Topekan Rick Kloos has launched an independent bid for Kansas governor.
He is director of the nonprofit organization God’s Storehouse, a thrift store that also serves needy families. God’s Storehouse employs 35 people and was founded nine years ago. Kloos, 52, a Belleville native was involved in FFA as a high school student.
One of his priorities is to listen to Kansans and as he travels rural areas the focus is on agricultural producers.
“Farmers and ranchers want to know they are heard,” Kloos said.
Kloos said being a listener is a strength he offers to residents in western Kansas and that includes talking to mayors and elected local officials who are invested in seeing their communities grow.
“I want to support them,” he said.
A consistent message he has heard is the need to upgrade highways, whether it is improving two-lane roads and bridges or pursuing construction of four lanes, where appropriate, to better connect communities and commerce.
The state has had three 10-year plans and yet there are many roads that need improved, he said, which has been delayed in recent years as a result of a state budget crisis.
Kloos, and his wife, Pennie, have four grown children and two grandchildren. One of their sons, Nate, is Rick’s running mate.
As Rick travels he has tried to take as much time as possible in small towns and not schedule stops so far in advance that he cannot hear the concerns of rural residents.
Water important issue
Water users, particularly those who depend on the Ogallala Aquifer, are engaged with the process as they have a vested interest in preserving the underground source, Kloos said.
The statewide plan as outlined by former Gov. Sam Brownback is a good start, the candidate said.
A governor has to be proactive in state water policy, Kloos said. A 50-year plan has to be funded, he said, or it won’t succeed. The plan also addresses water quality issues in eastern Kansas.
“It’s a natural resource we need to preserve,” he said, adding a prolonged drought has made it worse.
“At the end of the day farmers want to know the governor is listening,” he said.
Tyson plant
When Tyson pulled back its proposal to construct a poultry processing plant in Tonganoxie, Kloos said he was not surprised. Transparency needs to take part in community development initiatives. Kansas has 105 counties and citizens are governed by local officials that include county commissioners and township boards.
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“We need to have all questions answered,” he said before a major industry is brought into a community.
Food sales tax
The candidate was in favor of reducing the state sales tax on groceries as a way to help those in need and would be a similar tax rate to surrounding states. As Kansas works to get back on financial track he said that reducing the tax rate is a long-term goal.
“I would like to see it lowered,” Kloos said.
Nate Kloos said it makes sense to incrementally reduce it over a period of several years but agreed with his father that the current level of tax is likely to stay at its current rate for several years.
Other issues
Rick Kloos said as governor he would be an advocate of trade policies that benefit farmers and ranchers. The North American Free Trade Agreement as it pertains to agricultural products he has supported in the past and will continue to do so. Implementation of tariffs by President Donald Trump can have dire consequences on Kansas’ farm economy and a governor has to let a president know about those consequences.
“Any rash decisions can hurt us,” he said.
The governor also has to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship so farmers and ranchers can develop their own markets. Kloos is a fan of “thinking outside the box” to solve problem and the state needs to so as it funds a $15.5 billion budget.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
