Do you think the state should cut spending, and if so from where? / LJWorld.com

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“No, we should increase spending on education, the arts and social services.”

— Brad Scott, Brewing floor manager of Free State Brewing Company, Lawrence

“It depends on how necessary it is. I don’t trust Governor Brownback’s opinion alone. I would honestly like to see someone else’s opinion.”

— Brandon Hewitt, graduated student, Topeka

“They should cut half the spending out of high school and college athletics. How can they explain all these trips overseas on taxpayer money?”

— Fred Knight, works in construction, Wellsville

“I don’t believe in taking money away from agencies. They should cut the salaries for those in administration and the higher-ups. ”

— Maritza Walling, unemployed, Lawrence

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Three members of my family worked there during different periods beginning before the Great Depression and up until the mid 1980's; one was there 47 to 50 years. I was the fourth and that was only for one summer during high school.

verity 10 months ago

"Probably one of the few state employees that would work 50 hours weeks......"

Not to take anything away from your father who I'm sure was a fine man, but he was not one of a few. Most just don't get paid for it because the state will rarely pay overtime and of course the salaried wouldn't get it anyway.

Jonana 10 months ago

Time to combine the state's house and senate into one body of legislators. Take a long look at this unicameral system long used in Nebraska. It works just fine and costs a whole lot less :-)

Crazy_Larry 10 months ago

"Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a unicameral legislature. Although this house is officially known simply as the 'Legislature', and more commonly called the 'Unicameral', its members call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the only state legislature in the United States that is nonpartisan. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and the speaker and committee chairs are chosen at large, so that members of any party can be chosen for these positions. The Nebraska Legislature can also override a governor's veto with a three-fifths majority, in contrast to the two-thirds majority required in some other states." They meet for 90 working day in odd numbered years, and 60 working days in even numbered years. The 2010 Session was from Jan. 6- April 14, 2010. (from some sources)

grammaddy 10 months ago

I'm with RoeD. Start with Cedar Crest.

psycho_theclown 10 months ago

If the state needs money, open a couple of casinos on I-70 & I-35. Add some "adult" truck stops. too with large billboards every few miles like Missouri and Florida.

radiohawk 10 months ago

Cut corporate subsidies. Cut tax loopholes for those making over $200K.

CWGOKU 10 months ago

Sweet, I only make $199K. I-70 across Missouri is the armpit of America.

Wallythewalrus 10 months ago

Yeah, clown ;) then Topeka could look like Amarillo, Texas. LOL

Pastor_Bedtime 10 months ago

Put an end of praying and bible study on the clock and eleminate that wasteful new prayer room they designed . Or into something actually beneficial to the state.

snap_pop_no_crackle 10 months ago

Find something that I don't buy and tax the living crap out of it to make up the revenue shortfall. (from a source)

Phoghorn 10 months ago

Don't like Kansas - then move. Simple.

jafs 10 months ago

Don't like Obama...

roadrunner 10 months ago

Love Lawrence, Hate Kansas....Can we just relocate Lawrence to somewhere with common sense? Still, hate all the divisiveness in our country. Also my husband is a state employee who works his @!&! off and hardly sleeps a wink at night hoping he doesn't loose his job and worries even more about the people who work under him. State employees are not slouches and they already cut the fat in 2008-9, there isn't any more to cut - except jobs...

hitme 10 months ago

No, the genie's out of the bottle with liquor sales and other progressive laws. BB can wish for this stuff, but it'll never get passed....even in Kansas.

cait48 10 months ago

"Kansas might as well move to south in terms of the stupidity that is coming down the pipe."
_____________

Actually, I think you would be surprised. I moved to Tennessee the first of this year and found some very surprising things. Yes, I went from one red state to another and yes, this is the buckle of the Bible Belt. I'm not lieing when I say there is a church on every other street corner of the city where I live (Chattanooga). So yes, the TN legislature and Governor do embrace social legislation to an extent. BUT, although it is heavily Republican, there is a strange distaste here for TEApublicans. Why? Well over half of the state's economy is invested in coal mining. Coal mining equals...tada!...unions. (Please don't delete my comment for saying a dirty word, LJW.) Haslam, the state's Governor, and other legislators are just a bit reluctant to step on that particular giant toe. Yes, TN is a "right to work" state but the labor laws are way different here. Mining unions (there's that word again) have been entrenched in this state since the 1800s and the days of the Molly McGuires. Ain't no one getting rid of them. Add in that TN, in some ways, is becoming the new Detroit (Chattanooga alone has a VW plant and is the main production plant for the Passat) and the UAW has a huge presence here.
Well, you get the picture.
This produces some strange conversations. My husband and I went out for dinner last night. The couple at the table nearest to us were having a political discussion and they were obviously Republicans themselves. Then they started discussing Paul Ryan and one of them said, "You almost have to be an idiot to be Republican these days." The other person said, "Do you think Ryan is another Sarah Palin?" and the other replied, "We were just discussing that at the dinner table last night!"

Phoghorn 10 months ago

Just look at his posting history. He is a KSU guy who comes onto kusports.com just to whine about KU. He is on here whining about Kansas. At some point he needs to put on his big boy pants and either try to improve himself or his community. It sounds like you feel the same way with your views as well.

As far as gubernatorial politics is concerned, we have not had an outstanding governor since Joan Finney. May she rest in peace.

verity 10 months ago

Right on, autie!

cait48 10 months ago

Along with War, Famine and Death.
Somebody needs to tell Brownback "...and your white horse too!"

verity 10 months ago

For some it's already here.

somedude20 10 months ago

You will get some great answers when you hit up cats who have been sippin that sweet nectar.

by somedude20

oxymoron 10 months ago

First of all: reduce the number of counties. We have more counties than California. Force school consolidation. Eliminate high school sports. Go bicameral or have legislature meet every other year. Change the insane way we pay legislators' retirement to per diem. Eliminate redundant university schools. If want engineering, go to X. If you want education, go to X. Eliminate Emporia State. Make virtual education seamless across the state so credits easily transfer. Sell Cedarcrest.

deec 10 months ago

How many hours a day do you feel elementary students should ride buses to get to school? Some western Ks. districts already cover hundreds of square miles.

oxymoron 10 months ago

Virtual schools like they already do in the sparsely populated states in the west.

deec 10 months ago

Will the state provide internet access?

verity 10 months ago

You bring up a good point. You can't just snatch it out of the air if it's not there.

CWGOKU 10 months ago

Enrolled the middle child at KU this morning. I'll be drinking Old Milwaukee lite for a while.

verity 10 months ago

"straining the used antifreeze through bread." That is a cost-cutting method I hadn't heard of. Has it been successful?

rockchalker52 10 months ago

Fine messes these budgets are & I can't even hazard a guess where to cut from. I am perplexed, though, why any human above the level of self-absorbed miscreant would want to cut funding for education.

The way I see it, if our leadership had true moral vision for the future of Kansans, they'd pour million$ into education on all levels. The first state to ever go all in on learning will reap huge benefits. Some people say that's idealistic crazy talk, but I say if you're gonna cut stuff, take that money & put it in to education.

PaulJr 10 months ago

I am all for 10% reduction across the board. Kansas will not survive unless new policies are followed. This is an existential crisis. For the duration of the crisis: First we cut payments to Kansas and subordinate jurisdiction bondholders by 10%. We cut all other Kansas and subordinate jurisdiction payments by 10% to any who receive amounts above a certain sum. We cut all taxes in KS and subordinate jurisdictions by 10% for all. Including real estate, sales, etc. All shortfalls in government revenues shall be financed by a Kansas Reserve Bank, empowered to issue currency, the Kansas Dollar, and issue loans, established on the model of the Federal Reserve, the USA Central Bank, but wholly owned by the citizens of Kansas. The Kansas Reserve Bank shall serve as lender of first resort for all future Kansas and subordinate jurisdiction borrowing. If Governor Brownback is unwilling or unable to serve the interests of ALL Kansans, I will graciously volunteer to serve as Kansas Chief Executive for the duration of the crisis without pay, to protect ALL Kansans from the devastation rained on innocent Kansans by this crisis. As Kansas Chief Executive (Interim), Committees of Safety composed of Kansas citizens shall enforce a luxury reduction program throughout the State and its subordinate jurisdictions.

CWGOKU 10 months ago

So, is Roed's sister hot or what?

rockchalker52 10 months ago

by rockchalker52

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 10 months ago

Loving is Hard, Hating Is Easy

laredo 10 months ago

I think Brownback should scrap his tax cuts for the rich.

msezdsit 10 months ago

We should defund the governor, the house, and the senate until further notice.

blindrabbit 10 months ago

Brownie should increase the revenue stream by renting out the Kansas House Chamber to all of his C-Street loving right winged religious nutcases. I'm sure he knows enough to create a considerable cash flown into the State coffers. I'm surprised he did not claim that the 7 legislative meetings (probably violating sunshine laws) held at Cedar Crest were not some form of religious meeting since all of the attendees were of like minds.

misterlee 10 months ago

Eliminate the governor's salary. Anyone who can afford to run for the office, doesn't need the money.

RoeDapple 10 months ago

Damn! She looks like me since she grew the mustache!

(Or is that me . . . . ?)

snap_pop_no_crackle 10 months ago

The Halibut Advisory Board should be eliminated.

rockchalker52 10 months ago

You can't go around cutting things just for the ha...aw, forget it. Too easy.

kernal 10 months ago

Perhaps we should dispense with the Secretary of State position since he's off doing business other than what Kansans elected to do. Parts of that agency could be merged into others without too much disruption.

That should be a good starting point.

hedshrinker 10 months ago

+1,000!

labmonkey 10 months ago

There are actually plenty of places in education where money can be cut and actually help teachers and students. Make every school district get rid of one administrator per lets say 700 students. Consolidation is a good start also. If you have a 2A and a 3A school within 10 miles of each other (Jayhawk-Linn and Pleasonton, KS for example), they need to be consolidated. This way the students can actually be offered more in the way of choices. Instead of two teachers teaching general biology for example, you can have one teach general biology and the other teach something more specialized such as a microbiology/genetics class or an anatomy/physiology class. Both the taxpayer and the students win.