To the editor:

The recent Associated Press interview given by Gov. Brownback continues to demonstrate the disconnect between his perception of the Kansas economy and the reality of the lackluster performance of the state in comparison to the overall economy.  

He notes the Kansas unemployment rate is now 4.1 percent. Clearly an improvement, but not a great performance when compared to those troublesome statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing, that the national unemployment rate has dropped 46 percent since the beginning of 2011 vs. 40 percent for the state of Kansas.

How about wages? The governor cites a 7 percent growth in wages since 2011. This is about a 1.5 percent growth compounded annually.  Again, those stubborn statistics shed light on the lack of performance. Nominal wages have been growing at an average nationally of approximately 2 percent for the last four years. So, Kansas has lagged the national average.  

The facts indicate that shifting $400 million in tax burden to those with Kansas adjusted gross incomes below $100,000 has proven to be a bad idea. It is time to “mess around” with taxes to provide both revenue and equity.