Seriously, Kansas conservatives...more income tax cuts?
Barb ShellyInfluential conservatives in Kansas are hinting that they might be open to extending all of the temporary one-cent sales tax increase after all.
But if you’re thinking some of those funds might be used to reduce the class sizes at your local public school, or to whittle down the enormous list of developmentally disabled citizens waiting for services, think again.
Kansas Chamber of Commerce officials and conservative Republican legislators say in this Associated Press report that they’ll go for a sales tax extension only if the money it brings in is used to reduce state income taxes even more.
Say what? An overreach on income tax cuts passed in this year’s legislative session has left Kansas looking at a $295 million hole in next year’s budget. Lawmakers should be looking for ways to make up that gap, not to forfeit more money.
Extending the sales tax increase passed in 2009, which was supposed to be for three years, isn’t ideal. It forces low- and-middle-income people to pay more for food, clothing and necessities. But it might be preferable to decimating schools and state services further. It should not under any circumstances be used as a tradeoff for more income tax cuts, which primarily benefit wealthier Kansans.
“Economic growth is THE issue,” incoming Sen. Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth, a conservative Republican, told the AP.
OK, fine. But well-funded schools and universities, good roads and a sound infrastructure, and an adequate safety net can’t be separated from economic growth. And they won’t happen without an increase in state revenues. That’s the disconnect for the conservatives.
George Hunsucker
Northland
4 months, 3 weeks agoSpending per se is not an indicator of successful education. Look at the KC school system spending what, 16K per student, for non-accredidation and high drop-out rates.
Yep ms. shelly, we need MORE spending for non-performing government schools.
IF, you consented to vouchers, maybe, but no more to failing government schools!!!
Mark Hastert
4 months, 3 weeks ago“Yep ms. shelly, we need MORE spending for non-performing government schools.
IF, you consented to vouchers, maybe, but no more to failing government schools!!!”
Wow! Failing? Shawnee Mission & Blue Valley failing? Somebody didn’t do his homework…..again.
Mark Robertson
4 months, 3 weeks agoThe “disconnect” for liberals is that they can’t grasp(or don’t want to grasp)that tax cuts bring in more revenue because of always corresponding economic growth. It happens every time, and will happen this time after the great tax cuts of Governor Brownback and the Republican legislature. The real problem will be to not waste the surplus of revenue that will be heading in. By the way, when that does happen, the libs will act like they don’t notice it, or credit something else other than the tax cuts. That happens every time as well. They still try to explain the explosion of revenue after the Reagan tax cuts with the lie that Reagan raised taxes numerous times. Lead on Governor Brownback and the Republican Kansas legislature. Bring on those new tax cuts so that the economy would boom even more. Missouri needs to get in the game. We need major tax cuts here as well. Come on supermajorities in the Mo. House and Senate, let’s get going on tax cuts like our neighbor Kansas. Governor Nixon(who has shown strong leadership dealing with many natural disasters) won’t be able to stop you. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence
Mark Hastert
4 months, 3 weeks agoThey still try to explain the explosion of revenue after the Reagan tax cuts with the lie that Reagan raised taxes numerous times.
So….are you saying that “the great” Ronald Reagan didn’t raise taxes? increase the deficit? Were you alive in 1986? Of course I’d be more that thrilled to reinstate the 1986 Reagan rates. What do you say Mr Robertson?
Mark Robertson
4 months, 3 weeks agoYes, I would like to go back to the 86 tax rates. Yes, some “loopholes” were closed that year, but the essence of the Reagan tax rate reductions came about. Rates were further cut, with the top rate going from 50 to 28 percent. The top rate had been cut from 70 to 50 percent during the first round of Reagan’s hugely successful tax cuts in 1981. Yes, Reagan did raise taxes a couple of times, but libs often claim that he raised taxes as many as a dozen times. Social Security taxes were raised. And in 1982, Reagan desperately wanted to cut spending, but the Democrats(as usual) wouldn’t budge unless he agreed to a tax increase. Reagan knew that it would hurt the economy, and didn’t want to do it, but he reluctantly agreed to raise taxes 1 dollar for every three dollars in spending cuts It was called the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act.(TEFRA) Reagan of course lived up to his end fo the deal, but he passed away over 8 years ago, and has been out of office nearly 24 years, and he is still waiting on those Democrat spending cuts. He soon regretted agreeing with the Democrats to raise taxes. He learned a valuable lesson. With the Soviets it was “trust but verify,” but with the Democrats it had to be verify, period.
The TEFRA tax increase gave back about one-third of the huge 81 tax cut. Thus, taxes were still much lower than when he took office, and the huge Reagan boom soon began and lasted for a quarter of a century. Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence