Fifth- and sixth-graders at Jody Richards Elementary School are writing letters to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and U.S. Rep Brett Guthrie about how the Republican lawmakers might use the seven habits of “The Leader in Me” program to resolve the sequestration issue in Washington, D.C.

The project began Monday, according to Kim Taylor, fifth grade reading and writing teacher at JRES.

“They should put first things first,” suggested fifth-grader Andrea Lenoir, 11. “They’ve been putting off things for a long time.”

The 180 students listened Wednesday to the school’s namesake, state Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, as he talked about what sequestration is.

The seven habits are be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win-win; seek first to understand and then be understood; synergize; and sharpen the saw. The program uses the principles of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” to teach children about responsibility and leadership.

“This is a good way for the kids to express their ideas about the seven habits,” said Parker Stobaugh, 10, a fifth-grader. “The adults have their lawmaking process and the kids have the whole seven habits process and how to use them in their lives,” Parker said.

Richards, 75, brought 38 years of experience in the Kentucky General Assembly to the questions on the kids’ minds, including 14 years as the House speaker.

He said sequestration is a big word that means “to set aside.” The issue of how much money was being spent in Washington set the table for the discussion, he explained – the federal government is borrowing money and not living within its means.

“This is the first time in my lifetime that we have a U.S. congressman and a U.S. senator both living in Bowling Green,” Richards said of the proximity of the leaders to which the JRES students want to write. “If they (Congress) had been proactive, this would have never occurred.”

“They don’t need to yell so much,” Andrea said of the federal lawmakers and the president.

The federal government cut its budget by 3 percent starting March 1 based on legislation it approved two years ago – the federal Budget Reduction Act of 2011, Richards said. He told the children that 3 percent may not seem like much, but when it comes as across-the-board cuts, it impacts more on some federal programs than others, such as the military and social programs that pay for education for people with special needs.

“People are concerned about the military (cuts) and our defense. Countries around the world do not wish us well,” Richards said.

There are projections the cuts could result in a loss of 700,000 jobs across America and the unemployment rate might climb to 10 percent.

“I think the government should create a win-win,” said Emily McSween, 11, a sixth-grader. “Congress needs to work together and not fight over each other’s ideas,” said Haley Duff, 10, a fifth-grader.

Megan Napier, 10, a fifth-grader, thinks Congress and President Barack Obama should get re-energized and look at the situation again. “They should sharpen the saw,” she said.

Richards said a sharp saw is a needed tool. 

“Those who have been in government for a while need to stop and re-energize,” he said.

Richards said afterward that he wanted to talk to the kids on a level that they would understand. He said not only did they know the seven habits very well, but they also understood the issue of sequestration. 

“The seven habits are having a dramatic effect on the educational programs in our schools,” Richards said.