See, Republicans? All you had to do was sit tight and wait- Governor Kathleen Sebelius has delivered her budget just as you always knew she would.It isn't pretty and won't likely make, well, anyone anywhere in the whole state happy.
Potentially the biggest news from the budget is that Sebelius has managed to balance the state budget without cutting funding to public schools.
[Duane] Goossen [the governor's budget director] said Sebelius is proposing to the Legislature a strategy that freezes state appropriations to K-12 public schools at the level approved by the 2008 Legislature. However, that recommendation would deny K-12 schools about $165 million that would have been earmarked for public school districts this year and next.Also, thankfully, the governor has been able to limit cuts to services for the poor, disabled and the elderly.
That's the good news. The more painful news?
The state’s public universities would take a significant budget hit in the governor’s budget. She also wants to curtail payments to local and county units of government. For example, $27 million in liquor taxes collected by the state and normally transferred to local government would be kept by the state to balance the proposed budget in 2010.
They can always make up some of that money through tuition increases, though in bad economic times that's one of the very worst things we can do- make it harder for people to get an education.
Goossen said the governor’s plan suspends phase outs of the corporate franchise tax and the estate tax in 2010. The budget also would drop a special tax provision that reimbursed local units of government for elimination of a tax on business machinery and equipment.The state will hold onto more money a little longer. While Republicans will scream bloody murder because of it, we all have to make little sacrifices in hard times- they'll just have to wait for the full phase out a little longer.
The elimination of the reimbursement to local governments for the machinery tax elimination will hit cities and counties awfully hard, as will the state's withholding of $27 million in liquor tax dollars. Nothing like pushing problems off onto other taxing authorities...
For a little more detail on various parts of the budget plan, I'd encourage you to read this post on the Kansas City Star Prime Buzz blog.
The biggest, most important thing to take out of this is that the Republican push for an across-the-board cut is simply not warranted.
Goossen said there was no reason for the Republican-controlled Legislature to move ahead with their plan to adopt across the board budget cuts in state agencies, which would strike “stuff you don’t want to hit.”Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has proposed her budget that protects services and education without a tax increase. Now we just have to wait and see if Republicans are willing to abandon their idea for draconian cuts- even if it means they may lose political face.
25 comments:
Only the naive would believe this budget travesty does not contain a tax increase.
Are you stating all taxes in Kansas are going to be less than/same as the prior year?
The only way you can answer taxes are not going up is by lying.
"suspends phase outs of the corporate franchise tax and the estate tax in 2010."
Tax increase.
"curtail payments to local and county units of government."
Tax increase.
the state government isn't going to increase state taxes through this budget. that's pretty obvious.
"drop a special tax provision that reimbursed local units of government for elimination of a tax on business machinery and equipment."
Tax increase.
Which tax is the state not going to increase? Give me a specific tax?
"$27 million in liquor taxes collected by the state and normally transferred to local government would be kept by the state."
Tax increase. Ignore Brad's obvious misdirection comment where he states "threw this budget." We are not as stupid as Brad.
"tuition increases"
Tax increase.
While I'm glad that k-12 education funding may remain intact, I'm disappointed that there will likely have to be tuition increases at universities even though I've not been a student for many years I know it's tough. I do have to disclose that my wife is a college professor. Also, a special note of rememberence and appreciation is due at the passing of former Sen. Pell
Tom, the governor's budget does not contain any tax increases. It maintains state tax rates at their 2009 levels.
As so what happens at the local level- it will be up to each individual county and city to decide how to respond to the news they won't be getting the transfers they might have otherwise expected.
Get real. Words like suspend, curtail, drop, increase, . . . are tax increases. You are merely arguing when and at what level will the tax increases be implemented.
For example, increase tuition. How is that not a tax increase?
Students and their parents need an organization like a union not on public college campuses to protest tuition and fee increases.
That would be a project worth taking on.
And these tax increases are merely as of today. We know what is going to happen at the county and local levels as well--tax increases.
And when Obama passes his stimulus requiring KS to match federal contribution amounts, where is that money coming from--we know
More tax increases.
Hi. I am a politican. I promise to not raise taxes. I may suspend, tranfer, reallocate, drop prior tax reductions, curtail, force some other political division to raise taxes (or call tax increases mill levy increases), call tax increases fees and tuition increases, but I promise to not raise taxes if you vote for me.
Tax revenue will keep going higher and higher, year after year, but strangely, without tax increases because I promise to never use that clause (tax increase) because I am a politican named Kate.
I'm a huge, huge fan of our Governor - but's let's be realistic. By taking funds from local units of government, this will both raise taxes and reduce government services.
Instead of making tough decisions, this budget passes the "dirty work" on to cities & counties. Many of them have few options to raise funds outside of property taxes.
Thumbs down on this budget.
Let me ask this question; which you will ignore.
Since Sebelius has been Gov, what year did total tax revenue receipts decline?
Answer: Never. There has always been one or more tax(es) that has produced a net increase in total taxes paid to the state of KS since Kate has been Gov.
Ditto on the federal level. Governments keep getting bigger and bigger and we are all paying for it. And as long as we do, things will keep getting worse and worse.
The counties are merely instruments of the state. So, even if the tax increases are at the county level, that is increases at the state level. They merely take turns.
Then, the local governments are in cahoots with the county governments.
So, the other comment is correct. There is going to be cuts in services until they can raise taxes more than the year before.
And who is going to stop these governments from doing so?
For the love of...the governor DIDNT propose a tax increase! She just didn't!
This budget isn't perfect, but it's better than across the board cuts that's for damn sure!
Here is one area that is worthy of blog discussion considering the state of the State.
Consolidation of government services.
By consolidation, we could survive the current andk future budget crisis, eliminate duplication and return to limited and narrow functions of an more efficient and effective form of government.
At this point, we have very few other options.
Brad, unbelievable. We actually agree that across the board cuts would not be wise. But there are other options to this tax increase that could have been taken.
Give of some possibilities instead of arguing this was not a tax increase. Give us the Brad plan.
Nobody ever lost an election for offloading tax increases on local units of government. It's a bank shot to persuade voters: "Incumbent didn't raise taxes, instead he left that dirty work to local units of government." Meanwhile, the incumbent says: "I didn't raise your taxes." The bank shot argument is too complicated.
My name isn't Brad, you weirdo, an I'm fine with the governor's plan.
oh so sorry, anonymous asshole.
Where's your solutions?
Bank shot is a good analogy. Kate is playing politics and is not being honest. She is being slick.
Naturally, the Gov only submits the budget and does not increase/or decrease taxes since that is a legislative function. But she is stating what she recommends. And tax increases would happen at some level if the legislature passes her budget as recommended.
Sorry I called that asshole an asshole. Assholes are not responsible for being the way they are. Its always someone else's fault.
I'm quite confused reading these comments. First, who are "Brad" and "Tom", and why are they posting under "Anonymous" instead of their names, so we can all see what comments they are making? Someone just got called an asshole because everyone is "Anonymous". Second, to this person, "Anonymous", who is saying the Governor's budget contains tax increases, you are wrong. There are no tax increases in this budget. You are apparently arguing, as best I can tell, that since some provisions of this budget include withholding funding from local governments, that will cause local governments to increase taxes. Well, this is not the same as saying the Governor's budget contains tax increases. Why were you so willing to see the state slash and cut shit all over the place, but now you don't hold local governments to the same standard? You seem to be accepting the idea that local governments will raise taxes, and blaming it on the Governor, rather than focusing on getting those local governments to not raise taxes. I guess it's just easier for you to blame the Governor.
Next thing you'll be blaming her for the fact you couldn't get a date in high school.
But what about the kids? How ever will they learn without a bunch of new money?
The legislature has cut taxes over and over for their corporate sponsors: big business. We all know that if the Governor proposed one dime in state tax increases she would be crucified by the same people blaming her for offloading on local units of government. The legislature went crazy cutting taxes for the Koch Brothers, let them figure this out.
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