With the primary campaign season upon us, it’s a good time to review the recent Kansas legislative session to see how you think your elected officials fared.
As voters, it is our privilege to reward good deed-doers with our votes. For those who fail to meet our objectives, it is also our privilege, nay responsibility, to relieve them of their duties.
Here is the Register’s report card:
State Finances – F
• The state is on track to have a $310 million shortfall by the end of fiscal year 2014 — three weeks from now. By the end of fiscal year 2015 we are, predictably, on track to be $600 million short. Any CEO would be fired for such management.
State Policies — F
• The state’s tax policies inordinately favor the wealthy. The top three expenses for most families are food, shelter and care of their children. Because of new tax cuts, the wealthy enjoy substantial exemptions and reductions while the poor lost subsidies for rent and childcare.
• The state’s tax policies are regressive. The income tax is the most progressive tax in that, ideally, it rises with income levels. Sales taxes on consumer goods are the most regressive in that everyone needs food and clothing so they hit the poor disproportionate to their incomes. Studies show a poor family pays eight times more of its income for food than a wealthy family. A middle class family, five times more. Kansas also has the highest tax in the nation on food. Kansas is a low-tax state for the wealthy, and nobody else.
School Finance — C-
• Yes, the state agreed to offset a portion of a district’s local option and capital outlay budgets, but when it comes to the actual classroom expenses, including teacher salaries, supplies and utilities, school budgets will see about a 1.5 percent jump, failing to even equal inflation.
• Also, in an effort to appease wealthy school districts, legislators agreed to allow districts to raise their local option budgets. The result will be an ever-widening gap between the offerings of a wealthy school district in Johnson County, for example, as compared to a rural school district.
• Per pupil funding was raised all of $14, up to $3,852. In 2008, the state allotted $4,400 per pupil.
Loyalty — F
Legislators eliminated tenure, the system that gives teachers due process in defense of their jobs. The message is K-12 teachers are not valued. Without the protection, many potential teachers will no longer view Kansas as an employee-friendly state.
Public Safety — F
