Kansas State School Board Candidate needs help!

[proud2BlibKansan]

I am running for the State Board of Education against the incumbent Kathy Martin. Ms. Martin is a member of the "conservative" wing on the 10-member Board. In 2005, she, along with Connie Morris and Steve Abrams, held hearings on the "validity" of creationism as science which generated national and international coverage and made the people of Kansas a laughing stock. In the recent primary, Ms. Martin defeated her moderate Republican opponent by 15,206 to 14,097. However, her voting total was down some 7,000 votes from her primary race four years ago when she gather 22,000 votes against the incumbent moderate Republican, Bruce Wyatt from Salina.

I always knew that my being an open gay man would be used by the radical right against me. Ms. Martin, or her out-of-state supporters, have already begun robo calls into the district asking "Do you want a pervert on the State Board of Education?" These were hitting Manhattan even before the primary election. They are intended to divert people's attention away from the real issues - school funding, the teacher shortage, comprehensive health education, etc. - and keep people's attention on something which has nothing to do with Kansas schools - my particular sexual orientation.

I had been trying to negotiate with the Victory Fund - a national organization dedicated to getting more LGBTs elected to political office - to help raise money for this election battle I face. However, because of recent complications with a candidate in Wichita, the Victory Fund has taken a hands off approach with any further dealings with Kansas. I had counted on the Victory Fund generating at least half of my $40,000 budget for the campaign.

I need your help. I am keenly aware that we are in economic hard times. However, if I am going to be successful in removing a real threat to LGBTs - especially LGBT youth, science and reason, I need you to make a contribution to my campaign today - and again next month and in October. I need to raise at least $2,000 a week from now until the November election, just to spend what Ms. Martin did four years ago.

Please visit my website, http://www.christopherrenner.com where you can make contributions online using your Master Card or Visa though the secure server of Intrust Bank, or you can mail you contribution to: Renner for State Board of Education, PO Box 521, Manhattan, KS 66505-0521. Thank you for your donation.

You can also help by sending this message onto your friends and LGBT Allies in Kansas and across the nation. If you live in District 6 (Salina, Junction City, Manhattan, Holton, Atchison, Marysville), please host a Meet-n-Greet gathering in which you invite your neighbors and friends to come by to meet me and hear what I have to say about the future of education in Kansas. I also need someone with good PR skills who can help me develop stories to feed national LGBT publications about my candidacy and the Kansas race. In you can volunteer your time for this project, please contact me at [email protected].

This November we have a real opportunity to change the direction America has gone under the Bush administration and the influence of the radical right. We can make change happen and we can make it happen here in Kansas!

Christopher E. Renner
508 Valley Drive
Manhattan, Kansas 66502

[ColbertWatcher]

1. A kick and a rec to defeat hate in Kansas! n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Thank you

This really brought a tear to my eye. Damn bigots.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. We cannot do enough to remove all the science-haters out of public.

Make them go underground.

Their ideology should be pushed back out of the mainstream and back into the dark ages where it belongs.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. On behalf of Kansas's growing progressive community

I echo your remarks. :)

[ColbertWatcher]

5. I never knew a damn thing about Kansas, until I read...

...What's The Matter With Kansas. Here's to you guys repeating your radical past!

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Thomas Franks and I share a hometown

Proof that great minds are grown here in Kansass :toast:

[ColbertWatcher]

12. LOL! There ya go!

Now go out there and write your damn book!

:toast:

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. A Life Wasted On The Internet

;)

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Chapter One: email or not email? n/t

[isentropic]

6. K&R...I guess I can pony up a fin for the guy

:D

[jtrockville]

7. Uh oh... his "contribute" page isn't secure.

The "lock" doesn't show up and it's "http", not "https". So I can't contribute.

I tried using the "contact" link, but got an error there too.

I wouldn't recommend "Mertz Web Design" to anyone.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Thanks for letting me know

Isn't there a snail mail address listed too?

[jtrockville]

9. Yes, a PO box is posted, but...

I sent an email to [email protected]

I hate to put it this way, but the "impulse" is gone if I have to go dig out my checkbook and address an envelope. If I don't hear back from him I will write a check, but it's so much easier online.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I just visited his website and I don't see what the problem is

Let me know if you get a reply. I hear ya on the checkbook and envelope deal.

[jtrockville]

13. Did you see a little yellow lock anywhere?

A secure site will always have a little yellow lock, either in the address bar or the status bar.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. OK, gotcha