Senate hopeful speaks out

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May 27, 2016 - 12:00 AM

What Chris Johnston lacks in terms of political organization he more than makes up for with passion and a determination to help take Kansas in a better direction.

Johnston, 57, is a Democrat in the race for state senator representing the 12th District. His opponent, as of this writing, is incumbent Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Republican from Parker.

Johnston, Ottawa, points to four issues he deems are eroding the state’s good character.

1. The Legislature’s tack of defunding public schools;

2. The Legislature’s income tax code, which provides lucrative tax breaks for the wealthy;

3. The Legislature’s treatment of its state hospitals and what he judges are calculated steps to privatize them, and,

4. The Legislature’s attacks on the judiciary branch and the goal of putting the courts under the responsibility of the governor.

As the son of a public school teacher, Johnston contends public education is what makes the United States a “powerhouse,” among the world. 

“It’s the driving force of our society,” he said. “The trend today among some to belittle teachers and the public school system and to cut their funding and take away their due process is a travesty against what has made America what it is.” 

Johnston believes legislators have school consolidation in their sights. “The whole issue that they know what is best for local areas is kind of bothersome,” he said. 

“Public education is more than just teaching the basics. Public education also has a certain take on science and history. It builds citizens, as opposed to just teaching facts and figures.”

Johnston grew up in Elsberry, Mo., a small town about 50 miles north of St. Louis. He has lived in Kansas the past 25 years. He and his wife, Rhonda, have been married 20 years. She works at Harris Bank in Shawnee. He has two grown children from a previous marriage, Martha, 35, who recently completed 10 years in the Army, and Andrew, 33, who has worked for Walmart the last 15 years in Tennessee. 

Johnston said he was in the midst of a career change when he was asked to run against Tyson. He had been in automobile sales. His newest venture is to help small and rural businesses develop electronic marketing through the Internet, social media and search engine optimization.

 

JOHNSTON believes that after four years of massive tax cuts Kansans can see they have impoverished state programs and services. 

“I’ve never been a fan of ‘trickle-down’ economics,” he said. “It’s been disproved time and time again, but yet we’re still going back to Art Laffer and paying him $75,000 to tell us what doesn’t work.” 

Laffer is an economist famous for the theory that tax cuts for the wealthy will inspire them to invest in business, creating new jobs. Gov. Sam Brownback hired Laffer as a consultant.

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