Kansans giving to help Kansans

Whether it's helping a neighbor pick up after a storm, caring for a sick friend, or a community barnraising or pulling in harvest, Kansans have a long history of looking out for each other. Because Governor Mark Parkinson has had to make drastic budget cuts, he urges Kansans to help their neighbors. This is nothing to ask of hardy Kansans- its deep within our pioneer heritage. Below we've listed a number of ways we Kansans can help each other in this time of need.

Hear Governor Parkinson's Thanksgiving message:
http://governor.ks.gov/component/content/article/42-front-page-news/474-govenor-thanksgiving-message

Find agencies to give your time or dollars to:
Local:
SRS provides a county search engine guide to available community services. http://www.srskansas.org/ISD/community_services/community_servicesmain.htm

United Way of the Plains:
http://www.unitedwayplains.org/

Community Health Charities of Kansas and Missouri
http://ksmo.healthcharities.org/index.asp

National and International:
Causecast- supports national and international agencies for change
http://www.causecast.org/

Global Impact
http://www.charity.org/

Gifts in Kind International
http://www.giftsinkind.org/

Find volunteer opportunities at:
Governor's Mentor Program
http://kansasmentors.kansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Kansas Volunteer Commission
http://www.kanserve.org/

Create the Good
http://createthegood.org

iParticipate
http://www.iparticipate.org/

Protect yourself from scam artists and make sure you're giving to agencies and charities with the best interests at heart.

Attorney General's site:
http://www.ksag.org/page/charities

See whether the charity you are giving to is registered with the Secretary of State at their Charity Check site:
http://www.kscharitycheck.org/

Contact your local Better Business Bureau to find out more:
http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/

There are so many opportunities to help those in need. Check with your local shelters, community health clinics, schools, and area agencies for the aging to find out how you can give this season. By helping your neighbors, you will be helping Kansas recover.

Article Contact: Kim Harp

Throwin' you a Lifeline!

Is your phone bill getting out of hand? Do you currently receive assistance through the State? Kansas is currently promoting the Kansas Lifeline Service Program (KLSP)- a federal and state telephone assistance plan that provides income-eligible consumers with a reduction in the price of basic local service. You may be eligible to receive up to $17.77 off your monthly local telephone bill through the Lifeline Program. If you don't currently have telephone service, you may also be eligible for a discount on your connection charge through Link Up America.

Governor Mark Parkinson's press release regarding the Lifeline program
http://governor.ks.gov/News/NewsRelease/2009/nr-09-0910b.htm

Kansas Corporation Commission
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/pi/lifeline.htm

Kansas Citizen Utility Rate Board
http://curb.kcc.state.ks.us/lifeline.htm

Federal Lifeline website
http://www.lifeline.gov/

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html

For those living on tribal lands, there may be additional assistance
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tribalfactsheet.html

Call your local telephone company for more details on how you can cut your phone bill costs through Lifeline. The number is on your telephone bill or in the front part of the telephone directory.

Article contact: Kim Harp
(Check out current additions to the State Library's collection here)

Gov. Sebelius nominated to U.S. Cabinet Post

On March 2, 2009, President Obama nominated Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be a member of his Cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Governor Sebelius accepted the nomination and will await approval by the U.S. Senate before officially taking office.

The nation recently went through a smoothe transition from one presidential administration to another and now Kansas will prepare for the possibility of a change in governors under the laws that govern our state.

Below are online resources on Governor Sebelius and our Lieutenant Governor, Mark Parkinson who will assume the governorship pending Sebelius' departure. Also included are links to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and sites proving information on the processes that will take place as our state and federal governments move through changes in leadership.

Kathleen Sebelius

Information from the Governor's website
http://www.governor.ks.gov/about/default.htm

Biographical information from Wikipedia with references
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Sebelius

Mark Parkinson

Lieutenant Governor's web page at governor.ks.gov
http://www.governor.ks.gov/LtGov/

Biographical information from Wikipedia with references
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Parkinson

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/
“The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America". In 2004 the Department had 67,000 employees.

The department was created when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act (PL 96-88) into law on October 17, 1979. It split the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, (HEW), which included the Social Security Administration, agencies constituting the Public Health Service, Family Support Administration, and the Office of Education into the Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Education. Both began operation on May 4, 1980.” (Wikipedia.org)

Vacancies in Kansas Executive Offices
From Article 1 of the Kansas State Constitution:
http://www.kslib.info/constitution/art1.html

“11. Vacancies in executive offices. When the office of governor is vacant, the lieutenant governor shall become governor. In the event of the disability of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall assume the powers and duties of governor until the disability is removed. The legislature shall provide by law for the succession to the office of governor should the offices of governor and lieutenant governor be vacant, and for the assumption of the powers and duties of governor during the disability of the governor, should the office of lieutenant governor be vacant or the lieutenant governor be disabled. When the office of secretary of state or attorney general is vacant, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term. If the secretary of state or attorney general is disabled, the governor shall name a person to assume the powers and duties of the office until the disability is removed. The procedure for determining disability and the removal thereof shall be provided by law.”

United States Cabinet

Official site of U.S. Presidential Cabinet
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/

Track the Confirmation of President Obama's Cabinet Nominees
http://innovation.cq.com/projects/cabinet_nominee
(From CQ Politics)

United States Cabinet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cabinet
(Information from Wikipedia)

Sebelius on the White House Blog
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/02/Sebelius-at-HHS/