(Topeka)—The Working Kansas Alliance announced it’s endorsement of state legislators for their work on behalf of Kansas working families yesterday. The announcement comes prior to the Governor’s Road Map tour, which Terry Forsyth, president of the Alliance, called a campaign gimmick to further an agenda of tax breaks for millionaires, property tax increases for working Kansans and historic cuts to public schools.
“No matter how many “tours” the Governor embarks on, it cannot change the fact that his road map has lead to historic cuts to Kansas schools to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and his corporate campaign supporters, leaving the rest of us with higher property taxes.”
Forsyth pointed to recent campaign finance reports which show the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, corporations such as Crossland Construction in Southeast Kansas and shady third party groups like Americans for Prosperity have funneled millions dollars into campaigns for candidates that will rubber-stamp the Governor’s policies.
“The Governor’s big dollar friends have spent massive amounts of money to protect their bottom line,” Forsyth said. “They stand to make millions off the Governor’s policies. Yet under his watch we’ve seen Boeing leave, cuts to important services like police and firemen, and economic development partnerships that help small Kansas towns thrive have been shut down.”
“In stark contrast, we are proud to honor these legislators for their dedication to the working people who made Kansas the state it is today. All legislators like to talk about ‘jobs’ and ‘investments’ but only those who actually put Kansans first are fighting the working men and women of this state. While the 2011-2012 Kansas Legislature will not be remembered for its commitment to the interests of working families, the following legislators distinguished themselves by putting working Kansans first.”
The Working Kansas Alliance is a coalition of organizations of working men and women from across Kansas, including both union and non-union member organizations. Kansans are invited to learn more at www.workingkansans.com.
In case you missed it below is the list of candidates endorsed by the Working Kansas Alliance broken down into regions.
Kansas City/ Leavenworth/ Johnson County:
Kelly Kultala – D – District 5
David Haley – D – District 4
John Vratil – R – District 11
Terrie Huntington – R – District 7
Tom Burroughs – D – District 33
Stan Frownfelter – D – District 37
Valdenia Winn – D – District 34
Broderick Henderson – D – District 35
Kathy Wolfe Moore – D – District 36
Louis Ruiz – D – District 31
Mike Peterson – D – District 32
Melanie Meier – D – District 41
Topeka/ Northeast Kansas:
Anthony Hensley D-Topeka District 19
Laura Kelly D-Topeka District 18
Vicki Schmidt R-Topeka District 20
Sean Gatewood D-Topeka District 50
Annie Kuether D-Topeka District 55
Harold Lane D-Topeka District 58
Trent LeDoux R-Holton District 61
Ann Mah D-Topeka District 54
Annie Tietze D-Topeka District 53
Jerry Henry D-Cummings District 63
Sydney Carlin D-Manhattan District 66
Lawrence:
Marci Francisco D-Lawrence District 2
Tom Holland D-Baldwin City District 3
Barbara Ballard D-Lawrence District 44
Paul Davis D-Lawrence District 46
Southeast Kansas:
Bill Feuerborn D-Garnett District 5
Bob Grant D-Frontenac District 2
Bill Otto R-LeRoy District 76
Doug Gatewood D-Columbus District 1
Dwayne Umbarger R-Thayer District 15
Bob Marshall R-Fort Scott District 14
Wichita/South Central Kansas:
Oletha Faust-Goudeau D-Wichita District 29
Nile Dillmore D-Wichita District 92
Gail Finney D-Wichita District 84
Geraldine Flaharty D-Wichita District 98
Jim Ward D-Wichita District 86
Ponka-We Victors D-Wichtia District 103
Melody McCray Miller D-Wichita District 89
Ed Trimmer D-Winfield District 79
Vince Wetta D-Wellington District 116
Jan Pauls D-Hutchinson District 102
Carolyn McGinn R- Sedgwick District 31
Jean Schodorf R-Wichita District 25
Jay Scott Emler R-Lindsborg District 35
Northwest Kansas:
Eber Phelps D-Hays District 111
Allen Schmidt D-Hays District 40
Southwest Kansas:
Stephen Morris R-Hugoton District 39
Ruth Teichman R-Stafford District 33
