Paul Davis: Middle class bearing brunt of increased costs

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December 4, 2013 - 12:00 AM

When Paul Davis, Democratic candidate for governor, considers what the future of Kansas should look like, he is convinced it is on the wrong path.
Kansas has become a shell of its former self, Davis said, and needs to be rebuilt.
“This has nothing to do with whether you are a Republican or a Democrat,” he said, “But everything to do with restoring leadership to Kansas. Entire generations of Kansans to come will be negatively affected if Kansas keeps on this trajectory of people earning less but paying more for a college education, in utilities, and in sales and property taxes.”
Davis spoke to a crowd of about 100 Tuesday night at a private gathering. He also visited at the Register.
Gov. Sam Brownback’s massive individual income tax cuts have benefited the wealthy, Davis said, to the detriment of the poor and middle class.
Entities have had to raise their fees to make up for lost state funds.
Of Kansas’ 105 counties, 86 have recently raised their property taxes, including Allen County.
“Tuition at every community college and university has increased, some by double-digits because of reduced state funding,” Davis said. He cited a 7.5 percent increase in tuition at Pittsburg State University for this year.
Funding for K-12 schools have been significantly cut as have programs for early childhood education.
“Utilities are up by 30 percent. All of us are paying more than we should,” he said. “Kansans have never seen a time that there is a greater cost to being a Kansan.
“And the truth is, it does not even remotely have to be this way.”

As the son of two teachers, Davis, 41, holds good schools as a priority for the state.
“Kansas was always known for its good schools,” he said. “We’ve always felt it was a moral obligation to provide children with the best education possible.”
“Sam Brownback said the same thing, but one week after he was sworn into office he asked for the largest cut to public schools in the state’s history.
“When he got it, he declared it a victory for Kansas. Thousands of teachers have since been laid off, parents have been forced to pay fee after fee for school activities, and classrooms are now more crowded.
“This is not a winning strategy,” he said.
Davis proposed the state return to a balanced economic model that maintains its infrastructure — roads and public buildings — and invests in what he terms its “natural advantages.”
“We were headed in the right direction with the Kansas Bioscience Authority,” established in 2004 by the Kansas Legislature to develop a cutting edge industry in cellular and molecular engineering used in medical and agricultural fields as well as homeland security.
The Brownback administration has essentially defunded the program, Davis said, to where it can barely keep the doors open.
In 2012, the bioscience program had $11 million in state support. By 2013, that fell to $3.2 million. As a result of the cuts, the program’s revenue plummeted from $14.5 million to $8 million.
“Kansas was on track to be a hub for the study and development of life sciences,” he said. “It was a missed opportunity. I believe we still have that potential. Hopefully, it’s not too late.”
Kansas also has the potential to be a big player in the export of energy, Davis said.
“We’ve not even scratched the surface on the potential for wind energy,” he said.
The repeal by the Brownback administration of tax exemptions for new oil drilling has caused producers to pull out of Kansas, he said.
“It requires a big capital investment to drill a well,” he said. “The difference in production between Oklahoma and Kansas is night and day. We are stifling development.”
States similar in size to Kansas have added more jobs in the recovery from the recession, Davis said.
“Brownback’s economic plan is not working. He’s put all his eggs in one basket — individual income tax cuts. That doesn’t add jobs, adequately train a workforce, or build roads.”

IN REGARDS to education, Davis expects the State Supreme Court to rule current funding is inadequate.
If legislators refuse to follow the recommendation to increase funding to state schools, Davis fears “there’s real potential for a  constitutional crisis,” of whose role it is to interpret the state constitution.
“We have a system of government and the courts have a role to play in it,” he said.
Davis said two years ago the state legislature had an opportunity to restore funding to schools, but instead of directing funds to schools opted for tax cuts.
“We had a chance to do the right thing. And now, people worry education in Kansas is slipping. That as leaders, we aren’t willing to invest in our children.”

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