To the editor:

Nearly every state is facing a budget deficit. Kansas is not one of the exceptions. Politicians are quick to discuss cutting spending on programs that are critical for the public welfare like education, health care, mental health care, law enforcement, infrastructure maintenance, and even art. No one asks the ugly question: How much money does Kansas spend to attract corporations? At what benefit?

Nationwide, states spend billions to attract business. Is this healthy free market competition or is it a game of financial chicken? These are not easy questions to answer, a simple Google search doesn’t get the job done. Perhaps the states should form a union and demand equitable treatment.