Holland Pledges to Hire Kansans for New Highway Jobs

Press Release

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Holland was in Wichita today, pledging to ensure that the tens of thousands of new jobs created by the Comprehensive Transportation Program will be filled by Kansas workers. In Washington, Senator Brownback has voted to reward companies that ship jobs overseas with tax breaks.

"To create jobs, we must invest in our workforce and recruit new businesses to our state. But in addition to these efforts, we must protect the jobs we have," said Holland. "A few years ago, there was a state agency who decided to stop hiring Kansans to answer their constituent calls. Instead they hired folks overseas to answer the phone. When I found out, I stepped up and put a stop to it[1]. I sponsored and passed legislation that stopped the practice of outsourcing state services to foreign countries. We brought those jobs back, and we put Kansans to work."

"The next governor will oversee the implementation of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Nearly a quarter of a million jobs will be saved or created through this project. We must make sure those jobs are filled by Kansans," said Holland. "We cannot send Kansas jobs over the border, overseas or over the state line. If I'm elected Governor -- I will make sure that work in Kansas is done by Kansas workers. I'll put Kansas first."

"Contrast that to my opponent, Senator Brownback. Right now he's riding around Kansas in a bus he bought in Alabama and got painted in Atlanta. Already he's giving Kansas jobs away to folks out of state," Holland continued. "Last month, Senator Brownback voted to keep giving tax breaks to companies that close plants in the United States and move operations overseas[2]. Salina already lost their Hawker Beechcraft plant to Mexico. With the policies supported by Senator Brownback, I'm worried about whose jobs will be next."

[1] In March 2004, Holland learned that calls about food stamps for the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services were being answered in India under a contract with an Arizona company. To address this issue, Holland authored an outsourcing ban which passed the Kansas House 95-19. (HB 2471, Associated Press, May 8, 2004)

[2] In September of this year, Senator Brownback voted against cloture on S 3816, a bill to repeal various tax breaks for companies that close plants in the United States and move operations out of the country. This bill also would have provided U.S. companies who bring jobs back to America a two-year reduction in their share of Social Security payroll taxes for new employees. (S 3816, Vote 242, September 28, 2010)

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