• Kansas keeps getting duped by economic development schemes

    Kansas keeps getting duped by economic development schemes0

    Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Kansas elected officials keep getting duped by economic development schemes, with politicians of both parties willing to give out hundreds of millions of dollars with poor oversight. Wichita and Coffey County are currently competing for a megaproject by Integra Technologies, with details about

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  • Kansas lost $295 million AGI in 2020 because of people leaving the state

    Kansas lost $295 million AGI in 2020 because of people leaving the state0

    In 2020, Kansas saw nearly $295 million in Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) leave the state. This latest AGI data is from the IRS and reflects changes in their measure of gross income minus deductions, which is the basis for calculating taxes. It’s a tool to track people and their income moving from one state to

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  • Topeka relocation subsidy isn’t working

    Topeka relocation subsidy isn’t working0

    Shawnee County residents have paid a maximum of $900,000 since 2019 for the Choose Topeka program incentivizing 70 workers thus far to move to the area. But between 2019 and 2021, Shawnee County lost 1,182 residents through net domestic migration – that’s almost 17 times as many workers as the relocation subsidy has brought in.

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  • Megaproject and Government Spending Can’t Hide Anemic Job Growth

    Megaproject and Government Spending Can’t Hide Anemic Job Growth0

    Last month, Kansas gained 3,900 government jobs – almost as many as the 4,000 private-sector jobs advertised through the Panasonic megaproject and its taxpayer subsidies. Big government spending like a future megaproject can’t hide Kansas’s weak private sector jobs numbers. The June Labor Report from the Kansas Department of Labor shows Kansas gain 700 private

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  • What’s Causing Kansas Inflation?

    What’s Causing Kansas Inflation?0

    Whether at the gas pump or grocery store, Kansans are feeling the effects of high inflation. Prices in the region are about 7.9% higher than they were a year ago – the highest inflation the region has seen since at least the 1980s. What’s causing this inflation though and what policies, if any, could be

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  • With no accountability, spending increases won’t help students

    With no accountability, spending increases won’t help students0

    The Kansas Department of Education says school funding will increase by more than $500 million this year, but a review of district budgets indicates no shift in spending patterns and that’s not good news for students.  It’s also not surprising, given that there is zero accountability for local school boards and administrators to improve achievement.

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