Huelskamp successfully defunds Planned Parenthood

In all the interesting details I've been reviewing about the House concurring with the Senate's budget plan (or rather lack thereof), I failed to realize that this means Sen. Huelskamp was successful in defunding Planned Parenthood in Kansas. From an email blast I just got from Sen. Huelskamp:

“I am excited that both chambers of the Kansas Legislature have approved my amendment to remove taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. With Kansas facing a budget crunch, this would be a big victory for the taxpayers.”

If the bill is signed by Governor Mark Parkinson, Kansas will join six other states in the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

So it looks like the budget debate in the governor's office will be mighty interesting indeed.

House liberals win

It looks as though the House has concurred on the Senate's plan to cut 2.75% of the budget. That means the hole isn't really fixed as the Senate plan didn't fix the entire deficit. That also means there will be no conference committee between the House and the Senate. Basically House liberals decided no input into the Senate's budget was better than allowing any conservative input in the House.

How the rest of the hole will be filled isn't hard to figure out. Tax increases that everyone will scream are "revenue enhancements."

Get ready, the Senate wants a tax increase

The TEA party protesters will have their best chance yet to stop unwarranted taxing and spending. The Kansas Legislature is under a deadline this week to balance the budget and the state Senate signaled yesterday that it intends to balance it through tax increases. It's so bad even the "mainstream media" is putting "revenue enhancements" in quotation marks.

"Moderate" Republicans along with Democrats passed a budget balancing bill that institutes an across the board cut of 2.75% but doesn't balance the budget. Instead they plan to raise taxes on Kansas businesses already hurting and probably cause even more job losses in the private sector. Of course, they have no problem with this because public jobs are still growing, and that's where we should be giving our undivided attention, right?

Senate leadership also wants to allow tax cheats to pay their late bills in order to close the gap. This is a tax increase on everyone. Paying late without penalties is a tax cut in essence because the full amount owed to the state isn't being paid. Those who suffer are responsible citizens who paid on time. Why should I pay my taxes if I can pay a year or two later and use the money I would have given to the state for something else? Why have tax deadlines if we have no intention of enforcing them?

Senate leadership wants to talk about "shared sacrifice." What leadership doesn't understand, and citizens are going to have to explain, is that taxpayers and businesses have been "sharing" the sacrifice for a very long time already. While the number of public jobs increased by 1.9% the past year, the number of private sector jobs decreased by 1.9%. The private sector has been "sharing" quite a bit more than the public sector already. After increasing spending by 48% over four years, it's time the public welfare sector do its part and stop pushing the bill off onto Kansas taxpayers.

Here's how Senator's voted on the Masterson amendment that would have balanced the budget without a tax increase. Click on the Senator's name for information on how to contact them.

Big spenders should write "delayed tax cuts" in stone

No one wants to admit that stopping a phased out tax cut is a tax increase. Democrats and Republicans alike want to call it everything they can without calling it a "tax increase." Apparently taxes can take a third direction besides up or down.

And of course, we should all just trust them on this one. You know, it's just for a little bit. "We'll phase the tax out eventually, trust us, we're politicians and we always follow through on our promises! We're like Wal-Mart. Always low taxes. Always."

That's the faith Democrats and "moderate" Republicans are asking of fiscally responsible legislators and the public. They want to stop the phase out of the death tax and the franchise tax, but what they won't say, and what isn't being reported, is that there is no timetable in any of the proposed bills that would continue the phase out of tax cuts approved several years ago. Rather than lambasting the fiscally responsible, how about a show of good faith by setting a new timetable to continue phasing out these unfair and irresponsible taxes? I thought it was all about compromise? How about a little compromise on the part of the tax and spenders; be willing to put your promises into statute.

There's a good reason a timetable will never be set. It's not because it couldn't be changed later. After all, the current timetable can be adjusted with just a majority passage of a bill. No, there's a much more sinister reason tax and spend politicians don't want to set a timetable into statute; because then they'd have to publicly change the timetable again in a couple of years when their out of control spending can't be supported by the tax base.

It's really that simple. It's much easier to promise a tax cut in the future without having to ever vote on it than it is to put it in statute and have to take a public vote in a few years to change it again. After all, if it's just a verbal promise then come election time it can be the "other" guy's fault a proposal never came to a vote. Put an actual delay in statute and each and every legislator automatically becomes responsible for their vote and whether or not they'll follow through on their "delay" promises.

(Why the photo? I don't know. I just think Paul Davis is a really scary looking person.)

Lack of coverage on school funds story not hard to figure out

Yesterday I highlighted an investigative story from the Flint Hills Center on just how much money schools are sitting on at the same time they come to legislators and ask for more. The report was also discussed by Kansas Meadowlark, Wichita Liberty and Kansas Liberty. No other news outlet in the state has discussed where taxpayer money is being spent (or not spent) on education.

And it's not at all surprising. It's hard to say there isn't a bias in the media when they ignore well researched, thoughtful investigative journalism such as what the Flint Hills Center published yesterday. For all the talk of the death of investigative journalism, I'm beginning to believe more and more that "investigative journalism" has been dead a long time already. Newspapers like the Wichita Eagle and Kansas City Star are only interested in journalism if it involves shoving a camera in someone's face or embarrassing someone they don't like.

It's been speculated that with the financial trouble the newspaper industry finds itself in that someday soon they may be replaced with not-for-profit papers or independent investigative reporters. That's basically what was done at the Flint Hills Center. However if the newspaper industry will simply continue on the same path it's been on for the past who knows how many decades, there's little point in making our free press financially free as well. Quite honestly, unless these new founded "non-profit" papers are interested in doing hard hitting journalism, I'd rather see them just go bankrupt.

And the silence doesn't even make sense. As I read the report schools themselves are not a fault. It's a bad system set up by Topeka that has encourage financial behavior on the part of districts that's cause the rat-holing of such large sums of cash. Don't districts want to have access to that money? Don't districts want the flexibility to spend that money as they wish? Or are they so hungry for more tax dollars that they're willing to ignore $1.36 billion just sitting on the table?

Kansas schools sitting on $1.36 billion

Did you hear that? No? I did. It's the cry of the educrats. "We need money! The children will come out at dumb as Karl Rove if you cut even one dime from our budget! Oh, oh, oh the humanity! We're so hard up for cash even on penny less and we'll have to shut down half the schools, sell all the computers and start teaching with chalkboards again!"

Yes, the educrats are ramping up to save the sacred cow called education funding. That's why a new study by the Flint Hills Center is such bad news. Turns out they've been sitting on quite a sum of cash for a while. $1.36 Billion to be exact. That's billion with a "B."

In fairness, it's not all their fault. In the state's quest to make sure programs are effective, they've forced districts into sequestering money into 26 different funds. And because anything left over in their general fund is subtracted from their next disbursement from the state, anything left over is moved into one of those funds. And quite honestly I can't blame them. If someone told me I was going to be punished with less funding next year simply because I was responsible and didn't spend as much as was budgeted this year, I'd move the money too. But once it goes in, it doesn't come back out. So now over $1 billion is just sitting there, waiting to be used.

The report comes at a critical time for the state. Faced with a nearly $400 million shortfall, legislators are looking to cut whatever they can. The problem arises when they try to go after the biggest part of the budget, K-12 education. Now with nearly $1.36 billion in found money, are legislators willing to cut K-12 knowing that the resources are there for districts to provide the same level of education they always have? I think there will be an attempt, but educrats will be quick to fight back.

Some of the issues to be raised will be the variability of funds across districts. Some are flush with cash, like Wichita and Johnson County schools. Others have significantly less. How do you redistribute money equally between these schools while avoiding the ire of the Supreme Court?

And the money is in special funds. I'm sure educrats will be quick to point out that money should be spent on the programs the fund was set up for. Normally I'd agree, but the assessment depends on how much of that money was originally earmarked for that fund and how much was moved in just to avoid future cuts to general funds. What a mess to figure out.

It's sticky issue and one that needs to be dealt with in the next session. Current funds need to be used before coming to the taxpayers for more. At the very least, lawmakers need to institute uniform accounting practices between districts. After all, how can the state ensure equal funding if everyone counts their change differently?

Three Republicans plan Sebelius/Daschle bill to fix budget problems

File this one under "What were they thinking?"

Sens. Derek Schmidt, Jay Emler and Les Donovan are proposing a new program to let tax cheats pay their back taxes without any penalties. The Department of Revenue says the bill will add $22 million to help the state's budget problems. I don't know if the bill has a name yet, but I propose calling it the Sebelius/Daschle Act of 2009.

If that many Kansans owe back taxes, here's a plan, make them pay their back taxes! How's that for a plan? These three Republican's remind me of Oliver Twist. "Please tax cheats, would you please pay up your taxes? We've spent and spent and now we'd like some more please!"

What a joke. The state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem and our legislators would be wise to realize which side of the equation they need to focus on.

Separate from the budget issue is how this looks to those of us who actually file and pay our taxes on time. Why go to the trouble if Senators like Schmidt, Emler and Donovan are just going to bail you out when they decide they really need the money? This is nothing more than legalized tax amnesty on the Obama cabinet nominee level.

If these three stooges want tax cheats to pay their bill, then they should pay interest to those of us who paid up for the time they government had control of our money. After all, I could have instead taken those tax payments and invested them in a bank CD or something and made a little cash before I forked it over to the state for them to waste.

I wonder how much the state would net if they had to pay back interest to every taxpayer that paid on time?

Kansas Gambling revenue? Don't bet on it.

Legislators will return tomorrow to try and fix their spending problem from the past four plus years and they'll be looking partially to gambling revenue to do it. That is, of course, if there is any gambling revenue.

It looks as though Missouri is also having a hard time getting their fair share of gambling dollars. Voters approved a proposition in November that repealed the state's loss limit within a two hour period and hiked the state's share of revenues. According to the Kansas City Star, the measure was expected to bring in $100 to $130 million in new cash to the state.

Too bad that's not how it work out. Turns out Missouri is only going to see $30 million this year. The Missouri proposal was passed because the money was supposed to go to schools. It's all for the kids, don't you know?

So how exactly do legislators here in Kansas expect to close their budget problem with gambling revenue when the only gambling zone that is actually building a casino is in Dodge City? I assume the $50 million figure being thrown around is from privilege fees companies would have to pay upfront to be able to build and manage the casino. The southeast gambling zone has gone through two lettings without getting a commitment to build from anyone. Are legislators betting on funny money to close the gap?

That's what it looks like to me.

Flood the halls and make the calls!

Americans for Prosperity Kansas is holding a "TEE" Party at the statehouse this Thursday. AFP wants as many people as possible to go to the Capital Thursday for the second day of the wrap up session. If you can't attend, make some calls!

Here's the itinerary:

• 10 a.m. -- Meet at Dillon House (404 SW 9th St., just west of the Statehouse) for a briefing on the Kansas state budget. AFP will provide talking points, legislative contacts and other materials, before we head over to the Statehouse to talk with legislators.
• 12 p.m. -- Box lunches will be provided at Dillon House
• 1 p.m. -- We will go back to the Capitol to continue lobbying one-on-one with individual legislators
• 4 p.m. – Dismiss

No signs will be allowed in the Capital, which is why this will be a TEE Party instead of a TEA Party. If you have a T-Shirt you'd like to make to wear, feel free to do so. AFP will have some shirts there for you to decorate if you don't have the time.

If you're not able to come all day, just stop by for the time that you can. I know that's the biggest block to conservatives, isn't it? We just have to... work. It really gets in the way of going to TEA Parties and speaking with legislators, doesn't it?

AFP has arranged for buses from Wichita and Johnson County if you can't afford to make the trip. Go to AFP's homepage to register, even if you don't plan to use one of the buses. There's no charge to attend and lunch will be provided.

Hensley is a patriot, a Joe Biden patriot

Sen. Anthony Hensley is a patriot. A Joe Biden patriot.

Hensley spouted the party line in a Kansas City Star article yesterday. Don't you know the budget problem has been caused by the state not getting enough of the money it's owed rather than legislators like Hensley spending too much?

Hensley told the paper that the Legislature has approved $6.7 billion in tax cuts to businesses from 1995 to 2005. Funny, that sounds a lot like the numbers cited by Steve Rose. Are they talking about the same study? Who knows.

Either way they both have the same problem. Did the study also look at tax increases during the same period? I seriously doubt it. During that same period, sales taxes were increased, property taxes went up, cigarette taxes increased, income taxes increased. The list goes on and on.

And just for good measure, Hensley says that unemployment taxes went down too, so that means businesses shouldn't have a problem giving more money to the government to waste. Sure, that makes sense. After all, if the state had collected more unemployment insurance premiums, that money could be used for... oh... wait. It could be used for unemployment benefits. That's it. So what's the point again???

Hensley believes that the government is entitled to your money before you are, plain and simple. Apparently the Star believes that as well.

The federal government has accelerated depreciation to encourage businesses to buy equipment. The state currently uses the federal depreciation formula for state taxes. By not going to an accelerated depreciation schedule, the state could save about $40 million.

Gee, I didn't realize that by hiking taxes on businesses the state could save money. It seems to me that by hiking taxes the state could take more money. But save? No, the state could save more money by spending less money. That's how you save. Savings, by definition, is not taking more money from the people.

Hensley and Democrats just have a completely different thought process. The government is entitled to whatever you have before you are. It's just that simple.

Budget battle heating up this week

The Legislature returns Wednesday for its wrap up session where they'll have to trim over $330 million from the budget. Democrats and some moderate Republicans are pushing hard for every kind of "revenue enhancement" (aka "tax increase") they can think of without calling for an across the board income, sales or property tax increase.

$330 million is about 2.5% of the $13 billion budget. That's certainly nothing to sneeze at. If the $13 billion budget was instead a $50,000 a year income, a 2.5% cut would be $1,250. A noticeable cut, but one that would certainly be possible.

The other number that is being left out of the budget conversation is how much spending has increased since 2004. That would be 48% according to Americans for Prosperity - Kansas.

So to put that in perspective, that would be like a family spending $26,000 a year and then four years later spending $50,000 a year. Now, would it be possible for them to cut a measly $1,250 after nearly doubling spending over just four short years? I'd hope so.

Get ready to hear the educrats squeal

Prepare yourself to hear the government bankrolled educrats squeal. A House committee working on the budget shortfall is looking at a 3.3% cut in education funding. That's about $100 million overall.

I can't even begin to imagine what is going to be said after the reaction over a measly 1% cut. It's for the children, don't you know? Yes I know, and if more money equaled better results, I might consider getting on board. But time and time again studies have shown more money doesn't make students perform better or prepare them to enter college or the real world.

To understand that money does not equal performance, one needs to look no further than Kansas City, Missouri. In 1985, a federal judge ordered the district to come up with a plan to close the gap in achievement among white and black students. The catch? Money was to be no object.

A Cato Institute analysis gives us the plan formulation and the dismal results.

To improve the education of black students and encourage desegregation, a federal judge invited the Kansas City, Missouri School District to come up with a cost-is-no-object educational plan and ordered local and state taxpayers to find the money to pay for it.

Kansas City spent as much as $11,700 per pupil--more money per pupil, on a cost of living adjusted basis, than any other of the 280 largest districts in the country. The money bought higher teachers' salaries, 15 new schools, and such amenities as an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an underwater viewing room, television and animation studios, a robotics lab, a 25-acre wildlife sanctuary, a zoo, a model United Nations with simultaneous translation capability, and field trips to Mexico and Senegal. The student-teacher ratio was 12 or 13 to 1, the lowest of any major school district in the country.

The results were dismal. Test scores did not rise; the black-white gap did not diminish; and there was less, not greater, integration.

In fact, more money equals better schools was the mantra of educrats when the Supreme Court ordered more spending in 2005. And yet year after year no reliable evidence has been produced to show that money has a significant effect on student achievement.

Democrats have argued that Kansas should decouple it's tax code from federal tax laws to increase state revenues. Changes to Federal tax laws passed by the Democratically controlled Congress and signed by President Obama have compounded the state's budget problems because currently Kansas follow suit with any new tax breaks. And yet those changes were part of the stimulus package that was supposed to help our economy rebound. So will Kansas Democrats side with Obama or will they once again bow to the Kansas education lobby?

Lottery revenue no sure bet

Democrats and Republicans alike were just falling all over themselves two years ago to get a gambling bill passed. So desperate were they to make the state of Kansas the proud new owner of four destination casinos that suddenly the word "lottery" morphed into "casino."

Now two years later the state's unable to pay its bills and is looking at tax increases to make ends meet. So, how's that gambling revenue working out for ya?

Not so well. When the bill was passed, revenue estimates were around $200 million a year. But that assumed casinos would be, you know, built. That part of the plan hasn't worked out so well.

The only casino under construction is in Dodge City, the smallest of the four projects. The southeast Kansas casino got one company on the hook who promptly withdrew. A recent second application opening didn't get any applicants.

Same for the Kansas City and Sumner County casinos. Nobody felt like hopping on that train the first time around. Now they have some applicants, but will they stick around? The state hasn't had much luck in that department.

It seems when the Governor and Legislators decided Kansas should be in the casino business they forgot one important part of the plan, that you need casinos to make money. Now lawmakers are once again proposing using gambling revenue to fix the budget shortfall.

Sounds like a great plan, but I wonder if they've worked out the kinks from last time. Like actually getting a casino built. Maybe Democrats and Republicans alike would be better off to spend their time focusing on cutting the budget than trying to find funny money to plug the hole.

Huelskamp advocates government transparency at all levels

When it comes to government transparency, Republican's continue to lead the state in innovative, practical ideas. I'm happy to say Sen. Huelskamp is among those leaders.

A recent Kansas Liberty article outlined Senate bill 226 which would require all Kansas school districts to post their spending data online in a searchable database similar to KanView. According to Liberty:

"KanView was an outgrowth of an amendment offered by Huelskamp during the 2007 legislative session. Formally called the Kansas Taxpayer Transparency Act, it required the state to develop a searchable, publicly accessible website reporting the financial activity of state government. It was the first effort of its kind in the nation."

With over half of our state budget going to K-12 education, it is certainly time for the taxpayers to know how their money is being spent.

In addition, Huelskamp’s proposal, Senate Bill 226, would require the Legislature to provide a concise, easily reviewable listing of legislative votes.

“In order to hold us accountable, our citizens need quick, easy access to our voting records,” Huelskamp said. “But with the current legislative website, it is nearly impossible to track legislative votes. Instead, this bill would provide for simple, daily Internet updates of our voting records to allow constituent review and criticism.”

This is certainly something I can't wait for. It's unacceptable that in 2009 a Kansas citizen can't find out how their Representative or Senator voted.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Sen Huelskamp's practical, common sense proposals once elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Been there, done that

I was checking out Rob's website this evening to see if he had been able to produce anymore photo's of himself (none so far), when instead I was greeted with this headline: "Rob first to sign Taxpayer Protection Pledge"

Now, I'm not the hottest french fry in the happy meal, but this struck me as rather odd considering Sen. Huelskamp has been in office since January of 1997 and has voted on countless budgets, tax increases and cuts.

How disingenuous, no, I'm sorry, how deceitful of Mr. Wasinger to say that he is the first to sign the taxpayer pledge knowing that not only did Sen. Huelskamp sign a taxpayer pledge when taking office, but being fully aware of all he has done for the hardworking taxpayers of Kansas. And how did Rob vote? Oh, that's right, he has no record!

So not only was Sen. Huelskamp the absolute first to sign a pledge to protect the Kansas taxpayer (unlike the lie Mr. Wasinger is peddling on his website), he's met and exceeded the expectations of voters.

Sen. Huelskamp scored a 100% during the 2008 legislative session with the Kansas Taxpayers Network and has a lifetime rating of 98.1%, the highest of any state Senator! And Mr. Wasinger's rating? Oh, that's right, he has no record!

So while Rob may think voters will find it impressive he can sign his name on a piece of paper, I have complete faith knowing that Republican voters know the difference between wannabe's and the real deal.

PS - In fairness to those rabid Barker people who seem to think a former Democrat is the same thing as a lifelong conservative Republican like Pat Roberts, he also has no record, other than being a Democrat for years.

PSS - Many thanks to Dirt Diver Kansas for the photo. I'm just a little upset I didn't think of it first.

Huelskamp targets Planned Parenthood funding, cites $1 billion shortfall

When it comes to cutting state pork, there's nobody better than Sen. Tim Huelskamp.

Huelskamp announced yesterday that he intends to scrutinize every penny of state spending in the face of a $1 billion state deficit. In light of some Senate Republicans refusing to discuss possible budget solutions and still blaming the budget shortfall on "tax cuts" rather than their own over spending, Sen. Huelskamp's comments are a breathe of fresh air.

“In the last two fiscal years alone, Kansans have forked over more than $550,000 to this organization,” said Senator Huelskamp. “There is simply no reason in the world why the taxpayer dollars of hundreds of thousands of pro-life Kansans should be used to underwrite abortion providers in this state, particularly those under criminal indictment and investigation.” Huelskamp promised to seek budget language that would prohibit such funding.

One does have to wonder why, if the face of a $1 billion deficit, the state would continue to fund someone under criminal investigation. Just as it pains the citizens of Illinois to pay Gov. Blagojevich's salary, it too should pain Kansans to know their hard earned tax dollars are going to an organization charged with 107 different felony misdemeanors.

And before liberals start howling about the "anti-abortion" activists, Huelskamp's press release notes actions already taken by the state of Virginia, a state that voted for the most liberal Presidential candidate in history.

If Kansas were to defund Planned Parenthood funding, they would not be the first state to attempt to do so. Citing concerns about the racist foundations of Planned Parenthood, their documented willingness to cover up for rapists and other child predators, and their illegal promotion of pornography to teenagers, other states such as Virginia have made moves similar to that proposed by Huelskamp.

Senate President Steve Morris and Vice President John Vratil have blamed the budget crisis on tax cuts passed under their leadership the past few years. But as AFP's Alan Cobb pointed out, it isn't the tax cuts that are to blame but the over indulgence of a majority of Kansas Senators, Representatives and Gov. Sebelius herself.

“Isn’t it worth mentioning the impact of four years of large budget increases on the current budget situation? If the budget had simply increased at 5 percent, hardly a small number, each year since 2004, we would have more than $2 billion in the bank now.”

2004 is the year Sen. Morris and Vratil took over leadership of the Kansas Senate.

Personally, I think the CPI is the most a budget should increase without the approval of the voters. But isn't it interesting to know that if legislators had just had a little self control...not even a lot, but just a little bit...that we'd now be in the black instead of the red

Kansans can rest assured that Sen. Huelskamp will examine every penny in Washington just like he has the past 12 years in Topeka.

The votes are in and Senator Huelskamp is the frontrunner

Well, the "votes" are in and Sen. Tim Huelskamp is the clear front runner to replace Rep. Jerry Moran in Washington.

As Politico reported on Jerry Moran's decision to seek a U.S. Senate seat, they also note only one candidate in the running to replace Moran, Tim Huelskamp.

Already conservatives are buzzing about Kansas state senator Tim Huelskamp as a possible successor for Moran.

Following up on those sentiments was Roll Call, Capital Hill's leading paper.

Huelskamp has been preparing his bid for a while: He opened a federal campaign account in 2006 when Moran was considering a run for governor and has $25,000 to start his bid."We've been spending a lot of time on the phone the last couple weeks, and we already have a campaign account open," Huelskamp said in a phone interview.

The other candidates? An honorable mention, but not much else.

Even news outlets back home in Kansas acknowledge that Sen. Huelskamp is the front runner

State Sen. Tim Huelskamp says he's thinking about making a run for Congress in two years. The Republican from Fowler said Tuesday that he's busy raising money and plans to make a formal announcement in the coming weeks.

No other candidate mentioned can match credentials or records with Sen. Huelskamp. As our state faces an unprecedented budget crisis, we can all rest assured that Sen Huelskamp will work to solve our budget problems the way every Kansas family has to solve their budget problems; through less spending and pork cutting, not through tax increases and passing the buck.

And those other candidates? Well, they either didn't show up for the party, caved to special interests or some even were the cause of our budget problems in the first place.

Washington insiders and big Topeka spenders. That's not what Kansas needs.

Common sense budget solutions and principled leadership. Now that's what Kansas needs.