Great news for taxpayers in the Emporia School District!

          The delay in voting on the $78 million bond issue will likely save us, taxpayers, a bundle of money - millions, yes I said millions of dollars over the 28-year life of the bonds.

          There are two reasons.

          Interest rates on bonds have decreased resulting in major savings and Hill's Pet Food's property tax exemption is expiring.

          Previously the projected increase in the taxes on that proverbial $100,000 home necessary to cover the principal and interest on the $78 million bond was $33.96 a year. The new projection lowers the increase to only $5.76 per YEAR!

          That means, YES, if the bond issue passes your school taxes will increase, but only by 48 cents a month on a hundred thousand dollar home.

          Conversely, if this bond issue fails your school taxes could decrease when the current bond is retired.

          BUT, the consequences of failing to make these important improvements to every school building in the district would be a mistake.

          Safety is the most important item. Access to every school needs to be as secure as possible, especially in these times.

          The other projects are well thought out including required better storm shelters, more useable space for our special needs kids plus updating things like science labs built in the 1970s at the high school. The requested projects are needs not wants.

          Superintendent Kevin Case and his people have done a tremendous job of sharing information and making all buildings involved open for inspection including open houses at many schools this Sunday afternoon.           No one can claim a lack of transparency on this issue.

          Oh yea, speaking of transparency the Hill's benefit will happen - win or lose.

          It looks to me like failure to approve this opportunity would be "Looking a gift horse in the mouth!"

          Then again if we fail to pass this bond issue and one of those unthinkable events happens at one of our schools we can always rationalize saying "well we did lower our taxes even if we didn't secure the entrance to that school."

          A 48 cent monthly tax increase on a hundred thousand dollar home! That's a great offer!

          I'm Steve Sauder, please vote!

          Blake Flanders, the President of the Kansas Board of Regents was our speaker at Rotary yesterday.

          He started his presentation by explaining that the cost of higher education in Kansas hasn't risen that much over the last ten years, but it seems that way because of WHO pays for education.

          He presented a graph with one line showing state support for higher education in Kansas. The other line illustrated tuition costs at state schools over the past ten years. It was pretty dramatic because the lines make a very obvious X!

          While total expenses for public college education in Kansas has increased at a rate about equal to the consumer cost index, TUITION COSTS have SKYROCKETED because our Kansas legislators have drastically cut what they are providing.  

          Flanders next showed us the benefits of having more citizens with some post-secondary education. Not necessarily a bachelor's degree, but something beyond high school. The rewards to our economy would be great.

          So I asked Kansas Board of Regents President Blake Flanders this question:

          You make a very compelling case demonstrating that a more affordable post-secondary education would have a very positive effect on our Kansas economy, yet our legislators choose lower taxes over-investing in higher education.

          Even when the benefit to our state would result in a more robust economy and lower taxes, the folks in Topeka fail to act.     Isn't that a prime example of being "Penny wise and pound foolish?"

          Flanders politely thanked me for my question and calmly explained that his group is constantly making that case and has high hopes the legislature is listening.

          The Regents request from the Kansas Legislature for next year is for an additional $95 million. That's designed to keep tuition flat at schools like Emporia State.

          Guess that would be a step in the right direction, but it would still be: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH!

          I’m Steve Sauder

          This was on Facebook from a 26-year-old MBA candidate.

          Title: My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us!

          I'm sitting in a coffee shop. Scrolling through my news feed. I see presidential candidates calling for policies to "fix" the so-called injustices of capitalism.

          But, I see people talking freely, working on their MacBooks, ordering the food they get in an instant, driving nice cars and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we've become completely blind to it.

          Vehicles, fast food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose are so ingrained in our American way of life we don't give them a second thought.

          In the United States, our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty-One Times!!!
          Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are un-appreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful.

          Our un-appreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies within my generation continues to grow.

          Recently, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, the millennial generation came of age and never saw American prosperity."

          "NEVER SAW AMERICAN PROSPERITY!" Let that sink in!

          When I read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I've ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. (But) Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided.

          My 26-year-old poster continued saying: My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity.

          With all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can see even sitting in a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity?

          We have people who are dying to get into our country. People that are really destitute and truly impoverished.

          Yet, we have a young generation convinced they've never seen prosperity.

          The answer is this...My generation has ONLY seen prosperity.    WE HAVE NO CONTRAST!

          We didn't live in the great depression or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War, nor did WE see the rise and fall of socialism and communism.

          We don't know what it's like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones. We don't have a lack of prosperity problem; WE HAVE AN ENTITLEMENT PROBLEM, an

UN-GRATEFULNESS problem, and it's spreading like a plague."

          This lady's thoughts are certainly - Something to Think About!

          I'm Steve Sauder

          Jazz, really good jazz, will be front and center in Emporia over the next 16 days.

          Tomorrow night at 7:30 at Albert Taylor Hall on the Emporia State campus the ESU students and the music faculty will display their varied and extensive talents in a “high octane” Jazz Concert to benefit our annual United Way Drive.

          The spot we are running on KVOE says there will be Jazz, Swing, Latin, and Rock! This should be fun!

          Sixteen days later the show will shift to our historic Granada Theater at seven o'clock where Emporia native Jack Mouse and his amazing jazz singing wife Janice Borla will present an evening of Chicago style jazz-like most of us have never experienced.

          Here are comments about Jack and Janice from professional music critics.

          Grady Harp from Amazon said: Jack Mouse is mighty on the drums, on technique and on assembling a group of pros to bring this body of unique music together - this quintet plays their hearts out......

          Sally Evans-Darby wrote about Janice: "(She) Again demonstrates her impressive versatility as a musician… Her sheer vocal audacity… pinpoint precision… striking notes as truly as any instrument (and) her wordless vocalizing, flaunted to full effect…"

          Methinks these kids might be good - October eleventh at seven at the Granada and only $35.00.

          On a side note: Jack and Janice's concert has been totally underwritten so that 100% of the gate will benefit the Granada Theater. The performers started the ball rolling working this event at a very favorable price then the following group covered the rest of the cost: ESB Financial, Candlewood Suites, Emporia's Radio Stations, KVOE, Country 101.7 and Mix 104.9, Marilee Henrikson Donaldson and her husband Richard and Bobbi and Steve Sauder.

          Jack and  Janice will also attend his 55th-year Emporia High School Reunion while here and then on Monday, they will turn into Flash Point Creative Arts the non-profit foundation they started to promote the understanding and practice of improvisation as an essential life skill.

          Working with a Board Certified Music Therapist from Flint Hills Music and Hetlinger  Developmental Services Jack and Janice will conduct workshops all day Monday and Tuesday for youngsters and adults from our area, many with disabilities. This couple recently received a Paul Harris Fellowship from a Rotary Club in Chicago for their work with young people with an autism spectrum disorder.

          Jack and Janice are not only talented, but they are also generous!

          It's really good Jazz to support our United Way tomorrow night at ESU and on October 11th it will be more great jazz this time to benefit our Granada Theater.

          Ba, Ba, Ba Lu! I'm Steve Sauder