Former Gov. Sam Brownback wanted his legacy to be as a champion of education. His favorite photo-op was him reading to toddlers, as he touted all-day kindergarten and summer and after-school literacy programs as well as career and tech programs.
But when he refused to fund those programs, and more, that picture quickly tarnished.
Of everything Sam Brownback will be remembered for is the colossal failure of his tax cut experiment, among the largest ever imposed on the state.
In their first year, Brownbacks tax cuts in 2013 caused state revenues to plummet by $700 million. In three years time, state aid to public schools was down 13 percent, forcing schools to lay off teachers and staff, eliminate valuable programs and, in essence, take our reputation as a state that values education down a notch.
It was only when legislators developed a spine in June 2017 and overturned Brownbacks tax cuts that Kansas has been able to start clawing its way back to a more solid financial footing, including putting money back into schools.
Even so, remnants of the cuts remain.
In a report last week by the Board of Education came the news that Kansas schools are short 612 teachers, up 19 percent from last year.
Years of cuts and below-average earnings have turned Kansas students away from the teaching profession. Schools of education are experiencing record-low enrollments.
KRIS KOBACH, no doubt, values education. After all, hes got degrees from Harvard, Yale and Oxford, and were guessing those fancy diplomas didnt come in the mail.
Like Brownback, Kobach wants to cut income taxes if elected governor, and, like Brownback, says it just takes smart spending for those cuts not to hurt.
So where did Brownback go wrong?
He discovered a penny is a penny, and no matter how much you value schools, highways, public health and safety, when theres not enough resources, everything suffers.
Brownback proved that cutting taxes does not create economic prosperity for Kansas. Reduced taxes means reduced income. Every time. No matter who is governor.
Why some think Kobach could do it differently and are willing to put the state through this experiment all over again is a puzzle.
You get what you pay for
