To the editor:

The editorial by Susan Berg in last week’s paper regarding all of us being ambassadors of this community was right on target. Many people in this world would be thrilled to trade places with any of us to live in Marion or anywhere in Marion County. We certainly were happy to move to Marion County Lake three years ago to be close to where we were raised and near family and friends.

Her comment about the “blahs” and negativity spreading like wildfire is especially appreciated in view of the local political atmosphere and state campaigns, some appearing to add fuel to that wildfire. Folks, if you want to know what’s going on, talk to our elected officials or better yet attend a city council, county commission, or school board meeting or some other type of government board meeting. All of us need to be appreciative of those who step forward when misinformation is passed among us. We can agree to disagree, and as a former city council member in another county, I know that we always appreciated constructive feedback. Input from the public is key to our democracy.

As a lifelong Kansan and a regular voter, not necessarily on party lines, I have never been asked for as much input as Rep. Robert Brookens has sought during his tenure. The meetings he has held in our towns, the survey he sent out (paid for by personal funds), the feedback he gave to all of us from that survey, the answered e-mails, and his weekly columns kept us informed on issues that have been important in keeping us in the loop.

I haven’t always agreed with him on all issues, but he has been a good representative in seeking to understand opinions of the majority of us. There are some upset by the sales tax increase, and I have heard comments from people about the pros and cons of that. One might conclude that misinformation and negativity are being spread by campaigns about this topic.

I am not a guru on state budgeting but I know enough to realize that our elected officials had their backs against the wall on the state’s budget. There were many who voted “no” just because they wanted to be re-elected. They have no good alternatives other than just “no” for the sake of “no.”

In my opinion, the best option available was the increased sales tax. Of course, I am a proponent of small government. However, we certainly couldn’t afford further cuts to public education as children go through our school system only once. Sales tax spreads the costs among property owners and non-property owners.

Kathy Shockley
Marion