Legislators have inplied, and we have believed, our state’s revenue shortfalls are due to the economic crisis.
However, documents compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department indicate the economic downturn is not the whole reason for the shortfalls.
The research shows the annual loss of revenue from tax cuts, tax credits and tax exemptions between 1995 and 2010 equals $1.1 billion.
Since the beginning of 2009, the Legislature and governor have cut state spending about $830 million.
Even with the governor’s cuts on July 2, the state still must cut at least $180 million and probably more to reach an ending balance of zero.
For fiscal year 2011, the state must cut $531 million. The state has constitutional responsibilities to fund certain programs and institutions.
Two of these are the courts and the schools.
It appears, from totaling the tax cuts made, which have resulted in significant reduction of resources, that where we find ourselves now has been coming on for a long time and should not have been unexpected.
My suggestion is instead of cutting more essential programs and further reducing funds to those programs and institutions the state has a constitutional responsibility to fund, we should study carefully the tax cuts, credits and exemptions that were made and rescind a good number of them.
I know this is not pleasant, but neither is cutting vital and constitutionally required programs.
I understand these cuts, exemptions and credits were enacted with the idea of effecting the economy positively.
However, the truth is those acts haven’t been as effective as hoped.
Rescinding many of them could significantly impact our financial resources positively.
— Sue Ice, Newton
