Dear editor,
I am writing this letter, to endorse Ed Bideau as representative for the Kansas House, 9th District. I’ve known Ed since coming to Chanute in 1989. Of utmost importance to me, Ed is strong in his convictions and staunchly pro-life. 
As a fellow attorney, I’ve heard numerous people in the legal system and law enforcement compliment Ed on his service as Neosho County attorney. Ed also previously served as a representative to the Kansas House, so he has the knowledge and ability to hit the ground running, to look after and protect the citizens of his district and in turn, Kansas as a whole.
Personally, Ed is devoted to his family, church and community. I have always known Ed as an honest and hard-working individual, both personally and professionally. 
Ed has the analytical ability to determine what the problem or need is and reach a reasonable and commonsense solution. Please vote for Ed Bideau.
 Tim Clover,
Erie, Kan.

I’m a political junkie.
I enjoy campaign season. I like to read about candidates and hear what they have to say — and sometimes don’t say — at forums, such as Tuesday afternoon’s at the Townhouse.
The Townhouse forum drew only a handful of observers, which is a shame. It carried on for more than two hours and the moderator, Rosie Cooper of the forum’s sponsor, Resource Center for Independent Living, did a whale of job of keeping questions and answers flowing.
All five candidates were Republicans, which means the primary will decide the winners for 9th District House and 12th District Senate seats.
John Coen, Ottawa banker, and Caryn Tyson, current House member from Parker, are the senate candidates.
The debate illuminated their differences.
Coen declined hanging a label on himself, but said he would have no qualms about doing what was necessary to adequately fund education, including repeal of the past session’s tax cuts.
Tyson — calling herself a Reagan conservative — defended the tax cuts, and claimed they would benefit everyone. She didn’t discuss at length the holes in the safety net for disadvantaged folks the tax cuts have created.
The House race features two Iolans, Judy Brigham and Bud Sifers, and Chanute attorney Ed Bideau.
Brigham is a thoughtful person and a fast learner. She took Iola’s reins as city administrator several years ago with her only prior administrative experience as city clerk and quickly settled into the job.
Bideau has the advantage of being a past representative and an attorney. And, if all is true that a multitude of gushy letters on his behalf claims, on a good day he can walk on water.
Sifers is conservative to the core, and said in (much) better economic times he would vote to increase funding for education, the state’s greatest responsibility —  but not today.
It would appear the race is Bideau’s to lose, because of his built-in constituency of supporters in Chanute, while Brigham and Sifers both call Iola home. Chanute has a touch over 9,000 residents, Iola about 6,000.
Do your duty, and vote.

NATIONAL POLITICS are another matter.
Mitt Romney’s campaign asked me for a contribution in a slick-looking mailer, including a postage paid return envelope.
I decided to help out the presumptive GOP nominee. I put a penny in the envelope and dropped at off at the post office.

It’s more because of what Caryn Tyson doesn’t say that makes her the weaker candidate for the Kansas Senate.
With nary a flinch, Tyson can say all Kansans are better off because of tax cuts enacted by the 2012 Legislature.
“We saved you all money,” she told a small crowd of residents collected at the Townhouse Apartments Tuesday afternoon. 
But perhaps the perspiration collected just a bit when an elderly resident told her she could not afford to eat properly every day — that food is too expensive.
If things are bad now — Tyson may have thought — what about next year, when the poor will no longer receive a food sales tax rebate on their food purchases.
Or how about when they’ll no longer be able to deduct expenses for child or elderly care, or be able to receive tax credits for handicap-accessible expenditures, or deduct their expenses for day-care expenditures, and lastly, be able to deduct what they pay in rent.
All of these rebates were directed to help the poor manage their circumstances better.
Yes, they will pay .05 percent less on their income taxes, but overall, survival will be harder.

IT’S IN PART because of those gross omissions, the Register throws its support behind John Coen for the District 12 Senate race. 
The bigger reason is because Coen is a stalwart for education. 
“I know where to get the money for our schools,” he said Tuesday. “Repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy.”
For this coming year, Iola’s school district 257 is working with $1.3 million less than needed, according to Brian Pekarek, USD 257 superintendent of schools. Statewide, educators, schools and students are doing with $450 million less than what is judged to be adequate.
So when Tyson boasts she worked to add $40 million to help fund education for 2012, those in the know can only sigh, realizing that 8.9 percent of additional funding barely makes a dent.

COEN appears to be honest about putting education first, saying he knows how to fund it and makes no bones over how to get it. 
Others believe he’ll stand behind his commitment to education as well. Citizens for Higher Education, a business group that promotes post-secondary education at Kansas community colleges and universities, has pledged its support of Coen over Tyson. (For House of Representatives it has endorsed Judy Brigham over Ed Bideau and Bud Sifers.)
Spending on education comprises about 80 percent of the Kansas budget. So if a candidate seems torn as to where his priorities lie — he has no business in state government.
John Coen knows providing the best education possible for Kansas children is what gives Kansas the best possible future. He deserves the support of all who agree. 
— Susan Lynn

Dear editor, 

This is a letter that I hope will save the public from theft of gas.

My husband and I have been the victims of not only gas theft but also the loss of a garden hose used to steal fuel and in the process, destroyed the vehicle’s gas tank, a $150 cost.

If this letter helps just one person, we will be happy.

Sincerely,

Joyce Peck,

LaHarpe, Kan.

Dear editor,

 The Iola Municipal Band is such a wonderful asset to Iola. It was started in 1871 and has always had the young and old in perfect accord from 16 to 92 years old.

In 1920-21, my father and mother made the band concerts their date night with riding in a horse and buggy. It was already 50 years old and very well attended. Even the merchants stayed open later.

At the last concert, a lady and son sat on the bench with me. She was so proud of her son up there playing and that he went to New York with the Iola High School band.

Her other son will be playing the saxophone in the band this coming school year. A very proud mother! She said that they did not understand this John Philip Sousa thing. Wow.

Please allow me to tell his tradition of the world famous march king who came down on the Santa Fe Railroad from Kansas City to Iola for a stop. They marched from the depot on West Madison with hundreds of people lining the streets to the largest, most beautiful courthouse square in Kansas. They marched around the square to our wonderful band stand. They then gave a great concert. They stayed overnight at our then very famous Kelley Hotel. The next morning they continued on to Tulsa.

We must always let the municipal band members know how much we appreciate them and enjoy their talents. Public television was here a few years ago and acclaimed that no city in Kansas has anything to beat this.

This Thursday night will close this year’s season. Remember they have to meet Monday evenings to practice so that they can give us their best on Thursday night. Let’s beat the heat and give them a great crowd. It is hot on the bandstand and many give a great deal to get this together.

Respectfully submitted,

Don Hillbrant,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor,

Ed Bideau is the smart choice, but better than that, the right choice.

Members of the entire Bideau family through the years have greatly supported this community in many, many ways. They have reached out with kind words, words of encouragement, words of wisdom, and always with loving hearts, only looking at how they can benefit and help others.

They are truly about how they can better and support the needs of others.

We feel in out hearts when one can look at another entire family, and say the same heartfelt words about them all, we truly have, and can have what we need in the Kansas House 9th District as our representative, Ed Bideau. Ed’s loyalty, wisdom, family values and integrity will take us to where we need to be and want to be.

Not only Ed, but the whole family, us included, marching forward for the better of us all and our communities.

We have always been big fans of the Bideau family and will continue to be wholeheartedly!

Generation after generation of Bideaus have proved and will continue to prove their commitment and loyalty to mankind.

Vote Ed Bideau for the sake of us all. It’s a win, win.

Stacy Borjas,

Chanute, Kan.

Dear editor,

I agree with Larry Richards’ remarks. I supported and still support the nine-member council. The council and its members were voted into place by a majority of the population in Iola. What I do not understand is why a few people think they have the right to constantly create problems for certain members of the council. I do not think their attitude presents a very positive image for Iola. To be very honest, I have not heard so much whining since the last time I was in a preschool!

The council has made some decisions that did not make a number of people happy, but they were decisions that needed to be made and that is what they were elected to do, make decisions to improve our town. 

I would suggest that if the “Good Citizens” would like to do something positive for Iola they could volunteer to help with Farm City Days. Let the council do what we voted them into office to do, make the decisions that will improve our town, without constant criticism. 

Darcus Kottwitz

Iola, Kan.