Kansas Bioscience Authority
Topeka — House Speaker Melvin Neufeld said Friday that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' criticisms of President Bush's fiscal proposals could hurt Kansas' efforts to land a national security laboratory.
"I'm worried about what that might do" to Kansas in the contest to win the $450 million National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said.
But Sebelius' office said the decision about where to locate the NBAF would be based on the merits of the Kansas proposal, not politics. Six sites, including Kansas State University, are in the running for the research lab that will focus on potential food supply threats.
After returning earlier this week from the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., Sebelius, a Democrat, criticized Bush over his proposed budget and economic stimulus package.
She said that most U.S. governors believe the Bush budget proposal for the next fiscal year is the worst that states have "seen in the years that President Bush has been president."
On Friday, Sebelius released a detailed report on reductions to Kansas under the Bush budget. Those include reductions of $15 million for transportation funds, $10.6 million for Medicaid and $4.6 million for social services.
In addition, an accelerated depreciation deduction for businesses under the economic stimulus plan will short state coffers $87 million, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas' tax revenue is affected because it links that portion of its tax code to the federal government's tax code, the revenue agency said.
Neufeld also noted the dispute between Sebelius and the White House after last year's tornado in Greensburg. Sebelius had said a lack of National Guard equipment, which had been diverted to Iraq, would slow recovery efforts - a charge that Republicans denied.
"There are ways to criticize the president without being insulting," Neufeld said.
But Sebelius' office said her comments were not out of line.
"The president has a job to do as do governors," Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.
"Gov. Sebelius will continue working to draw attention to issues that demand it - like a shortage of equipment for National Guard, or drastic cuts to Medicaid and law enforcement grant programs," she said.
Corcoran noted that although Sebelius was critical about the National Guard equipment issue, she praised federal agencies for their response to storm disasters in Kansas.
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merrill (anonymous) says…
Notice how little the Kansas economy has grown in the past 25 years with republicans controlling the house and senate..... that is insulting.
House Speaker Melvin Neufeld and your remarks regarding about coal and global warming reveal sir how far behind the times your thinking takes Kansas..... that's insulting sir!
House Speaker Melvin Neufeld and your position on public school funding or lack thereof reveals again how little respect Kansas republicans have for the value of education...that's insulting and does little for attracing new economic growth which again is insulting.
Made_in_China (Paul R. Getto) says…
Part of the problem is the civil war between the two wings of the Republican party. Right now, the Democrats are just watching and enjoying the flying fur.
frazzled (anonymous) says…
Let me get this straight. Melvin Neufeld, a conservative Republican, is admitting that the Bush administration might distort a governmental process that ought to be based on facts instead of politics. (Which has indeed happened before.) And he's saying that this is okay?
cato_the_elder (anonymous) says…
Governor Sebelius recently said that she was most proud of her father, John J. Gilligan, who was once Governor of Ohio, for getting a state income tax adopted in Ohio against strong opposition. Ohio's state tax burden is now the fifth most oppressive in the nation, and has much more to do with Ohio's current economic problems than NAFTA, which has received heavy criticism from Senators Obama and Clinton in their battle to court the union vote in Ohio. The fact that our Governor is most proud of her father's efforts in imposing an additional tax burden on Ohioans says a great deal about her philosophy on taxation.
jayhawklawrence (anonymous) says…
The State of KS vs. Melvin Neufeld
(Neufeld accused of blackmailing fellow legislature. Engaged in improper ethical practices)
http://www.kscourts.org/cases-and-opi...
This is the guy Kansas Republicans elected as their speaker.
marcdeveraux (anonymous) says…
cato wants al the services but does not want to pay for them.canada and most first world countries pay 50% taxes .these other countries know that education is first , as 75% of prison inmates do not have a high school diploma. Cato etc. want good roads and all the services but just want some one else to pay.or they complain about how bad it is. well, a moral country does what it has to do.people like cato ,r.t. bowhunter etc. are cave men ,.just like their leader g.w. ,no clue, no answer except ,stay the course.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
Neufeld again displays his childishness and ineptitude.
Marvin, leave the job of running the state to the grown-ups. You are of much better use to the state as a farmer.
overthemoon (anonymous) says…
re State of Ks vs Neufield....
This is very funny. The guy tried to blackmail a fellow legislator, Alldritt, to make him change his vote. It didn't work:
"Alldritt received a telephone call from Neufeld, who stated, "I'm calling to apologize. I did a really stupid thing. I'm a jerk and I hope you can forgive me."
Alldritt's wife also received a telephone call from Neufeld at her office in Anthony. Neufeld stated, "I'm calling to apologize for my actions the other evening. I was a jerk. I was out of line. My friends know I can be kind of off-the-wall at times."
His 'friends'??? What a buffoon!! It is appalling that people like this get elected...let alone become ranking members of legislatures.
cato_the_elder (anonymous) says…
Marc - If you actually pay a significant amount of taxes other than sales taxes, then be my guest and pay away. My point was simply that our Governor could have been most proud of her father for a number of other things, including the fact that he won a Silver Star at Okinawa - but what means the most to her is that, assuming what she said is true, he was primarily responsible for greatly increasing the tax burden imposed on his fellow Ohioans, which is undoubtedly acceptable to those among them who believe as you apparently do. Again, however, one cannot escape the fact that her comments do say a great deal about her philosophy on taxation, which I would contend is out-of-step with most Kansans' views of the subject across the state.
LiberalDude (anonymous) says…
That's weak Neufeld. No one cares what you think.
konzahawk (anonymous) says…
Neufeld doesn't even have a college education. It truly is pathetic that this imbecile has so much power.
volunteer (anonymous) says…
Thanks for the link, jayhawklawrence. Neufeld apparently is a creepy blackmailer. How sad that the Republicans in the House chose him as their Speaker.
Centerville (anonymous) says…
I'm not surprised if the bid fails. With her fondness for huge tax increases (and sneaky ones, like trying to tax grain trucks like 18-wheelers. Thanks, Jerry Moran, for stopping that one), and trading our energy needs for cheap headlines, who would want to risk doing business here as long as we have such a stupid governor?
dagopman (anonymous) says…
And the Democrats are controlled by Reid and Pelosi??? No wonder the Democratic Congress is floundering!