KU makes sudden change in Statehouse presence

This legislature, likely the dumbest ever, probably IS motivated by vindictiveness rather than common sense. That would certainly explain the boneheaded proposal to cut funding to institutions that return three dollars on every state dollar invested. Brownback is no liberal, nor is he interested in anything bipartisan, but even he doesn't advocate arbitrarily cutting funding to higher education at this point. But as long as there are noses there will be people dimwitted enough to cut their own off for spite.

May 20, 2013 at 2:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

As Legislature remains deadlocked, Brownback in Chicago touting tax cuts

"The information about the event says that Brownback "has proven to be an innovative reformer seeking to expand liberty in the Sunflower State.'"

That's right, it's the amazing Flim-Flam Sam! He can turn the ace of spades into the queen of clubs, and he can expand liberty by turning Kansas into a third-world state run by the Chamber of Commerce! So, come one, come all to the Illinois Policy Institute Circus! Come to be dumbfounded by Flim-Flam Sam's illusions, and stay for the Illinois Policy Institue's Clown-capades! You'll laugh 'til your sides split!

May 20, 2013 at 2:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Legislative negotiations break down amid Republican in-fighting

It should be simple. All that Representatives have to do is go back on their word and sell out those of their constituents who voted for them because they swore that they wouldn't increase taxes. Then they'll be free to endorse the plan of state Senators, to whom a promise isn't binding.

On the other hand, all that the Senators have to do is cast off whatever is left of their sense of reality. Then they will be able to see eye to eye with Representatives, who clearly don't understand that the plan all along was to eliminate income taxes on business owners and let everyone else pick up the slack by paying higher sales tax.

Lack of integrity or lack of a sense of reality. If the Representatives and Senators both had the same defects, then this would be easy. As it is, this will only be settled by Brownback's threat of veto. In the end, this display of buffoonery will have been pointless. Brownback wants House members to sell out, so sell out they will.

But take heart House Members. No doubt Sam will have lots of secret advice about how to spin this to your constituents. In the end they'll think that instead of selling them out by breaking your solemn oath, you are somehow sticking it to "liberals."

May 17, 2013 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Senate approves bill banning use of tax dollars to advocate for gun control

We've seen corporate interests push numerous bills to restrict freedom of speech this legislative session, so this is no surprise. This legislature is all about crushing American values. That should be obvious regardless of what position you take on gun control. Using power to shut down opposition is dictatorial, not democratic, no matter what your political views are.

We've seen an attempt to make it illegal to use state funds to advocate for sustainability. We've seen a bill forcing doctors to tell patients about dubious studies, whether they believe that they are credible or not. We've seen a bill introduced to make it illegal to use state funds to teach the Common Core curriculum. We've seen legislation to silence unions.

Kansas right-wing extremists don't want freedom of speech, except, of course, on one particular issue. Republican Steve Roberts believes that he is a hero for using the "n-word." So, don't despair, Kansas isn't going to shut down free speech. If you're a public official, you might not be able to advocate for gun control but you can wear the heck out of racist words.

May 17, 2013 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Budget provision would block state funding for Common Core standards

The College Board states the following: "The College Board will continue to invest — and is committed to building deeper alignment — to ensure the SAT reflects the key components of the CCSS."

So, our extremist, nutcase legislators want to put Kansas students at a disadvantage when they take the SAT, the principal college entrance exam. The Common Core was developed by STATES, including Kansas, to help students excel in reading, math, and science. Rejection of the Common Core, especially after representatives from Kansas helped to create it, would be so blindly ignorant that it would stigmatize not only every graduate of Kansas schools but every resident of Kansas. This is the stuff that Kansas stereotypes are made of. How do these people even tie their shoes?

May 16, 2013 at 7:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Higher education funding back at the forefront; Republican leaders still negotiating budget and taxes

"It also would reduce the standard deduction for head of household to $5,000 from $9,000, and the married-filing-jointly deduction to $6,500 from $9,000."

Hooray! The house plan sounds great. Anyone with a family who pays income tax in Kansas (sorry business owners, but you don't get to participate) will be able to pay HIGHER state income taxes next year as well as continue to pay a higher sales tax that was supposed to expire. Reducing the standard deduction by $4,000 for heads of households and $2,500 for married filing jointly won't be much of a thrill for wealthy taxpayers, of course, but those who aren't wealthy will get the full enjoyment of paying tax on $2,500 to $4,000 more in 2014 than they will this year, whether their income goes up, stays the same, or drops.

It's a source of constant amazement that Kansans are so generous that they will accept a higher sales tax so that business owners can have a free ride. It's nothing short of incredible that Kansans are so generous that they will lower their standard deduction and now gladly pay taxes on $2,500 to $4,000 of their income that was formerly exempt.

Sorry that you have to miss out on the fun, business owners, but in Kansas paying higher income tax AND higher sales tax is is a privilege reserved for the rest of us.

May 16, 2013 at 5:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

House Republicans outline new tax plan

Well, the efficiency promise didn't hold true. We're in the 83rd day and legislators have been calling one another "childish" and "unrealistic."

The transparency promise didn't hold true. We've seen unprecedented secret meetings. Why the secrecy if these people aren't saying anything that won't be damaging to them if the public knows about it?

The promise to let the sales tax expire didn't hold true. Now most of those whose campaign promises included letting the sales tax increase expire have proved that they didn't understand the irresponsible undermining of the budget that occurred last year.

Brownback's promise to protect education doesn't look as though it will hold true. The article above left out the fact that the House "compromise" (and House members certainly have compromised themselves) includes cuts to higher education that will have a direct impact on programs and courses.

But that prosperity thing is bound to hold true. After all, these people can't be wrong about everything, just because they're making it up as they go along.

May 16, 2013 at 6:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Organized labor calls current Legislature one of the worst

Yes, anti-worker. What else can you call legislation that gives business owners a free ride while making their workers shoulder the income tax burden? Those business owners are not required to add a single new job, so it's no use trying to evade the issue by talking about job creation. Kansas has become blatantly anti-worker, and the policies are not limited to issues over unions.

May 15, 2013 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Conservatives at odds over budget, taxes as wrap-up session drags on

The Kansas Chamber of Commerce wanted the intelligent and experienced legislators out of the way, but they replaced them with legislators too dumb to know that they're supposed to be puppets. They don't know that they're only supposed to be reckless with the budget, not utterly absurd.

The great thing for the rest of us is that there's no need to point out how "childish" and "unrealistic" these legislators are, since they've already described themselves as such and are doing their best to live up to their words.

Yes, Kansans be proud of your monster. If it only had a brain....

May 14, 2013 at 6:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

State Board of Education member defends N-word comments

Now we can add Steve "racist words are fun" Roberts to the Kansas public relations crew of Virgil "murder 'em from helicopters" Peck, Connie "I can tell an immigrant from that olive complexion" O'Brien, Bill "the other dark meat" Otto, and Mike "Mrs. YoMama" O'Neal.

No, world, these Kansans aren't racist, just politically incorrect. There's a big difference between mocking people because of their race and mocking people because of their race.

May 14, 2013 at 5:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )