BasehorInfo.com / Senator visits elementary school

Archive for Thursday, December 10, 2009

Sen, Tom Holland talks to students Thursday at Glenwood Ridge Elementary School.

December 10, 2009

Students at Glenwood Ridge Elementary School in Basehor got a lesson in government and being a good citizen Thursday when Sen. Tom Holland, D-Kan., paid the school a visit.

Holland, who represents the third district in Kansas, came to Glenwood Ridge as part of the America’s Legislators Back to School program, sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

During his talk with the students, Holland explained a few aspects of the state and national government, and discussed some of his responsibilities as a senator.

“We have a type of democracy called a ‘representative democracy,’” Holland said. “That is where your moms and dads and brothers and sisters and neighbors in the community, they actually elect people to represent their interests in Topeka.”

The people who vote in the third district are Holland’s constituents, he told students, and he tries to act on behalf of those men and women.

“My job is to listen to my constituents, so that I represent their interests in Topeka,” he said.

A democratic government relies on its people to function properly, Holland said. Voting, learning about the government, keeping current on legislative issues and reaching out to local representatives are some ways Holland said the students and their parents can practice good citizenship.

“That’s really, really important when you have a democracy is to be sure you’re communicating to your reps what you think the government needs to be doing,” Holland said.

Sen. Tom Holland in Basehor

Enlarge video

Discussion

BasehorInfo.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.
Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.

23 December 2009
at 11:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

Permalink

jason2007 (Anonymous) says…

Mr. Holland speaks about the importance of listening to his constituents however, we are the reddest of reds among red states. A Democrat, who went along with Sebelius whenever she asked him to bark, sit, roll over and was tossed frequent doggie treats by our most liberal Governor in decades, is preaching to his (overwhelming) conservative base?

When will people wake up and realize our representatives (in most cases) are not truly representing us? Holland, like Dennis Moore and many others, talks a good talk while at home but votes straight down ideological lines on the Senate floor.

I find it interesting that Holland spoke to Elementary school students instead of High School or even a townhall. Could it be that Holland is most comfortable in front of an audience that normally watches Barney so they won't call him out for his lies?

Next time, Tom, tell the kids about how you support taking as much of their mommy and daddy's money as possible and giving it to other people. Tell them about how you want to tax cigarettes because “it's bad for people” but without people buying cigarettes, your bloated budgets which you pass year after year would fall apart.

It's simply amazing how these people stay in power.