http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/05/30/3664400/kansas-republicans-finally-consider-tax-hikes-plug-budget-hole/
Republicans in Kansas, facing a $400 million budget hole due to tax cuts pushed by Gov. Sam Brownback, are now finally considering raising taxes to compensate for the shortfall.
Legislators are considering rolling back an exemption on nonwage income for small businesses they passed a few years ago and replacing it with a 1 percent tax credit. The reductions in rates on income taxes they passed will remain untouched. Some Republicans are also considering raising the sales tax on everything but food, though sales taxes increases are generally considered to impact the poor the most.
But it’s debatable if the revenue streams they are considering will even work. One bill they have on the table would only raise an estimated $30 million in revenue, falling far short of what the state needs.
Since Kansas embarked on its “tea party experiment,” the state has faced severe budget shortages. They collected nearly $6 million less than expected in tax revenue — stemming mainly from a drop in sales tax revenue — this month adding on to an ongoing shortfall, and the legislature has gone into an extended session trying to figure out how to either cut spending or raise revenue to balance the budget.
Brownback told the legislature that he would unveil a tax plan Friday, but he abruptly canceled his appearance, leaving the legislature to debate the budget into the weekend. Ironically, each additional day they spend in session costs them an additional $40,000.
While the legislature is refusing to consider raising taxes through increasing rates on income, they have been busy cutting programs, particularly in education and for the poor. They recently enacted a law that would limit welfare beneficiaries from only withdrawing $25 a day. Cuts have been so severe to education that a waitress recently rejected a tip from Brownback, telling him to “tip the schools” instead.
what we see here is failed republican policy implemented in lockstep by those republican governors who touted cuts to taxes over sensible plans that require the population all of it to pay taxes that keep the state in the black. ignoring commonsense legislation they now want to make up the difference by further hurting poor and working poor while not changing a thing that benefits the rich is anybody in that state getting a clue???
that preventing welfare recipients from withdrawing more than 25 bucks a day was to allow the money to stay in the state coffers longer but whatever they were doing to drain them still was going on and delaying payment by reducing daily withdrawals only leaves that money there for days not fiscal years. this is another snapshot of what turning over stuff to the states does to that state and it's poor especially red states..
if you don't impose a equal amount to replenish as you deplete my 8 month old great grandson can probably figure out that is a crimson "L" of a plan. it also spotlights the republican party's insincere claims of being for the people especially when it's the people that are losing and the rich flourishing.
if you don't impose a equal amount to replenish as you deplete my 8 month old great grandson can probably figure out that is a crimson "L" of a plan. it also spotlights the republican party's insincere claims of being for the people especially when it's the people that are losing and the rich flourishing.
