12/10/2025
VIEW FROM THE HILL: How important is a Donut?
By Kan. Sen Scott Hill, 24th District (Dickinson and Saline Counties)
When you think of your local community, what are the businesses that quickly come into your mind? Is it the box stores that have the personality of a rock? Is it the single proprietor local businesses that know you by name? Is it the chain store that provides you with a consistent and uniform product? Is it a boutique shop that has a uniqueness that makes you feel at home? I appreciate each and every business that we have in central Kansas. The mix of large and small retailers provide us with both convenience and personality. The flavor of Kansas and the rest of rural America is the business owners that put their heart and soul into making their niche the best it can be.
As a Kansas State University student in the 1980’s I remember a bakery called Swanson’s Bakery. During the day it was a normal bakery that provided flour-based products for its customers. Richard “Swannie” Swanson ran this small bakery until 1986. What K-State alumni remember about the Swanson bakery, though was the back door. One person I saw on social media even claims to have that back door in their basement. If you have never been on a Swannies run you are probably confused at this point, but there is something to be learned from Swanson’s Bakery.
For twenty years before it closed this bakery provided a memorable and calorie-laden treat for the late-night customers. At midnight on any given night Swannie would have the back door open to provide “yum yums” to the hundreds of college students who would line up in the alley behind the bakery. The students who were up studying or doing whatever college students do at that time of night, were not provided with essential nutrition, unless they were suffering from hypoglycemia, but they were certainly given a huge dose of memories. The end of an era happened in 1986 and in 1987 the “progressive” new Manhattan Town Place mall was constructed, after condemning businesses in that area of Manhattan.
It may be nostalgic to wish that we could have both large and small retailers in our towns. The flavor of the owner/proprietor may not trump the desire of city planners to capitalize on regional appeal, but it certainly created an environment that instills quality of life memories in customers. As a policy maker it is critical that we focus on principles, not emotional reaction. The power of the American system is the selection process that the market brings to economic endeavors. Small businesses, whether they provide essential or niche markets, need to be competitive without protectionism, which is rooted in corruption. Large businesses that have economies of size should be held to the same standard of market competitiveness. The use of taxpayer dollars that in many cases are collected from small entrepreneurs should not be used to incentivize large retailers just because they have political power. The role of government is to protect the principles of hard work, property ownership, and freedom to pursue dreams. It is not the place of government at any level to pick winners and losers. When government tips the field to benefit certain players, the market not only suffers but additionally corruption is institutionalized. When you think of businesses in your community, it is my desire that you think of businesses that build their locality, not take from it.
