I usually just read the posts on here, but from time to time I have to put my two cents worth in on a subject. Will, you have called out Rooks County as an example. This hits very close to home as it was my home for about 25 years of my 40 year life. I have lived from Hays to Phillipsburg and everywhere in between. Yes I am one of the Stockton people that lived in Plainville for a while about 6 years.

Consolidation is a dirty word in Western Kansas. Many of the communities rely on government jobs to feed their families. I know because I have worked for the government at many levels for the past 20 years. In a small town such as Palco or Stockton the economy relies basically on 2 things, Farm income and government jobs. If you start consolidating government jobs families will have to leave because one or more of the parents' jobs relies on a government job. It may be a cook at the school, teacher, janitor or someone that keeps the roads up so you can get to that piece of property that you own. This could be a county motor grader operator or a state highway worker. Also the people that take your tax money at the court house. Then you have all the government jobs associated with agriculture. Oh, I forgot the 2 game wardens west of Salina that are supposed to patrol everyones' land for illegal hunting. Fact is consolidating government jobs will make the western side of the state die out completely. I am not stating that consolidation isn't going to save tax payer dollars, but at what cost to the people of Kansas. Many of the east coast people still have family in western Kansas. Many like to go back and hunt, see family or just get out of the rat race for a while. It would be sad day for Kansas if the rural life wasn't an option anymore.

As for oil driving Schulte Homes out of business, I'm not buying that. It had many problems before the oil market surged. They coexisted in the 80's. Managment and being bought out by a larger company was the culprit for the demise of Shulte.

Will, I do agree that Kansas has way to many counties. I have studied this and your number, which I beleive was around 65 is not to far off. I will happen some day, but I doubt if happens anytime soon.

As someone that has recently lived on the west and now lives on the east I can tell you there is a vast difference on how people think on the consolidation issue. Emotion plays a huge role in decisions of everyday life so it would be expected it would play a role in consolidation. Administrators and teachers are just trying to figure out how to keep their jobs. I doubt that anything to do with wrestling is on their minds when it comes to decisions who's end results may hinder what the minority of us in the wrestling community want.

All JMO

Bob Oliva