Despite his claims, Brownback is not a fiscal conservative

opinions

September 26, 2016 - 12:00 AM

It’s déjà vu all over again.
In 2014, two weeks after Gov. Sam Brownback secured re-election on the promises of a reinvigorated economy, revenue analysts admitted they had been wildly optimistic in their projections and advised $205 million in immediate cuts.
Two years later:
Same song, second verse.
Two days after this year’s Nov. 8 general election, the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group will release its forecast. And no, the timing is not coincidental. As before, Gov. Brownback is sitting on this news until after the election in the hopes we will once again buy into his rosy rhetoric.
According to the latest report, Kansas will have to meet every revenue benchmark from now until June 30 to basically break even. That means we’ll have to do something we’ve never done since the massive tax cuts of 2012 were enacted —make budget.
In Brownback’s six years as governor the only way we’ve been able to meet revenue projections is by revising them downward. And even then we continue to miss the mark. In the past 12 months, we’ve met revenue goals once.
Currently, Kansas is on track to have a $5.6 million cushion, out of a $6.363 billion budget. That’s a far cry from when we maintained a 7.5 percent rainy day fund, which today would be about $470 million.
The likelihood we can make it through the fiscal year without more cuts — on  top of the recent 4 percent reduction in Medicaid reimbursements and $31 million reduction to higher education — is slim to none.

SO WITH the general election right around the corner, it’s time to ask what it is about Brownback that voters find so appealing.
If it’s fiscal conservatism, he has failed dismally. Year after year the state goes further in debt, putting an ever-greater burden on our children.
If it’s supporting public services — our schools, state hospitals, roads and highways, prisons, social services — he has done nothing but undercut them.
This November we have the choice to take Kansas back to a more moderate and fiscally responsible direction by voting for those who do not march in lockstep with Gov. Brownback.
Otherwise, we have no reason to hope for change.

— Susan Lynn

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