Episode 2204 notes

What’s Wrong with Kansas? The Health of the Sunflower State.

Today on America’s Healthcare Advocate and part of my Health Of Our Communities series the topic is our flagship station’s home state of Kansas and the effect of having the 2^nd highest tax rate, being ranked 45^th out of 50 states with a growth of only 1.4% and getting an “F” from CNBC and how all of this affects our lives, or health and our families. Even our states 4^th graders are below 4^th grade level proficiency.

My friend Philip Sarnecki joins me, taking time off from his campaign to discuss what’s wrong and how we bring about a massive turnaround by building business, creating jobs and becoming the best place for business and for families.

Philip believes the state governor is like a CEO and that business sense will trump political ambition to bring us a healthy state. What’s wrong with Kansas? Find out as we discuss bringing Kansas from worst to first!

This is season 22, episode 4 or America’s Healthcare Advocate. I’m Cary Hall.

Learn more about Philip: https://philipsarnecki.org/

As always, if you need help or have something to share contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. Visit: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

BONUS CONTENT::

Take a look "behind the scenes" during the America's Healthcare Advocate broadcast.

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Announcer

And now America's Healthcare Advocate, Cary Hall.

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Cary Hall

Hello, America. Welcome to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA. Here on the HIA Radio Network, you can find out more about us by going to the website AmericasHealthcareAdvocate.com. You know, I got an email from a doctor the other day asking for some help.

00;00;21;24 - 00;00;41;11

Cary Hall

We gave it to her. She was very happy with that. Referred her over to the lovely Carolee Steele at RPS Benefits by Design, and she was able to get her into a program for health benefits. She was very happy with. By the way, if you are looking for help with ACA, Obamacare or any other type of health insurance, you can reach out to the good folks over at

00;00;41;11 - 00;01;08;10

Cary Hall

RPS Benefits by Design 877-385-2224. Maria Ahlers is wonderful at working on employer sponsored health care. She can do some pretty amazing things. Give them a call 877-385-2224. Joining me in studio again, I am pleased to say the man who I hope is going to be the next governor of the state of Kansas Philip Sarnecki. Welcome back.

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Philip Sarnecki

Thanks, Cary, Great to be here again.

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Cary Hall

I hope to have you back a lot more.

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Philip Sarnecki

I’d love to be back more, this is fun.

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Cary Hall

Thank you. Appreciate it. Yeah. Well, you know, this is this is personal to me. You and I have had a relationship. For what? I don't know, 8 or 9 years now.

00;01;21;21 - 00;01;22;28

Philip Sarnecki

Since probably about decade.

00;01;23;02 - 00;01;42;18

Cary Hall

Yeah. Pretty close. I know you pretty well. You. You know me pretty well. So my purpose in doing this, you know, this is way out of my lane right? This is not about health care, etc., but there are exceptions to the rule. Kansas has had some problems. I think a lot of us live in a cocoon, especially here in Johnson County, where everything looks wonderful.

00;01;42;18 - 00;01;58;18

Cary Hall

And we are we we think everything is great in the state. In reality, when you travel around the state, that's not necessarily what you see. Now, I've spent a lot of time in Hays, Kansas. Believe it or not, I did a full work, a full radio week in Scott City, Kansas, a number of years ago for a farm convention.

00;01;58;23 - 00;02;21;04

Cary Hall

I have I'm on the air in Wichita. I'm on the air in Salina. I'm on the air in Great Bend across the state on 15 radio stations. So I think there's a message here that needs to get out. So here's some things you probably don't know. Kansas ranked overall 21st in sales tax. 26 and corporate tax. 26th in property tax.

00;02;21;07 - 00;02;44;13

Cary Hall

And 23rd in overall taxes compared to Missouri, Texas, Indiana, which are ranked seventh, 10th and 12th. I know this is an issue you're concerned about. We can't attract business. And we'll talk about Star Bonds here in a little while, and we can't seem to attract new business. You and I talked about this the first time. Why do you think that is, Philip?

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Philip Sarnecki

Well, you just mentioned, the taxes. And it's actually worse than that because when you when you rank those were ranked against states like California and New York and Hawaii and Connecticut and Washington. But if you actually just take the states that, you know, our border states that we compete with, maybe throw in Iowa and Arkansas, we actually have the highest personal income tax rate of all those states.

00;03;10;21 - 00;03;32;29

Philip Sarnecki

We have the second highest corporate tax rate of all those states and property taxes, which are not a problem in every state. But there's certainly a problem here in Kansas because our career politicians have failed to do anything about it. We are about if you take those states and average them out, we're about 50% higher on average with our property taxes versus all those states around us.

00;03;33;02 - 00;03;59;29

Philip Sarnecki

So, you know, why are we not attracting enough business? Well, if you have the highest personal income tax rate, the second highest, corporate tax rate, and you're overtaxing your people to death, we are also overregulating our people to death. As I go around the state, as I talk to legislators, one of the one of the big issue with business owners that when you speak to them is how much regulation they have to deal with in the state of Kansas.

00;04;00;03 - 00;04;19;10

Philip Sarnecki

And so that's one of the things we would do. What we're going to do on day one is we're going to rip out a lot of those regulations. And allow get the obstacles out of the way to allow entrepreneurs and investors and business leaders to want to come to Kansas to build their businesses, across all across the state.

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Cary Hall

Yeah. I have to believe that if you're able to do that, you're able to accomplish that. I'm going in there and doing similar things to what Glenn Youngkin did, what President Trump did with their executive orders, wiping out a lot of the bureaucracy, the nonsense that the ridiculous things that businesses have to go through. And we both know because we're both private businessmen.

00;04;41;03 - 00;04;59;13

Cary Hall

But on the other side of this long time. Right. That that message is going to resonate. We're going to get that. You you look at what's going on in some of these states where they're taking, what we're old, utility facilities or coal facilities, turning them into gas and putting up AI projects next to them. You look at some of the things that they're accomplishing.

00;04;59;15 - 00;05;21;06

Cary Hall

You look at what just happened with the Kansas City Star Building. That building got sold to a data center because they had the power there to run the AI that they're going to do, because they ran printing presses in there. Duh. I mean, where around this state are there factories, opportunities that are sitting there, empty, vacant, that could be converted if somebody were in the forefront of this?

00;05;21;10 - 00;05;23;17

Cary Hall

But it seems like nobody cares.

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Philip Sarnecki

Well, I don't I don't know that nobody cares. But I think people don't understand. I mean, when you you're a politician, I mean, the people that I'm running against, for example, have over 100 years in office between them. Most of them have zero business experience. What to speak of whatsoever. And so it's just they don't understand it.

00;05;43;02 - 00;06;04;10

Philip Sarnecki

It's not the lens with which they look through. And so I think one of the things, you know, as you know, I've been doing for over 30 years is we've been building businesses, we've been creating jobs. We've done it all across the state of Kansas. And that's what we're going to do as governor. I mean, it is one of my top priorities, if not my top priority.

00;06;04;13 - 00;06;23;17

Philip Sarnecki

Kansas needs to be the best place for businesses. It needs to be the best place for families. And I believe we can do that. I really do. But we have to come alongside and partner with the people of Kansas, partner with the businesses of the state of Kansas to make this work for everybody, because it's not working for everybody right now.

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Cary Hall

So that means that you're going to concentrate on getting the message out to the business owners. Yes. And to potential business owners that want to come into the state and investors. We're open for business. That's right. That's what you're saying.

00;06;36;01 - 00;07;02;01

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. And, you know, those are conversations. Those are the conversations I've been having for over three decades. Those are the conversations I'm really comfortable with. But we also have to create an environment that attracts people here. And we're going to have to do that by cutting regulations and by reducing the tax burden, both on individuals, because we have to have the labor force and then also on businesses as well.

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Cary Hall

When we come back from break. I'm going to talk about what does it take to attract people who want to stay here. So we have all these kids graduating from KU, K-State, go down the list. Emporia, Pittsburg State, go down the list. All these kids are great. Do they stay here or do they leave? We come back. We'll talk about that.

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Cary Hall

We'll also talk about how much did Kansas actually grow last year. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network. Coast to coast across USA. If you want to learn more about Philip, go to the website. PhilipSarnecki.org. Great website you that's on WinRed. okay. And also on Facebook it's Philip Sarnecki Governor.

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Cary Hall

A lot of information up there about the debates. He just did a lot of other information. If you want to donate WinRed is a great way to do that. That's one of the ways I do it. And it's certainly an easy way that you can do it. We'll be right back after the break. Listening to America's Healthcare Advocate.

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Cary Hall

Stay right there.

00;08;11;21 - 00;08;37;19

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast to coast USA here on the HIA Radio Network. I want to welcome KIUL 1240-AM in Garden City, Kansas. One of our newest affiliates. Happy to have you all on board out in Garden City/ In studio with Philip Sarnecki. He is candidate for the Governor of Kansas and we are talking about all things Kansas if you're interested in learning about him.

00;08;37;19 - 00;08;58;01

Cary Hall

And there's a lot to learn. Believe me, if you go up and research him about who he is, the businesses he’s has, the successes he's had. What his vision is for this state. Go to the website. PhilipSarnecki.org. You can also donate rather on WinRed if you want to do that as well. But PhilipSarnecki.org is the website.

00;08;58;04 - 00;09;12;20

Cary Hall

So this was a little shocking to me. When I was doing research for the show, Kansas grew by a whopping 1.4% last year and ranked 45th out of 50 states. Philip. That's pathetic.

00;09;12;23 - 00;09;31;02

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, it is pathetic. I think I might have mentioned this, the first time I was on your show a few months ago because it had just come out, you know, CNBC ranked, our economy as a state 48th in the country. They gave us an F. Moody's had come out just after that and said we were one of 20 states already in a recession.

00;09;31;05 - 00;09;48;08

Philip Sarnecki

And, you know, you talked about it. If you kind of live in South Johnson County, you feel a little insulated from that. But we've been all over the state. I mean, we've been from Goodland to Wamego to Kingman Pratt, you know, all points in between. Eldorado. We go to Fort Scott, where I own businesses, by the way, and Eldorado and Fort Scott.

00;09;48;08 - 00;10;10;09

Philip Sarnecki

But it it's, people are feeling it, and and people are hurting, and, we have got to help, as a state as state leadership and unfortunately, our career politicians who are the people that I'm running against, they're nice people, but they just don't understand what they're doing. And that's why our economy is growing the way it is.

00;10;10;13 - 00;10;40;28

Philip Sarnecki

When you are overtaxing overburdening overregulating people to death, that's what you get. You get a growth rate of 1.4% and we're overspending. We have a $26 billion total budget in the state of Kansas, and Cary, 10.5 billion of that's been added in the last seven years with no population growth. So the same amount of people are taking on an additional $10.5 billion of revenue.

00;10;41;00 - 00;10;44;07

Philip Sarnecki

Well, no wonder our taxes are the highest of every state around us.

00;10;44;07 - 00;10;56;22

Cary Hall

And did I hear, is this correct or incorrect that we have added the numbers 40 or 60,000 new state employees in the state of Kansas since this particular governor?

00;10;56;22 - 00;11;18;20

Philip Sarnecki

I haven't heard that number, but what I can say is we have the third most state employees per capita of every state in the country. So only Alaska and South Dakota, which those kind of make sense because they're smaller states have more state employees per capita than Kansas does. So we're inefficient at every single layer you look at.

00;11;18;20 - 00;11;24;13

Philip Sarnecki

You couldn't run a business that way. I couldn't run a business that way. And that's why the people of the state of Kansas are suffering.

00;11;24;13 - 00;11;25;24

Cary Hall

And we're a small state.

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Philip Sarnecki

We're a small state.

00;11;27;00 - 00;11;43;19

Cary Hall

We're going to switch to Star Bonds here in a minute. But if the Chief’s, you know, this deal with the Chiefs is done, Kansas will be the smallest state in the Union population wise to have an NFL team. Yet what do we you know, I hear you again. You look around the bubble in Overland Park. You look at Olathe, you look at Lenexa.

00;11;43;19 - 00;12;04;23

Cary Hall

Sure looks wonderful. Get out there into these smaller communities and see what's happening on Main Street. Go out there and look at the stores that are boarded up. Look at the factories that have shut down. Look at the jobs that are not there anymore. And the only thing keeping a lot of those little towns alive is agriculture, because we still have a dynamic agriculture program in this country, everything that we do.

00;12;04;26 - 00;12;25;19

Cary Hall

But there just doesn't seem to be support to attract businesses in your, you know, you read stories every day of the of of companies going into rural communities, taking old manufacturing facilities, turning around, building brand new businesses in them. President Trump's got all these initiatives out there, all of these opportunities. We're at 1.4% growth, Philip.

00;12;25;26 - 00;12;51;27

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. This isn't a lack of opportunity. It's a lack of vision. And it's a lack of execution. And we need leaders in our state that can go out and they can attract investors. They can have conversations with business leaders and CEOs, and they can create an environment, an infrastructure that's attracting business, that's attracting jobs to the state of Kansas.

00;12;51;29 - 00;12;56;17

Philip Sarnecki

I mean, again, that's what you know, that's what I've been doing for three decades. And that's the exact same thing I'm going to do as governor.

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Cary Hall

But as I said, you know, going out of that last segment, how many of these bright kids from KU, K-State, Pittsburg State, Emporia go down, Hays College, how many of these kids coming out of these schools with degrees in engineering and and architecture? And and I know some of these kids. Okay. You know, Ron Rowe’s kid is coming out of K-State with a degree and in engineering.

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Cary Hall

I mean, do you down the list, where are they going? They're leaving here and going because the opportunities not here Philip.

00;13;27;06 - 00;13;53;11

Philip Sarnecki

In 2023. We were the eighth most moved out of state in the country. And the number one reason and cited by far, far and away number one reason, 44% of the people said jobs couldn't find the job that I wanted. So we're because of the overregulation, because of the overtaxing, because of the overspending, we are not creating the type of new jobs and new businesses.

00;13;53;11 - 00;14;06;03

Philip Sarnecki

We're not attracting the investment that we need. We're not bringing enough companies to the state of Kansas. And because of that, our economy is growing at one, four, 1.4%. And, we are we're struggling.

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Cary Hall

We are.

00;14;06;19 - 00;14;10;18

Philip Sarnecki

That's why we're ranked 48 by CNBC and and on our economy.

00;14;10;21 - 00;14;29;15

Cary Hall

So so let's switch gears. We've got about three minutes left in this segment. Star Bonds. I the Chiefs are here with a good deal. Bad deal. No deal. It's done. Yeah. What are your overall thoughts on Star Bonds? We're one of what I think four states that actually offer something like this. Yeah, they've been very successful in some cases.

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Cary Hall

I don't know. Is it a mixed bag? What do you think?

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Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, I, I think, I think here's the problem with star bonds in general. There's been some, situations where they've worked very well. There's been other situations where they haven't worked at all. I think the problem is being are career politicians because they have no business experience and no business background. What they're doing is they're over relying on star bonds, because when when you can't get enough new businesses started, then that's the only option they have left to go to.

00;15;01;20 - 00;15;10;20

Philip Sarnecki

And then they want to pat themselves on the back, you know, for the deal that they get. And, you know, it was interesting in the debate last Friday, which I encourage everybody to go out and watch.

00;15;10;27 - 00;15;11;17

Cary Hall

The one in Wichita.

00;15;11;17 - 00;15;14;06

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, my my first political debate ever, but we thought.

00;15;14;07 - 00;15;14;21

Cary Hall

You did pretty.

00;15;14;21 - 00;15;33;15

Philip Sarnecki

Well. Well thank you. We thought it went extremely well, especially for my first, one ever. But one of the candidates mentioned that the bond holders, he said, you know, I would never have the state bail them out. The bond holders would be responsible for that on the star bonds. But but the here's the problem with that.

00;15;33;18 - 00;15;54;29

Philip Sarnecki

That's not reality. Because if you did that, your bond rating is going to tank and all future bond issues, the amount of interest that you're going to have to pay is going to skyrocket. Yeah. Which is going to now overburden the state with interest payments to the bondholders. So no state in reality could ever allow that to happen.

00;15;55;01 - 00;16;18;00

Philip Sarnecki

And so that was just kind of an ignorant comment, by the person on the, on the stage, again, not understanding the economics and the business of these star bonds. So I think if they're negotiated, well, they could be used from time to time. But the problem is our career politicians are way, way over relying on them.

00;16;18;00 - 00;16;19;21

Philip Sarnecki

And that's that's my big concern about it.

00;16;19;21 - 00;16;38;01

Cary Hall

And that's why we have 1.4% growth in the state. And it's not changing because that's not being recognized and that's not being dealt with. If you want information go to the website PhilipSarnecki.org also WinRed if you want to go up there a lot of information up there. You make a donation. We'll be right back.

00;16;38;01 - 00;17;05;11

Cary Hall

After the break we're going to ask Philip how's it going? He's been out on the campaign trail. How's it going? We'll know more when we come back from the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network coast to coast across USA. Don't go anywhere.

00;17;05;14 - 00;17;29;24

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast to coast USA here on the HIA Radio Network. My producers today, Mr.. David Thiessen behind the cameras, who puts all these shows together, our 16 podcast channels and our YouTube channel. By the way, 623,000 views. Thanks to all of you. Between podcast and YouTube. We're really appreciate all of that out there.

00;17;29;25 - 00;17;52;15

Cary Hall

In addition to all of you listening across the country on our 241 radio affiliates. So thank you all very much. In studio with me, Philip Sarnecki, candidate for Governor of Kansas. His website is PhilipSarnecki.org. So how's the campaign going? I know you're all over the place trying to catch up with you. It's like herding chickens.

00;17;52;15 - 00;18;05;02

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. So? So it's, Yeah. Thanks for asking. It's going great. I mean, we're about five and a half months in, you know, to this at, you know, in some ways, I didn't know what to expect. Obviously, I've never run for office before.

00;18;05;04 - 00;18;06;08

Cary Hall

But you and Ronald Reagan.

00;18;06;08 - 00;18;25;05

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, the funny story behind that, I know, but, it's, you know, we're winning the game financially. So one of the reasons Republicans lost in 2018, in a state that, you know, we haven't had a Democratic senator in almost 100 years, or the longest running state without a Democratic senator.

00;18;25;05 - 00;18;26;08

Cary Hall

I didn't know. That's interesting.

00;18;26;08 - 00;18;50;16

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, we have supermajorities in both houses. I mean, Trump won the state three times by huge margins, but we've lost the governor's seat, the CEO job to a Democrat in 2018 and 2022. And one of the big reasons is because we got crushed financially. The Republicans, did not do a good job of raising money, and they weren't well capitalized, you know, a political campaign in some ways is like a new business startup.

00;18;50;16 - 00;19;16;00

Philip Sarnecki

You have to be well-financed. You have to be well capitalized. So what? December 31st was a big financial cut off in the state of Kansas. The way they do it, where all the candidates have to disclose their financial numbers. And, not only were we number one of Republican and Democratic candidates far and away number one at about $3 million, but that was the most ever raised in the history of Kansas gubernatorial races.

00;19;16;00 - 00;19;47;11

Philip Sarnecki

By that date, December 31st. So we have a huge cash advantage as we come into the new year. There's an amazing grassroots enthusiasm going on all over the the state, wherever we go. People are so tired of politics as usual. They're so tired of career politicians. And I think the energy for somebody from the outside and a business leader, you know, all, President Trump and you know what he's done coming in from the outside or I think you and I might have talked about this the first time I was on as well.

00;19;47;14 - 00;19;56;14

Philip Sarnecki

There's about a dozen governors, the who had never run for office, you know, because essentially the executive branch, it's a CEO job. You're the CEO of the state.

00;19;56;14 - 00;19;57;14

Cary Hall

It's really what it amounts to.

00;19;57;14 - 00;20;17;16

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. And you need you know, I was at the RGA meeting a couple of, a couple of months ago, and I listened to, a session with, you mentioned Glenn Youngkin earlier who had never run for office, former governor of Virginia, Bill Lee, governor of Tennessee, very successful business leader and CEO. He had never run for office prior to running for governor of Tennessee.

00;20;17;22 - 00;20;20;24

Philip Sarnecki

And Tennessee's doing a fantastic job. Well, yeah, we're.

00;20;20;24 - 00;20;23;21

Cary Hall

Headquartered one Detego is headquartering one of our companies there.

00;20;23;21 - 00;20;47;10

Philip Sarnecki

No. That's right. And then Mike Kehoe, of course, you know, very successful car dealer for many, many years in Missouri. And I was listening to this conversation that they were having the three of them. It was like a roundtable discussion, and the whole entire conversation was about international trade trips and recruiting investment to their state, conversations with business, leaders and CEOs.

00;20;47;12 - 00;21;08;21

Philip Sarnecki

It was about their state economy. And I just as I was listening to that and I was sitting there, I thought to myself, how could anyone think that your governor doesn't need very high levels of business acumen to do that job well, because it is a massive part of the job. And so we're there's this enthusiasm across the state.

00;21;08;21 - 00;21;19;25

Philip Sarnecki

And I'll give you one example. You know, four months ago when I was on here, I think the first time, I wasn't on social media, you know, I didn't have, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

00;21;19;28 - 00;21;22;09

Cary Hall

We kind of kicked you off. I'm proud to say the. I think.

00;21;22;09 - 00;21;43;04

Philip Sarnecki

That's right. Yeah. And, I, you know, I just, I had no, I didn't want to be on those. And my, you know, my team said no, no, no, you got to, you got to be on social media if you're running now. Well, not only are we on now, we are up to I think it's we're getting close to 35,000 followers in just about four months since we went up on social media.

00;21;43;04 - 00;22;12;09

Philip Sarnecki

We are of far and away the most followed candidate on social media. So everybody go out and follow us if you're interested in the campaign. And again, to me that just speaks to the grassroots enthusiasm that's out there across the state to get something different. We can't, you know, the Republicans in the state, we can't go 12 years with a Democratic governor and the people that we're running against, that I'm running against, those are the same people that have lost the last two governor's races, and we just can't do that.

00;22;12;09 - 00;22;12;27

Philip Sarnecki

A third time.

00;22;12;28 - 00;22;14;13

Cary Hall

There's not a vision there, Philip.

00;22;14;13 - 00;22;15;02

Philip Sarnecki

No there isn’t a vision.

00;22;15;02 - 00;22;40;21

Cary Hall

I pay close attention to politics in this state. I moved out of Kansas City, Missouri, to get away from what I was dealing with in Brookside, in Kansas City, in the state of Missouri, and moved to Kansas because was a better environment for my family, my grandchildren, the whole nine yards. But when I look at the state and I travel around the state where I'm doing radio in different places, and I see these towns and these cities where, you know, Wichita's a vibrant town doing very well.

00;22;40;25 - 00;22;59;03

Cary Hall

Okay. Got 3 or 4 luxury car dealerships. So Laird's going to Hays, going to Scott City, going to some of these other places and see how well they're doing. And why aren't they ripe for companies to come in and do startups and opportunities? Well, because a lot of what you just talked about, all.

00;22;59;03 - 00;22;59;07

Philip Sarnecki

The.

00;22;59;12 - 00;23;01;10

Cary Hall

Taxes and bureaucracy.

00;23;01;12 - 00;23;20;20

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah. Overregulating overtaxing and overspending, I mean, are, you know, regardless of what you might think of the Chiefs deal, here's one example. You know, the leaders of our state decided that they needed a luxury suite, paid for by the taxpayers, in the new Chiefs Stadium.

00;23;20;26 - 00;23;29;13

Cary Hall

Run that by me one more time. This is this is not public knowledge, people. This is breaking news in case. No, it's actually out there. Okay, well, breaking news here. Okay.

00;23;29;16 - 00;23;38;27

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, they they negotiated in the deal. A luxury suite for themselves, paid for by the taxpayers. And, you know.

00;23;39;03 - 00;23;39;10

Cary Hall

We'll.

00;23;39;14 - 00;23;57;07

Philip Sarnecki

We'll, we'll get extreme value out of that, but I'll make sure that the taxpayers are not paying for that when I'm governor, because it's just it's tone deaf. I mean, when you look at the amount of spending I mentioned earlier, $10.5 billion of new spending in the last seven years, and that's what our Democratic governor has brought us.

00;23;57;07 - 00;24;21;14

Philip Sarnecki

But quite frankly, it's also what our Republican leaders in the House and Senate have brought us to. We are overspending and therefore, over taxing, and we're overregulating. So we're not growing the economy. As you talked about, 1.4% is anemic. So, it just it really bothered me when I heard that, that the taxpayers are going to be paying for that luxury suite.

00;24;21;16 - 00;24;42;05

Philip Sarnecki

And it's just, again, is that a huge number in a $26 billion budget? Not. No, but that's not the problem. The problem is these are the taxpayer dollars. And, you know, I grew up, my father was a janitor. My mom was a secretary. I mean, every dollar is precious. And we have to protect the taxpayers of the state of Kansas.

00;24;42;08 - 00;24;59;08

Cary Hall

My father was a coal miner. Yeah. Okay. So you know, I know. Every dollar. Yeah. I said, you know, to me that's just arrogant. I'm sorry. That's the way I see it, that you think you that you think you should have that privilege because you're in political office, right? Really? Yeah.

00;24;59;09 - 00;25;01;04

Philip Sarnecki

Seriously, I totally agree.

00;25;01;04 - 00;25;13;20

Cary Hall

No, I don't, I don't to me, that just. Yes, you said it. It's tone deaf. Yeah. In a time where we're not growing and we're being taxed to death, now we're going to have this luxury. Yeah. Oh. Tucked away.

00;25;13;20 - 00;25;14;14

Philip Sarnecki

Tucked into the deal.

00;25;14;15 - 00;25;19;19

Cary Hall

You get to pay for it. So yeah. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. You probably won't get invited. You get to pay for it.

00;25;19;19 - 00;25;25;06

Philip Sarnecki

I don't know if when I'm governor, we'll figure out some creative ways on how to use it. Oh, real value out of it.

00;25;25;06 - 00;25;43;20

Cary Hall

But if Chiefs to start playing football again. Like to have the last three years. I'm sure there'll be a lot of high level executives. Wouldn't mind coming to one of those games and talk about putting a deal together, you know, to come into this state and do some work and, you know the other thing is, obviously we touched on it a minute ago before we go to break here is we have to be able to keep these young people.

00;25;43;25 - 00;25;54;12

Cary Hall

We've got some of the best schools in the country. K state that architecture program is one of the best schools in the country. You know, we've KU’s got some great. KU Med, business school.

00;25;54;12 - 00;25;54;17

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah.

00;25;54;23 - 00;26;04;10

Cary Hall

Business schools I mean law schools. Emporia Pittsburg State go down the list. But those kids aren't staying here. So we have to create these opportunities.

00;26;04;10 - 00;26;11;28

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, we need jobs. We need businesses that are here. We need jobs that will attract them. And it's, it's something we'll get done as governor.

00;26;12;00 - 00;26;28;01

Cary Hall

Yeah, I think it is something you'll get done. And I think you and I think one of the reasons why you're having this success you're having with the campaign is it's a different message. And I think people are ready for a very different message. If you want to learn more, go to the website PhilipSarnecki.org.

00;26;28;01 - 00;26;48;01

Cary Hall

All his information is up there. You can also go to WinRed. Support Philip Sarnecki for governor. You can do a quick boom there and do a donation. If you want to do that. You can follow him on Facebook as well. And of course, this show is posted at all 16 of our podcast platforms. It will also be posted up our YouTube and then broadcast on our 15 affiliates around Kansas.

00;26;48;04 - 00;27;08;06

Cary Hall

We come back from the break. We're going to switch topics now, and I'm going to ask Philip to talk about the success of the school system in the state of Kansas. How well are kids reading? How well are they doing it at math. We'll get into that when I come back from the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network.

00;27;08;08 - 00;27;19;07

Cary Hall

Coast to coast across the USA. Stay right there. We got the future governor in the house.

00;27;19;09 - 00;27;36;12

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocates Show broadcasting coast to coast to coast USA here on the HIA Radio Network. You can find out more about us by going to the website AmericasHealthcareAdvocate.com. You have a question, a problem. You need help. Reach out to me. I'm happy to help you in any way that I can.

00;27;36;20 - 00;27;54;03

Cary Hall

Philip Sarnecki, hopefully the future governor of the state of Kansas in studio with me for the second time today. I hope to have been back many more times before we get to November. If you want to learn about this guy I've known him for, I think almost 9 or 10 years now. This is somebody who you really do need to get to know if you want a new governor.

00;27;54;09 - 00;28;18;10

Cary Hall

That’s going to turn this state around, get us away from 1.4% growth and the highest taxes in the area. This is the man that can do that. His website. PhilipSarnecki.org. You can also follow him on Facebook and support Philip Sarnecki for governor. Also on WinRed. So Hunter your campaign manager dropped this on me as he came in the studio.

00;28;18;10 - 00;28;37;14

Cary Hall

And frankly, I was shocked because my grandchildren go to Blue Valley School District, and it's one of the I think it's the number four rated school district or 14th rated in the country or something. It's ridiculous. It's a fabulous program, great academic program, great athletic program. That's not the case with State of Kansas, is it? Philip?

00;28;37;17 - 00;28;59;28

Philip Sarnecki

No. The state of Kansas is, struggling from an education standpoint, and there's a number of reasons for that. But, just to give you a couple of examples, we are 15th in spending. We're 40th in Nape scores. We last year spent a little over $20,000 per child, per student in the state of Kansas on education.

00;29;00;02 - 00;29;21;27

Philip Sarnecki

And yet we had the worst test score outcomes that we've ever had for a state. The worst? The worst. So for the first time ever, our test scores were below the national average. So in fourth grade, 70%, it's actually a little over 70% of our fourth graders are not proficient in math or reading. At a fourth grade level.

00;29;21;28 - 00;29;42;08

Philip Sarnecki

A little over 70%. And so we are we are failing our children. You know, I mentioned this at the debate, too. I mean, it kind of goes without saying that your children are your future. But if we don't fix this, Kansas won't have much of a future. This has got to be a top priority to fix.

00;29;42;08 - 00;30;06;10

Philip Sarnecki

So I'll give you a couple of examples. So one of the things where you see education succeeding around the country in different states is charter schools. And we have less than a dozen in the state of Kansas. And one of the reasons for that is the charter schools are approved by the districts. And we need an independent authority, an independent body that is approving those charter schools.

00;30;06;12 - 00;30;21;12

Philip Sarnecki

And then the other thing that we need to do is we need to be able to scale the schools that are doing the charter schools that are doing well. So let's go replicate those that are doing well across the country or across the state. Why are they doing well? And then let's, you know, go and replicate that.

00;30;21;12 - 00;30;42;21

Philip Sarnecki

So that's one thing that we need to be doing. The second thing is so the center for Education Reform, you so I mentioned CNBC ranked as 48th on the economy as a state and gave us an F. Well, the center for Education Reform for School Choice ranked us 50th. They ranked US dead last in school choice and gave us an F as well.

00;30;42;27 - 00;30;51;27

Philip Sarnecki

So we're getting an F on the economy. We're getting an F on school choice. So we we don't have enough options. So some people are thrilled with their schools and that's wonderful I.

00;30;51;29 - 00;30;52;21

Cary Hall

Really is.

00;30;52;21 - 00;31;16;02

Philip Sarnecki

Sure. Yeah, I grew up in a public school. My wife grew up in a public school. I mean, public schools, can be wonderful, but they're not working for everyone. No. And some people need different options. They need different choices. And parents need to be in control of that, not state government bureaucracy. And we need to give our parents more choice for those.

00;31;16;02 - 00;31;26;29

Philip Sarnecki

They do need more options, whether it's a charter school, whether it's a private school, whether it's homeschooling. And we need to empower the parents to be able to make those choices for their children.

00;31;27;03 - 00;31;53;01

Cary Hall

But we don't see that happening. We don't yet. And and while communities like Johnson County with the highest property taxes, and I know you and I both pay them, okay, but I've got grandchildren go to school here. So I'm like, okay, but you you get further out and into the rural communities where they don't have the assets and they don't have the ability or the quality of education for those kids declines dramatically.

00;31;53;01 - 00;32;15;03

Cary Hall

Yet there are no alternatives. They don't have a choice. They don't have a choice. And a lot of in a lot of places, like in Wichita, Salina and other places that have a choice there either, because, as you said, and charters are interesting because I served on a charter school, Urban Children's Leadership Academy in Kansas City. And I remember this is on the east side of Kansas City, mostly African-American population.

00;32;15;05 - 00;32;35;27

Cary Hall

The parents that came to that school were so thankful that their kids were going to school where they were in uniforms, where there was discipline, where they learned it was a I remember one mother's child was going to be kicked out of school, and she came in and she begged us not kick him out of school. I don't want him to have to do what I do for a living.

00;32;36;02 - 00;32;46;03

Cary Hall

I don't want him to have to stick people. She was a lab tech. That's all she did. She wanted him to have a future. These kids aren't getting that future because we don't have that system.

00;32;46;05 - 00;33;05;18

Philip Sarnecki

Yeah, well, that goes back to my being able. So there's an example. I'm not familiar with that school, but that's an example of take those schools that are doing well that are exceptional, and let's go scale those around the state and create opportunities to do that so we can, you know, we can empower the parents, to have those kind of choices and options for their children.

00;33;05;20 - 00;33;11;26

Cary Hall

So how do you answer this issue when people say, well, you're taking money away from the rural school districts, they won't be able to survive?

00;33;11;28 - 00;33;24;24

Philip Sarnecki

Well, first of all, if you look at the data, it's not true. The school school spending is continues to increase. It continues to go up and up. And so we're not doing that again. We're spending over $20,000 per student. That's what the taxpayers are spending.

00;33;24;24 - 00;33;25;26

Cary Hall

That's a lot of money.

00;33;25;28 - 00;33;51;00

Philip Sarnecki

Per student per year. That's what we spent last year in the state of Kansas to, you know, to educate our children. Part of the problem is that where the money's going, it's an allocation of resources. It's not a money issue. It's an allocation issue. Way too much money going to bureaucracy. I could go through. We don't have time, but I could go through the whole, educational layers in the state as opposed to getting the money into the classroom.

00;33;51;00 - 00;33;55;02

Philip Sarnecki

Exactly. Getting the money to the teachers and getting the money to the students.

00;33;55;02 - 00;33;59;03

Cary Hall

And how much of that revolves around the teachers unions and their influence in the state?

00;33;59;10 - 00;34;02;29

Philip Sarnecki

A big part of it, and I don't quite. No question.

00;34;03;01 - 00;34;03;16

Cary Hall

No question.

00;34;03;18 - 00;34;31;19

Philip Sarnecki

That then. And when you get career politicians that are bought and paid for, you know, that's one of the nice things about, you know, me being an outsider is I'm not beholden to anybody. No you're not. I don't owe anything, anything, anyone, anything for a political career. Because I've never had a political career like you. And so I can truly come at this with a different lens and, with a different, at it from a different angle than what, all the folks that I'm running against and the way that they approach it.

00;34;31;22 - 00;34;36;21

Cary Hall

And I think you do. Well, thank you. And I think you’re probably going to win this race. Well thank you. Humble opinion.

00;34;36;21 - 00;34;37;12

Philip Sarnecki

It's going very well.

00;34;37;20 - 00;34;54;28

Cary Hall

It certainly is. Thank you for coming on to of course. Now I leave you with this thought from Albert Einstein, the one who follows the crowd, they usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been. I would have to say that probably applies to the man sitting across me in this studio today.

00;34;55;00 - 00;35;10;28

Cary Hall

Thank you for listening to America's Healthcare Advocate Show, broadcasting coast to coast across USA. Goodbye America.

00;35;11;01 - 00;35;15;03

Cary Hall