Last week, this writer asked several prominent, longtime Kansas University faculty members, “What’s the morale situation at KU?”

One professor responded, “bad,” and another shook his head in a negative manner while his wife signaled her opinion with an energetic thumbs-down gesture.

Asked why they think morale is bad, there was a common response: “Money.”

A large percentage of KU faculty members believes they are caught in an almost-impossible position. They cannot count on anything state legislators may propose in the way of salary improvements, and they see what they consider to be exorbitant salaries being paid to some nonteaching staff members while gifted teachers with impressive rmand many years of service receive only a fraction of what some of the newer hires at KU receive. The situation is aggravated by the chancellor’s recent announcement that there will be no salary increases for anyone this year.

“What are they to think about how they are viewed by legislators and KU administrators?” one of the faculty members asked. “What does it say about the value and importance university leaders place on these talented teachers and researchers?”

“History has demonstrated it is wrong for faculty members to get enthused or encouraged by the actions of a particular Legislature on increased compensation,” another teacher said, “because the next legislative body can take it away or change funding levels. It’s a very discouraging situation. After looking at what they think are totally out-of-line salaries for some at KU and seeing the actions of state legislators, many almost adopt a sense of helplessness. Is there any question why morale is low?”

It’s not a happy campus.

What’s the current thinking relative to the Kansas gubernatorial campaign?

Basically, there is disappointment, maybe anger, among Republicans that the party has sunk to such a low, or weak, position. In one of the nation’s most Republican states, and with a GOP governor who once was extremely popular, why is the party so vulnerable in the upcoming election?

On the Republican side, there is little genuine enthusiasm. Senate President Dave Kerr is perhaps the best qualified, but so far, he has been unable to excite and enthuse voters. His running mate, Mary Birch, has an excellent record of attracting industry and business as Overland Park’s chamber of commerce executive, but she has little, if any, name recognition outside Johnson County.

State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger probably touches more voters with his relatively simplistic approach to the state’s financial mess and his message about the state wasting tax dollars and having far more employees than it needs. It all makes sense, but when you peel back some of the solutions offered by the former House speaker, there is reason to wonder what the consequences might be.

Wichita Mayor Bob Knight makes a good, businesslike impression, and he has a record of 20 years as mayor of the state’s largest city. His long tenure as mayor and the TV exposure that goes with that job have given him good name recognition in Wichita as well as western parts of the state.

Dan Bloom of Eudora is a first-class citizen and has a good record in his career as a school administrator. He is sincere and knows the problems and challenges of education based on first-hand experience, but he has little name recognition and is fighting an uphill battle.

On the Democratic side, Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius has to be smiling at the GOP civil war. She makes an excellent appearance in public and delivers her message in a positive, professional manner tailored to the interests of her specific audience. She focuses great attention on her role in denying the sale of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas to the Anthem Insurance companies, saying she is looking out for the best interests of Kansans.

Not long ago, a judge overturned her decision to block the sale, and it now is headed to a higher court.

There is no way for Sebelius to know for sure whether it is in the best interests of Kansans to deny the Anthem bid. Many say stand-alone operations such as the Kansas “Blue” eventually will have to merge with larger operations, and Anthem is one of the best. They claim Kansans would be better off with the merged company.

She has ridden the Blue Cross issue about as hard as she can, and one has to wonder whether raw politics didn’t influence her decision. She refuses to address the fiscal crisis facing the state, saying she does not think it is proper to comment from the sidelines on this issue and it is up to current officeholders and lawmakers to decide what they think is the best course of action regarding taxes and reducing the shortfall. There’s no way to say it other than she dodges the question about what she would do if elected governor.

At this date, it would be a mistake to write off the Kerr, Knight or Shallenburger efforts. Kerr is the most experienced, but can he ignite a fire in the campaign? Knight or Shallenburger have better name recognition throughout the state. Sebelius, who probably once looked upon her chances to move into the Governor’s Office as being fairly good, is likely to be a bit more sober at this time, and loyal state Democrats are crossing their fingers.

It is unfortunate that Clay Blair of Olathe didn’t decide to enter the governor’s race. He could have campaigned as a candidate who was likely to serve only four years and who would favor neither Republicans nor Democrats but do what was in the best interests of all Kansans. He has done an excellent job as chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents and has helped initiate many innovative programs to benefit higher education. He has been offered opportunities to apply his skills to the K-12 education system in the state, and he is a successful businessman.

He considered the governor’s race only because Gov. Bill Graves decided to dump him from the regents to make room for his political friend, Dick Bond, another Johnson County resident. Bond is an able, successful politician, but it is questionable whether politics should be injected into the regents office.

The state lost a good regent and a good gubernatorial candidate. Blair would not have been in the hip pocket of anyone: politicians, university chancellors, business interests, farmers, industrialists or any other specific group. He would have had the courage to try new ideas and build Kansas into a stronger, better state for all citizens.