Republican politicians gathered Saturday night for an event in Allen.
The Santa Fe Trail Republican Women were hosts for the event. The evening started with a potato bar followed by “stumping.” An actual tree stump was brought out and candidates stood on the stump to talk about their candidacies. Each candidate was given five minutes on the stump.
Candidates’ names were drawn from a hat and candidates talked in the order of the draw. Tammy Vopat, candidate for Lyon County Clerk, spoke first.
Vopat said she was born and raised in Lyon County and has learned a lot working in the Lyon County Courthouse for seven years. She said she oversees more than 4,000 accounts in the department.
“I’m involved in the clerk’s office on a weekly basis,” Vopat said.
Theresa Walters, who is running for Lyon County commissioner, second district, spoke next. Walters said she works in prevention.
“Which my kids have decided if something feels good and tastes good it’s probably not good for you,” Walters said, with a laugh.
Walters said she has been attending Lyon County Commission meetings during her campaign.
“Our county has been working hard,” she said. “They are trying to stick to a good budget and be very fiscally responsible.”
Walters said she is up for the challenge of serving as a county commissioner.
“I’ve had a lot of challenges in my life, and I think challenges help us grow,” she said.
Lyon County Attorney Marc Goodman, who is running unopposed in the election, spoke following Walters. Speaking from the top of the stump, Goodman said he has been county attorney for eight years.
“I talk to a lot of people and try to be in tune to what the community tells me,” Goodman said. “We are doing a good job and I make sure my staff doesn’t forget who they answer to. They don’t answer to me. They answer to all of you.”
During his stumping speech, Goodman called for party unity.
“I’m tired of the liberal press saying the country is going to collapse,” he said.
Goodman made a point to talk about the 1 percent sales tax question that is on the ballot for Aug. 5. The question asks if the county should adopt a 1 percent sales tax hike across the board. The money will be distributed to the county and towns in Lyon County.
“The 1 percent sales tax for you all in the rural areas is crucial,” Goodman said. “... The small towns can benefit from that.”
Rep. Peggy Mast’s name was drawn next.
“It’s not an easy thing to do to run for a political office,” Mast said. “You open yourself up to (criticism).”
Mast said in this campaign, experience counts.
“It matters if you have someone to represent you that knows the process,” she said. “I don’t just go up there and push a button.”
Mast said she’s involved in several areas on a state level, including underage drinking prevention. She said she sponsored a bill for zero tolerance on underage drinking.
“I have a lot of experience under my belt,” she said.
Mast is running against Tony Trimble, of Burlington. Trimble’s name was drawn to speak following Mast’s. Trimble said he has his own truck sales company and he and his wife operate another business in downtown Burlington. He said he decided to enter the race because he thinks the Legislature should focus more on the economy and job creation, he said.
“I would also like to see us help our existing companies that are here today,” he said. “I would like to see us reduce government cost and eliminate government waste.”
Following his remarks, Trimble was asked about his position on health care. He said the state is on the right track with the Kansas Healthcare Policy Authority, which was created to address healthcare issues in Kansas.
Another audience question focused on education and No Child Left Behind.
“What I think we need to do is listen,” Trimble said, adding that the state needs to listen to parents, teachers and administrators.
Trimble said the No Child Left Behind mandates needs to be flexible when they are handed down from Washington to local levels.
The final speaker was Roland Martin, who is running for Lyon County Commission District No. 3. Martin said he is a farmer and custom feeds cattle. He is serving his fourth term on the school board in Olpe, he said. He quizzed the audience during his speech and asked them how many employees the county has and how many millions of dollars the county commission manages. The answer is 250 employees and $25 million in tax dollars.
Martin said he can bring fairness and balance to the Lyon County Commission.
“Numbers don’t scare me,” he said. “I am for sales tax because it’s a way of capitalizing things.”
He said he doesn’t come to the commission with a specific agenda.
“I do come knowing I have a lot of talents to offer,” he said. “From being on past boards you can’t just go in there ... you have to work together as a team. ...”
jayhawker (anonymous) says...
Theresa Walters is a nice lady as far as I know and is no doubt well qualified to hold the County Commission seat that she seeks. However, I believe that she is off base in her advocacy of a smoking ban. I submit that a person who would so advocate is not a strong believer in our form of government which throughout our history has relied upon the free market to resolve issues of this kind. A ban on anything (whether it is books or smokes) is anti-democratic and burdensome to the owners of businesses that would be effected. These things are best decided by business patrons, not by government edict. People can vote their choice everyday by deciding what businesses to patronize. We have enough government interference.
July 21, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporialifer (anonymous) says...
"Socialism is a creeping cancer whereby self-serving governments get control of the economy and society, over-regulate it, and suffocate it. It happens in small steps, like the frog that was put in a pan of cold water on the stove - he didn't notice the gradual temperature increase and got cooked. Dear readers, we are being cooked as socialism encroaches on us by gradual degrees"
I think this ties to the smoking ban.
July 22, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )