City.
The state is facing about a $70 million shortfall this year, and about a $500 million shortfall over the next two years.
The economy has still not recovered, and there is not any easy way out, they said.
The idea of a one-percent sales tax is being talked about. Rep. Kasha Kelley and Sen. Steve Abrams oppose the idea. Rep. Ed Trimmer did not specifically come out in
favor of it, but he said he does see a need for "revenue enhancements."
All three local representatives support the idea of the state selling off some of its assets to raise money. The state owns several buildings - some of which are empty - and it owns a lot of property that could be sold.
One problem is that there is no comprehensive list of what property the state owns. Trimmer said that list should be available this summer.
There were not a lot of people there, maybe 25. A few people from social services - such as mental health - were there to express concern about budget cuts.
Go to the web site, www.arkcityrevived.com, for a complete report on the meeting. You may read the story and then notes from the event.
ha, don't you just love the "revenue enhancements" mumbo jumbo. :) Seriously, you can only tax people so much. Granted, they have MISSION IMPOSSIBLE in Topeka right now. I just wonder when will we begin to look at some of our "sacred cows" and begin to wonder...hmmm. People in India are starving to death while food on 4 hooves dawdles right by them. It's nuts. When will we begin to look seriously at entitlements, subsidies and education. I think someone indicated that education takes upwards of 60% of the state budget. I mean, even in local 470 you got administrators knocking down 6 figure salaries. Multiply that by all the districts combined. While teachers exist on subsistence wages. (& they're the ones in the trenches dealing with unruly kids) Don't get me started on entitlements. Lots of things we could cut. Look out sacred cows...
ReplyDeleteD.Q.
DQ,
ReplyDeleteYou crack me Up!
They need you on the City commission!
and then
To take on the NEA - who else can name their own Salary through merit increases?
To take on the NEA - who else can name their own Salary through merit increases?
ReplyDeleteBtw: Where there is no competition?
There is no market forces to keep things in
check!
Either our legislators have been mismanaging state funds, and funding programs we don't need, or cuts to these programs are going to negatively impact large segments of society. Mental Health, Developmental Disability services, Education, Corrections, Judicial...
ReplyDeleteI wish to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have been carefully managing my tax dollars. If you cannot cut any further, then you have to raise revenues. A one cent increase in the sales tax would have little impact on most state residents.
You could lower State expenses by throwing out all of the illegal immigrants.
ReplyDeleteWell if you would just listen to Al Gore about all those cow FARTS and how destrutive they are to the environment?
ReplyDeleteWe would get rid of those cows and those immigrants wouldn't have anthing to do!
@7:28pm
ReplyDeleteI am going to assume they have not been carefully managing my tax dollars. What is so bad about having to tighten one's budget? It could actually do some good...maybe they could find some areas to streamline or some departments that could run more efficiently.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Man up.
Just in case you havent noticed, the economy has gone to hell. that means there is no tax revenue coming in because of that.
ReplyDeleteso they have a lot less money
which is why they have less money than they need.
Off topic:
ReplyDeleteJJ,
What? No post on the World Day of Prayer
Ruling?
@7:28 p.m. You are right. A lot of people are going to be hurting. I don't mean to come across as uncaring. "It's only a penny" That mentality is what's gotten us where we are. (From fed to state to local combined) Look, nobody likes to give up something they had. @9:08 has it. THERE IS NO MORE MONEY!! I stand by my statement. Let's look seriously at cutting some of these 6 figure salaries paid to people sitting in offices and driving state owned vehicles, etc, etc, ad nauseam. The time has come. The federal government is facing the same crisis, except they just print more money and "charge it". We in KS do not have that luxury. I would not want a KS Senator or Representative job right now...
ReplyDeleteD.Q.