Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh had a call for action for the Hi-Noon Kiwanis Club on Thursday afternoon at the Emporia Country Club.
Thornburgh was the group’s guest speaker. He talked about a number of issues facing the state and federal governments.
Thornburgh said the expectations of government need to be changed.
“When we change those fundamental expectations then we will see the change we desire,” he said. “When we change the expectations of our elected officials and those who work for our elected officials then we’ve the opportunity to make the changes that we want to see happen.”
He also talked about the Tea Parties that were held on April 15.
“I happened to attend a couple of those things,” he said. “What I found were average citizens were angry. They’re angry about what’s happening with our government. In this case it’s with our federal government. They’re angry about the way money is being spent. They’re angry about partisanship. They’re angry about the lack of ability to get anything done and they’re angry because they don’t feel they have a voice.”
Thornburgh said the Tea Parties sent a strong message to him because people are feeling like they have no voice.
“How did we move from a government of the people, by the people to a government that says ‘just don’t hurt me. Let me do my thing and raise my family and grow my business ... and I’m good.’ That’s sends a very strong message to me,” he said.
There’s a lack of connection in government as well, Thornburgh added. There’s a general lack of connection between what goes on in people’s everyday lives and what goes in on Washington or Topeka.
“While that’s going on while the hyper partnership is going on, we’re still losing our jobs, we’re still losing our homes while jobs are being transferred overseas and we don’t see the connection,” he said.
The economy isn’t the only factor affecting government, Thornburgh said — and the blame isn’t with one party.
“We’ve seen state spending increase by an average of 9 percent per year,” he said. “In the last seven years, our budget has grown 63 percent.”
Thornburgh said in 2007, Kansas led the nation in government-created jobs; however, it was in the bottom five in the creation of private sector jobs.
“Every indicator I look at in those bottom lines is pointing in the wrong direction,” he said. “The only way we’re going to be able to grow out of this recession is with private industry growing jobs.”
Thornburgh presented three ways to change the culture of government and change expectations.
“First and foremost, I think we have to get back to accountability,” he said. “It’s the same thing you have in your business. It’s the same thing you have in your home. When you have the accountability, you get the results you want to see.”
Second, the government needs to get back to a transactional-based model.
“ I think we have to move beyond this idea of just revenue,” he said. “When you think about the problems and you see the discussion of the problems that takes place in the Legislature, how often do you see the solution driven by well, ‘We need to increase revenue.’”
Third, Thornburgh said the score — the political point-counting — needs to be thrown out and the focus needs to be put back on solutions about what is going to be done about health care, jobs and education.
“We need to go back to the days of YMCA T-ball, where they don’t even have a scoreboard,” he said.
“Right now, especially in Washington, it is more important that the opponent lose than I win.”