Dear editor,

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage voters in District 9 to vote for Judy Brigham for Kansas House of Representatives. I have known Judy for over 25 years and have known her to be intelligent in her thoughts, calm in the face of crisis and fearless with the unknown. She served Iola well for 32 years, and as a past Chamber director in Iola, I can attest to the outstanding job she did as city administrator. 

As Iola’s city administrator, Judy and I worked closely whether issues involved economic development, business recruitment, tourism or community development.  She was always first on the list to donate or help out when needed, and when we suffered the worst flood since 1951, we all were pleased to see her take charge and help in all possible ways. It is when times get tough that we see the true nature of a person. Judy never lost her positive attitude, her giving spirit or her “get-it-done” willingness that helped Iola move out from under the mud and the muck. Judy worked hard to find the resources needed to build Iola back to an even better city than it was before the flood.

A lot was accomplished under her guidance, including the money that was secured from frequent trips to Washington, D.C. Without her leadership and knowledge, the Community Involvement Task Force (CITF) would have not taken those trips to D.C. nor would they have helped bring back over $600,000 for Iola. Much of the praise goes to Judy for being forward-minded and valiant during that time. Because of Judy, the CITF was able to make Iola a memorable city name that our legislators did not forget. She made sure they all heard the needs of Iola and the issues we faced.  Because of my years working closely on Iola issues, I was able to gain insight on the interworking of a city, grant writing, economic development, infrastructure needs and housing issues from Judy. She taught me a lot regarding business and community development, the importance of volunteerism and being a strong leader.

Iola wouldn’t be what it is today without Judy’s leadership.  It excites me to think of all she is capable of doing in Topeka if elected to the House. I know Judy well enough to know that although she has passion for southeast Kansas and loves Iola, she feels the same for Kansas as a whole.  Judy makes thoughtful, trustworthy decisions and has always looked into every issue before making any judgments. She will do the same for the State of Kansas and will be a fervent, hard worker for District 9.

Let’s make a difference with our vote and cast your ballot in favor of Judy Brigham.

Barbara (Chalker) Anderson,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

I consider myself a member of the silent majority. The silent majority is an unspecified large majority of people in a country or group who do not express their opinions publicly.  

You have never seen a letter written by me in the local newspaper. Other than voting, I’ve never been involved in local politics. I’ve never been a part of any demonstrations. And as most of you I’ve never attended a city council or county commission meeting. This however does not mean I am uninterested or uniformed.  Rather this means recent events with the City Council and the Iolans For Good Government have stirred me to break my silence.

There has been a huge effort by a few very dedicated citizens to remove Councilmen Ken Rowe and Kendall Callahan from their seats. The petition created by this minority of citizens gives two reasons that these two councilmen should be recalled, neither of which in my opinion are the real reason for their effort.

If you are reading this letter, then you more than likely have read a letter drafted by Councilman French. French’s letter signed by five council members and the mayor was presented at the July 23 city council meeting.  The letter requested that either Wade Bowie or Judge Creitz put a stop to Tuesday’s recall vote for Councilmen Kendall Callahan and Ken Rowe.  The letter explained that Mr. Bowie had provided petitioners for the recall information based on state statutes that have not been valid since 2008. Councilman French went on to say that if Callahan and Rowe were guilty of wrong doing so were the rest of them.  As I am a fan of personal responsibility and accountability I applaud council members French, Callahan, Rowe, Kilby, Franklin, and Mayor Shirley, who signed the letter.  I have to wonder why councilmen Wicoff, Stewart, and Becker did not.

After reading the article titled “Letter calls for halt of recall” in the July 24 Iola Register, it was my assumption that Judge Creitz would have little choice but to put a stop to this travesty, but I have since learned that this is not the case.  Judge Creitz was quoted saying “the court does not have authority or jurisdiction until a case is properly filed.” Thus the recall vote because it’s already on the ballot will most likely go forward. Apparently an improperly filed petition bears more weight.

It’s time for us, the silent majority to speak up. If you believe we should put a stop to this recall vote write a letter to the editor and let your voice be heard. And to the majority in wards 1 and 4, please don’t remain silent, if the recall vote goes forward, get to the polls Tuesday and vote (no) on the recall, it’s up to you.  Let’s not let the vocal minority dictate to the majority.

Pat Rowe,

Iola, Kan.

(Editor’s note: Pat Rowe is the brother of city commissioner Ken Rowe.)                                  

Dear editor,

I’ve never gotten involved with politics, mostly because I’ve never found a candidate who I was excited about. But when John Coen said he was running for Kansas Senate I found someone I could enthusiastically support. I am writing this to ask your help in getting him elected.

I first met John when we were students at Kansas State University, more than a few years ago. He was a much better student than I, but we both ended up being dairy farmers.

Having raised his family on the farm — teaching them the responsibilities of caring for animals and the tremendous work ethic, dedication and hard work involved — goes a long way in my respect for John and his family. He is a wonderful father and husband.

John has since moved into the banking arena with a stint on Derek Schmidt’s staff when he was our state senator. I respect Derek and think he did a good job representing southeast Kansas, thus John got some good political education.

John will be a great voice for agriculture and a much-needed supporter of good education for Kansas. I know John to be a man of good morals. John will vote as a traditional Republican and will work across party lines to get things done. He has no hidden agenda and he won’t be beholden to any one powerful group. In fact, he is being hugely outspent by his opponent in this campaign. 

My guess is John won’t sign any contracts, promising instead to make decisions based on the facts. I do know he will do what he thinks is best for Kansans. All Kansans.

John Coen is the kind of guy we need more of in politics. Please join me in supporting John.

Steve Strickler,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

I am proud to endorse and support my longtime friend Ed Bideau for 9th District state representative.

Patti and I have known Ed and Margaret Bideau for nearly 30 years. Ed represents the traditional Kansas values of hard work, love of country and community, and service to his fellow citizens. Ed’s civility and common sense made it a pleasure to serve with him when he was in the Kansas House of Representatives.

Ed’s experience and common sense are needed again in Topeka. Help send Ed back to Topeka with your vote on Tuesday.

Mike Hayden,

former governor of Kansas,

Lawrence, Kan.

Dear editor,

As a father and business owner I will be standing with Ed Bideau on Tuesday for his run to be our next House of Representative’s member for the 9th District.

When Tuesday comes, I will cast my vote for Ed Bideau because I know that he will truly represent southeast Kansas and protect our way of life. Make no mistake, Ed Bideau will “measure twice and cut once” upon looking on which way to cast votes in the House of Representatives. 

The bills that come before each chamber can be highly complex with outcomes not foreseen with original intent. We need a representative that understands the process and can make an impact on day one. If elected, Ed Bideau will make an impact on day one, and in my opinion, will carry influence well beyond the power of one vote with his vision and leadership among his peers in the House of Representatives.

I want our representative to stand firm for public education and not allow the wealthy metro districts to not pay their fair share for an equal education for all children in Kansas. I want our representative to arrive in Topeka on day one fighting for southeast Kansas and not believing that Johnson County legislators have our best interests in mind. I want our representative to be a fiscal conservative, however, understanding that the more taxes are cut in Topeka, the impact will be harder on rural communities. Simply put, prepare yourself that property taxes will be the only option rural communities will have to maintain basic services and provide a quality education for our children.

Ed Bideau believes that the best ideas on how to represent southeast Kansas come from our fellow residents of southeast Kansas, not from a preset “playbook” on how to vote on vital matters before this upcoming session that benefits the wealthy communities and believes that rural communities are a past gone by.

Please join me in standing with Ed Bideau this Tuesday, because it will be a day that will determine the future of southeast Kansas.

Ross T. Hendrickson,

Chanute, Kan.

Dear editor,

When I think of “politicians” I get nauseous. We have all fallen prey to their elite, hypocritical legislative imposition in almost every facet of life. We are tired. I believe that Psalm 1:1-2 says it best. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” I believe Edwin Bideau is not a “politician” and is such a man.

I believe that we as a land are under judgment from God for a number of issues. One of the greatest issues I believe is that of abortion. I must confess that Karen and I have been single-issue voters for most of our life. We are passionately pro life and pro traditional family.

The Ed Bideau that we have come to respect and know is a man of God who will receive our vote in this upcoming election. Ed and Margaret are passionately pro life and pro traditional family. I believe that he will take our voice, along with our values to Topeka and say what he means and mean what he says. Ed is a man of integrity who is not riding in his first rodeo.  

My wife and I are praying for a sweeping removal of ungodly men and women in positions of authority all across our land. We will keep the hope of honesty, integrity and morality in our land when we vote for Edwin Bideau. 

Sincerely, 

Russ  and Karen Vallier,

Chanute

Thomas L. Friedman has the credentials to make judgments about U.S. politicians and their efforts to win the Jewish vote. 

First, Friedman is Jewish. Much more important, he is a long-time student of the Middle East who has spent months on end in Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and other nations in the region. His phone calls to Jewish leaders get answered.

So when Friedman writes with disdain about Mitt Romney’s pandering to militant Israelis to win votes and campaign donations, he deserves to be heard. He said:

“ . . . Much of what is wrong with the U.S.-Israel relationship today can be found in that Romney trip. In recent years, the Republican Party has decided to make Israel a wedge issue. In order to garner more Jewish (and evangelical) votes and money, the G.O.P. decided to ‘out-pro-Israel’ the Democrats by being even more unquestioning of Israel. This arms race has pulled the Democratic Party to the right on the Middle East and has basically forced the Obama team to shut down the peace process and drop all demands that Israel freeze settlements. This, in turn, has created a culture in Washington where State Department officials . . . are reluctant to even state publicly . . . that settlements are ‘an obstacle to peace’ for fear of being denounced as anti-Israel.

“Add on top of that, the increasing role of money in U.S. politics and the importance of single donors who can write megachecks to ‘super PACs’ — and the fact that the main Israel lobby, Aipac, has made itself the feared arbiter of which lawmakers are ‘pro’ and which are ‘anti-Israel’ and, therefore, who should get donations and who should not — and you have a situation in which there are almost no brakes, no red lights, around Israel coming from America anymore. No wonder settlers now boast on op-ed pages that the game is over, they’ve won, the West Bank will remain with Israel forever — and they don’t care what absorbing all of its Palestinians will mean for Israel’s future as a Jewish democracy.”

Friedman goes on to quote Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak as saying that the U.S. is providing Israel with advanced weaponry and intelligence cooperation and “doing more in regard to our security than anything that I can remember in the past” and then remarks that Romney missed an opportunity to learn by refusing to go to Ramallah and meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, where he could have “shared publicly what he would do to advance the peace process.”

Friedman passionately believes — both as an expert on the region and as a Jew — that “it is in Israel’s overwhelming interest to (find) creative ideas for a two-state solution. That is what a real U.S. friend would promise to do.

“Here is what I know: The three U.S. statesmen who have done the most to make Israel more secure and accepted in the region all told blunt truths to every Israeli or Arab leader: Jimmy Carter, who helped forge a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt; Henry Kissinger, who built the post-1973 war disengagement agreements with Syria, Israel and Egypt; and James Baker, who engineered the Madrid peace conference. All of them knew that to make progress in this region you have to get in the face of both sides. They both need the excuse at times that ‘the Americans made me do it,’ because their own politics are too knotted to move on their own.”

Friedman ended his essay with this lecture to American politicians in both parties:

“ . . . Stop feeding off this conflict for political gain. . . . Stop making things even worse by telling the most hard-line Israelis everything that they want to hear, just to grovel for Jewish votes and money, while blatantly ignoring the other side. There are real lives at stake out there. If you’re not going to do something constructive, stay away. They can make enough trouble for themselves on their own.”

Dear editor,

I know it is hot and I know it is dry. I have lived through these cycles since the 1930s. Nobody has ever been able to change the weather.

This year we have opportunity to change the representatives and senators of the state Legislature.

I sincerely hope that Brownback’s plan will work for the state, but I am sure it will not work. 

If it doesn’t, we will see high property taxes, higher sales taxes, and less money for education.

I feel John Coen and Ed Bideau are two people who want to see good things happen to the state of Kansas and people who live here.

I sincerely hope you will vote for them Aug. 7.

Sincerely,

Bob Sharp,

Humboldt, Kan.

Dear editor,

It’s amazing what people will believe.

You can yell “fire, fire” long enough and someone will believe you. There are a number of people in Iola who want people to make a decision based on false and outdated information. Decisions that will affect everyone in Iola. This is just what happened when a vigilante group passed around the petition asking for the recall of Kendall Callahan and Ken Rowe.

We have heard a lot about the recall vote from good citizens of Iola for Kendall Callahan and Ken Rowe, but do we know if it is all true? Number one: They used outdated information from the county attorney. Number two: Targeted these two council members when most of the council would be guilty if the two are. Number three: It is the two that were the most outspoken about the firing of former city administrator, Judy Brigham. We need to know how Judy’s trial will come out before we call foul. We wrote a letter earlier to the forum stating that we need facts that are true before we make such an important decision as recalling the two council members. Please, stop and think this through before you decide that a certain unhappy small group of people are telling you how you should feel and how you should vote. This recall vote will affect everyone in the city. We feel bad for people that try to do a job and then become a scapegoat for something a few feel is not popular. If this recall does pass, how are we to get good people to run for the council when they will think, “well, if I make someone mad, will I be subject to the pressure of a recall?”

Jim and Martha Heffernon,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

The election for County Commission District 3 for a new commissioner is Aug. 7. There are two good candidates but in their statements to the Iola Register only one brought out the ambulance management problem facing the City of Iola. He didn’t want a decision that placed Iola in a bad position. That contender for our vote is Don Bauer.

The concern Don Bauer had was the possibility there could be an ambulance governance decision that forced Iola to a volunteer fire department.

This will likely raise insurance rates for our homes and business buildings.

But the primary concern is how will possible manufacturing companies with an interest in establishing a plant in Iola feel about a volunteer fire department. That could be a black mark on all of our possibilities.

The other contender seemed primarily interested in establishing a stepping stone for higher elective office. We should vote for Don Bauer for District 3 county commissioner. We know Bauer is only concerned about our interests.

Ray Shannon,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

Towns and communities in southeast Kansas are losing population and businesses. This means whatever endeavor we want to undertake is made that much harder because there are fewer of us to spread the burden of paying for projects, education, health, and basic infrastructure. All these things must be maintained and upgraded and are usually done with the assistance in some form from the state of Kansas. So this is what makes our choice of representative from the 9th district so important. 

The qualities I am looking for is someone with good business experience knowing the balance between spending as needed, but a firm hand on fiscal responsibility. In my opinion Bud Sifers has these qualities. Apparently I’m not alone. That’s why his long list of endorsements includes: 

The Kansas State Chamber Commerce, Americans For Prosperity, Kansans For Life, Kansas State Rifle Association, National Rifle Association, and Kansas Republican Assembly. These endorsements tell me Bud Sifers is the strongest conservative running for the 9th district.

One question we need to ask ourselves is do we need more experienced politicians in Topeka or an experienced businessman who will work for his district to thrive in these hard economic times and make the right choices to get us there.

Larry Macha

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

As you consider who gets your vote for Kansas District 9 this year, remember that a “wish list is not a plan.”

Bud Sifers is the only candidate that has offered ideas up and made a firm stance on issues. Bud Sifers is a businessman with a plan and a direction to lead our new district in a very new direction, prosperity.

Our Governor Sam Brownback also laid out a road map to a better Kansas and in 2010 Kansas sent him a conservative House to help lead Kansas to financial stability, to shore up unfunded liabilities such as KPERS and pay debt that was neatly tucked away out of sight. He needs people like Bud Sifers that will support a plan to grow the economy, that will make government less wasteful and improve the transparency of education dollars.

There is a world of difference between the candidates who want better for all but offer no real solutions versus the candidate who goes out and works on a plan to make things better. Bud Sifers is not your everyday politician and knows what history tells us: real solutions do not happen in the halls of big government, they happen right here in our communities, towns and district.

On Tuesday you as a taxpayer will have a voice in which direction our House district will choose, further down the rabbit hole or climb the ladder of prosperity. I hope you choose prosperity and vote Bud Sifers, a candidate with a plan!

Sincerely,

Gary and Susan Hoffmeier,

Iola, Kan. 

Dear editor,

If the city and the people of Iola want to continue having an honest and reliable governing body, on the Tuesday primary ballot your vote will be no on the recall questions.

Sincerely,

Doris Hill,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

 A vote for Caryn Tyson for Kansas State Senate is a vote for disciplined, caring, and reasoned service. No one cares more for education than she does. She voted (while in the Legislature) to require that 65 percent of K-12 funding go to the classroom and teachers. She comes from a family with teachers. She earned her education in Kansas. To say anything less of her is absolutely absurd on its face. A vote for Caryn Tyson is a vote for the candidate who knows that we don’t have fiscal problems because we are taxed too little but rather spend too much.

Kansas needs a senator like her in the State Senate. Allen County needs Caryn Tyson representing them in the Kansas Senate. Reject the radical and negative attacks against her. Reject the class envy rhetoric launched against her. The radical and negative cannot be trusted because they cannot be backed up by fact and are not even remotely consistent of what can be known about her.  

We can trust a lady and servant like Caryn Tyson. Vote for Caryn Tyson.

Respectfully yours,

Bill LaPorte

Moran, Kan.

Focusing on Kansas, AP writer John Hanna wrote Monday about the multi-state campaign to drive all of the moderates out of the Republican Party and defeat lawmakers who refuse to swear fealty to the radical right-wing agenda.

He wrote of copy-cat campaigns in Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas and his home state of Kansas. He found that radical groups such as the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity are spending millions to defeat several dozen moderate Republicans in the Midwest and South, targeting prominent lawmakers who hold committee chairmanships and other key posts.

One of those being attacked viciously in Kansas is Sen. Steve Morris of Hugoton, who is president of the Kansas Senate and a major supporter of Kansas State University and the other Regents universities.

One of the radicals running against a sitting moderate is Greg Smith who says it’s way past time for Kansans to elect more right-wing legislators. Hanna quotes him as saying, “If you don’t believe in that playbook, then why are you on the team?”

The team’s captain is Gov. Sam Brownback, who has taken the unprecedented step of using his high office to campaign against Republican moderates and for the radicals he has pushed into races against them. Gov. Brownback doesn’t deny his complicity. He is attacking fellow Republicans, he said, because in resisting his proposals they are “promoting a Democrat agenda.”

What Gov. Brownback means is that Senators Morris, Tim Owens and Dwayne Umbarger and other moderates resisted tax cuts so severe that they threaten financing for the public schools, the state’s universities, the state court system and the Department of Transportation. It is true that these basic state functions are also supported by the Democrats in the House and Senate — and were all but universally supported by Kansas lawmakers of both parties until the last two election cycles.

Hanna reported the Kansas Chamber of Commerce poured $163,000 into the effort to elect radical right candidates last year and that Koch Industries, Inc. of Wichita ponied up $36,000 for the cause. He also noted similar efforts have unseated moderates in Texas and Colorado and a similar campaign is under way against Sen. David Pearce in Missouri, who is chairman of the Senate’s Education Committee there. A radical group is spending $50,000 to unseat him.

In Kansas, Hanna wrote, the radicals hope to elect enough fellow travelers to write laws restricting the ability of labor unions to raise money, “to remake the state’s appellate courts by providing for political appointment of judges and to enact more conservative social policy.”

REGISTER READERS have a role to play in this battle. Traditional Republicans can follow the philosophies of Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, Sen. James B. Pearson, Sen. Robert Dole, Gov. Bill Graves and Iolans Senate President Bob Talkington and House education leader Denny Apt — just to mention a few outstanding moderate Republicans most will remember — and vote against this conspiracy to shrink Kansas government into impotence.

Those who don’t know which candidates will work for a strong Kansas if elected can find a starter list by calling up Citizens For Higher Education on their computers. There they will find the names of John Coen, a candidate for this senate district, and Judy Brigham, a candidate for the House. Those with friends in the new District 15, will find Dwayne Umbarger chosen and can give him a boost.

This is a very important primary election. The essential personality of the Kansas Republican Party is at stake.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.

Dear editor,

I have known Ed Bideau going back to the late 1970s when I was a deputy sheriff and he was our new county attorney. I worked with him on many cases while I was a deputy sheriff and later as a Chanute police officer. 

He was a prosecutor who knew how to go to jury trial and was not afraid to do it. He was very tough on drug pushers. He made it a point to develop a close working relationship with all the law enforcement officers in the county and he often went to the shooting range with us. He was an aggressive and fair prosecutor and about every officer that served with him would tell you he was one of the best.

Ed and I also became close hunting, fishing and shooting friends. We have been on many hunting, fishing and shooting trips together that often included other law enforcement officers. He is a life member of the NRA, is very active in shooting sports and held an ATF Federal Firearms License for several years. I know Ed’s views on 2nd Amendment rights very well. He is a very strong advocate for our individual rights and puts action behind those words. Who would you want defending your 2nd Amendment rights? He is the guy I want defending mine.

Sincerely,

Jim Pattinson,

Chanute, Kan.

Dear editor,

I support Tom Williams for county commissioner.

His has given years of selfless dedication to southeast Kansas, Allen County and Iola. He has served professionally and I believe that he will continue to perform as county commissioner in a professional manner. 

He will use common sense to address issues and is well aware that raising taxes and fees on everything is not the answer.

Let’s give Tom a chance!

Lee Gumfory,

Iola, Kan.