Having declared their races only earlier in the week, candidates Saturday should be forgiven for their hastily prepared remarks at the morning forum sponsored by Allen County Farm Bureau.
In his race for State Representative, Bob Grant, D-Frontenac, said he was a big supporter of education, “because I wasn’t smart enough to continue my own education.”
Grant said the recent increase by $60 per pupil, “puts us up to 1995 funding for school districts. We’re not catching up in what has been lost for education by any means,” he said.
Grant operates a catering food business.
Grant has served on the transportation, financial, agriculture, and insurance committees and was on the recent redistricting committee.
Grant is running against Jeff Locke of Arma for the 2nd House District, which now includes residents of Moran, Elsmore, Savonburg and Mildred.
EDUCATION was a prevalent theme among candidates.
Raymond “Bud” Sifers said the state’s increase in funding for education puts “us back where we should be.”
Sifers said he thought the political climate in Topeka this year was “pretty good” and that Kris Kobach, Kansas’ secretary on state, is the state’s “most overlooked resource. Every other state uses him but us.”
Kobach is known for his strong stance against illegal immigrants. Sifers said “it’s staggering the number of illegals in Kansas.”
Sifers is running for the Republican nomination for state House of Representatives. His opponents are Judy Brigham, Iola, and Ed Bideau, Chanute. Sifers is in the oil drilling business primarily in the Flint Hills region from “Manhattan to Ponca City, Okla.” He has nine employees.
Sifers also ran in 2010, defeated by Bill Otto.
Sifers approved the state legislature’s recent move to free up taxes on Kansas businesses. He maintains Kansas has a bad business climate because of too much taxation.
By eliminating taxes and undue regulations, Sifers maintains businesses will be freed to expand and thus hire more employees and broaden the state’s tax base.
Sifers’ said the state’s projected deficit of $2.5 billion by 2017 is unlikely if tax cuts are held.
