Ryun highlights big issues in visit to Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT -- Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, Topeka, said that economics is the number one issue affecting residents in the 2nd Kansas Congressional District.

Ryun, a Republican who hopes to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, visited The Fort Scott Tribune Tuesday as part of a Kansas Values Tour in which he is taking part. During his visit, Ryun spoke about several issues that affect area residents. Ryun served five terms in Congress, representing the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas.

One of the major issues that Ryun said affects the local economy is tax increases. According to Ryun, increasing taxes would not be beneficial to area families.

"I don't believe we should increase taxes at this point," he said. "It's the worst thing we can do. In fact, the Federal Reserve chairman, (Ben) Bernanke, said the same thing. Tax increases at this point would not be a very wise idea or a very good thing in terms of getting the economy back on its feet."

Many families may have greater difficulty surviving with new taxes and a possible increase in the marriage tax penalty in addition to a decrease in the child tax credit, Ryun said. The marriage tax penalty and the child tax credit will both expire in 2010 if Congress does not pass an expansion on the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, he said.

"The current tax cuts are set to expire in 2010, and we need someone to step in and make sure this doesn't happen," Ryun said. "If elected, I will work day and night to make sure these tax cuts are made permanent."

Another major problem that people are concerned about is immigration. Ryun said that the last time he was in office, he had helped create House Bill 4437; the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. According to Ryun's Web site, www.jimryun.com, the 2005 immigration bill required the permanent building of a fence and did not allow for amnesty.

"This comprehensive bill provided funding to build border fences, increased penalties for those who employ undocumented workers, and allowed for the deployment of new surveillance technology to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants across our borders," Ryun's Web site said.

Although HB 4437 passed in the house, it did not pass the Senate. Ryun said that citizens in the 2nd District want to see a good immigration bill come to fruition.

"That's what I am hearing through the 2nd District again," he said. "They want to have a very good immigration bill that does not include amnesty with great support for building a permanent fence along the southern border. You have to deal with the northern border, as well. It's an opportunity to secure this county and to get a good immigration policy out," he said.

Wasteful government spending in the form of earmarking government funds for legislators' pet projects is also a major issue, Ryun said.

"I have taken the pledge to no longer have any earmarks," he said. "That is a big distinction between me and my opponent," Ryun said.

The earmark system was originally intended to allow members of Congress to reserve tax funds for projects that would benefit their districts, but consensus has been growing among taxpayers and legislators alike that this system has been misused and corrupted for personal gain.

On her Web site, www.boyda.house.gov, Boyda said new U.S. House rules have reduced the total cost of earmarks in the 2008 federal budget by 42 percent. Instead of a ban on earmarks, Boyda said, she is backing legislation to require all members of Congress to post their earmark requests online.

In regard to the war in Iraq, Ryun said it is important to remain in constant contact with the generals who are on the ground in Iraq. As he understands it, Ryun said, although the conditions in Iraq have continued to improve, they are not perfect. He said he would like to see the U.S. troops come home; however, he does not know when it would be advisable to bring them home.

"A premature departure at this point would only destabilize that area," he said. "I believe we need to take that approach from the standpoint of recognizing we're in a worldwide war on terrorism, and we need to let the generals who are in the conflict make the decision; but again, a premature departure will only contribute to the problem that exists there at the moment. Would I like to see our troops home? I'd love to have them home as soon as possible, but I'm not committing to a timeline. I am committing to the generals to let them make that decision."

On the Kansas Values Tour, Ryun is visiting 33 cities in 26 counties across Kansas in a campaign to unseat his opponent, 2nd District U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, D-Kan. Last year Ryun lost is seat to Boyda, who also ran against Ryun in 2004.

Last year Boyda received 51 percent of the state's vote to Ryun's 47 percent. Bourbon County voters, however, highly favored Ryun, who received 57 percent of their votes.

Area residents who want to learn more about Ryun or to receive updates about the Kansas Values Tour can access Ryun's Web site at www.jimryun.com.