Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

By J.R. Claeys

It's good to be home for a campaign event. The Saline County Republican Party held their breakfast today at Schwan's Resource Center in Salina.

Schwan's is an institution in Salina where Tony's and Red Baron pizzas are made. For over 20 years my mom has been taste-testing foods being considered for the menu on Schwan's trucks and grocery stores throughout the country. I was lucky growing up because Schwan's sells the rejected pizzas from their Tony's and Red Baron lines to employees and I grew up on those Little Charlie pizzas. One time my sister and I got to go in with my mom and taste-test deserts. I think I was eight at the time but I remember it well.

Gordon Horst, the Chair of the Salina County party, invited me and the candidates for first district congress, senate and governor. After breakfast, I spoke about growing up in Salina and what I hope to do as Kansas' next secretary of state. I shared my experiences as an international elections observer, as the president of a national business association and as a business owner myself.

I got into this race because I have a passion for reducing the regulation, tax and paperwork burden small businesses face. I've spent my adult life fighting for reforms that get government off the back of small businesses. I've also worked on elections. I've been a volunteer for Kids Voting Kansas and I've served as an international elections observer in countries that use registration security and voter identification procedures to combat fraud.

The Secretary of State's office has a direct impact on how businesses interact with state government and has a key role in our elections. We need a secretary of state who understands that government must be reasonable, responsible and accountable to the people it serves.