Issue Position: Sign to Support a More Transparent Kansas!

Issue Position

The last seven years in Topeka has been marked by secrecy, inefficiency, and a complete disregard for Kansans.

Our leaders have been putting their own interests ahead of the public's interest -- clinging to a failed ideological experiment and misleading the public in the process. I have a business partner who has a saying: "I reserve the right to be smarter tomorrow than I am today." Unfortunately for Kansas, that philosophy wasn't embraced in Topeka.

Making government more transparent, effective, and accountable starts with the right leadership. Good leaders admit when they've made mistakes. They don't hide the truth, but rather have enough confidence to share information and defend their positions. They also have the courage to deliver difficult messages.

Making government more transparent, effective, and accountable starts with the right leadership.
We need to pursue policies that open government up to the people of Kansas, not close it down. We will release a complete transparency blueprint that addresses things like the use of private email accounts by public officials, official "office hours" for the governor, and empowering the citizens of Kansas to be active participants in their government. We need a governor of Kansas who interacts directly with citizens and seeks the best advice from them. Encouraging more citizen involvement will help us generate new ideas to invigorate Kansas government. We will also make government more accountable to voters -- a move that I believe will improve the state of Kansas.

We will also make sure the resources entrusted to the state are used effectively. The last several years have seen cuts to many parts of our state government. Often, we've been pennywise and pound foolish -- cutting services and programs that actually reduce what we need to spend in the future. People have suffered as a result of our government's short-sighted approach to spending.

This doesn't mean we can't spend the state's resources more effectively. My experience in the business world tells me that things like across the board cuts rarely work. We need to be thoughtful about how we spend money, reform ineffective programs and invest in programs that work, and constantly review outcomes to make sure we're getting what we paid for.

While our administration will represent diverse points of view, we will all be committed to a common approach to solving problems.
Again, it all starts with leadership. As an Independent, I'll be able to recruit the best and the brightest to serve the people of Kansas regardless of their political affiliations. While our administration will represent diverse points of view, we will all be committed to a common approach to solving problems. We'll use facts and common sense to solve the root cause of problems. We'll encourage intellectual conflict and the sharing of ideas. Importantly, we'll be governed by a shared desire to make Kansas a place where our kids and grandkids want to live.

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