Huelskamp advocates government transparency at all levels

When it comes to government transparency, Republican's continue to lead the state in innovative, practical ideas. I'm happy to say Sen. Huelskamp is among those leaders.

A recent Kansas Liberty article outlined Senate bill 226 which would require all Kansas school districts to post their spending data online in a searchable database similar to KanView. According to Liberty:

"KanView was an outgrowth of an amendment offered by Huelskamp during the 2007 legislative session. Formally called the Kansas Taxpayer Transparency Act, it required the state to develop a searchable, publicly accessible website reporting the financial activity of state government. It was the first effort of its kind in the nation."

With over half of our state budget going to K-12 education, it is certainly time for the taxpayers to know how their money is being spent.

In addition, Huelskamp’s proposal, Senate Bill 226, would require the Legislature to provide a concise, easily reviewable listing of legislative votes.

“In order to hold us accountable, our citizens need quick, easy access to our voting records,” Huelskamp said. “But with the current legislative website, it is nearly impossible to track legislative votes. Instead, this bill would provide for simple, daily Internet updates of our voting records to allow constituent review and criticism.”

This is certainly something I can't wait for. It's unacceptable that in 2009 a Kansas citizen can't find out how their Representative or Senator voted.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Sen Huelskamp's practical, common sense proposals once elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Is another move in Wasinger's future, or has it already happened?

Throughout the short campaign so far, Rob Wasinger has attempted to portray himself as a Kansan who was simply returning to his roots.

It's been a delicate balancing act because he still owns a nearly $1 million home in Virginia that he hasn't been able to unload. To further compound the situation, his wife had listed the home on her website, which was quickly noticed here in Kansas. As of today, the site has been taken down.

Further, just this past March, Wasinger signed off as a Catholic for McCain listing Virginia as his home state. All this combines to make it rather difficult for Wasinger to look like anything but a carpetbagger.

However, I discovered today that he may be even more "locationally challenged" than previously thought.

It began over a week ago when I got word that a house in Cottonwood Falls was to be renovated for, "a former Brownback staffer who has nine children." No question who they were talking about.

Campaign finance records filed January 30, 2009 indicated a travel expense reimbursement to Robert K. Wasinger. This was one of two expenditures in his report to addresses in Kansas even though earlier today he stated that all of his campaign funds would be spent in the first district.

The December 11 reimbursement lists 309 Oak Street in Cottonwood Falls for an address. I didn't quite understand why a Cottonwood Falls address would appear in his report. A voter registration search showed no voters registered at that address.

Today a repeat visit of his campaign filings showed an amended report from February 1, just two days after his quarter report. It was for a change of address to the same Cottonwood Falls address.

In a December 30 story in the Hutchinson News by Mary Clarkin, Wasinger claimed to be living in Hays with his Aunt. Why list your address on December 11 as Cottonwood Falls and then tell a reporter you live in Hays, only to change you address a month later back to Cottonwood Falls? Where exactly are you from Rob? Where exactly do you plan on living in a couple of months?

The Clarkin story also said that, "...he has bought a residence there and his wife and their nine children will relocate from Virginia." Why tell a reporter you live in Hays and bought a house in Hays and then change your address to Cottonwood Falls? Why all the lies?

I don't exactly understand all the deception, other than Secretary of State records show Rob has only voted in Kansas once this past November. He lists his aunt's Hays address on his voter registration record. Perhaps as the voter registration deadline neared for the November election the Wasinger family had been unable to buy a house in the district and thus he talked his aunt into loaning her address to avoid the embarrassment of being a candidate in a state where he'd never voted. This, of course, is just conjecture on my part because quite honestly I don't understand why you'd list multiple addresses or why you'd tell a reporter you're moving to Hays when you're not.

A friend in Cottonwood Falls took the above pictures. He has told me that the house at 309 Oak Street is currently vacant but has been gutted inside in what looks like preparation for a renovation.

A Register of Deeds records search will hopefully reveal more information, such as when the home was purchased.

Clean campaign one day, lies the next

I have to hand it to the Wasinger campaign, they are such... how do I say this tactfully... artists, when it comes to leaving discrete anonymous comments to promote their candidate.

Is Huelskamp going to sign the clean campaign pledge like Wasinger did today?

You know, those pledges only mean something if you, well, abide by it.

From Rollcall today:

And according to campaign finance records, Wasinger did not report any itemized contributions from the mostly rural 1st district. Wasinger defended his fundraising, saying he expects to raise more in the district once he expands his campaign.

"I look at all the money that I've raised, all that money is going to be spent in the district," Wasinger said. "It's my very own contribution to economic growth."

I'm at a loss for words. Are you really that arrogant? People are hurting and you're being glib about your campaign funds contributing to economic growth? Are you that out of touch with the first district that you seriously think voters consider your out-of-state contributions to help them out economically?

Hey, from the bottom of my heart Rob, thanks for all you've done for the Kansas economy! In fact, let's take a look at just what you've done to help us po' folk out.

10/10/2008
Marilyn Wasinger
Copy machine purchase and post
$236.97

12/11/2008
Robert K Wasinger
Reimburse travel to fundraiser
$383.87

Man, what a boost! I don't know what we would have done without your generous campaign spending to your family and yourself. And I'm just sure the travel expenses from December were spent in the first district.

So, where else did you spend money?

11/22/2008
Cara E Gavin
West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Inkind: hosting expenses fundraising
$300.00

11/22/2008
Tim V Gavin
West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Inkind: Fundraiser event costs
$300.00

12/09/2008
John Walsh
Mclean, Virginia
Inkind: Fundraising event expense
$1500.00

12/11/2008
Windows Catering Company
Alexandria, Virginia
Catering for fundraising event
$1463.25

Wow Rob. It looks like you care more about the economies in Virginia and Massachusetts than in Kansas. I guess this would explain why they're you're #1 and #3 contributors so far.

Do us all a favor and keep your East Coast money on the East Coast and don't be so arrogant as to think voters in Kansas see you're campaign spending as anything more than you trying to buy your next job.

Oh, and try not lying the next time. If you say you're going to spend all of your money in the district, why not try actually doing it???