Kansas: the latest, sad, results

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  • David G
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2003
    • 89688

    Kansas: the latest, sad, results

    The good news is that the legislature has finally repudiated the doomed experiment in voodoo economics. The bad new is for the citizens of the state - who now must count the costs of cutting the leashes of the dogs of laissez-faire and trickle-down.

    http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-brownback-override-20170607-story.html



    Sam Brownback has been a Tea Party star since taking office as Kansas governor in 2011. He rolled back anti-discrimination laws and vetoed a bill that would have brought health coverage to 180,000 residents by making his state the 32nd to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

    But his signature achievement — if one could call it that — was to institute a package of drastic tax cuts to produce what he predicted would be “a shot of adrenaline into the heart of the Kansas economy.” Brownback’s tax consultant, supply-side guru Art Laffer, promised Kansans that the cuts would pay for themselves in supercharged economic growth.

    Instead, job growth in Kansas trailed the nation. Month after month, revenue came in even lower than fiscal officials’ most dire expectations. Instead of turbocharged growth, observes veteran local commentator Yael T. Abouhalkah, “the state had to divert billions of dollars in road funding, slice higher ed money, cut social services, reduce support for public pensions and fall behind on previous pledges to improve funding of K-12 schools.” Despite that, Brownback squeaked through to reelection in 2014 with a 49.82% plurality.....
    David G
    Harbor Woodworks
    https://www.facebook.com/HarborWoodworks/

    "It was a Sunday morning and Goddard gave thanks that there were still places where one could worship in temples not made by human hands." -- L. F. Herreshoff (The Compleat Cruiser)
  • CWSmith
    New Hampshire
    • Nov 2008
    • 43999

    #2
    Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

    I anticipate that the spinning will begin soon to turn failure into an unequaled success.
    "Where you live in the world should not determine whether you live in the world." - Bono

    "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers

    "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." - Groucho Marx

    Comment

    • George Jung
      Senior Member
      • Jan 2004
      • 31057

      #3
      Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

      Seems Trump would like Brownback to join his 'team' - so he can do for America what he's done to Kansas.
      There's a lot of things they didn't tell me when I signed on with this outfit....

      Comment

      • Boater14
        Banned
        • Sep 2011
        • 2896

        #4
        Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

        No way to spin this. This is a major repudiation of him and his policies. I never would have guessed.

        Comment

        • Phillip Allen
          new member
          • May 2002
          • 63618

          #5
          Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

          Originally posted by CWSmith
          I anticipate that the spinning will begin soon to turn failure into an unequaled success.
          it's a good thing that only your political opponents spin anything, ain't it?
          The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.
          Personal failures are too important to be trusted to others.

          Comment

          • Chip-skiff
            Wolves Without Borders
            • Jan 2008
            • 22764

            #6
            Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

            If Kansas was a company, either the board would have given Brownback the boot a long time ago, or it would have gone bankrupt.

            But, despite their bum-licking attitude toward business, Republican voters seem to worship the continued failure of governance in the name of orthodoxy.

            Comment

            • Jim Mahan
              me 𑀩 thinking
              • Mar 2006
              • 11888

              #7
              Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

              Originally posted by Boater14
              No way to spin this. This is a major repudiation of him and his policies. I never would have guessed.
              Just try to imagine how bad it might have been had he not implemented those measures!

              Comment

              • Paul Pless
                pinko commie tree hugger
                • Oct 2003
                • 124805

                #8
                Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                Originally posted by Phillip Allen
                it's a good thing that only your political opponents spin anything, ain't it?
                There is nothing for the left to spin here Phillip, the right owns this tragedy.
                Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.

                Comment

                • Phillip Allen
                  new member
                  • May 2002
                  • 63618

                  #9
                  Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                  Originally posted by Paul Pless
                  There is nothing for the left to spin here Phillip, the right owns this tragedy.
                  anything is what I said... you seem to have ignored that point
                  The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.
                  Personal failures are too important to be trusted to others.

                  Comment

                  • Tom Montgomery
                    Lurking since 1997
                    • Sep 1999
                    • 35611

                    #10
                    Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                    ???

                    No comprendo.
                    "They have a lot of stupid people that vote in their primaries. They really do. I'm not really supposed to say that but it's an obvious fact. But when stupid people vote, you know who they nominate? Other stupid people." -- James Carville on the plethora of low-quality GQP candidates in the mid-term election.

                    Comment

                    • John of Phoenix
                      Senior Member
                      • Jun 2001
                      • 31214

                      #11
                      Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                      Dunning Kruger

                      Comment

                      • John Smith
                        Senior Member
                        • Mar 2009
                        • 48681

                        #12
                        Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                        Don't worry. They'll fix it with tax cuts for the wealthy job creators, who will create jobs, and everything will be better.
                        "Banning books in spite of the 1st amendment, but refusing to regulate guns in spite of "well regulated militia' being in the 2nd amendment makes no sense. Can't think of anyone ever shot by a book

                        Comment

                        • mdh
                          Banned
                          • Oct 2004
                          • 6665

                          #13
                          Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                          Brownback was too late, his policies might have worked a few years ago. They won't now. Oklahoma is in the same boat; they're trying to make up for an income tax cut with increased taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. The real problem for both states is the casinos. Cities that depend on sales tax (like Tulsa), are coming up short every accounting. Stores are closing, restaurants and entertainment venues are suffering decreasing revenues. The casino parking lots are packed. Tulsa has four major casinos on its outskirts. The casinos get all the traveling entertainers and wheelchair bands. They have really good restaurants and one has its own hotel, others have accommodations close by. They are simply sucking up all the revenue and, somehow, the cities and state are going broke. It may well be the only answer is to take the money away from the people before the casino can.

                          Comment

                          • Keith Wilson
                            Trying to be reasonable
                            • Oct 1999
                            • 64114

                            #14
                            Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                            LOL! The casinos!! Right. Pull the other one.

                            Mr Brownback followed the classical right-wing Laffer Curve script, Republican orthodoxy for the past 35 years; cut taxes, mostly on the rich, and it will stimulate the economy so much it will make up for lost revenue. He said it would; loudly publicly, over and over again, and in the clearest possible terms. Laffer even said it would. It didn't. He was completely wrong. It was a disaster. This is a perfect laboratory experiment; Republican tax policy simply doesn't work like they claim it will. Of course, this has been obvious to anyone with half a brain for 30 years at least, but it hasn't penetrated yet on the right, and now you're making up some nonsensical story about casinos rather than face the obvious.

                            Sorry, dude, but reality is that which, whether you believe in it or not, doesn't go away.
                            Last edited by Keith Wilson; 06-07-2017, 10:55 PM.
                            "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations,
                            for nature cannot be fooled."

                            Richard Feynman

                            Comment

                            • mdh
                              Banned
                              • Oct 2004
                              • 6665

                              #15
                              Re: Kansas: the latest, sad, results

                              Okay, oh wise one. Can you explain to me why Tulsa is broke? It relies on sales tax, only, for its income. The last mayor never mentioned anything about the obvious, casinos. He did blame amazon. We are prolly both right.

                              Comment

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