LA CYGNE – Taking the extra step, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback took time out of his busy schedule to visit with Prairie View High School students during an assembly last Thursday rather than through a telecomputer conference.
Brownback, a 1974 graduate of Prairie View, was invited by teacher Tyler Applegate to speak to his government class. Brownback referenced when he attended the school it was a 2A school and current Voc-Ag teacher Joe Atwood "was probably the coolest kid in school." Brownback acknowledged Atwood after learning the teacher just won the Honorary American Degree for Teachers at the National FFA convention.
The senator continued at the assembly asking "What’s the most complex physical thing known to us in the universe?" Answers from the students varied from water to other elements but was answered by Brownback with a chart showing the human brain.
He explained that humans are on a huge growth curve of learning using the example of going to the moon versus going to the moon and staying there.
Brownback then told students that they must be "dream givers."
He continued, "You have to overcome to accomplish a dream. Sometimes that dream is not necessarily for you – if you don’t do your dream, someone else gets hurt. I urge you to think about your dreams." He then recounted speaking with Senator Bob Dole that he dreamed of being a senator himself one day. Dole chuckled, but urged him forward. The senator is now on his second term as U.S. Senator.
Following Brownback’s opening remarks, students were allowed to ask the questions. Candice Wilson began by asking Brownback if he felt there was adequate funding for education.
He answered that K-12 education encompasses 52 percent of the state’s budget. He said the answer to the budget crunch in education is a one word answer – GROWTH. With that he explained that areas including animal health or bio-ag, aviation, animal agriculture and a military intellectual complex show the most promise.
With those areas, Brownback further explained that Kansas needs to lower their tax structure to better match how Texas is set up to enhance business growth.
PVHS student Sam Bruch then asked Brownback for advice for a student going into politics. Brownback said those interested in politics need to develop their head and heart to get their head as well trained as possible and develop their heart as people need to know they care.
Seth Diehm then asked Brownback for his opinion on the health care plan.
"It is not a good bill, but we need health care reform," said Brownback.
He explained that health care needs to be taken in an incremental, evolutionary approach. He mentioned that areas that could aid health care reform are tort reform, a tax deduction for health insurance costs, price transparency, the purchase of health insurance across state lines, trade associations and similar businesses banding together to offer health insurance, plans for patients with preexisting conditions and community-based health care clinics.
"Those ideas would add little to no costs in the budget," said Brownback. "Obama’s trying to remake public health insurance – it’s big policy leading to federal health care."
More questions followed including one on No Child Left Behind and another on the Afghanistan war. Brownback thanked his audience of young voters and departed to catch a flight to Washington, D.C.
