To the editor:
Tuesday’s Journal-World reports that our esteemed anti-tax anti-tax anti-tax legislators are now reversing field, suggesting increased taxes to fund a new highway program but OH, NEVER NOTHING for schools. Something is really wrong here! Did we Kansans actually elect these people? Please note that I refrain here from adding those adjectives which they so richly deserve.
Now, yours truly would gladly, even enthusiastically support increases in gasoline and vehicle taxes for entirely different reasons: If adequate funding for schools is not provided otherwise, a major portion of those taxes MUST go to education.
The reason for support of much larger gasoline taxes is as follows: We should not be supporting OPEC by buying their oil while at least some of their members are our sworn enemies. The best and perhaps the only way to limit that support is to make use of said oil so expensive in fact that one would never even be tempted to buy that big SUV or to drive a Hummer, heaven forbid.
Comments
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SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
An incredibly difficult letter to follow - bad grammar, hyperbole, sarcasm, double negatives, unnecessary uses of all caps.
By the end of the letter, I can't tell if Mr. Bodle is a road developer, an OPEC cartel member or an owner of a Hummer dealership
bkgarner (Brent Garner) says…
As noted elsewhere, 60% of the Kansas budget goes to education. How much more would this LTE writer direct to education?
jafs (anonymous) says…
Enough to fund the system adequately acccording to the Supreme Court.
justforfun (anonymous) says…
Bodie Dude! gather up Keane Revees and the rest of the the ex-presidents and go rob banks and generate some cash for the schools.
R.I.P. Patrick Swazye
avoice (anonymous) says…
One thing I'm beginning to notice when everyone is clamoring for more money for education: There is a big assumption that better jobs will be the guaranteed result of this "better" education our children will get from new schools, new computers, more athletics, etc., etc., etc. Meanwhile, we will let our roads deteriorate to the point that no one can get to those great jobs. But don't worry, because those jobs don't even exist: tens of millions of them have gone by the wayside as more and more small businesses go bankrupt and major corporations send their work to other countries. The best education in the world won't help you if there are no jobs.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Why did Scott Morgan approve a $20 million sports project knowing full well this matter needed to be resolved?
*School Maintenance
http://www2.ljworld.com/polls/2007/oc...
Recall for fiscal negligence……
parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
bkgarner (Brent Garner) says…
As noted elsewhere, 60% of the Kansas budget goes to education. How much more would this LTE writer direct to education?
It's actually 30%. I don't know where that 60% figure came from.
http://www.kansas.gov/KanView/state_e...
bkgarner (Brent Garner) says…
You are correct, Parrot, the 60% figure, based on your chart would appear to be in error. However, you fail to be honest in your presentation. Here is the breakdown using your own chart.
Education: 31%
Human Resources: 31%
Transportation: 7%
Agriculture: 2%
Public safety: 4%
General government: 25%
Even your own chart makes education one of the two largest items paid for by tax dollars, so although the 60% figure is wrong, the point that education is a major budget item is not.
jafs (anonymous) says…
bk,
If you posted 60% when the accurate figure is 31%, then it's you who was being dishonest.
parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
bkgarner
All I did was post one statistic to correct one that was wrong in your post. I know education is a major budget item, and my intent was most definitely NOT to say education was not a major budget item. Please tell me where I wrote anything about education not being a major budget item. I've scoured my post and I can't find where I wrote that, but my wife tells me I'm wrong all the time, so if you can show me where I wrote that then you have my full and sincere apology for my own dishonesty.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Let's not forget what has got Kansas in this mess over and above standard bad fiscal management by local and state repub thinkers.
Democrats are no saints but hey repub blind supporters you all stink to high heaven. Repub thinkers screwed up the economy and they have an established pattern of doing so.
For example:
* The Reagan/ Bush Home Loan Scandal
http://rationalrevolution0.tripod.com...
* The Bush/Cheney Home Loan Scandal
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archiv...
* What did Bush and Henry Paulson do with the bail out money?
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/10...
* Why did GW Bush Lie About Social Security?( This would cost taxpayers $4 trillion and wreck the economy)
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archiv...
* $9 Billion Lost In Iraq
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/0...
* Strategic Errors of Monumental Proportions
What Can Be Done in Iraq?
by Lt. Gen. William E. Odom (Ret.)
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/odom.php?...