If there's one good thing about social media, it's illuminating how much hatred there is in the Republican Party for ordinary Americans, particularly those who question or challenge Republican policies.
You may have already heard the story about Chloe Hough, the Topeka, Kansas waitress who, on her last day on the job, had the "pleasure" of waiting on her state's Republican Governor Sam Brownback at Boss Hawg's restaurant.
In late March, Brownback signed a new school financing law that replaces the complex school funding formula with flexible block grants for the next two years. The bill reduces funding that districts had expected for the current school year.
Before Hough took the tab to the governor — which rang in at $52.16 — she put an X in the line where he would leave a tip. And to the left of that she wrote, “Tip the schools.”
Ms. Hough posted the image of the Governor's tab, with her writing on it, to her Facebook page, whereupon it immediately went viral: “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting a tip,”
she said. “I was trying to make a point.”
In typical Republican fashion, rather than address her concerns about education policy in Kansas, Clay Barker, the Executive Director of the Kansas State Republican Committee, decided to viciously attack Ms. Hough. In a post on KNS TV's Facebook page, Barker summed up the feelings of the Kansas Republican Party towards this woman working for tips at less than minimum wage:
“So you are publicizing her arrogant stupidity and utter ignorance. Typical liberal KS media,” he wrote.
Barker later continued, telling The Topeka Capital-Journal by email:
“And yes it is perfectly in line with the party’s role — we get to say what everyone is thinking."
The incredible arrogance and contempt toward his constituent displayed by this Republican spokesman was not lost on many who replied to his commentary:
She's ignorant for speaking out against a ruthless tyrant?
9 · May 3 at 11:35am
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How is she ignorant?
3 · May 3 at 11:54am
KS liberal? Hahaha.
8 · May 3 at 12:25pm
A little redundant there, Clayton. Could you elaborate on why you believe this woman to be ignorant?
3 · May 3 at 12:28pm
I don't think Mr. Barker is going to answer you. He lists being the executive director of the Kansas Republican Party and a general counsel for them as well on his FB page. I doubt he understands the concerns of the Kansas people that send their children to public schools.
14 · May 3 at 12:48pm · Edited
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Her message is a good one
2 · May 3 at 12:53pm
3 · May 3 at 1:00pm
Clayton, you are in idiot.
2 · May 3 at 1:52pm
she is not "stupid" for posting on the internet. That it went viral was not her doing. She was on a position to make a statement, and I'm glad that she did.
6 · May 3 at 1:57pm · Edited
[C}ongratulations on further perpetuating the stereotype that kansas is full of ignorant uneducated morons and being from georgia i can back that up, you mention kansas in any conversation and theres a 9 out of 10 chance someone would say they'd rather die then step foot in that hell hole...
May 3 at 5:06pm
So does the GOP in Kansas not want to hear their constituent opinions?
3 · May 3 at 6:21pm
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Yes, there ARE a few Liberals like me in Kansas...
Brownback and the Republican Party gutted Kansas' public schools by
$44 million this year alone. Their policies have
impacted Hough personally, with her younger, special needs sister, losing educators to Brownback's budget cuts. The Topeka High School Hough attended has been particularly hard hit:
Those are the students slated to be hit hardest by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s public education cuts, which he has imposed to help fill the massive revenue shortfalls created by his income tax cuts for the wealthy. Under a block-grant funding scheme Brownback signed into law this winter, Topeka High’s school district is slated to lose $3.6 million in funding this year and over the next two years after that, jeopardizing a wide array of academic and extracurricular offerings; for Topeka High students, athletics programs, arts education, and foreign language courses could be on the chopping block. Other districts have cut short their school years; others still warn they may not have enough toilet paper to last out the school year.
Clayton Barker simply articulated how much the Republican Party cares about Ms. Hough's concerns, Kansas schools, or anyone else suffering from the GOP's disastrous economic policies.
Which is, to say, not at all.
At one commenter's request, this is Governor Brownback's contact information:
Office of the Governor
Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 241S
Topeka, KS 66612-1590
Toll Free: 877-KSWORKS (877-579-6757)
Email here.
