It would seem that a group like the Kansas Chamber, which bills itself as “a champion for improvements to the Kansas economy” would want to portray our state as a good place to live and do business.

However, our state chamber seems to be taking just the opposite approach.

In an e-mail newsletter last week, the Kansas Chamber distributed across the state a report touting Kansas as one of the 10 worst states in the nation for retirement and overall “wealth friendliness.” The rankings came from an article published by Morningstar Inc., which was identified as a leading provider of independent investment research.

The rankings were based on an analysis of a hypothetical family with an adjusted gross income of $500,000, $10,000 in long-term capital gains and other assets, including a $500,000 home and a year-old car for which they paid $50,000. It’s hardly a typical American family. The figures were run through Quicken Turbo Tax to calculate state tax liability.

Based on the results, Morningstar ranked Kansas as one of the 10 worst states in which to retire if you want to maximize your retirement income and one of the 10 worst states in terms of “wealth friendliness” based on various taxing considerations.

The Kansas Chamber apparently was trying to use the report to attack Kansas tax policy. Although “taxes are too high” is a popular mantra, how does it serve the state’s interests to broadcast the message that Kansas is a poor place to live and do business?

Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber even amplified the point with his own remarks: “This Morningstar article proves what our members have been telling us and we have been telling our state’s political leaders – taxes in Kansas are too high when compared to other states. : One of these days we, as a state, are going to have to get serious about making the Kansas tax structure more competitive with other states.”

Gee, welcome to Kansas. Don’t you want to start, move or keep your business here?

If you want to learn more, you can go to www.kansaschamber.org where the lead story on the home page details the 17 “job killer” bills introduced in the Kansas Legislature this year. The chamber took credit for stopping all 17 bills from becoming law, which may promote the chamber’s image, but it doesn’t do a lot for the state.

There’s nothing wrong with the state chamber fighting for policies that benefit its business membership, but it seems to serve no purpose to prominently display in publications and online materials everything that makes Kansas a poor place to do business. Why not talk about our work force, our people, our schools? Why not talk about all the people who are choosing Lawrence and other Kansas communities as their retirement homes rather than broadcasting a report that says retirees in high economic brackets would be better off somewhere else?

Scaring people is a popular tactic these days for trying to spur people into action on various fronts, but it seems that in their efforts to scare Kansans or state legislators, the Kansas Chamber may also be scaring away businesses and individuals who otherwise might like to call Kansas home.