To the Editor:

I just received the fifth political mailer card within the last 10 days in support of a candidate who is running for State Senate. Not surprisingly, these mailer cards are short on facts, omit context, and give credit for legislative accomplishments that she actually did not support. I dread to think how many more may be coming.

If it seems like our elections are being bought, it’s because they actually are. The disastrous “Citizen’s United” Supreme Court decision a few years ago said corporations, companies and Political Action Committees are “people,” who can give unlimited amounts of money to candidate’s campaigns. I looked to see which groups are financing this candidate’s campaign and paying for all these slick mailers. Two were sent by the “Kansas Republican Party” (one was mailed from a place in Alabama). A card came from “Americans For Prosperity” (aka Koch Industries), another from “Kansas Family Voice,” and one from “Build Kansas Jobs.” This candidate supported policies that were advanced by these right-wing groups. It looks to me that since these PACs are paying for her campaign, actually THEY are her constituents, not central Kansans.

This “free campaign” gives an unfair advantage against other candidates who financially depend upon local supporters or their own funds for advertising, to explain who they are and what they stand for. A good example of a grassroots candidate is John Sturn of Ellinwood who is also running for State Senate. John is a Republican candidate who thinks for himself and plans to represent his actual area constituents.

Meanwhile our “free campaigner” continues to oppose Medicaid Expansion, which most Kansans support, and Kansas now can afford. (She didn’t want to talk about it and won’t let us vote on it.) She supports giving our public school tax dollars to individual families to send their kids to any school they want with no accountability. She still works against women’s reproductive rights, even though Kansans voted overwhelmingly to keep them. I am tired of reading and hearing about “fighting” in all of these political ads. I am ready to have someone who is willing to WORK together and represent US, which is why I plan to vote for John Sturn this Primary Election.

Dee Anne Grummon

Great Bend