Kansas views on state’s fiscal woes, Medicaid wait, state plane, Huelskamp
Fiscal woes – Why can’t Kansas collect enough revenue to provide the sound, basic public services that 3 million residents deserve? Because of the income tax cuts Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature approved in 2012. Put another way, this state of fiscal hell was created by its own inept political leaders.
The Hays USD 489 Parents as Teachers program is in the process of cutting up to 75 percent of the families it serves. The reason? In order to afford the unsustainable income tax breaks for corporations and wealthy Kansans, the governor and Legislature repeatedly have raided funds meant for critical state functions.
Medicaid wait – A state contractor massively underestimated the number of Kansans awaiting processing of Medicaid applications, omitting 12,000 people from its calculations. This disclosure is simply the latest in a long list of mistakes, missed deadlines, poor staffing decisions and ineffective management of Kansas Medicaid applications. At some point, the issue isn’t lack of oversight, it’s lack of action.
State plane – It gets increasingly hard for the state to justify having a state plane – and the costs associated with operating it – when the governor is slashing spending all over the place because of a severe cash shortage. If our leadership in Topeka wants smaller government, officials can start by narrowing the perks of their own offices.
Huelskamp – The 1st Congressional District needs an honest representative who’s a positive contributor – one who recognizes and embraces economic realities in ag-driven Kansas, and engages in problem-solving on other important issues ranging from immigration to health care. That’s not Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler/Hutchinson, and he has the record to prove it.
This story was originally published July 11, 2016 at 12:05 AM with the headline "Kansas views on state’s fiscal woes, Medicaid wait, state plane, Huelskamp."