VoteKansas.org

Letter to the League of Women Voters

Dear Ladies:

I want to thank you for the courtesy and consideration that you extended in requesting my views on your recent survey. Although, I have already responded I am writing because I don’t think your survey did justice to the most important issues facing Kansas today. I am also disturbed but, not surprised by past behavior of the league to simply ignore or fail include third party alternatives in candidate forums sponsored by the league. It has only been a month since the filings closed, I am already getting letters and cards from some groups that say, we are sorry that you were not able to participate in our candidate’s forum. But here is the frustration, no one even bothered to tell me about the event.

I know that the league does not promote any candidate or party but prides itself on promoting a fair and open unbiased access to all in the electoral process. I know that you are not responsible for choices that other organizations make in determining who to include in their forums. But, you have in the past demonstrated a bias toward only including candidates from the two established parties in your national and congressional debates and forums. Should it surprise us when others also continue to think inside this orthodox box as well?

When I told my boss that I decided to run for office but not as either a Democrat or Republican, he said he understood. He said for last twenty years he has never voted “for” anyone. His votes have all been calculated to vote “against” some one. Is this really the kind of electoral system we want to promote and leave for our posterity? If the established parties cannot give us decent choices then, isn’t may be time to at least consider the alternatives? The inherit problems facing Kansas and the nation of bigger and bigger government, more oppressive taxation, and the loss of our freedoms comes a broken electoral system. Constitutional amendments won’t fix anything when we continue to have politicians who will not keep their oaths of office and break the constitution at every chance they get because they are more beholding to corporate money interest.

In this regard, I am distressed that the league did not see it necessary to consider the integrity of the voting system in Kansas as an important issue. We must have a secure and verifiable voting system in Kansas and electronic touch screen and voting machines systems have been found to be too susceptible to fraud and manipulation. At present there are not any efforts in Kansas to screen voters to make sure that “illegal alien” non-citizens do not vote in Kansas. Are these issues not important to fair, open, and unbias elections?

I am also distressed that issues concerning the loss of our liberties and freedoms as guaranteed in the bill of rights are not important to the league. Property rights and land grabs, government surveillance, and abuse of privacy are they not important? Kansas has tremendous problem with the failing agricultural economy and the depopulation of rural Kansas and you did not find it important to ask about preserving to the freedom to farm in Kansas? The federal government is attempting to license and tag every farm and farm animal. They are trying to shut down farmers markets. And these are not important? The health of our citizens is a concern for all of us but, not one question regarding protecting our freedoms and the right to have access to clean wholesome food and nutrition

Then you make not even be aware of attempts and plans already underway to construct Trans-American superhighways and international ports and hubs in Kansas that will be owned and operated by foreign governments to import more and cheaper foreign goods. The plan calls for Kansas taxpayers to pay for this not only through higher taxation but the loss of more and more to the Kansas economy.

Gasoline prices continue to soar in part because the falling dollar but largely due to manipulation of prices. There are no real shortages. We have more than enough oil in the United States alone but, independent producers need protection from the big boys who are currently buying oil at less than $10 per barrel and selling it to us at above $70. Other wells and fields have been capped and ordered shut down and our politicians just going along with it. Domestic producers cannot compete when it costs them $15- $20 to produce it. When will all the insanity stop? It will not stop with the established parties. They are ones giving us this mess. I beg of you, do more to include third party candidates in your forums.

Richard Horn Candidate for Kansas House District 31.