Last September I made a very safe prediction for the 2017 session of the Kansas Legislature – “Regardless of who is elected to the 2017 Legislature, January will bring turmoil and major disappointment for many Kansans.” Like I said, a pretty safe bet…but the rationale ruffled a few feathers. “Many candidates and special interests say Kansas needs to spend a … Read More
Kansas Budget Deficit overstated by $200 million
The reported $900 million, two-year Kansas budget deficit includes $192.6 million of revenue reductions that won’t occur and another $13 million that’s purely optional and needn’t occur. Collectively, these spending items overstate the budget shortfall by $205.6 million. Each item listed in the adjacent table is considered a ‘transfer’ of revenue rather than appropriated amounts of spending because they were … Read More
City and County Payroll Provides Property Tax Insight
Newly published city and county payroll listings help explain why property taxes doubled, tripled or even quadrupled over the last nineteen years. Total pay for the nine counties and ten cities published on KansasOpenGov.org exceeds $1 billion, with 756 employees collecting more than $100,000 last year. City and county payroll excludes benefits but does count bonuses and other forms of pay, … Read More
Kansas budget can be balanced without tax hikes
Yes, that’s right, the Kansas budget can be balanced without a tax increase. But first, here’s some background to put the situation in perspective. When the Legislature raised the sales tax rate in 2015 as part of the largest tax hike in Kansas history, many legislators, special interests and media expressed outrage at the impact on the poor and the … Read More
Efficient, Effective Spending Keeps Taxes Low
It’s not access to oil or tourism that allows some states to do without an income tax; it’s efficient, effective spending. Texas could have all the oil in the nation and still have a high tax burden if it spent a lot more. Data from the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) shows that in 2015, the states that … Read More
Brownback’s budget proposal pretty good overall
Governor Brownback’s budget proposal for the balance of this year and the coming two years contains a few things that, from a limited government perspective aren’t necessary but all things considered, it’s pretty good. There are significant efficiency measures included, he continues to avoid expansion of Medicaid through Obamacare – which is especially smart since Obamacare will likely change under … Read More
State of the State puts students, citizens first
Governor Brownback’s State of the State address notably emphasized that students and citizens should come first, not government. That sentiment created a great deal of heartburn for the many legislators and special interests who prefer big tax increases, upwards of $1 billion more in spending and no accountability for schools to improve outcomes but it was welcomed by those who … Read More
Governing isn’t about granting wishes
Many parents will soon be faced with the annual Christmas wish list dilemma – deciding how much of their kids’ list they can afford without inflicting economic turmoil on the family. A lot of new legislators will face the same challenge come January, as granting everything on the vote-for-me list would require enormous tax increases on individuals, which in turn … Read More