Experience is going to really play out well the other part that I think is I'm I'm talking as a mayor now is having a partner in DC. Let me tell you why we because of Kobe we've had to cut 11 million dollars out of our budget this year in 16 million out of next year, and that is a huge economic kit to not just our city budget but really the services we provide as a city you know we've had discussion about education. a lot of our city programs are. To be supportive and help with you know for example, having our pools open, which won't be open right now. you know learning how to swim learning how to socialize. I got these are key components for soft skills, which is something that I think businesses are are looking for some of these other programs that we run when you talk about or when you look at like our city arts program, you know we're not running some of those programs now because the budget cuts and because of what we have. And you know I talked about innovation, we got to build on top of what we already do well. Part of that is the arts part of that is the small businesses that make our city unique and unique. so we got to make sure that our city budget is whole, so we can offer these services and then there's also the economic part where there are parents who rely on our after school programs who rely on our recreation centers in our community centers to get you the information that they need or for service. That their kids are taken while they're working and I'll tell you one of my problems when we've been talking about the budget and the budget is going to be presented tomorrow, it's it's a cut of over 11 million dollars I need a partner in DC when you know the Hope Act is coming through with these other acts are coming through to not see us as different. You know like where I'm in DC, I have my role you're in the city. You have your role cuz the reality is that we're in. Connected and so when people take a partisan line and say this thing is dead on arrival, I'm not gonna vote for this without calling me for at least calling my Council members or at least calling staff and say what does this mean for Wichita? What it means that we won't have pools open. It means that we won't be able to you know stay on course for our our our road maintenance. It means that we won't be able to offer the same stuff that folks expect us to offer, which also has an economic impact, not just in our city, but in the lives of everyday folks in Wichita so you know I think. Your experience and understand that there's different cultures are not different cultures different economies within Kansas is going to be vital and really I moving forward. We're all it's intertwine just like when Wichita's economy is going downward because of what happened with spirit. You know that our state our state budget will be shot if projections aren't right, they did not you know they did not balance last year's budget a year before with the idea that Wichita. Recession and just like when Wichita hurting we also know you know it's interconnected with the feds when people at the federal level decide not to move forward on certain legislation. that's going to hurt us here. so you know my goal economically and really my role with the city is to be a part of with our federal delegation because there is a huge like just day to day effect of us to be able to provide the services that the parents and businesses depend on. And boy do I know that and you know me well enough, Darius and Angela. I hope you can know this about me. it is always about listening to the people and finding out what their needs are and working together and not ignore. I mean you can't go up and show up and say I know all the answers and I'm just going to do you gotta keep reaching back into the people and getting the information to be able to move it forward for what they need and it draws me to this question that I was thinking about before this started you know because of. we have so many people out of work, including Wichita, but all over the state and I would not be surprised if the federal government needs to look at when I get into office having a work program to employ people around this country and I would anticipate it being to improve our infrastructure to put into place. You know all this ignored maintenance and then even. To be able to get us into a more Green place with our infrastructure, so I would love to know from you all in Wichita. what relative to those jobs? What would you like to see one Angela from a developmental place are their businesses that you can see that would be able to reach out and help drive that Darius from you and your, I mean you're each gonna come from a different perspective but I will not be at all surprised that I wanna be sure Kansas is in on that and we already know what. Need Where do we wanna go and like you, said well, all of you. I mean we can't just ignore it every place is different. so we need to be ready to help all those places, but do it well because as we all thrive this everyone else does to the state drives. so I'll throw it off. Darius. Don't you start. Thank you for that well obviously we've got a big challenge ahead of us and one of the biggest things I think in in terms of that is and you've been talking about this is about leadership I'm concerned that we continue to cycles in this country where leadership is important and it seems like it becomes less important and when we have lack of leadership in places it trickles down you know if I'm. To my children, they don't know how to behave in society. They don't know how to act to be a better citizen when it comes to the leadership that we need in the federal government when you get there's we do need that reach back and we need an example we also need people who are willing to grow other leaders. I think it would be so sad if in the void any time someone leaves the legislator in our state. There's a whole that can't be filled because we don't think about the next generation of leadership that needs to come forward from that. So who is it that we mentor? Who is it that we disciple to come behind us? this is something that's really huge in my mind because I feel like no matter what our conversations are everything is dependent upon people and depend upon leaders who are able to show the the the the real weight of of of our of our issues and be able to help people navigate those issues and I appreciate you know your leadership even having this discussion. wanted to reach back and have. With people but I can't get away from how important that is right now always has been but especially right now what can I expect from my leader? You know what does my leader need from me? you know, Zach's got a picture of of of Bob Kennedy back behind him, you know and we know we talk about a family a legacy of leadership are we doing the same here in Kansas Kansas is a leader in this country. I believe it is but how do we submit our? And in this in this great country and I'm just so very pleased that I believe we have new leadership on the rise, but I wanna say that's something that's very dear to my heart and all this conversation right now I I love your comment. Darius and what comes to mind to me is my leadership style is to empower others around me to be better than me and to have expectations. So I'm I'm putting you on morning right now, my expect. When I leave from that US Senate seat is I'm gonna demand a lot of you because I need you to be leading and I need you to be teaching others to lead because when we do that together, that's that's how we build and grow it is not about me. It's about me empowering you and and you stepping up to the plate and I know you can and you will so I just don't wanna be in your way. I wanna be a facilitator of that. So Angela I'm glad you said that I know this is not what I'm gonna say is not in response to your question, but it's something that's been on my heart is the importance of leadership that recognizes the strength of those around them. utilizes that and again, as I did say earlier, it is so key that those in federal leadership are sincerely connected to what is happening with their constituents as I shared in my introduction, I've literally worked all over this country and one of the most frustrating things that I've. Is to see the different levels of leadership, not working in collaboration and partnership with each other, but just working on their own style and their own space furthering their own agendas and what they think is best absent of working in collaboration with each other. so that I am looking forward to that continuing because there is power in collaboration there is power in working together and with power there is movement on a common goal. so it's. Again, my hope and my desire to see that continue to move forward as you as you move into your space when it comes to what is happening here in Wichita taking into account and just how that has just touched on every aspect of our lives and and and of our society in our economy. it's still lens to the same thought in my role and in my work here in this community, I have participated in so many meeting. Conversations as we are all trying to understand how do we best respond as professionals in this space as community leaders on trying to. shore up? what is what is happening and what's the impact the negative impact on our residents here so just being able to continue to be aware of those strategies and supportive of those strategies because here in Wichita, you have a group of committed moving leaders who are trying to do all that we can for the well-being. The residents of this city so as we come up with those plans as we discover those as we determine those approaches are we we discover what ways there are there is for us to be able to in our respective roles support and under this this community as we work through it and we need a alliance and Alicia and work with our our various representatives at different at different levels and especially at the federal level again there are certain things that can only be done from a federal space and looking. Federal leadership to be able to navigate that as we work here locally on the ground every day on behalf of Wichita's so again, just looking for that continued communication and collective efforts towards supporting Wichita and the state. Mayor and I'll just add to the about collaborative leadership and you know being purposeful. I guess when it comes to the work done in DC and how it matches what we're trying to do here in Wichita. I think kinda get back to one of the statements you made. there is a lot of appetite in DC for for stimulus money or or money to help with the infrastructure before I go, we went out as a Council and as a you know as a as. And to talk to different departments and so some of federal delegation about you know what about things a-game track things that if we were able to kind of earmarks some of this money and I guess we wanna use your marketing anymore but target some of this money. for example we if you look on on the whole map of Amtrak, it's like an inch that if we got a track from here to here it will connect us from. Pretty much from Kansas City all the way down to Dallas, Texas and from Kansas it goes up to Chicago it would. Wichita right in the Middle of all that where the Bank for our buck would be huge because now we're talking about we're we're we're talking about that that people can take right down this this whole region at Wichita State right now is actively trying to recruit students from cuz it's an economic. It's like the economic area. so not only would infrastructure money. We don't want to just give the just kinda given to a place like Wichita, We can get more bang for a buck. We get the right type of money targeted to the right areas where we're gonna have dividends paid off pay for it for years to come. so I think that collaborative leadership will go a long way with not only interacting with our local business leaders, but also you know with some of the local officials on the ground to say you know if you can get this, you can get that which is gonna have a bigger bang for our buck. So I'm excited about the opportunities for for for collaboration moving forward and I I really think that this approach in true leadership, you know true leadership isn't saying this is what you get. It's asking what you need and to come out and actually you know I I identify not just the influential people, but the people who are true players in our local economy that is going to go far as far as getting more bang for a buck when it comes to trying to bring in and I think some of that federal money. It into a community like Wichita so that we get you know we get more from it than just you know just like a one -time stimulus we wanna get those that that money that keeps on a paying dividends. My kids are yelling in the background. Sorry about that. No. No no it. This is why we're doing this brand and it's for the continued place of this state. it's for those children. It's for you know we're looking ahead. I I I get I. Look at just now I wanna look at what can we build? that's where we need to be thinking and growing, you know Wichita has been such a leader for the state, but let's let's let's keep that happening and let's not lose sight of those kids. Let's yell loud and make that happen. We don't have a lot of time left and I've asked all the questions so we have like four minutes but do you all have a question of me? Does anybody have something you wanna know or something that'. On your right off. so I wanna ask you what have you utilize as a tool to cope with just some of the extreme partisanship that you were talking about earlier? I know that many people might be aware that you've been affiliated on what we call either side of the aisle in your history, you know and and I know we easily this country gravitate to one side or the other and we work. With people who have different beliefs, different cultures, different mindsets different party affiliations and and honestly, it's great that we all work together. but what is the main tool that you've used in your experience to be able to get cut through that and what do you take to Washington where I've worked quite a bit in my federal government experience and it's a partisan town. It's it's split right down the Middle. I mean you know so how do you take the strength of what you've learned in Kansas? to a place. It's scary for someone to think about how do you navigate those situations you know there is what an important question and it is one of the really important parts of what brings me to this table today, not just today, but as a candidate in that, that's what's going wrong in our country is we are divided and people pick a side and act as if the other side is. And evil and bad and won't talk so what do I how do I cope with that? Well? I have a belief system in that God created us to be different. We are supposed to be but also called us to be in community and to love one another. So yes we may run for office as a Republican or a Democrat or whatever else it may be. but when. Once we're elected, we are supposed to be working together for humanity for the United States of America and Kansans. and individual in Wichita and whoever you know we're we're doing that on purpose. So I've always believed in the hope and people say Barbara you just you know you have two son of a A look at this I always believe there's hope that tomorrow if I just speak to that person. and reach. They will reach back and then they don't and then the next day comes and you do it again because there are people literally that I have sat by in Committee for two years who basically. the most they would ever say to me was hello after I said it to them, but never would actually say good morning to me first and what do you do each day? You come back and you greet them and that's what we need to do We need to bring a person to Washington to represent Kansans who love their. And support their neighbor, I am your neighbor you are mine and I'm going there to bring your voice to that place. Yes, there are partisan people and every day I will be smiling and reaching out to say let's work together for the good of this great nation That's the best I can do and bring forward. I can only control myself. you can only control yourself but by gosh, let's love as we do it. Let's bring that goodness forward and believe. In that hope that the others will do the same this country is begging for this, they are crying out for leaders that will come together rather than be divisive and we have an opportunity in Kansas right now to do that with my candidacy. So I love that question. Thank you. That's what I will bring and that's what we need to do and I challenge you to there are hard people. We don't all get along really easily. I know sometimes my husband and I yell at each other, but we love each other and we'll get through that. We'll make the good happen So Wichita you are great. These are hard times and we need to reach out and work together. I am I there were so many things we didn't get to talk about today so we'll do it again. and and I expect don't hesitate to reach out many people have been concerned is the only time I'm ever gonna see you when you run for office. Absolutely not I'm there and available and certainly we'll have staff stepping up. They have no idea how hard they're gonna have to work for me but not by working for. For you for the people of Kansas, that's what they'll be doing so really appreciate you all taking the time Wichita needs leaders like you I love that you're doing this and leading them and we'll keep working together so we'll send a message out to everybody on chat whatever for people as needed and if anybody needs to contact us, We're bully for Kansas dot com B o L L I E R. So thanks. In here, Zack anything that we need to finish with no thanks to our live audience for joining us for this conversation and thank you so much to our panelists and to you. Barbara for having the conversation as Barber said, you can reach out at any time and we're looking forward to talking to you all so thanks everyone and good night. Thanks be well. be safe. Wear your masks. Buh bye. Thanks everyone. Take good care. Bye. Thank you all.