Barnett for Governor 2006


 

In 2006 Jim Barnett was in a seven-way primary race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The Republican chose state Senator Jim Barnett in the August 1 primary. He went on to face the Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in November. Democrat Kathleen Sebelius won re-election over Republican Jim Barnett with 58% of the vote.

This was Jim Barnett 's official website for his 2006 race for governor of Kansas against the Democratic incumbent, Kathleen Sebelius.
Content is from the site's 2006 archived pages as well as other sources.


 

Welcome to the Barnett for Governor online campaign headquarters!

Thanks for visiting my online campaign headquarters.  There are just weeks left to the November 7th General Election – my running-mate Senator Susan Wagle and I are criss-crossing the state presenting our agenda for getting Kansas back on track.

If you look around my site, please visit my issues area to research my views on the economy, the courts, illegal immigration among others.

The message is the same in every community I visit in Kansas – the people of Kansas desire change and demand accountability from their Governor.  Qualities that have been severely lacking in the current Governor.

As the next Kansas Governor, I will make leadership a top priority while not ducking the important issues we all face as Kansans.  Read about my latest priorities in the press releases section.

Finally, we cannot change this state for the better without your involvement in my campaign to get Kansas back on track.  Please sign up to be a volunteer, send an e-activist email to your friends and family or contribute financially to help keep our television and radio ads on the air.

Thanks, again, for visiting my website – and a special thanks for joining my team to bring leadership back to the office of Kansas Governor.

Sincerely,


Jim Barnett

 

 


 

On the Issues


Improving the Economy

Creating more and better jobs for Kansas workers will be one of the most important tasks required of our next governor. It is time Kansas stopped trailing our neighboring states in the number of jobs we create. It is time our children stopped having to leave the state to find work.

In January, I was the first candidate for governor of either party to offer a specific program to create jobs and hold down state spending. To date I am still the only candidate to do so. As governor, here is the road map I will follow to stimulate job growth and business development throughout Kansas.

Kansas businesses face too many taxes and impediments to creating jobs here. That is why I offered a specific program to help businesses create jobs and hold down state spending.

A key part of my proposal is an investment tax credit to help both businesses and farms fund new equipment that will make Kansas workers more competitive. And I supported the elimination of the tax on machinery and equipment which the legislature passed this year.

To help Kansas families, I committed to eliminate the estate tax, so more family businesses can be passed on to future generations. As governor, I would increase the dependent exemption by $250 and reduce the state income tax by 20%.


Funding Schools


Kansas must continue to provide a first class education to all its children if we hope to compete successfully in a more open and competitive world economy. As a former president of a local school board, and as the husband of a woman who taught in public schools, I have a keen insight into what works in the classroom.

Earlier this year, I proposed a plan that would add $495 million in new funding to K-12 schools over the next four years. It would have increased money to every school district as well as funding for “at risk” and special needs students. Just as importantly, it would not requiring new sources of revenue, such as high taxes or state-owned gambling casinos.

Unfortunately, the education funding plan recently passed by the legislature and supported by Governor Sebelius would create a $175 million deficit after just three years. And it does not allow local communities to contribute more funding to their school systems if they see fit. I believe this is the wrong way to go about “helping” our schools.


The Kansas Courts

The courts in Kansas are like courts in other states and the federal courts. Their appropriate role is set by constitution.

Unfortunately, the Kansas supreme court has been acting outside its constitutional authority the last few years. By specifying how much Kansas should spend for certain programs and over what time period, they are acting as defacto legislature. The court is attempting to raise the overall budget, and to appropriate tax dollars for one program over another, without regard for how money is raised.or what it will cost taxpayers. I believe this is wrong and must stop.

Recent news stories about investigations into potential misconduct by members of the state supreme court around the school funding issue show the importance of keeping the judiciary within its proper role. They show what can happen when one branch of government attempts to do things outside its constitutional jurisdiction.

I believe the way avoid future incidents like this is to change the system by which Kansas nominates judges. Currently, there is no input from elected representatives. That is why as state senator, I sponsored a constitutional amendment similar to the one used for selecting federal judges in Washington and that is used successfully by other states. As governor, I would work hard to get such a system put in place.

Agriculture

As the fourth generation of my family to grow up on a farm, I know how important agriculture is to Kansas. I also know that today’s world economy is making the market in which Kansas families and Kansas farmers must compete bigger, more open and more competitive than ever.

Like many other Kansans, I no longer make a living from farming. But I know as governor there are things I can do that will directly help Kansas families who do.

First, so farm families can keep more of their money, I have proposed expanding the dependent exemption by $250. And I have proposed reducing the overall state income tax by at least 20%.

Second, to help family farms stay in the family, I will end Kansas’ death tax. Third, I oppose the use of eminent domain for economic purposes. Our state should not be in the business of taking one person’s private property for someone else’s gain.

Fourth, I have proposed an investment tax credit to help farmers and businesses invest in the new machinery and new equipment they need to be competitive. The tax credit I proposed would allow farmers to deduct 10% of the cost of new equipment off the bottom line of their taxes. So a $20,000 piece of new equipment would mean $2,000 off any taxes owed.

It is time Kansas farmers have a seat at the table when decisions are made in Topeka. As governor, I will work with the agriculture community to find ways to add value to farm products grown or produced here in Kansas. And I pledge to help farmers with the new and varied challenges they face, whether they are just starting out to work the land or heading home after a long and productive career.

Values

Upholding the traditional Kansas values that families in our State hold dear is an important role for our Governor. Unfortunately, our current Governor has chosen to ignore those values and follow a path on social issues in opposition to the values of a majority of Kansans.

I believe that Kansas laws should protect innocent life from conception
until natural death. That is why I wrote and passed legislation that would require abortion clinics to meet the same licensing standards that other surgical facilities are mandated to meet. And I have supported the effort to pass parental notification and consent laws as well as laws that outlaw partial birth abortion.

Further, we need to defend the traditional definition of the family. With my colleagues in the Kansas Legislature, I helped pass a
Constitutional Amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. I was there in the Senate to vote for the Amendment numerous times and I also voted for the Amendment as a citizen along with nearly 600,000 Kansans. I applaud all the citizens of Kansas who stood with me defending the traditional definition of marriage.

As a physician, I understand the needs of the family and the importance of giving parents the tools necessary to raise healthy children and families. Kansas is not alone in its battle over childhood obesity and unhealthy home environments. As Governor I will be best able to provide families with a blueprint leading them into more healthy and prosperous times.

Immigration

I believe we have a responsibility to do what we can in Kansas to reduce and control the flow of illegal immigrants.  Our current Governor has simply blamed the problem on the Federal government and done next to nothing.  As Governor, I will take proactive steps to address this issue.

I have developed a five point plan to address this issue.

First, Kansas must stop giving people in this country illegally special privileges that are unavailable for U.S. Citizens.

Specifically, I am referring to in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and the Governor’s proposal to offer driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

I do not support either of these measures.  Incentives make Kansas a more attractive destination for illegal immigration, and simply exacerbate the problem.

Second I believe we must take proactive steps to protect the integrity of our elections.  This is not just an issue of illegal immigrants voting, but of our elections process in general.

In 2003 our Kansas Secretary of State supported a measure which would have required identification at the polling place so we can be sure the person walking in the voting booth is who he or she claims to be.  That bill passed both the Kansas House and Senate, but was vetoed by our current Governor.

As Governor, I would sign that bill and give our Secretary of State the tools he needs to protect our elections from voter fraud.

Third, I believe English should be the official language of Kansas.   There is no reason Kansas should not join the 34 other states that have English as an official language.

The fourth part of my plan would address employers, as Governor I would do two things:

First, I will introduce legislation to prohibit businesses that have developed a history of knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants from getting state contracts.  It is categorically unfair that one business should be able to underbid another for a state contract, by cheating the system and willfully ignoring state and federal law.

Second, while immigration laws and enforcement are generally a Federal issue, Kansas tax laws are not.  Unfortunately, some Kansas businesses choose to ignore the rules for income tax withholding, simply paying employees in cash under the table.  This problem, of course, isn’t limited to illegal immigrants.  Again, ignoring the law gives these businesses an unfair advantage over Kansas businesses trying to play by the rules.

As Governor, I will direct the Kansas Department of Revenue to communicate with law enforcement agencies, and investigate businesses that have an identified history of hiring illegal workers and trying to circumvent the rules.

Finally, I believe we can and must have better coordination with Federal authorities.  That is why as Governor, I would establish a memorandum of agreement between Kansas and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency. 

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Section 287(g) created a program to train local law enforcement personnel and, upon completion, gives them the skills and authority to perform limited immigration enforcement duties.

I propose entering into such an agreement to train Kansas Highway Patrol officers so that they have the training to react to situations, including human trafficking, and start the initial processing for immigration law violations .

This program has been used effectively in several states; Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Los Angeles County, California.   Each memorandum of agreement is tailored to the particular needs of the particular state.  I would, naturally, seek the input of our state and local law enforcement agencies in developing the details of this agreement.

Dealing with the problem of illegal immigration will require cooperation between state and Federal authorities, this memorandum of agreement will create an ongoing working relationship.

I believe we need to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the problem of illegal immigration into our state, and I have done so.  There is more to be done, but as Governor I will seek out new solutions and refuse to simply throw up my hands and blame others.

Testimonial

My name is Jonathan Purdue and I a huge fan of Jim Barnett. He is a motivated leader whose heart is in the right place and will fight for us. I liken him to Batman in that he is a fighter who understands the plight of the common man and is ready to come to the rescue when the chips are down. And someone up there clearly agrees with me. At the rally in Springfield, we were giving away "Barnett for Governor" t shirts when we discovered that the shirt manufacturer shipped us a carton of brand new Batman T shirts in various sizes by accident. Even though Batman shirts are a tiny part of the entire t shirt industry, their huge fan base makes a much bigger impression than others. The company told us to keep the Batman shirts, so we started giving those out instead and quickly discovered a huge following for the Dark Knight and we were able to leverage that popularity toward our candidate. The story made the evening news - even saw a national report on the "Batman Candidate for Governor" as a result. I see this accidental story as one of making lemonade from lemons - where a t shirt disaster was turned into a serendipitous success. Vote for Jim! Batman approves! Since then I always buy my Batman t shirts at MoonAtMidnight.com, where they also have one of the best collections of Batman facts and trivia I've seen anywhere. Would like to add to that collection that our candidate was elected with an assist by Batman karma.

 


 

Meet Senator Susan Wagle, Candidate for Lt. Governor


Few legislators have a record of conservative accomplishment to match Senator Susan Wagle. A lifelong resident of Wichita, she is now seeking to put her experience to work for all Kansans as your next Lieutenant Governor.

Susan first came to Topeka in 1990 as a member of the State House of Representatives. She quickly became a key Republican leader, rising to become the first woman to ever serve as Speaker Pro Tem by 1994. During her tenure in the House, Susan received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business and the Friend of Business Award from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In 2000, Susan was first elected to the Kansas Senate. Now in her second term, she chairs the Senate’s Health Care Strategies Committee and serves on the Commerce Committee, Public Health and Welfare Committee and the Rules Committee.

Susan’s leadership skills are recognized beyond Kansas. She currently serves as Chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Nations leading policy think-tank for conservative state legislators with over 2,400 elected officials in its membership. As National Chair, Susan networks with business leaders and elected officials from across the nation to develop policies that promote Jeffersonian principles and encourage free markets and limited government.

Susan lives in Wichita with her husband, Tom, and has four children. Julia has completed her second year as a medical student at Kansas City University of Medicine and Bio Science and she will marry Riley Scott in June. They plan to move to Washington D.C. where Riley works for U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. Andrea is a recent graduate of Avila University and she works as a nurse for K.U. Med in Kansas City. John is a graduate of Andover Central High School and will attend Kansas State University in the fall. Susan’s youngest son Paul went through a successful stem cell transplant for relapsed leukemia last year and has fully recovered. Paul is a sophomore at Andover Central High.

Susan and Tom are real estate investors and co-own a number of successful small businesses. Susan currently serves on the boards of directors for the Program of Integrative Medicine for the University of Kansas Medical Center and Victory in the Valley, a cancer support group in Wichita. Susan has served on boards for Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas, Sedgwick County Mental Health Board and she is a member of the Wichita Independent Business Association and NFIB. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Wichita State University.

 

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