Brownback: tax cuts, less business rules

Sen. Sam Brownback on Tuesday promised lower taxes and reduced regulation for business if he is elected governor.

He said he plans to create an "office of the repealer" and a citizen advisory panel to target outdated or ineffective laws and regulations.

"They will review all regulations... making sure they make sense and are not cost-prohibitive without addressing a specific item," Brownback said.

Before and during a speech to the Wichita Independent Business Association, Brownback said he believes that cutting taxes and regulation on business — along with a freeze on state government general-fund spending — is the best way to rebound from declines in private employment in the current recession.

The economic provisions are part of the first of several major policy statements Brownback will be issuing as part of his campaign, "Road Map for Kansas."

"We have got to have a pro-growth stance on taxes and on regulation," he said. "You can't be a high-tax, high regulation state and hope you can grow."

He displayed a 10-year chart showing a widening differential between private- and public-sector job growth in Kansas.

The trend lines showed private employment and government employment were both on rising trends until the beginning of the recession in 2008.

Since then, private-sector jobs have declined steeply while government employment has more or less plateaued, the chart showed.

"I'm meeting my cabinet, my first question's going to be 'What are we doing today to help grow jobs in our state?' " Brownback said.

He added that he will pay close attention to economic indicators, including job creation and personal income, because "what gets measured gets done." He did not specify how many jobs would have to be created for his policy to be considered a success.

Brownback said he would continue the longstanding state practice of setting job goals for companies that receive direct state aid.

But he did not specify what he would do to avert the possibility of a jobless recovery, in which businesses retain higher profits rather than hiring more workers when the general business climate improves.

The campaign for Brownback's Democratic opponent, Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, said Brownback's plan is no plan at all.

"Sam Brownback admitted today that he doesn't have a plan to create jobs and if elected governor, on day one, he will still have to ask his cabinet: 'What are we doing?' " said a statement from Holland campaign manager Dana Houle.

"Brownback promised a plan, but instead he's offered us a page right from the Washington playbook — no details, no action and no accountability. This begs the question: what true agenda is Sam Brownback hiding?"

In contrast, Houle said Holland and running mate Sen. Kelly Kultala, D-Kansas City, have a clear and detailed plan.

"They will create jobs by continuing to invest in education and work force training," Houle said. "They will carefully manage the budget so that public safety and our most vulnerable Kansans are never put in jeopardy."

On education, Brownback said he would work to raise fourth-grade reading scores — which he sees as a critical point in academic development — and to ensure that Kansas high school graduates are prepared for college, technical school or work.

Brownback also vowed to continue to fight for Wichita's aircraft industry, especially for Boeing in its now-10-year competition with Airbus for a contract to build the next generation of Air Force tanker planes.

He said he also plans to pursue allegations that the government of Brazil is violating international trade agreements by subsidizing Brazilian planemaker Embraer.

"We recently received a ruling from the World Trade Organization about subsidies that were given to Airbus over a period of years that weakened the United States aircraft industry — heavy subsidies by Europe to buy market share from Boeing, from U.S. producers and being produced, then, those planes in Europe," Brownback said. "I am fearful that the Brazilians are on a similar track, attempting to use a government treasury to buy general aviation sector and market share from the United States."

But he also called for prayers for Sean O'Keefe, the CEO for the North American division of Airbus' parent company, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.

O'Keefe has been identified as one of nine people involved in a plane crash Monday that killed five, including former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

Reports late Tuesday said O'Keefe survived the crash with unspecified injuries and was being medically airlifted from the crash site with other survivors.

"Apparently the news is that Ted Stevens was killed in a plane crash last night in Alaska," Brownback said. "And Sean O'Keefe, who has been in this city a couple of times, was NASA director and head of the Navy at one point, apparently was on the plane.

"I haven't heard about Sean. In fact, the last time I saw him was here in Wichita... I hope you lift him up in your prayers and carry him."

This story was originally published August 11, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Brownback: tax cuts, less business rules."