Tonight I’m sitting at home, peacefully enjoying a summer evening thunderstorm that has temporarily suspended the heat wave. And then what shows up in my inbox but a couple of news updates from Kansas Liberty News and my tranquility vanishes. No, it’s not the messenger who annoyed me – but the message their articles bring:
And
Education lobbyists urge raising taxes to give schools more money
What planet are these people living on? Yes, state revenues are down, ever wonder why? It’s not because the state is giving huge breaks to businesses or even cut taxes, it’s because business and private citizens are making less income and therefore paying less taxes! And now these groups want the state to raise taxes on businesses and citizens? Have they talked to their neighbors lately? Do what the rest of us do, spend less money when you have a decrease in revenue. And yes, Hays school board member, it’s not fair that you have mandates that force you to spend money you don’t have, so how about you start fighting for complete local funding and local control instead of having the state control your local school district by controlling your pocketbook? You could completely skip the middleman, stop paying lobbyists and ask your local citizens to fund their schools. Maybe we should make a deal: you fight for 100% local control and funding and I’ll fight for no state or federal mandates. Seems only fair.
This is what happens when you put in a layer (or layers) of government between those who spend the money and those who collect it. If your local city council or school board wanted to raise your taxes when you knew many of your friends and neighbors were dealing with cuts in pay, layoffs, reduced benefits, etc., you’d let your representative know that they need to cut spending, not raise taxes. But because they can go to the state to ask for the money, you don’t get annoyed with them for their spending, you just get annoyed with the state for the tax increase, not realizing who’s demands caused your taxes to go up in the first place. Or worse, you get fooled into asking your state representative and senator to give your local district more money, thinking it will somehow come from other sources, not your pocketbook. It’s always easier to spend someone else’s money. When it’s your money, you suddenly find your perceived needs to have a few wants in them that can be cut if the funds just aren’t there.
The last thing this state and its citizens need right now is a tax increase. Find ways to live within the means you have, don’t ask the people for more money they don’t have and can’t spare.
Loading ...
on Jun 28th, 2009 at 1:12 am
No you can’t have any more money by way of tax increases. But you can have the BEST plan to provide revenue without raising taxes. You must first STOP punishing productive behavior by ridding the state of the personal income tax, corporate income tax, inheritance tax, and capital gains tax and replacing them all with a simple, flat, transparent 5.76% sales tax on all new products and all services WITHOUT exemption. Include a monthly prebate meant to lift the tax burden on all neccessities up to the poverty-level for all proven citizens of Kansas. And stand back and witness the businesses and investments come rushing into our state thereby growing our economy without raising taxes.Simple right? That’s the Fairtax model for Kansas. Call your representative and tell him/her that you need and want the Fairtax plan for Kansas!