What's going on around town?
February 12 - KFL Banquet (Ritz-Charles Hotel in Johnson County)
February 16 - Last day to register to vote in the Primary Election
Republican Women's Luncheon (Riverfront Community Center)
February 17 - Hope of America Coalition's Monthly Meeting (Antioch Branch of Johnson County Library)
February 21 - Lincoln Day's Dinner (Riverfront Community Center)
March 2 - noon deadline for Advance Voting in person
Monthly Town Hall Meeting (Lansing Community Center)
March 3 - Primary Election (if needed)
March 4 - Voter Registration books reopen
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Check Your Voting Status at:
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This is a really exciting time to be involved in all things political. The holidays are over, the New Year celebrations have come and gone, and I hope we are all keeping our New Year's resolutions to get more involved in our local community and the political process.
January was a great time for the Republican Party. Several of the more significant events during the month were: ~~The Town Hall meeting at the Riverfront Community Center was a huge success with approximately 60 people attending to hear several great speakers. ~~Candidates for the April elections were busy filing and beginning their preparations. This is a non-partisan election, but now is the time to check out what each candidate stands for and what their values are. Be an informed and educated voter. ~~Kansas Days Celebration was held in Topeka where new State Republican Party officials were elected. Of special interest to Leavenworth County is the fact that Amanda Adkins (whose family hails from Leavenworth) was elected as the State Party Chairman. Also, Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth was elected State Party Treasurer. ~~The February Town Hall Meeting in early February was a "meet and greet" social held at the High Noon Saloon. A large crowd welcomed our Secretary of State, Ron Thornburgh. The meeting allowed a chance for everyone to get their questions answered by the newly announced Candidate for Kansas Governor.
An opportunity you will not want to miss is our annual fundraising Lincoln Day Dinner to be held on the evening of February 21. Chris Stigall, of 710 AM Radio, will be our guest speaker for the evening. I look at this event as the social 'Kick Off" for the 2010 election season. We have invited our U.S. Senators, our Congressional Representative and all of our local State Representatives and other local elected officials. Also, we have invited all Party candidates running for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. It will be a great opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled evening and meet our Party leaders.
All eyes are now starting to focus on 2010 and the stakes are high. We are facing an election with the Governors' office open, a U.S. Senate seat open, the U.S. Representative seat is up for re-election, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General office, as well as all 4 of the State Representative positions in Leavenworth County.
Now is the time to start thinking about what role you will play in the next few months. One of the best ways to get started is by coming out for the town hall meetings each month. The meetings are announced each month in the newsletter, in the local community newspapers and on our website. At the meetings, you will meet involved people, many you will know, and others you will get to know. Will you be an active player, helping your chosen candidates or will you sit idly by and watch it happen?
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent" - Thomas Jefferson
Join the Excitement, John Bradford, Chairman |
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Connie's Corner by: Connie O'Brien
 Greetings From the Capitol;
It is an honor to serve the people of the 42nd District and the people of Kansas. Let me begin by telling you I have been busy listening and learning. Information has been coming at me fast and furious. There is a lot to learn and a lot to know. One seasoned representative told me to be prepared for information overload, and he was right.
I have been appointed to the following committee's: Energy and Utilities; Federal and State Affairs; Elections; and the committee on Aging and Long Term Care.
Energy and Utilities began last week by having all the Lobbyist come in and introduce themselves. We had around 21 Lobbyist visit with us and explain which group they represented and the interest they had in our committee. I must say I was surprise to learn that utility includes not just electricity, but phones, land lines and cells; cable companies; and all types of telecommunications, television and radio. This week we held hearings on 6 bills and 20 bills are waiting to be heard, with more being introduces at each meeting. The most interesting meeting was on Thursday, where the levels of mercury, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide relating to emissions were discussed. Setting emission standards will be a part of the Kansas air quality act.
Federal and State Affairs held two committee hearings this week. Tuesday was introduction day where the rules of the chair were presented and how the conferees would conduct their testimony. On Wednesday we heard from the Gaming industry, which includes the lottery. The Gaming industry presented their budget for the year and their projection of what the future holds for the industry in Kansas. We have one of the four proposed casinos being built, the rest, for financial reason, are on hold. I think this is good news. Apparently the down turn in the economy has many people tightening their financial belts and focusing on basic necessities. That is exactly what our state legislature must do as well.
The Elections Committee is scheduled to meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. At our first meeting we heard from an assistant to the Secretary of States office. He presented a report on the last election cycle. Although we have only met once since the legislature convened on January 12th, It is my expectation that this committee will see a lot of activity during the 09 session.
If you have any suggestions, information, or comments that you would like to share, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My e-mail address is Connie.OBrien@house.ks.gov or call at: 785-296-7682
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A Note from the County Commissioner
by: John Flower
 The first 3 weeks of the new Commission have been busy and a learning experience for its junior member, me, John E Flower. I'm privileged to be the Chairman this year. This is an honor and a responsibility, which, I'm looking forward to administering. I've found my two fellow Commissioners a pleasure to work with and to be focused on bringing advances to all of Leavenworth County. I believe we have the will and vision to develop long term working plans for the County. The actual business has included final approval of the Kansas Sampler Festival which will be held in Leavenworth for a weekend starting in 2010 for two years. This Festival is estimated to bring over 10,000 people to the county to visit the Festival and other venues. This is an opportunity to showcase our many historic sites as well as the businesses throughout the County. We are staying in contact with the budget activities at both the State and Federal level. The action they take will have a dramatic effect on what we will need to do at the County level. We are monitoring our tax revenues as well as the fees we collect from new construction and new vehicle registration. Real estate taxes, fees and grants make up the bulk of the County budget. Consequently, each of these areas are important in establishing the budget for 2010. We'll keep you informed as the year progresses but for now your new Commissioner is having a great time and hopefully representing you the way you want. If not give me a call at the Court House. |
The Republican Party's Role in Advancing Civil Rights
 Black History Month is the perfect time to learn about the significant role of the Republican Party in securing the freedoms and civil rights of our black citizens. The Republican Party, the Party of Lincoln, was founded in 1854 specifically to oppose the spread of slavery. It was President Lincoln who delivered the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves in the confederate states, and it was a Republican Congress that passed the 13th Amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery. The Republican-controlled Congress then set to secure the citizenship of all black men through the passage of the 14th amendment, and secured their right to vote through the 15th amendment. The Republicans also used their strength to override a presidential veto and pass the Civil rights Act of 1866 which granted blacks the rights to make contracts, sue, bear witness in court, and own property. The Republican Congress then overrode the presidential veto in order to establish the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that was designed to establish a new government system in the South that was fair to blacks. Republicans throughout the South also formed Union Leagues to register Black voters and fight off the Ku Klux Klan. In 1892, Democrats won control of Congress, and quickly passed the Repeal Act of 1894 which overturned the civil rights laws enacted by the Republicans. It took 6 decades before the Republicans could enact new legislation. In the mean time, Republicans continued the fight to secure black civil rights. The Republicans established the NAACP in 1909 on Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday to counter the racist practices of the Democrats, and the Republicans started the historically black colleges and universities. The greatest modern efforts to secure civil rights occurred with the integration of our military and schools in the 1950s and 1960s. Even though it was Democrat President Harry Truman who signed an executive order in 1948 ordering the integration of the military, it was under President Eisenhower's command that saw the abolishment of the last racially segregated military unit, and saw the integration of all federally controlled schools. He ordered federal troops into the state of Arkansas to enforce the desegregation of schools and he established the Civil Rights Commission. Finally, it was the Republican Party that fought for the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1968, both of which were opposed vigorously by the Democrat Party in the House and Senate. What else have the Republicans done for racial equality and civil rights? - Republican Senator Everett Dirksen wrote the language for the 1965 Voting Rights Act. - President Richard M. Nixon instituted the first Affirmative Action program in 1969. - President George W. Bush appointed the first African American Secretary of State. - Dr. Martin Luther King (yes, a Republican) led the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The bottom line is that the Republican Party was created to ensure racial equality, and we have lived by that conviction ever since; that all Americans "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". |
They're Called Representatives for a Reason
by: Greg Beck
 The recent marketing of the election and the "cult of personality" grooming of Barack Obama has caused much to be made of the importance of government leaders to lead of late. The President, particularly, is a focal point to lead "his" administration, the Democrat-led Congress and hence the "American Public" out of the country's current troubling times especially the current economic downturn. We are led (like sheep to the slaughter) to place our trust in him (and politicians in general) as having the special insights, intelligence and ability to lead us out of the morass and into the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. But don't fall for it- no matter which party or politician is saying it.
That's not how the US was founded and that's not how our government works--at least not in America and not for now; though that seems to be changing frighteningly fast.
The Declaration of Independence states that "All men are created equal" and that we are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights including Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. When you boil it down this simple and "enlightened" statement means that none of us is any better (or worse) than any of the rest of us.
Lately though, we've seemed to have forgotten much of that. Whether it's a deficiency in our education system, or we're too distracted by the urgencies of daily life, or whether we've allowed ourselves to be bought off by thinking the government will take care of us; we've forgotten some very basic truths and we've allowed politicians to assume more of our power and liberty than we should.
In Orwell's Book "1984" pigs pass a law that states "All animals are equal" which they later amend to read "But some are more equal than others." Likewise, many Americans today are endowing politicians with qualities they don't have but allowing them to put in place laws that make some "more equal than others."
Politicians are just people that "We the People" have elected for a period of time to represent our interests in passing laws for the common good. Politicians are no better or worse than we are since they come from among us. They're not smarter or better looking or wiser. Likewise they are subject to the same human foibles and temptations that all of us are subject to--maybe more so since they are nearer to power and as they say "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Outside the common good there should be no laws or infringements on our liberty and we certainly shouldn't be lulled into thinking our fellow citizens are now geniuses in all things just because they have been elected (and some by the narrowest of margins). No, these fellow citizens need our help (and some need more help than others). They also need our ideas, eyes, ears, and prayers. They shouldn't have to "go it alone" between elections nor should they be allowed to. If they are, then "We the People" have failed them and they will most
likely fail us.
None of us should wait for a politician to solve our problems, or wait for the government to fix things. They'll fix it all right but not the way you'd like. Only "We the People" can really fix problems and get things done.
But at the same time, don't leave your representative/elected official guessing at what you want or how to vote. You owe it to them, to your family, to your community and to yourself to call/write/email them. They can't properly represent you unless they've heard from you.
Get upset (if that's what it takes), get motivated, get informed and get involved!! |
Candidate Training

Eight individuals from LeavenworthCounty attended a candidate training forum on January 24. (Individuals were from Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor, Tonganoxie and Linwood.) The training was conducted by American Majority, Topeka, KS. American Majority is a national political training institute whose mission is to train a national network of leaders, committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market. The focus of the training was preparation for candidates to run at the local school board and city commissioner level, as well as training in activism, blogging and use of New Media. The class was an all day event, attended by candidates from all across the state. The next scheduled class is February 21 in Topeka. If anyone is interested in attending please email to LvnCountyGOP@yahoo.com for further details. (The following individuals attended the training: Jana Goodman, John Bradford, Brian Ramey, Anna Sneed, Richard Fry, Barbara Paulus, Chris Cox and Shawn O'Brien). |
Leavenworth County Republican Party Leadership
First District
James C. Tellefson.................913-651-3853
Second District & Board Chair
Clyde Graeber......................913-682-4514
Third District
John C. Flower.....................913-634-0061
State Representatives
Kansas House of Representatives, 39th District
Kansas House of Representatives, 42nd District
National Representatives
US House of Representatives
US Senate
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