Kansans not only placed Sam Brownback in the governor’s seat in 2010, they cleared out any semblance of potential political obstacles.
The GOP sweep in Kansas leaves Democrats a token force in the Legislature. For Brownback’s agenda in 2011, that’s the good news. It should be smooth sailing.
Here’s the not-so-good news: The governor-elect will arrive in office facing a $500 million revenue shortfall. The early signs for how he will deal with it aren’t good.
Brownback keeps talking about backing economic development in the state, but at the same time he is looking at slashing funding to our greatest economic development tool: education at Kansas schools and universities.
While there may be some short-term gain in tax incentives attracting new businesses, it will be a long-term failure if it comes at the expense of a high-quality education. Without good employees, businesses fail, regardless of the tax situation. And without high standards from elementary school through postgraduate levels, the state fails to produce not only the skills needed in the work world, but minds nimble enough to adapt and evolve, an essential for the modern business world.
Brownback has said he wants to avoid cutting economic development specialty areas, such as the KU Medical Center and pharmacy school, Kansas State’s veterinary medicine school and Wichita State’s aviation institute, while perhaps dropping less economically productive degree tracts.
Successful university systems, however, cast broad nets to bring in students in a wide range of majors, many of whom will benefit their states in unexpected ways.
Disappointing some supporters, Brownback has said he sees no way to reverse the penny sales tax increase passed this year under Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson. This is smart. Parkinson didn’t back the tax because he favored big government. He did so because life in the Sunflower State without it would be life without essential services.
But Brownback is talking about targeted economic development tax cuts. If the state cannot afford $50 million to beef up our universities (which he says it cannot), it also cannot afford more tax cuts. Already, the Kansas tax burden is shouldered by too few.
For every penny of sales tax collected in Kansas, the state exempts 2 cents. Brownback should be looking at ways to spread, not increase, the tax burden more fairly so everyday Kansans aren’t asked to prop up breaks for businesses.
Brownback has resisted the notion of tax increases to shore up state coffers. Surely, though, even a small reduction in subsidies so easily handed out by lawmakers to everyone from manufacturers to Girl Scouts makes more sense than to see a proud education system fail.
By the end of the 2011 legislative session, Brownback will not be able to complain that he couldn’t get through his agenda for political reasons.
But if his agenda cripples education, future Kansans will look back on the broom that swept the Republican Party into complete control in the state with great sadness.
Editor’s note: This is part two of an editorial series on issues that cross over from 2010 to 2011.
Source: Kansas City
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