Kansas Passes New Budget With Tax Increases (Wichita, Overland Park: leases, hotels)

[shorman]

Originally Posted by empires228

Private sector jobs take a hit in May | State News | gctelegram.com

Kansas lost 5,000 private sector jobs in May alone.

I suspect the job losses were always part of the real tax cut plan. I don't think Brownback and his staff were stupid enough to believe the voodoo economics fantasy that they were trying to sell to voters. Fewer jobs allows employers to continue to exploit the "buyers market" they currently enjoy. Fewer jobs also means that low income people on the edge of making ends meet will feel increased pressure to leave the state - an intentional side benefit which creates a "self deportation" situation that allows the Kansas government to shirk their duties and offload the underclass of Kansas onto other states.

I also think that for the large privately held company that effectively controls the state government of Kansas the worst thing that could happen is for the Kansas economy to improve. An improvement in the Kansas economy and increased job opportunity means they would have to increase salaries and offer better benefits to avoid losing employees. The powerful entities that pull the strings of the puppets in Topeka like things just the way they are - it gives them the ability to ask more from their workers while never having to improve working conditions or pay.

[empires228]

Excel Industries to announce layoffs in Hesston Excel industries in Heston is laying off a large chunk of its workforce and employed at Cessna have said that they're starting the process of laying off 3,000 employees. The Fairfax plant in KCK is also majorly downsizing, as is Payless in Topeka. Lawrence has a lot of jobs tied to the health of Sears Holdings, so watch for a big loss there in the near future. The only sizable towns in the state that haven't been hit are the Manhattan MSA thanks to Kstate and Fort Riley, Dodge City, and Johnson County. Topeka, Lawrence, KCK, Wichita, Southeast Kansas (as a whole), Liberal, Wichita, Hutchinson, Salina, Hays have all seen a major employer(s) close or extremely downsize. Garden City is more of an interesting story because BPI ended up reopening after people forgot about "pink slime", and the DFA plant will offset the layoffs at Palmer Tank (oilfield business) and the small Cargill facility that didn't employ a large number of people.

[thefallensrvnge]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

No offense but you guys are truly clueless as to a state being in "real trouble".

I'm originally from Illinois and much of the KS is in trouble stuff has been overblown by political hacks.
Sure, Brownback screwed up but it's not the armagedon people here have been crying about.

Here you go, enjoy a little comparative reality.

Illinois Senate Democrats pass major tax hikes unlikely to become law - Chicago Tribune

This is true. I'm from Kansas but live in Illinois.

Kansas's economic woes were the result of lousy policies put in place by people like the Koch brother and their stooge, Brownback. It represents the failure of trickle down economics. Readjust the tax structure, and Kansas can recover.

Illinois is suffering from systemic corruption, extremely deep-rooted patronage and machine politics. A system where (largely the Democrats) over-entitled unions and state workers with ridiculous pensions and benefits in return for votes and political influence. My fear is Illinois will have to hit rock bottom before we can purge the corrupt influences out of the state government.

Brownback is just a lousy leader; Madigan is an ambitious, sociopathic mastermind.

I often wonder if Kansas and Illinois are the most troubled states in the Midwest because they are the most partisan to a particular party. It breeds bad leadership.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by thefallensrvnge

This is true. I'm from Kansas but live in Illinois.

Kansas's economic woes were the result of lousy policies put in place by people like the Koch brother and their stooge, Brownback. It represents the failure of trickle down economics. Readjust the tax structure, and Kansas can recover.

Illinois is suffering from systemic corruption, extremely deep-rooted patronage and machine politics. A system where (largely the Democrats) over-entitled unions and state workers with ridiculous pensions and benefits in return for votes and political influence. My fear is Illinois will have to hit rock bottom before we can purge the corrupt influences out of the state government.

Brownback is just a lousy leader; Madigan is an ambitious, sociopathic mastermind.

I often wonder if Kansas and Illinois are the most troubled states in the Midwest because they are the most partisan to a particular party. It breeds bad leadership.

Good post. Especially that last sentence.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by thefallensrvnge

This is true. I'm from Kansas but live in Illinois.

Kansas's economic woes were the result of lousy policies put in place by people like the Koch brother and their stooge, Brownback. It represents the failure of trickle down economics. Readjust the tax structure, and Kansas can recover.

Illinois is suffering from systemic corruption, extremely deep-rooted patronage and machine politics. A system where (largely the Democrats) over-entitled unions and state workers with ridiculous pensions and benefits in return for votes and political influence. My fear is Illinois will have to hit rock bottom before we can purge the corrupt influences out of the state government.

Brownback is just a lousy leader; Madigan is an ambitious, sociopathic mastermind.

I often wonder if Kansas and Illinois are the most troubled states in the Midwest because they are the most partisan to a particular party. It breeds bad leadership.

Both Brownback and Madigan are ambitious sociopathic masterminds, just in different forms.

[thefallensrvnge]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Both Brownback and Madigan are ambitious sociopathic masterminds, just in different forms.

The Koch brothers are ambitious sociopathic masterminds. Brownback is a religious zealot and a Koch brother shill.

[empires228]

GVL Poly’s in Hesston to lay off employees right after Excel announced their layoffs. They will not be laying off any staff at their Minnesota facility. Hesston company announces layoffs | KSN-TV

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by thefallensrvnge

This is true. I'm from Kansas but live in Illinois.

Kansas's economic woes were the result of lousy policies put in place by people like the Koch brother and their stooge, Brownback. It represents the failure of trickle down economics. Readjust the tax structure, and Kansas can recover.

Illinois is suffering from systemic corruption, extremely deep-rooted patronage and machine politics. A system where (largely the Democrats) over-entitled unions and state workers with ridiculous pensions and benefits in return for votes and political influence. My fear is Illinois will have to hit rock bottom before we can purge the corrupt influences out of the state government.

Brownback is just a lousy leader; Madigan is an ambitious, sociopathic mastermind.

I often wonder if Kansas and Illinois are the most troubled states in the Midwest because they are the most partisan to a particular party. It breeds bad leadership.

KS really isn't in that bad of shape because unlike IL, Brownback hasn't had 50 years to work his *magic*.

Largely because KS has to recognize it's financial shortfalls NOW instead of just borrowing money for decades.

If you look around KS is about average in terms of it's financial situation, kinda a scary thought if you think about it.

P.S. You hear more about certain states because of politics and well, sad to say, media trying to get partisan ratings (most of them anymore). Look for unbiased sources, my personal favorite is the state bond rankings which are ruthlessly non-partisan and reflect each states true level of screwed.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by thefallensrvnge

The Koch brothers are ambitious sociopathic masterminds. Brownback is a religious zealot and a Koch brother shill.

Which Koch brothers are you referring to? The one that patronizes the NY ballet, the ones that donate heavily to NPR or other ones?

Please, come post without dogma from your religion, or what you heard at a party or off the lefts equivalent of rush limbaguht, perhaps it will suit you.

[thefallensrvnge]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Which Koch brothers are you referring to? The one that patronizes the NY ballet, the ones that donate heavily to NPR or other ones?

Please, come post without dogma from your religion, or what you heard at a party or off the lefts equivalent of rush limbaguht, perhaps it will suit you.

Did the Koch Brothers Buy NPR?

NPR also addressed the specific issue of whether the Kochs were major donors (or donated at all) during controversy over coverage of the People’s Climate March in September 2014. At that time NPR confirmed that while critics believed David and Charles Koch were NPR donors, there was no record of the Koch brothers of having made any donation (large or small) to NPR, and the broadcasters clarified their position on climate change and their objectives when covering environmental issues:

Oh, wait a minute...one of them attended the NY Ballet? I stand corrected. I had no idea they were so liberal.