In contest to praise Gov. Sam Brownback, readers mixed earnest applause with humor
No secret here: The Star’s editorial board has been pretty hard on Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s leadership and policies.
But this week, we asked readers to heap praise on the governor. And they did, sending in more than 200 responses.
With a mixture of earnestness and humor, most people followed the rules to applaud the governor.
Here are the finalists, only lightly edited, chosen with the help of online voting.
Our winner is Meagan Maher of Basehor, Kan., who will receive The Star’s Dining Club gift card for this entry:
Thank you Gov. Brownback
“The Kansas economy is strong, and it is growing.”
And thank you, Gov. Sam Brownback for that!
Thank you for cutting taxes on every Kansan.
Thank you for fixing the welfare system to get the poorest Kansans back to work.
Thank you for investing a record amount into our schools, so that our future will be stronger than our present.
Your conservative leadership is second to none!
Meagan Maher
Basehor, Kan.
He kept his promises
I don’t know how he does it. At a time when both political parties are fed up with an establishment that “does nothing,” Brownback has done everything he promised. He cut taxes, increased jobs, expanded personal liberty, localized teacher tenure and made government more transparent. And he still gets attacked. Every. Single. Day. Finally we get a leader with a backbone and everyone complains and bickers. I applaud your tough skin, sir.
Joseph Shaneyfelt
Atchison, Kan.
No longer flyover country
Kansas was dismissed as flyover country or as the home of Dorothy and the Yellow Brick Road. No more! Gov. Sam Brownback has gained us national notice. National publications such as Salon, The New Yorker, Huffington Post, you name ’em! And national TV — MSNBC, Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel. Remember, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Thanks, Sam!
Scott Gregory
Roeland Park
Desire to honor God
We think the best character trait of Gov. Sam Brownback is that he seems to desire to honor God. As a result, he values human life both in the womb and the born. He has worked to protect all human life even though he has received much opposition. He has also worked to protect us from terrorists, stood against closing Guantanamo Bay and fought to show the inadequacy of the Affordable Care Act.
Kent and Shari Hobbs
Wichita
How much he loves the poor
Gov. Sam Brownback is a pious Christian, and he loves poor people, especially the working poor. He has proved his love and care for the poor time after time by making certain they are not insured under an expanded Medicaid program, thereby hastening the day they get to meet Jesus in person. That’s how much he loves the poor.
Karen Gretsky
Wichita
Tax cuts have succeeded
Gov. Sam Brownback has made growing the Kansas economy his top priority. His tax cuts had that goal in mind, and they’ve succeeded. Unemployment is down to 4 percent. Kansas has a record amount of new businesses. Missourians are moving to Kansas to enjoy the tax policy! Gov. Brownback has stood firm when critics seek only to diminish him. We are proud that he is fighting for Kansans and not for the government.
Austin Gilpin
Wichita
Good news — for Kansas City
As a neighborhood activist living in Midtown Kansas City, it’s hard to watch young families move to Johnson County as their kids reach school age. But Gov. Sam Brownback is doing his best to see that for Kansas City families, the grass will soon be NO greener on the other side of the state line, so maybe those folks will stay in the ’hood!
Steve Eklund
Kansas City
Champion for the people
Thank you Gov. Sam Brownback for being a champion for the people of Kansas. I am convinced that you have the best interests of our citizens at heart. Thank you for the historic $4 billion in funding for our students! Thank you that there are so many Kansans working right now! Thank you for cutting income taxes by more than 30 percent!
Lisa and Scott Ritchie
Wichita
Brownback’s sacrifices
Gov. Sam Brownback will be hailed by many for what will come to be known as the “Kansas Sacrifice.” By demonstrating the failure of so many ill-conceived initiatives and containing them to Kansas, Brownback has spared other states and municipalities from committing the same mistakes. In addition, on a personal level, he has sacrificed his political career and any presidential ambitions he may have had for the benefit of others.
Paul Sokoloff
Overland Park
Saving money to help a child
Every family dreams of their child’s future. Every family wants to give their child the best opportunity for success. Most families invest, scrimp and save to make those dreams a reality. My family was no different. By signing the ABLE act (Achieving a Better Life Experience), Gov. Sam Brownback gave my family — and my younger brother with Down syndrome — a new way to save money for his future.
Morgan Anderson
Wichita
A heap of confetti
Given Gov. Sam Brownback’s performance, particularly in the areas of education, tax reform and job creation, I would like to shower him with confetti. Could you please let me know where I can get confetti in a one-ton bundle?
Craig Denny
Lenexa
This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "In contest to praise Gov. Sam Brownback, readers mixed earnest applause with humor."