Don’t let Kansas politicians cheat Johnson and Wyandotte counties out of a voice in DC
We are fortunate to have grown up here in the Kansas City area, and are honored to have the opportunity to serve our constituents in Wyandotte and Johnson counties in the Kansas Legislature in Topeka.
When we travel more than 100 miles away from home, it’s a pretty strong chance that when asked where we are from, we do not reply, “Johnson County” or “Wyandotte County.” We say “Kansas City.” Our communities are unique because our identification is more to a region than to a particular state. People who are not from here truly do not understand what it is like to be both proud Kansans and proud Kansas Citians.
Since the 1970s (when I was in high school, and my co-author was a baby), our U.S. senators have focused on policy primarily related to rural Kansas. Of course, rural Kansas deserves and needs appropriate attention in Congress. But this has come at the sacrifice of our communities. To put it simply: We have socioeconomic needs in our urban neighborhoods that are very different from those in agricultural towns. While we have no doubt that those who serve in the U.S. Senate work hard, they simply do not understand the economic or cultural needs of people from Johnson and Wyandotte counties.
Why is this important? Our 3rd District congressional representatives have shown us through the years that they care about our diverse needs, in particular the needs of our business community. Those of us who spend time in our neighborhoods understand that in order to achieve economic success, our representative in the U.S. House must have a strong understanding of our constituencies.
Unfortunately, we have heard rumors that the 3rd District may be divided in order to consolidate political power. This is a short-sighted and partisan endeavor that should not be pursued and would result in a skewed, gerrymandered district. Wyandotte and Johnson counties are responsible for continued job growth and innovation in health care. For them to be divided would be detrimental to the continued collective prosperity of our communities.
Stranger still are the rumors that Wyandotte County could be drawn into the 1st Congressional District — a deeply rural, sparsely populated area of the state that goes west to the Colorado border. Not only are our area’s demographics and economies starkly different, but our sports loyalties are, too. Folks out west cheer for the Broncos; we cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Our needs are nothing like those of the rest of the state. We have already been deprived of representation in the U.S. Senate for more than 80 years because of the heavy consolidation of political power and special interest money in Washington, D.C. Do not let the Kansas Legislature further strip us of representation by dividing our congressional district. Voices in the Wyandotte and Johnson County metropolitan area deserve to be considered, and not dismissed.