Kansas Policy Institute

3.8.10

 

 Commentary 
There you go again
By Dave Trabert
 
 
If President Reagan had attended Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson's press conference last Friday, he likely would have said, "There you go again..." in response to Parkinson's claim that $9 billion in tax cuts and exemptions over the last decade are to blame for the budget crisis.  South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson (R) might have put it less delicately, but both would have been justified in challenging the governor's claims.
 
The $9 billion dollar figure comes from a Department of Revenue (DOR) estimate of the effect of selective tax changes enacted between 1995 and 2009.  I say 'selective' because DOR only included changes that reduced taxes but conveniently ignored changes that increased taxes; they also made no allowance for taxes generated from economic activity as a result of any changes.   Further, the $9 billion total is artificially inflated.  The largest item on the list is a property tax 'reduction' of $4.4 billion that doesn't belong on the list.  The amount represents the difference between collecting 35 mills for school funding versus the current 20 mills.  The change was made in the mid-90s following property revaluation; when property values were adjusted upward to market value, the mill rate was supposed to be lowered so that the higher property values generated the same amount of property tax.  By the way, property taxes increased 96% between 1995 and 2008. Read More>>
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Kansas Governor rips Legislature tax stance
By Gene Meyer and Rachel Whitten
Posted on Friday, March 05, 2010 (CST)
Giveaways decimate tax base, Parkinson claims; lawmakers say tax cuts benefit the whole state. Read More>>
 
Kansas revenues sag deeper into crisis territory
By Gene Meyer
Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 (CST)
Revenues are now $89 million light and menace two fiscal-year budgets. Read More>>
 
Kansas schools brace for 5,000 potential job cuts
By Rachel Whitten
Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 (CST)
Board of Education survey outlines districts' plans if no additional tax revenues are raised. Read More>> 
 
Kansas' bid for federal school money rejected
By Gene Meyer
Posted on Thursday, March 04, 2010 (CST)
State will try again in June to win $166 million in new federal funding for education reform, says school board chief. Read More>>
 
Schools asked to pay more of special education costs
By Rachel Whitten
Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 (CST)
Inflation has over run original Kansas state-aid thresholds set in 1994, executives tell House committee. Read More>>
 
Costly Kansas tax credit needs more money, panel told
By Gene Meyer
Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 (CST)
Backers say historic preservation tax credit creates jobs; opponents say it creates unfair competition. Read More>>
 
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Kansas Watchdog
 
 
 
 
 

Rucker says Disciplinary Administrator using "Inflammatory Language"

By Earl Glynn on March 8, 2010

Caleb Stegall, the attorney for Eric Rucker, filed a motion on Thursday to disqualify a member of the Hearing Panel about an attorney ethics complaint filed against Rucker, who served as an Assistant Attorney General under Phill Kline. Rucker sought to disqualify Patricia Dengler on his review panel because of her business relationship with the late [...]Read More>>

 

LPA School Efficiency Audit List Closed

By Paul Soutar on March 3, 2010

The Legislative division of Post Audit (LPA) notified the 2010 Commission earlier this week that it has closed the list for new school district efficiency audits. Ten districts have asked for voluntary audits after the 2010 Commission canceled audits in 2009 it requested in 2008. The Derby and Ellinwood districts have already received audit reports that [...]Read More>>

 

Wichita School Board Attempts to Explain Budget, Seeks Priorities

By Paul Soutar on March 2, 2010

About 400 people attended a Board Night Out at Wichita's West High School Monday evening. A similar number attended another forum at Wichita's Southeast High School. USD259 Wichita Board of Education President Barbara Fuller, board member Lanora Nolan and Superintendent John Allison attended the West High gathering and offered their assessments of the decisions facing the [...]Read More>>


U.S. House Financial Disclosure Statements for 19 Kansas Candidates
By Earl Glynn on March 2, 2010
We identified 27 candidates in Kansas (some have dropped out)  for our 4 congressional districts and collected U.S. House Financial Disclosure statements for 19 so far.  Find these reports on our Financial Disclosure page.  Look for the section, "U.S. House Candidates in 2010." We will continue looking for the rest of these reports as the Clerk of the U.S.
Read More>> 


Schools for Fair Funding Lawyer Asks for a Correction

By Paul Soutar on March 2, 2010
A KansasWatchdog story on the February 19 meeting of Schools for Fair Funding (SFFF) has been updated to correct a misstatement regarding a bylaws change by the group. John Robb, an attorney for SFFF, requested a correction stating that the bylaws already included a provision allowing no-notice meetings by the board of directors. The SFFF bylaws state Read More>>
 

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In This Issue
Commentary: There you go again
KansasReporter.org
KansasWatchdog.org
Event: Law Liberty and Market Lecture Series
IHS Student Seminars
FEE Summer Seminars

 

3.8.2010 enews chris fawson
 Dr. Chris Fawson

Law Liberty and the Market Lecture Series


March 30, 2010, 7-9pm
Friends University, Alumni Auditorium

The lectures are free and open to the public

       Dr. Chris Fawson of Utah State University will show how the application of market principles by different societies product different results in liberty and prosperity.
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