Brownback to the Drawing Board

From CBS News:

After he became Kansas governor in 2011, Sam Brownback slashed personal income taxes on the promise that the deep cuts would trigger a furious wave of hiring and expansion by businesses. 

But the "shot of adrenaline" hasn't worked as envisioned, and the state budget has been in crisis ever since. Now many of the same Republicans who helped pass Brownback's plan are in open revolt, refusing to help the governor cut spending so he can avoid rolling back any of his signature tax measures. 

If Brownback won't reconsider any of the tax cuts, they say, he will have to figure out for himself how to balance the budget in the face of disappointing revenue. 

"Let him own it," Republican Rep. Mark Hutton said. "It's his policy that put us there."

Next time you hear Republicans talking about being the party of lower taxes, remember to ignore them. They are only for lower taxes until you ask them to cut spending.

The predicted job growth from business expansions hasn't happened, leaving the state persistently short of money. Since November, tax collections have fallen about $81 million, or 1.9 percent below the current forecast's predictions.

"We're growing weary," said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Republican from Wichita. While GOP legislators still support low income taxes, "we'd prefer to see some real solutions coming from the governor's office," she said.

WHAT?! 1.9% below projections, and the GOP is running scared? I have lost more than that on stock investments before, and worried a whole lot less than these fools.

Last month, Brownback ordered $17 million in immediate reductions to universities and earlier this month delayed $93 million in contributions to pensions for school teachers and community college employees. The state has also siphoned off more than $750 million from highway projects to other parts of the budget over the past two years.

Ok, so what is the right amount the state needs to spend on these items? In the entire article, I never see that question asked.

It is time for the TRUTH Math Lesson! When viewing journalistic articles, remember these basic math formulas, and you will understand why certain questions never get asked:

Maximum Government spending =  ∞ 

Maximum Government taxation = ∞ 

Maximum Government taxation for people in the Media = {0 to 1%}

Maximum Government Spending Growth > 0

Based on this math lesson, the missing questions from the above quoted paragraph are:

1. What should the correct amount of funding be for state universities?
2. What should the correct amount of funding be for teacher pensions?
3. What should the correct amount of funding be for highway projects?

Mind you, I am not saying Kansas is funding at the proper levels, or above or below them. I am only saying we don't know what those levels should be since nobody ever asks. What I am also saying is that the Media always assumes funding levels are too low if they have been cut.

You have to feel sorry for the people in Kansas, since they will never know whether they could have less government. We knew the Democrats would never agree to less government, and now we know the Republicans won't either. Maybe next time, they will "waste their vote" on a Libertarian?