Opinion

Posted on Thu, Nov. 05, 2009

e-mail	print	RSS	reprint
AIM	Digg it	del.icio.us	Facebook

Letters to the editor on state budget problems, prosecuting illegals, YMCA's tax exemptions, modern life

Tax cuts added to budget problems

Legislators have implied and we have believed that our state's revenue shortfalls are due to the economic crisis. However, documents compiled by the Kansas Legislative Research Department indicate that the economic downturn is not the whole reason for the shortfalls. The research shows that 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 must still cut at least $180 million and probably more to reach an ending balance of zero. For fiscal year 2011, the state may need to cut more than $500 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 that instead of cutting more essential programs, 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.

SUE ICE

Newton

Prosecute illegals

Regarding "Mexican to be sentenced in ID theft case" (Oct. 17 Local & State): The investigation uncovered that 55 illegal immigrant families were collecting social benefits from Kansas using false identification. The article did not report whether these 55 families were prosecuted. Believing this to be an oversight, I contacted the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office and inquired if they had been prosecuted. The response was in effect that the office couldn't comment on the case, but that if I wanted something done, I should write a letter to the editor and contact my congressman.

Not entirely satisfied with this answer, I checked with the state and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. Not only were they unaware of the case, I was informed neither the state nor the county has funds to prosecute or jail illegal immigrants. I reminded them that funds are always available to prosecute and jail U.S. citizens who fraudulently collect social benefits.

And that is the point of my letter. Why are illegal immigrants given a free pass on a crime that would result in arrest and prosecution for a citizen? If you likewise share this concern, contact your congressman and insist on prosecution of the people who were stealing about $2 million per year of your tax money.

HARRY PRICE

Rose Hill

Pay taxes

The Greater Wichita YMCA receives a 100 percent tax exemption from sales, property and income tax. It should not be serving 12 percent low-income and serving food to the homeless once a year. At the least it should be the majority of what it does.

Many private companies do as much charitable assistance as the YMCA, yet those companies only get an income-tax deduction for the amount of charity they actually perform. If the same standard were applied to the YMCA, it would be paying taxes.

TYLER MARSHALL

Wichita

Who we are

I feel sometimes as though I had napped with Rip Van Winkle. The world has changed with technology and all the shortcuts. Many people identify with the word "reminisce" and proceed to write their memoirs. I choose instead to refer to the term "reflection."

Recently, someone commented in The Eagle that readers should be sure to read the Daily Prayer that usually follows the Opinion Line. Not a bad idea.

Experiencing the love in a child's eyes, experiencing the random kindness of a stranger, enjoying a good book or beautiful music is not looking back. Those things are a part of who we are now.

KATHERINE M. PAVLICK

Wichita