KPERS Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

Politicians are ignoring a $3.7 billion revenue shortfall 0
- Tax & Spending
- September 17, 2018
“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.” — Thomas Sowell Media and politicians were notified more than a month ago that the massive school funding increase has created a $3.7
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KPERS pension distribution creates 327 new ‘millionaires’0
- Tax & Spending
- May 12, 2018
An Open Records request fulfilled by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) shows record-setting payouts in 2017 of $1.64 billion. The number of KPERS ‘millionaires’ also set a new record, with 2,334 government retirees expected to receive more than $1 million in pension benefits over the first 20 years of retirement; that’s 327 more
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Kansas Legislature Broke a Lot of Promises 0
- Tax & Spending
- June 15, 2017
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
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$1.6 Billion Pension Payouts; Over 2,000 KPERS ‘Millionaires’0
- Education, Tax & Spending
- June 10, 2017
An Open Records request fulfilled by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) shows record-setting payouts in 2016 of $1.6 billion. The number of KPERS ‘millionaires’ also set a new record, with 2,007 government retirees expected to receive more than $1 million in pension benefits over their first 20 years of retirement. Pensions are paid
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$11 Billion School Debt Exceeds State Debt 0
- Education, Tax & Spending
- June 5, 2017
Given media and legislative hyperventilation over state debt levels, one would never know that Kansas’ 286 school districts are deeper in hock than the State of Kansas and its component units (universities, turnpike authority, etc.). School districts set a new record last year of $5.56 billion in bonded indebtedness and they also have $5.4 billion
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Kansas Budget can be balanced without a tax increase 1
- Tax & Spending
- May 13, 2017
Ronald Reagan could have been speaking of the 2017 Kansas Legislative Session when he said, “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.” Despite knowing that state spending is morbidly inefficient (27 percent more per-resident than states without an income
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