Bob Grant wasn’t reluctant to express disdain for the way Kansas finances are headed during a Saturday morning forum. A Cherokee Democrat, he represents the 2nd District in the Kansas House, which includes Elsmore, Marmaton and Osage townships in Allen County. CORPORATE farming also drew comment from Tyson, who lives on a ranch with husband Tim. OTHER COMMENTS:
The two-hour session was sponsored by Allen County Farm Bureau and drew about 20 listeners.
Gov. Sam Brownback’s efforts to end income taxes in Kansas, mirroring what’s done in Texas, “isn’t worth a crap,” said the plain-spoken Grant. “Texas education is at the bottom and their roads aren’t worth a damn.”
Texas doesn’t have a state income tax because of revenue from severance taxes on gas and oil, he noted, and also pointed out in Kansas those “getting the biggest breaks were the top 10 percent. The Koch brothers are making a killing.”
“I don’t think anyone doesn’t want to pay a fair share for programs for the elderly, the disabled and education,” Grant said. “People who like this experiment to be like Texas should move to Texas.”
The House budget bill is a disappointment to him, Grant added, noting it didn’t include sufficient revenue to fund state responsibilities.
“I don’t want government to take over our lives, but it has to be there to help where help is needed,” he said. “There has to be a balance. It’s just too far out of whack.”
State Senator Caryn Tyson, Parker, disagreed.
“I think we can lower taxes by eliminating waste,” Tyson said, observing as an example a proliferation of Internet jacks in the state Capitol costing $42.50 each per month that was far more than needed.
Rep. Ed Bideau, Chanute, said raising taxes in this climate — which any restoration of income taxes would be characterized by conservatives — as a postcard issue. “Your face is going to be on a postcard if you raise taxes and it will go out (to voters) next election,” he said.
“I’m for lower taxes,” was Tyson’s initial comment. “We passed aggressive tax cuts last year (when she was in the House) and we’re seeing it work this year.”
As a means of adding to income tax revenue, efforts have been made to exempt property taxes, mortgage interest and charitable giving as deductions. Tyson said property taxes and mortgage interest would be left untouched.
Among other issues, she favors legislation to protect Second Amendment gun rights and eliminating drone surveillance in Kansas.
“Private citizens shouldn’t have to worry about someone watching them from above,” she said of drones.
She is opposed to legislation, supported by Farm Bureau at the state level, the state Department of Agriculture and Kansas Livestock Association, which would remove restrictions on corporate farming.
It would permit out-of-state and foreign business interests to move into Kansas counties to raise livestock and operate dairies without any local say.
As it is now, corporations may own and operate farms in Kansas only if given permission by county commissioners, or if one principle shareholder is involved. Also, voters have latitude to petition for a referendum if a board of county commissioners does give permission.
Bideau said he was baffled by the state Farm Bureau lobbying on behalf of corporate farms when county Farm Bureaus were opposed.
He is keeping close watch on a proposal to remove personal property from assessed valuation, which if successful would increase local property tax burdens on homeowners. Interpretation of what is personal property is an issue, he said. The question is whether fixtures are personal property or real property.
The issue moved to the front burner with cases such as in Montgomery County, which might lose half of its assessed valuation if equipment in a refinery were removed from tax rolls.
Bideau also said he had strong concerns about parts of the House budget’s funding stream that threatened Kansas Department of Transportation revenue.
“I have two cement plants (Ash Grove in Chanute and Monarch in Humboldt) and an asphalt company (Se-Kan at Gas) in my district,” he said, which are involved in highway construction.
— U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins said federal spending, depending on how the budget shakes out, likely would be more this year than in 2012 even with the sequester. She said Medicare and tax codes begged change, and predicted if the Affordable Care Act were maintained, it would cost $2.4 trillion to $5 trillion over 10 years.
A U.S. House bill would put a long-term fix on Social Security funding, she said, if provisions for means-testing (eliminating benefits for millionaires) and gradually raising the age for full benefits to 68 became law. She said an increase in taxes to support the retirement program wouldn’t be necessary.
— Bideau encouraged constituents to take time to send a written note whenever they wanted to bend his ear. “I got 135 emails on Friday that were all exactly the same,” he said, which he suggested diminished their influence.
— Jana Shaver explained that the state BOE was a policymaking body, and that its goal was to put in place plans to have high school graduates either college- or career-ready. “Many jobs don’t require a college education,” she said, but do require ability to read and comprehend what is taught in core subjects.
She said the BOE was paying more attention to early childhood education, even though its charge is K-12, noting, “85 to 90 percent of brain development occurs before age 5.”
— Allen County Commissioner Dick Works asked about a bill to prevent organizations that received public funds from lobbying legislators, such as the Kansas Association of Counties. Also, he noted more regulations and unfunded mandates were a burden for the county and other local governing bodies.
In response to a comment from Humboldt Administrator Larry Tucker about formation of a U.S. 169 lobbying group, Bideau agreed good roads were a key to job creation. “I love to see orange (construction) cones,” Bideau said, allowing that each $1 KDOT invested in infrastructure returned $3 to $6 in commerce and jobs.
State finances draw comments
