[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17938]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS, FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE 
                 BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND RAISE A FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 1, 2008

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Johnson County, Kansas, for being recognized by Forbes Magazine and 
CNN/Money as one of the best places to live and raise a family in the 
United States of America.
  On June 30, 2008, Forbes ranked Johnson County as the third best 
place in the country to raise a family. Similarly, CNN/Money.com has 
called Overland Park, Kansas, a city of nearly 170,000 people located 
in Johnson County, the ninth best place to live in the U.S.
  As a resident of Johnson County myself, I am particularly pleased 
that the county has earned such high praise. These media outlets have 
highlighted what my fellow Johnson County residents and I have known 
for years: great schools, affordable homes, and a growing economy have 
made Johnson County a great place to live.
  Located in Northeast Kansas, in suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, 
Johnson County is home to more than 500,000 people spread across 21 
different municipalities. Six school districts enroll nearly 80,000 K-
12 students each year. Major businesses, including Yellow Freight, 
Applebees Restaurants, and Sprint Nextel have been headquartered in the 
county. The strong schools and impressive job growth, along with 
affordable homes, short commutes, and the low cost of living led Forbes 
to rank Johnson County third out of more than 90 counties from across 
the U.S. that the magazine surveyed.
  I'm proud to say that I have lived and worked in Johnson County for 
more than 30 years. I'm even more proud to have served the citizens of 
Johnson County, first as District Attorney for 12 years, on the Board 
of Trustees for Johnson County Community College for 7 years, and as 
their U.S. Representative for the past 9 years. I want to commend the 
many city and county officials, public service workers, business 
leaders, investors, and above all, the numerous parents and 
grandparents who have worked so hard to help make Johnson County the 
wonderful place that it is today.

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