Be upfront about state budget problems

Neither Gov. Sam Brownback nor Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paul Davis is leveling with the public about the state’s budget problems.

Here’s what they aren’t saying: Regardless of who wins the election in November, there will be major spending cuts – likely starting this fiscal year.

Brownback won’t even admit there is a problem. He insists that job growth will cover any projected shortfall and dismisses experts at bond-rating agencies who say otherwise.

“The sun is shining in Kansas and don’t let anybody tell you any different,” he says in one of his campaign commercials.

His budget and tax officials are busy spinning revenue numbers and downplaying concerns about the looming shortfalls. State budget director Shawn Sullivan seems as if he spends much of his workday posting comments on news websites and social media.

Davis is more upfront, acknowledging that the budget outlook is bleak. But other than proposing that the state freeze future income tax cuts – which would help but not be nearly enough to cover the projected shortfalls – he won’t say what spending cuts likely would be required.

It’s not only gubernatorial candidates who are whistling past the budget graveyard. During interviews with The Eagle editorial board, many GOP legislative candidates have brushed off revenue shortfalls as mere estimates – even though the state budget is based on those estimates.

And those estimates keep getting worse. September’s tax collections were $21 million less than expected. So far, state tax receipts for this fiscal year are $23.4 million less than estimates, nearly wiping out the state’s projected ending balance for this fiscal year.

The revenue drop caused the Kansas Legislative Research Department last week to increase the projected budget shortfall for next fiscal year to $260 million, up from an earlier estimate of $238 million. So balancing the budget for fiscal year 2016 and restoring the statutorily required ending balance could require more than $700 million in additional tax revenue, budget cuts or a combination of both.

One of the few groups talking about the budget challenges is the Kansas Policy Institute. The free-market think tank linked to Koch Industries released a five-year budget plan that includes a $1 billion reduction in transportation funds over the next 4 1/2 years and decreases in state funding to school districts and state universities by $148 million and $38 million, respectively, this fiscal year. But even those cuts likely wouldn’t be enough to balance the budget and restore the state’s ending balance reserves.

Candidates are asking voters for their support in November. They need to treat those voters with respect by leveling with them about the severity of the budget problem and explaining what they intend to do about it.

For the editorial board, Phillip Brownlee

This story was originally published October 8, 2014 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Be upfront about state budget problems."