Dear Mr. Lynn,
I felt your editorial on Aug. 9 was one of your best. Brownback not only has complete control of the Legislature (I know it is hard to think of) but the House has moved even further right. Most of you know I was left with only 5 percent of my district, as always I gave it a game effort, but lost to Peggy Mast who got 47 percent to my 33 percent with a third incumbent, Willie Prescott, getting 20 percent.
Peggy Mast ran against Obamacare, and promised that she “has never voted for a tax increase, and never will.” Actually I fear your editorial was a little too positive, because with a Legislature full of people like that they will have little chance to “fix” the tax bill. Remember, Brownback proposed to extend the sales tax last time and could not get it through even with a few “crazy moderates” like me left.
You hit the nail on the head when you said the cuts will come in fewer and less government services, and/or higher property taxes under the cover of “local control.” Many of you know that I have proposed bills and amendments to actually cut spending in Topeka and a couple even made it out of the House before a death in the Senate. The agencies are right there in Topeka and are all over any cuts to their jobs, programs, or funds, so with 50 percent, or so, new legislators you can expect no cutting in Capital City.
Then there is the drought and income in Kansas has to suffer. Our income projections from the governor’s office were very much on the high side, and did not allow for the long hot summer of 2012. You were correct about people in road construction, materials, education, and other fields losing their jobs and going from paychecks to unemployment checks. The governor said, “The tax cut would be like a shot of adrenalin to the heart.” For me when you were sick and just getting better, adrenalin to the heart could be just the thing to kill you.
It has been a pleasure serving the people of the 9th district and I want to say I think your choice of Ed Bideau to serve you was a good one. With so many new people an experienced lawmaker could be of great use.
But I also agree that things could get a lot worse before they can get better. I can see a Sen. Forrest Knox getting all his gun laws passed and could even make them a little “better.” I can see more regulations and rules for schools and local units of government getting passed. The far right likes to tell people what to do just as much as anyone.
I will be on the sidelines watching and hoping Mr. Lynn and I are wrong, but over the years either the state has changed or we have, because we find ourselves more and more in the same camp.
Rep. Bill Otto,
Le Roy, Kan.
