jaguarr said:
What's her civil rights and free speech stance track record look like?
jag
Hmmm from what I read her biggest issues are Education, Health care, Safety/security, and Economy.
Leadership:
Deliver the highest degree of accountability and fiscal discipline to state government. Demand that government do more with less. Promote public education. Provide greater access to more affordable health care. And lead our state with an independent approach, always putting the best interests of the people of Kansas before anything else. Three years ago that was my pledge to you, when the people of Kansas entrusted me with the awesome and humbling responsibility of moving our state forward as Governor.
Working together, we've stayed true to those principles and changed Kansas for the better in ways that others argued just couldn't be done: Streamlining state government to save taxpayers nearly $1 billion, and cutting wasteful government spending to the tune of nearly $159 million so far. Balancing three state budgets in a row - without a tax increase, and protecting every dime of education funding. Enacting the most substantial investment in public schools in Kansas history - again, without tax increases - and initiating audits to ensure education dollars are spent directly on classroom learning.
Launching initiatives to provide lower-cost prescription drugs for older Kansans, more affordable health insurance plans for small businesses, and health coverage for thousands of additional children. Honoring the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform in the Kansas National Guard with passage of a new Military Bill of Rights that provides additional benefits and security to soldiers and their families. Encouraging the creation of thousands of new jobs - leading Kansas to seventeen consecutive months of job growth, and earning Kansas accolades from Forbes magazine as the nation's best place to do business. We can be proud of what we've achieved together, proud of the ways you and I have made Kansas more prosperous and more secure. Still, there is even more we can do to move our state forward, more we can do to strengthen our public schools, grow our economy, protect our families, and make government even more accountable to the people it serves. I hope you'll take a moment to explore our web site, and make it a point to stop by again from time to time. Better yet, sign up to learn the latest news from our email updates. And, if you like what you see, I hope you'll take a moment to join the Sebelius Team by contributing to my Committee. Consider it an investment in the progress we've made so far and in the tremendous places you and I know we can take our state in the months and years to come.
Education:
"Strong Kansas schools are the key to a strong Kansas economy. So it's a Governor's job to strengthen public schools, and make sure every possible education dollar is spent directly on classroom learning." -- Kathleen Sebelius
Governor Sebelius has ordered a series of privately-funded audits of local school district spending - to identify education dollars wasted on unnecessary administrative expenses, and get more tax dollars flowing directly into Kansas classrooms. With the new multi-year plan in effect, teachers can look ahead and prepare for the future of their students, without wondering if the support from the state will be there. Governor Sebelius will continue to push for new vehicles to close the achievement gap in Kansas classrooms. These include all day kindergarten, smaller class sizes, modern technology, and further professional development opportunities for teachers. These practical solutions can continue to keep Kansas a leader in education.
Of special interest to the Governor is preparation for learning before the start of school. She will push for expanding pre-kindergarten programs that allow all Kansas children the opportunity to meet their potential. Much has been done, and there is much more to do. Governor Sebelius kept her promise. She put a stop to the attack on education funding. She protected every dime of school dollars. And she made an historic commitment to schools with vision and accountability which will again make Kansas schools among the best in the nation.
Health Care:
"To build strong families and communities, Kansas must be committed to improving access to health care, lowering the cost of modern medicine, and creating opportunities for small businesses to provide affordable health insurance to their employees."-- Kathleen Sebelius
In her eight years as Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Kathleen Sebelius became a nationally recognized leader on health care.
Named one of America's "100 Most Powerful People in Health Care" by Modern Healthcare magazine, she turned her department into a steadfast advocate for Kansas consumers: standing up to HMOs when they played doctor and interfered with private medical decisions, helping senior citizens save more than $7 million on prescription drugs, and becoming the first Insurance Commissioner in America to deny a takeover of her state's Blue Cross/Blue Shield program by an out-of-state, for-profit health care conglomerate.
And in four years as Governor, Kathleen Sebelius' commitment to protecting Kansans' health has been unwavering. Under Governor Sebelius' innovative leadership, the State of Kansas streamlined and consolidated its health care purchasing into a single division, all under one roof - allowing Kansas to secure the most competitive prices for state-provided health insurance by maximizing the state's purchasing power. In an effort to rein in skyrocketing health care costs, Governor Sebelius organized a Cost Containment Commission of business leaders, health care providers, private insurers, and patient advocates. The Commission has recommended ways to increase modern health care technology such as a transition to electronic medical records, which would reduce the cost of copying forms, as well as promote consistency in care and reduce the burdensome administrative costs that currently eat up more than thirty cents of every health care dollar.
At Governor Sebelius' urging, Kansas now participates in the I-Save-Rx initiative, which opens the door for Kansans to buy safe, lower cost prescription drugs from state-approved pharmacies in Canada and Europe.
Moving Forward
Kathleen Sebelius will continue to support efforts to make health care more affordable and available to all Kansans. She will again ask the Legislature to allow Kansas businesses to band together so they can better bargain for lower insurance costs.
This past year she urged the Legislature to insure all Kansas children from birth to age five. Unfortunately, the Legislature chose politics over people and rejected this practical approach to moving Kansas forward.
But Governor Sebelius will not give up. If re-elected she will bring that plan back to the Legislature and try again
Safety and Security:
"As Governor, I feel no greater responsibility than to protect the people of Kansas. To protect them from crime, the threat of terrorism, and from natural disasters that befall our state."
Kathleen Sebelius considers the safety and security of each and every Kansan her personal responsibility.
That's why as Governor, Sebelius has strengthened funding for the Kansas Highway Patrol, and helped the Wichita Police Department secure additional funds for its investigation that led to the capture of Dennis Rader, the serial murderer known as the "BTK Killer".
She has cracked down on sexual predators that prey on our kids, demanding tougher sentences against these violent criminals and tightening the procedures for tracking and monitoring known sexual offenders. Like so many Midwestern states, Kansas has been vigilant in the war against dangerous methamphetamine that threatens our children and schools, families and communities. Kathleen Sebelius helped pass legislation making it harder for meth producers to obtain from grocery stores and retail outlets the chemicals necessary to produce their deadly drug. To better prepare Kansas for possible terrorist attacks and future natural disasters, Governor Sebelius has spearheaded plans to improve communications among first responders and emergency personnel in southeastern Kansas - a critical first-step toward statewide communications improvements, improved emergency response-times, and inter-agency cooperation. And Governor Sebelius - who learned her enormous respect for America's men and women in uniform from her father, who was awarded a Silver Star for his brave service in World War II - has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to her duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Kansas National Guard. Governor Sebelius crafted and passed Kansas' "Military Bill of Rights", providing financial assistance to state employees called to National Guard duty, tuition assistance to those called to duty while in school, and additional financial security for the families of those who answer the call to serve their state and nation. As well, Governor Sebelius recently signed into law greater benefits for the families of those Kansans who make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom and way of life. In Governor Sebelius' own words: "Those who give their lives in defense of our values and ideals deserve no less than to know their families will be taken care of when they are gone."
Economy:
"A Governor must be a strong economic ambassador for the state. Creating jobs and opportunity for the people of Kansas begins with government setting an example of fiscal discipline and choosing the right priorities. That's how Kansas will keep the jobs and industries we already have, attract new businesses, and keep our economy strong and growing."
Fiscal discipline and accountability have been the hallmarks of Kathleen Sebelius' leadership as Governor of Kansas. It began with Governor Sebelius keeping her pledge to perform a top-to-bottom audit of state government - an effort that to date has uncovered $159 million in wasteful government spending, and led to new efficiencies that produced over $1 billion in budget savings on behalf of Kansas taxpayers. Governor Sebelius has done the difficult work of balancing four state budgets in a row - all without tax increases, and all while protecting education funding and other vital initiatives that help keep Kansas a special place to live, work, and raise a family. Her efforts to streamline government and make it more accountable to taxpayers helped rank Kansas first in the nation for conducting the business of government on-line over the Internet, according to Site Selection magazine. And, as a result of the entrepreneurial spirit of hard-working Kansans and Governor Sebelius' strong fiscal management, Forbes magazine recently rated Kansas first among the fifty states for creating a climate of "economic freedom", where businesses face the fewest obstacles for establishing new enterprise or expanding their existing operations. Governor Sebelius has worked tirelessly to stabilize Kansas' traditional agricultural economy, and encourage expansion in other bedrock industries like aviation and energy. She continues to reinforce Kansas' economic anchors, fighting to create new markets for beef, grain, and technology both at home and overseas. Sebelius has also been a national leader in promoting the development and production of value-added Kansas agricultural products like ethanol. The Governor's Economic Revitalization Plan has succeeded in encouraging new investments in modern industries like bioscience, and Governor Sebelius' steadfast efforts to strengthen public schools and lower the cost of health care help ensure the healthy and well-educated workforce essential to Kansas' continued economic growth.
that may affect they're thinking in a very important decision/time.
