Holton, Kansas, Rep. Trent LeDoux – “My concern is this contract with Accenture, which, in my opinion, is an illegal contract.”

Shawnee, Kansas, Rep. John Rubin, former federal judge and FDIC Regional Counsel — “The darn thing [ObamaCare] is unconstitutional.  Why would we take steps in Kansas to implement anything?”

Topeka Capital-Journal:

A small, defiant group of House Republicans joined forces with the tea-party flavored Union of Patriots to pressure Gov. Sam Brownback to cancel a $135 million contract for a computer system designed to track applicants for state social services.

…

Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, said he met with Brownback in an effort to convince the governor the state should have nothing to do with computer system changes that played into mandates for health insurance reform crafted by Democrats.

“The darn thing is unconstitutional,” Rubin told a Statehouse gathering of about 10 House and Senate Republicans. “Why would we take steps in Kansas to implement anything?”

…

The state entered into a five-year contract with Accenture calling for expenditure of $85 million for technology acquisition and implementation of the database and $50 million to operate and maintain the system.

Meanwhile, Accenture agreed in September to pay $63 million to settle a suit tied to a scandal involving acceptance of kickbacks after recommending certain hardware and software to the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice also accused Accenture of fraudulently increasing prices and rigging bids on government contracts.

…

“My concern is this contract with Accenture, which, in my opinion, is an illegal contract,” said Rep. Trent LeDoux, a Holton Republican.

…

Rumbling from the likes of Shute, Rubin and others within the Republican Party played a role in Brownback’s decision to return a $31.5 million federal grant earmarked for IT systems directly related to implementation of national health insurance reform.

Brownback, while governor-elect in November, didn’t object to Kansas’ application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the grant. The award was approved in February, but Brownback unexpectedly decided to send the money back to HHS immediately prior to the August meeting of the state GOP that was shaping up to be a forum for rebellious Republicans unhappy with the grant.

…

“It undercuts our legal argument before the Supreme Court,” [Rep. John Rubin] said. “The only remedy is to cancel the contract.”

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An important video to watch, from a recent Overland Park seminar sponsored by the Union of Patriots (their Facebook page is here).

First, here is a speech by Rep. Charlotte O’Hara, the only legislator willing to publicly criticize a needless $160 million project by Sam Brownback that is deeply intertwined with ObamaCare.  Overland Park Rep. O’Hara was removed from a health care committee by Speaker Mike O’Neal after O’Hara criticized Gov. Sam Brownback on a radio program.  This video is from KansasWatchdogTV.

The next video begins with a video message from Rep. John Rubin, followed by a strong presentation by Union of Patriots board member Steve Shute of Gardner, Kansas – “Steve Shute – The Clear & Present Danger of Obama Care.”

Here, you can read the letter to Gov. Brownback from the Union of Patriots group.  Learn more at “Our Letter to Governor Brownback regarding Kansas ObamaCare Exchanges.”

Read More →

Note: For readability — the columns are better lined-up vertically at our original article at our site.

I’ll break down these results for you over the next few days.  But here are the detailed results of a recent poll conducted in Overland Park, Kansas, a large suburb of Kansas City, MO.

Part 3 of results

Telephone survey among likely 2012 voters in Overland Park, KS.  Conducted Tuesday, August 9, and Wednesday, August 10, by the State and Local Educational Foundation of Kansas.  Margin of error +/- 5.4%.  Party breakdown:  51% Republican, 29% Unaffiliated, 20% and Democratic.  55% Female, and 45% Male.  50% over the age of 50, and 50% under the age of 50.

For accompanying information for comparison and background purposes, click here.  To view part 1 of our results, click here. To view part 2 of our results, click here.  More information about survey methodology can be found at the bottom of this page.

Question: “In general, how would you describe your political views?”

Ideology (all voters): Count Percent

- Very conservative:                               55      16.2%

- Somewhat conservative:                 107      31.5%

- Moderate:                                           123      36.2%

- Somewhat liberal:                              40      11.8%

- Very liberal:                                          15        4.4%

Total:                                     340       100%

Among Republicans               Count Percent

Very conservative:                        46      26.4%

Somewhat conservative:            69      39.7%

Moderate:                                      51      29.3%

Somewhat liberal:                         8        4.6%

Very liberal:                                     0           0%

Total:                             174       100%

[Note: Sample size=174; Margin of error=7.6%]

Among Unaffiliateds               Count Percent

Very conservative:                         6      6.1%

Somewhat conservative:           27    27.6%

Moderate:                                    44      44.9%

Somewhat liberal:                     16      16.3%

Very liberal:                                    5      5.1%

Total:                               98       100%

[Note: Sample size=98; Margin of error=10.1%]

Over age 50                            Count  Percent

Very conservative:                        30    17.7%

Somewhat conservative:            54    31.8%

Moderate:                                      60    35.3%

Somewhat liberal:                       17    10.0%

Very liberal:                                    9        5.3%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Under age 50                         Count  Percent

Very conservative:                       25     14.7%

Somewhat conservative:           53     31.2%

Moderate:                                     63     37.1%

Somewhat liberal:                       23     6.2%

Very liberal:                                     6     3.5%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Question: “I will now list the names of several public figures and groups, and we would like to know your opinion of them. It’s OK if you have not heard of them.  What is your opinion of…?”

Sam Brownback Count Percent

Very favorable:                              66    19.4%

Somewhat favorable:                 111    32.7%

Somewhat unfavorable:              49     14.4%

Very unfavorable:                          76    22.4%

Heard of, but no opinion:             34    10.0%

Have never heard of:                       4    1.2%

Total:                             340       100%

Among Republicans            Count  Percent

Very favorable:                           56        32.2%

Somewhat favorable:               69        39.7%

Somewhat unfavorable:           20        5.9%

Very unfavorable:                      19        10.9%

Heard of, but no opinion:          9          5.2%

Have never heard of:                 1          0.6%

Total:                            174       100%

[Note: Sample size=174; Margin of error=7.6%]

Over 50                                  Count  Percent

Very favorable:                          33        19.4%

Somewhat favorable:              53        31.2%

Somewhat unfavorable:         18        10.6%

Very unfavorable:                     49        28.8%

Heard of, but no opinion:         16        9.4%

Have never heard of:                 1          0.6%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Under 50                                Count  Percent

Very favorable:                           33        19.4%

Somewhat favorable:               58        34.1%

Somewhat unfavorable:          31        18.2%

Very unfavorable:                      27        15.9%

Heard of, but no opinion:        18        10.6%

Have never heard of:                  3          1.8%

Total:                             170       100%

[Note: Sample size=170; Margin of error=7.7%]

Conservatives                        Count  Percent

Very favorable:                            55       40.0%

Somewhat favorable:                71        43.8%

Somewhat unfavorable:            16        9.9%

Very unfavorable:                        10       6.2%

Heard of, but no opinion:           9          5.6%

Have never heard of:                   1         0.6%

Total:                             162       100%

[Note: Sample size=162; Margin of error=7.9%]

Moderates                              Count  Percent

Very favorable:                            11        8.9%

Somewhat favorable:                34        27.6%

Somewhat unfavorable:            20       16.3%

Very unfavorable:                       35        28.5%

Heard of, but no opinion:         21        17.1%

Have never heard of:                   2          1.6%

Total:                             123       100%

[Note: Sample size=123; Margin of error=9.0%]

Kris Kobach Count  Percent

Read More →

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Letter from Kansas Representative Charlotte O’Hara, an Overland Park Republican.

Dear friends,

How can Kansas with a Republican Governor and Republican control of both the House and Senate pass budgets that have a 6.7% increase in the State General Fund? How can an amendment to the appropriations bill in the House enacting a spending freeze at 2011 levels only garner 8 votes out 125? Why wasn’t the one-cent increase in Kansas’ state sales tax repealed, a repeal on which many freshmen Republicans ran?

How can east coast governors, in the land of liberals, Republican Governor Christie and Democrat Governor Cuomo cut spending to begin to bring their budgets under control while Kansas, in the land of conservatives, increase spending by 6.7% over 2011 levels and an astounding 15% increase over 2010?

The world indeed seems to have turned upside down and inside out!

Well, here’s my perspective, for what it is worth. Governor Brownback came home to Kansas after 12 years in Washington with a wonderful opportunity to lead our state out of this spending addiction cycle of more resources going to the public sector, which requires ever increasing our taxes, which drives more and more businesses out of Kansas, which requires even more increases in taxes.

Governor Brownback chose to go the less bold road of holding the status quo (opposed the repeal of the one cent sales tax and raided KDOT for $200 million) with promises that as soon as the Legislature is out of session and the administration sees our tail lights leaving, that is when the changes will be made!

OK, nice story, but I thought it was the Legislature’s job to pass a conservative appropriations bill that would have at least capped spending at 2011 level and made the necessary cuts to truly balance our books. Yes, education would have taken an additional $257 million in cuts (approximately 8% total cut), but the state’s reserves would have increased by $200 million.

Meanwhile, the schools have $750 million of unencumbered cash in their reserve funds while the state reserves estimated in the House version of the appropriations bill are $78 million (which is now reduced by an additional $10.1 million due to ANOTHER increase in estimates of Human Resources caseloads). Schools are sitting on more than 10 times the amount of estimated reserves for the entire Kansas State Budget!

So my friends, it’s up to you, because you cannot trust the overwhelmingly Republican House and Senate to abide by the Republican platform of less government, lower taxes or opposing illegal immigration (interesting how Republicans went flying from the immigration issue, but at least now I know whom I don’t want in a foxhole to watch my back).

No, Topeka’s “kick the can on down the road” mantra is alive and well with the attitude of “there’s always next year when we politicians will really be brave and will get the job done.” Do you know how long that excuse has been used? It seems this annual game plan has been used extensively in both the Senate (well, at least they have the reputation of being liberal) and the House (that really surprised me, because I really believed House Leadership was fiscally conservative).

With the budgets that the House and Senate passed we simply have set ourselves up with an impossible task for the 2013 budget year that will require even deeper cuts (which we won’t make) and the sunset of the .6 cent sales tax will be kissed goodbye.

Peasants with pitchforks are needed to get the attention of the Topeka elite. They don’t think that you, the voters, are paying attention. The Topeka elite believes that they can operate in the Capitol bubble and not have to bear the consequences at the ballot box in 2012. I hope they are wrong, because we need another dramatic defeat of incumbents who annually pass appropriation bills with spending increases intact. Then and only then will the message come through loud and clear, the good people of Kansas will not stand by and watch silently as their state is brought to the brink of bankruptcy.

As we go back in session on the 27th, please continue to hold me in your prayers.

Respectfully yours,

Charlotte O’Hara
Representative, 27th District

Read More →

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Good for Senator Jerry Moran.  President Obama was quick to support this legislation, and establishment Republicans were quick to compromise.  It extends President Bush’s 2001 tax cuts for merely two years.  It also extends unemployment benefits for a year, but it provides no way of paying for those benefits, so it adds to the national debt.

Conservative leader Mike Pence voted against the bill, along with Senator Moran.

The Eldorado Times quotes Moran:

“This legislation fails to address our nation’s most serious problem. Our country’s national debt, caused by decades of overspending and expansion of the federal government, is the greatest threat to our nation’s economy and our citizens’ well-being,” Moran said.

Topeka Capital-Journal:

Tiahrt and Jenkins said extension of Bush tax cuts would provide short-term help for businesses and spur hiring of new workers, as well as buy time for Congress to reform the tax code.

Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., and Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, both Kansas Republicans, voted for the bill.

The House approved the legislation 277-148, with 112 Democrats and 36 Republicans voting no. The Senate passed the bill 81-19.

Read More →

I wrote last week that Kansas’ Sam Brownback is one of 13 Senators who want to continue the not-supported-by-science federal laws that do two things:  place tariffs on foreign ethanol, and give tax credits to American ethanol producers.

Here is Vincent Carroll at The Denver Post on a separate coalition of 17 Senators:

As it happens, a bipartisan coalition of senators, ranging from Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., also favors eliminating or reducing that tariff. But they would go further than Udall and eliminate the subsidy for domestic supplies as well, which is up for renewal at year’s end.

As the 17 senators explained in a letter to Senate leadership, “The data overwhelmingly demonstrate that the costs of the current ethanol subsidy and tariff far outweigh the benefits . . . ethanol tax credits cost taxpayers $1.78 for each gallon of gasoline consumption reduced, and $750 for each metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reduced.”

Read More →

Click here to read part one and part two about Jason Osterhaus’ victory over establishment icon and liberal Republican Larry Winn the Third.

For today’s article, I’ll copy below my mail newsletter today, in which I discuss the 4th District County Commission race.  In summary:  the number one reason that Jason Osterhaus won was because he out-worked his opponent.  Alongside this, Osterhaus communicated a clear, simple, economically conservative, Republican message to all voters; he did not pretend to be all things to all people.  The voters were receptive to this message, and while Osterhaus did not have the money to send mail out about his message, he one-upped Larry Winn by communicating the message face-to-face, at the voters’ doors.

Click here to read a Web page version of the following Email.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A More Conservative County Commission

The biggest upset in Kansas: Jason Osterhaus defeats liberal establishment icon Larry Winn

Number two upset: Michael Ashcraft defeats Doug Wood for 5th District County Commission

Congratulations to Commissioners-elect Michael Ashcraft and Jason Osterhaus

Dear {FIRST_NAME},

There was much exciting news from the November 2, 2010 election cycle. Right now, I’d like to talk about two races, and how these two elections demonstrate that:

• Issues do matter,
• Communication methods have changed, and for the better,
• Fundraising disadvantages can be overcome, and
• The underdog can still win in American politics.

Both elections were within the Johnson County Commission. By about 100 votes, Michael Ashcraft defeated 12-year incumbent Doug Wood. And by a huge 1400-vote margin (53% to 47%), Jason Osterhaus defeated Larry Winn the Third.

There is one at-large chair, and there are six districts. Each district is larger than a Kansas Senate district in population. The county’s annual budget is approaching a billion dollars, and wasted/fraudulent spending is all to easy given that it merely takes four votes to approve spending (contrast that to the state or federal government, where both the House chamber and the Senate chamber must approve the same law, and then the law must be signed by a separate chief executive).

The dominant issues in both of these races were these:

• The size and role of government,
• The fact that both Doug Wood and Larry Winn opposed property rights (supporting freedom-less eminent domain policies),
• The fact that both Doug Wood and Larry Winn raised taxes, and
• The fact that both Doug Wood and Larry Winn tolerate enormous amounts of waste in local government.

The biggest upset in the state of Kansas

The biggest upset in Kansas during 2010 — and perhaps over the last decade — was in the Overland Park-based 4th District, where Jason Osterhaus defeated Larry Winn 53% to 47%. To be clear, this district:

• Voted for Barack Obama in 2008
• Voted for Kathleen Sebelius in 2006
• Voted for Dennis Moore over Kris Kobach in 2004 for US Congress
• Is 100% dominated by liberals on the Overland Park City Council
• Has 2/3 of its voters over the age of 50. Larry Winn is 68 and Jason Osterhaus is 35. Larry Winn’s father was a US congressman in the 1970s.

For a humorous take on this election, I’ll encourage you to read an editorial at the regional news site Kaw and Border. In “Winn, Lose, or Make Excuses,” the author looks at a recent Johnson County Sun article, and applies the Kubler-Ross model of the “Five Stages of Grief” to two Larry Winn supporters who were interviewed for the Sun article.

In our final poll before the election, we learned that:

• Jason Osterhaus was winning 64% of Republicans
• Osterhaus was winning 50% of Independents
• Osterhaus was winning 30% of Democrats
• Osterhaus was narrowly losing among voters over the age of 50 with 48%
• Osterhaus was winning 64% of voters under the age of 50.

(above margin of error 6.1%)

Compare the favorability numbers:

Jason Osterhaus:

• Very favorable, 33%
• Somewhat favorable, 23% (total favorable, 56%)
• Somewhat unfavorable, 10% (total unfavorable, 14%)
• Very unfavorable, 4%
• No opinion or haven’t heard about, 30%

Larry Winn:

• Very favorable, 20%
• Somewhat favorable, 31% (total favorable, 51%)
• Somewhat unfavorable, 17% (total unfavorable, 26%)
• Very unfavorable, 9%
• No opinion or haven’t heard about, 24%

Kris Kobach:

• Very favorable, 38%
• Somewhat favorable, 14% (total favorable, 52%)
• Somewhat unfavorable, 7% (total unfavorable, 37%)
• Very unfavorable, 30%
• No opinion or haven’t heard about, 11%

Steve Rose:

• Very favorable, 16%
• Somewhat favorable, 21% (total favorable, 37%)
• Somewhat unfavorable, 20% (total unfavorable, 31%)
• Very unfavorable, 11%
• No opinion or haven’t heard about, 33%

(above margin of error 6.5%)

Of the four names above, you can see that Kris Kobach has the highest “very favorable” numbers, that Jason Osterhaus has the highest overall favorable numbers, that Kris Kobach’s “very favorable” numbers are greater than Steve Rose’s total favorable numbers, and that 1/3 of voters either have no opinion or haven’t heard of Steve Rose, who uses his weekly front-page column to lie about conservatives, and to promote the religious belief that local government is nothing but wonderful in Johnson County.

What Jason Osterhaus was up against

The local political and news establishment did not think Jason Osterhaus had a chance. Many Republicans did not think Jason Osterhaus had a chance. To some degree, it made sense that Larry Winn should easily have won. Jason Osterhaus only raised $10,000 and nobody had heard of him six months ago.

Meanwhile, Larry Winn:

• Raised $70,000.
• Supported by Ronnie Metsker, Johnson County Republican Party Chairman.
• Larry Winn’s campaign was run by one of Sam Brownback’s state-wide co-chairs, John Petersen of Overland Park.
• Supported by Ernie Straub, a leader within Kansans for Life.
• Entered the race with high name ID.
• Sam Brownback refused to take a position, despite Larry Winn’s support of all things Democrat.
• County Commissioner David Lindstrom, who supported Chuck Vogt in the primary, refused to support Osterhaus in the general, continuing Commissioner Lindstrom’s trend of preferring more to be liked at Leawood cocktail parties than taking a stand in support of Republican values. It must have been this guy’s brother or cousin who was a professional football player; not this Lindstrom.
• Supported by the left-wing “Mainstream Coalition.”
• Supported by The Johnson County Sun’s Steve Rose.
• Supported by The Kansas City Star.
• Supported by former Overland Park Mayor Ed Eilert, now County Chair.
• Supported by current Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach.
• Supported by Chuck Vogt, who lost in the primary to Osterhaus and Winn. In the primary, Vogt claimed to be conservative and pro-life.
• Supported by Overland Park City Councilwoman Donna Owens, who lost in the primary.
• Supported by State Senator Tim Owens.
• Supported by every single member of the Overland Park City Council.
• Supported by 22nd District House member Lisa Benlon (former Republican, now a Democrat).
• Supported by former State Senator and Senate President Dick Bond.
• Recent chair of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce.
• Recent chair of the Shawnee Mission School Board.

Why Jason Osterhaus won

The most important reason to why Jason Osterhaus won is that he walked door to door and met voters, while Larry Winn merely sent out mail with the implied message of, “I’m the guy.”

Other important factors for Jason Osterhaus:

• He campaigned as an honest, authentic, economically conservative Republican.
• Larry Winn is a Democrat. People have learned this. Larry Winn supported Dennis Moore over Kris Kobach in 2004, and he supported Lisa Benlon over Greg Smith in 2010. He supports the “Mainstream Coalition,” a group that promotes intolerance and socialism, and that sends spies into area Christian churches.
• Jason Osterhaus was supported by House Majority Leader Ray Merrick.
• Supported by Kris Kobach.
• Supported by House Judiciary Chair Lance Kinzer.
• Supported by Representative-elect Amanda Grosserode.
• Supported by Rep-elect Greg Smith.
• Supported by Rep-elect Brett Hildabrand.
• Supported by Rep-elect John Rubin.
• Supported by Rep-elect Kelly Meigs.
• Supported by Kansans for Life.
• Supported by the Hope for America Coalition.
• Supported by the Northwest Johnson County Republicans PAC.
• Supported by the Kansans for State and Local Reform PAC (our PAC).
• Supported by radio host Darla Jaye.
• Supported by former Sheriff Currie Myers.
• Larry Winn supports corruption. This is evident through his no-bid contracts at the Shawnee Mission School District. It is evident through Larry Winn’s work with the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, where Chamber directors promoted Kansas’ most known corrupt government administrator — JCCC’s Terry Calaway — to lead the group’s Economic Development area.
• Oddly, Larry Winn was under the impression that voters wanted to know that he was supported by Steve Rose, The Kansas City Star, and the “Mainstream Coalition.”

Again, congratulations to both Michael Ashcraft and Jason Osterhaus for winning their races. Congratulations to the many, many volunteers who helped out their campaigns.

To conclude, I want to again emphasize two things:
- Ideas and issues win elections.
- Underdogs still can win in American politics.
——————–

Thank you for your time, as always.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Hodge

Read More →

Tens of thousands of Kansas children are receiving poor educational services from the “public” schools across the state.  And thousands of men and women would like to be teachers, but they won’t be hired because school districts are giving various no-bid contracts, are spending too much on administration, are spending too much on building costs, and won’t fire bad teachers.

Tom Holland vows to keep it this way.

The Topeka Capital-Journal:

In addition, he criticized Brownback for attempting to abolish the U.S. Department of Education and voting for “the most significant unfunded mandate of our time,” the federal education reform bill called No Child Left Behind. He said Brownback would push for private school vouchers if elected governor of Kansas.

“We will stand firm in opposing school vouchers,” Holland said. “We cannot make public schools better by taking away their resources and giving them to private institutions where we have no accountability and no control.”

It’s false to call No Child Left Behind a “mandate,” as Tom Holland does.  Kansas could have easily opted out of  Department of Education requirements.  Only about 13% of our entire budget is received from the federal government.

It’s also false to state that under school voucher programs, public schools lose money.  Government-run schools would still receive plenty of funding for all the students who still attend those schools.

And it’s false to state that there’s no accountability with school vouchers.  If there’s not adequate performance at  a private source of education — note that performance in this case is defined by the parents, who are best fit to decide whether a school is performing — then parents will no longer choose to use that school.  Capitalism and economic freedom allow for the best kind of accountability, with a product or service.  It’s under the modern socialist model — where schools receive tax dollars, regardless of performance — where there exists NO accountability.

The last word in that news article — CONTROL — that’s what it’s about for Tom Holland.  He’s not concerned about education, or about accountability.  He’s entirely focused on maintaining control of education.

___________________________________________

Connect with Hodge on YouTube, Facebook, his Web site, at Kansans for Government Reform, Twitter, and Kansas Progress. From 2005-’09, Hodge represented 300,000 voters and 50,000 students at Johnson County Community College. He served in the Kansas House from 2007-’08. His public policy record is recognized by Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Press Association, the NRA, Kansans for Life, the Kansas Broadcasters Association, and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education