To the editor:

Mr. Simons’ column on July 19 carried a title we all can agree with: “Kansas voters must focus on state’s best interests.” We can even agree on the problem: “Brownback rolled the dice with his taxing strategy for Kansas. If he rolled a winner, the state would be in good shape, but if he rolled snake eyes, the state would likely face severe financial challenges. So far, the Brownback plan has not produced the revenues and jobs the governor had predicted.” Indeed, the level of economic growth and job creation in Kansas lags that of surrounding states and is markedly behind the nation as a whole.

Supply side (trickle down) economics fails once again, as it did for Reagan.

As a result, the state is running large deficits, made up for by robbing our “rainy day fund” during a time of national prosperity, while simultaneously reducing funding for many important state programs, as pointed out by Mr. Simons. And the state’s credit rating has been reduced.

Gov. Brownback’s solution to this situation is to do more of the same and continue with the additional tax cuts his program originally envisioned. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

To restate the question Mr. Simons asked, but did not have the courage to answer: “Again, what is best for Kansas’s future?” We’d better be right in the upcoming election. We’re about out of chips to gamble with.