Saturday, January 31st, 2009

Good Morning, I am J.R. Claeys, and I am running for Kansas Secretary of State. I want to inform you about my candidacy for Secretary of State, but first, in the spirit of Kansas Days, I want to tell you a little story about the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

A couple of months ago, a Republican and a Democrat were walking down the street when they came upon a homeless person who asked for help finding food and work. The Republican gave the homeless person his business card and said, "come to my business at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow and I will put you to work." The homeless man thanked him, and as the Republican was getting ready to walk away, he took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person. The Democrat was very impressed by this, and when they came to another homeless person, He decided to help the way he had been taught to deal with problems.

The Democrat walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. He then reached into the Republican's pocket and gave the homeless man fifty dollars.

That, my friends, is the difference between the philosophies of our party and that of the Democrats. We believe in hard-work, entrepreneurship, and less government. On the other side we have a party that favors government handouts and bigger government.

I understand that government at its best can be a hassle, and at its worst can be a burden. My experiences in the private sector and working with non-profit and community-based organizations have given me the necessary tools to be your next Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State is entrusted with cutting red tape for small businesses and running free and fair elections for our citizens. I have a record of leadership as the CEO of a national business association and through running my own small business.

A couple of items I will pledge to do as from day one in office:

I Will Ensure Free and Fair Elections for All Kansans:
The right to vote is our most important right as Americans. Protecting that right, and ensuring fairness, accuracy and security is my number one priority as Kansas Secretary of State. To protect our right to vote we must have a Voter ID program that keeps our vote secure and free from fraud.

I Will Improve Armed Forces Ballot Access:
The right to vote is too important to be mired in red tape. Only 17 percent of our military men and women eligible to vote participated in 2006. Those serving overseas to protect our way of life deserve easy accessibility to the right to vote.

We need better government not bigger government. We need a government that understands it needs to be reasonable, responsible, and accountable to the people that it serves. If you believe like me that the cornerstone of good government is fairness, fiscal restraint, and responsible stewardship, than I am asking you to join me in this endeavor. I am asking for your help, I am asking for your support, and I am asking you to vote J.R. Claeys for Kansas Secretary of State.