Thanks for your suggestions, they have been considered and many of your ideas have been put into place. I think you'll like what you see on tv in the coming days. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely, Rachelle Colombo Shallenburger for Governor 785.862.1200 phone 785.862.1201 fax"
This indicates that the campaign will finally begin to attempt countering Sebelius' "moderate" image on the air (I received a flier in the mail about her liberal record already in Sept.). Let's just say that while I am pessimistic (yesterday I proclaimed his campaign dead in the water)....PERHAPS this will help.
These are the suggestions I gave the campaign. It will be interesting to see what they choose to do and not do:
1. Use Sebelius Report info and critique her "mainstream Kansan" image. 2. Give a lot of attention to the Dole campaign visit; his popularity may help sway the mushy moderates. 3. Push supporters to e-mail and contact everyone they know about Sebelius' true record.
I doubt it will sway many moderates. Dole was a conservative and besides, he's been away so long it's "Bob who?" to most people around here. Shallenburger has given Sebilius a chance to put her version of herself before the public in a series of adds. He is starting from behind and I don't know if he can catch up.
From the Johnson County Sun:
Steve Rose, Chairman In 1992, Kathleen Sebelius, who is the Democratic candidate for governor, cast her vote in the legislature to destroy excellence in education in our public schools. She voted for statewide mediocrity. What's worse, as a gubernatorial candidate, Kathleen Sebelius is still defending that same, devastating system.
In 1992, Tim Shallenburger, who is the Republican candidate for governor, cast his vote in the legislature against the new school finance system. He has called it socialistic. And he is exactly right. It is.
Kathleen Sebelius says now that local districts should be able to raise more money beyond their current restrictions, but only after the rest of the state is "suitably" funded. This, by the way, is a newly modified position. Heretofore, Kathleen Sebelius has argued for "equal" education statewide.
Tim Shallenburger has also proposed that every Kansas child receive a suitable education.
The difference is this: Kathleen Sebelius would not give school districts more local control until Kansas has funded schools at a level equal to a recent consultant's report, calling for a 20 percent increase in statewide funding, plus other enhancements, amounting to an additional $852 million, if done all at once.
Until this happens -- which could be never -- she would keep a clamp on additional local efforts to maintain excellence.
Tim Shallenburger's definition of "suitable" is not hinged to that report. His definition of "suitable" education may be close to what we have now. That would free him up to push for more local control as quickly as possible. Shallenburger is credible on this, because his strong passion for local control has been consistent over the past 10 years.
The Sebelius position is very similar to that of the Kansas teachers' union, the KNEA. The union fought for the 1992 school finance law, and its leaders are the most adamant opponents of local control. Needless to say, KNEA is the top backer of Kathleen Sebelius for governor, and they will have her handcuffed on this matter, if she is elected governor.
Kathleen Sebelius and the teachers' union have been arguing the same thing for the past 10 years: "Fully fund the formula!" The higher tide -- hundreds of millions more in school funding -- would, they say, lift all boats. The flaw in their argument is that the state cannot or will not pour that kind of money into lifting all boats -- not when so many Kansans are content with where their boats are now.
We are tired of waiting for a flood of new money to pour into schools in order to save our own. For the past decade, we have been tethered to a system that does not work. To go down the path under a Governor Sebelius -- with her strong union allies -- is to walk right off the cliff. After four years or eight years under Sebelius, we will be in the same school finance crisis where we started, if not worse. And, believe me, more local control will be low, low, low on the Sebelius priority list.
Under Republican Tim Shallenburger, there is a good chance the former Speaker of the House can convince a Republican legislature, where he has many friends and allies, to remove the restrictions on the Local Option Budget and to rewrite the entire school finance formula.
At least, we have every reason to believe Shallenburger will try, because he truly believes in local control.
Based on the track record of Sebelius, we have every reason to believe she will drag her feet on making local control a major issue.
No other issue facing Kansas, nor this community, comes even close to the importance of fixing the school finance crisis.
On this issue, and on this issue alone -- for the sake of our local schools -- we must elect Tim Shallenburger as governor of Kansas.
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I'm no fan of Steve Rose either, but I'm glad to see he got this right.
You are correct though, schools are the only thing that gets the soccer moms emotions working here. Thanks for posting this good news.
I know. I know. I was gobsmacked. You coulda' knocked me over with a feather! But if Steve Rose's endorsement is what it takes to get the soccer moms to punch the Shallenburger button - I'll take it. (And if you remember - and I know you do - you are just too polite to mention it: during the primaries I laughed and predicted that during the general election Rose would endorse Sebelius because he hates conservatives SO MUCH. Well, I'm standing here to tell you I was wrong. OK. So I was wrong once and Steve Rose has been wrong a thousand times. But he gets it right here.) :o) fsf
Unfortunately, you are correct. They think the guy is actually smart. Boy, could I disabuse them of that notion. But if the soccer moms of Johnson County will listen to him on this, Shallenburger has a chance to win the race. fsf
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