Topeka ? Budget crisis? What budget crisis?

Kansas state government is in the worst financial shape in modern times, but the four Republican candidates for governor, during a televised forum Tuesday, offered few specific ideas on how to solve the problem.

With the Republican primary little more than a month away, former Eudora school superintendent Dan Bloom, Senate President Dave Kerr of Hutchinson, Wichita Mayor Bob Knight and State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger spoke during a live, hour-long program conducted by WIBW-TV and broadcast to stations across Kansas.

The winner will face Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, currently state insurance commissioner.

Republican Gov. Bill Graves, in his second and final term, and lawmakers recently completed a record-breaking long legislative session in which they approved about $300 million in new taxes and some budget cuts.

But with revenues continuing to decline, budget experts say next year when the new governor takes office, he or she will face an even tougher situation. That could mean a gap of $700 million, or 14 percent, between programs the state is now funding and revenue available to pay for them.

But on Tuesday, most of the GOP candidates provided few insights into how they would solve the problem.

Bloom offered the most specifics, saying he would raise the statewide levy for schools to 25 mills from 20 mills, broaden the sales tax base and shut down some community colleges grouped close together in southeast Kansas.

Shallenburger repeated his pledge that he would not raise taxes and said the budget could be balanced by eliminating waste and fraud. For example, he said there was probably $150 million that could be saved by eliminating fraud in the state Medicaid program.

Knight said he could not make a no-new-taxes pledge because that could mean cuts in either schools, public safety or social services for the needy. “If you have to step on people in a brutalizing way, I’m not your guy,” he said.

Kerr said the budget problems could not be solved with a “bumper sticker” mentality. He said he would work to protect education and social services.

In the give and take, it appeared the candidates were hoping to establish in voters’ minds some distinction between the other three.

Shallenburger said several times he was the “conservative” candidate. Bloom separated himself from the pack by declaring he was pro-choice and in favor of expanded gaming. Shallenburger and Knight said they were opposed to the idea. Kerr said he would not veto a limited gambling bill as governor.

Kerr repeated his goal of making Kansas public schools better, improving the economy and making government more efficient, but he didn’t provide details on how to do it.

A question dealing with a symbolic budgetary issue possibly provided the most insight into the candidates.

The question dealt with whether as governor the candidates would approve the $750,000 needed to put a statue of a Kansa Indian on top of the Capitol dome, a project Graves fought to keep in the budget.

Kerr said he opposed the statue because it was not historic. Knight said if the decision already had been made, then it’s time to move on to more important matters. Shallenburger said he opposed the statue because of the expense. Bloom joked the statue should be put on the state’s new $5 million airplane.

“It would look good as a hood ornament,” Bloom said.