Feb
17

Reality or Rhetoric in Party Battle over Budget Crisis in Kansas?

Some of us in Kansas have been unemployed for months, and try almost anything to find the scarce jobs that are available.

With so many out of work, income taxes are down in Kansas. [Without a job, I have not paid income taxes in over 3 months.] Those unemployed, and those worried about continued employment, have been frugal in purchases, which has reduced sales tax receipts to Kansas. [My family has had a spending freeze in place for over 5 months.]

What is the State of Kansas reaction to lower tax collections since the Kansas Constitution forces the state to have a balanced budget?  Has Kansas reduced its spending to correspond to reduced tax receipts to deal with the same reality many families are suffering now?

The political battle in Kansas over the last two days is insightful about how the two major political parties look at the budget and the current economic reality.

The following is a review of various press releases, blog postings, E-mails, and Tweets on Twitter between Republicans and Democrats in Kansas today. The items below are intended to be representative and are not an exhaustive list.

While reading the materials below, ask yourself these questions:

Which group seems to be more interested in a mature, reasoned, thoughtful debate, and following the reality of the law?

Which group seems more interested in rhetoric and causing unnecessary fear and anxiety among the public?

Which group(s) could have made this problem less severe by more responsible, controlled spending over the last few years when the economy was good?

Kansas Democratic Party and Blog

Articles:

Governor’s E-mail to State Employees, Feb, 17, 2009.
[from Republican KansasTrunkline]

Colleagues,
This is a difficult time for Kansas families, seniors and many others who are dealing each day with the economic challenges presented by the recession. As a state employee, I know that you are already dealing with the challenges of more limited resources in your agency.

Last week, I called a meeting of the State Finance Council to approve moving money from one account to another so the State can pay its bills, including State Employee payroll, on time. This routine budget action has been approved every year for the last ten years. And we told legislative leaders in December, when they cut my request in half, that we would need a certificate by mid-February.

Yesterday, legislative leadership told me they would not approve this transfer until I sign the 2009 budget bill. The problem is – the bill has not been delivered to my desk, so I have nothing to sign.

As a result of this action, State Employee payroll, which is due Friday, is now in jeopardy.

I want to assure you that I am and always have been an advocate for state employees. I know the important work you do each day benefits countless people across this great state. I will continue to be an advocate for you and for numerous other groups affected by this irresponsible action.

I hope this will be resolved quickly and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure a responsible, timely solution to this situation. In the mean time, I hope that we can all continue to provide the best service possible to the Kansans that rely on us each day.

Sincerely,
//s//
Kathleen Sebelius
Governor

E-mail statement by Dennis McKinney, Democrat, State Treasurer to Kansas Democrats, Feb 17, 2009

Subject: Tell the GOP to Stop Playing Political Games

As you read in this morning’s papers, legislative leaders have put the state’s ability to pay its bills, including income tax refunds, in jeopardy by refusing to support a routine action to transfer money into the state general fund.

Unfortunately, legislative leaders decided to oppose this proposal in an attempt to force Governor Sebelius to sign a budget bill dramatically slashing funds for our children’s education. This is taking a budget fight one step too far. Through inaction legislative leaders have put in jeopardy the state’s ability to make payments for payroll, public schools, income tax refunds as well as money to doctors and hospitals who provide health services to our seniors and our poor.

Tell legislative leaders to stop playing political games with your money!

The Budget proposal to transfer money to the state general fund was not about spending or about the budget bill. This was about ensuring that the state can continue to pay its bills until our account balances improve with tax returns in April. Even if the Governor had signed the budget rescission bill, it would have done nothing about the current balance in the state’s general fund.

Governor Sebelius and legislative Democrats under the leadership of Senator Anthony Hensley and Representative Paul Davis are doing everything in their power to ensure that the state lives up to its financial commitments.

Click Here to tell legislative leaders you’re tired of political games. You want results!

There was no partisan agenda behind yesterday’s proposal to bolster the state’s general fund balance. It was simply a necessary step to maintain a positive cash flow in the state general fund ensuring that the state was able to keep paying its bills.

By failing to act on the recommendation of the state budget director to shore up balances in the general fund, legislative leaders are also putting our reputation as a reliable bill payer and our credit rating at risk.

Our state is facing serious economic challenges. This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship. This should be a time for leaders from both parties to come together, seeking common ground to move our state forward.

Sincerely,
Dennis McKinney
Kansas State Treasurer

PS – Help Gov. Sebelius stand up to obstructionists! Click Here to tell legislative leaders to stop playing games with your money!

[Editor's note:  As a State Rep last year, Dennis McKinney as House Minority Leader, along with the Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, wasted huge amounts on franking near the end of the legislative sessions for "legal" campaign mailings.  We're short of money now, but no one listened to this political waste then.  In fairness, a review of franking by all other legislators has not been completed.]]

Tweets on Twitter from the Left

manspeaker: OK Kansas people want to have some fun today? Lets keep up our attacks and comments. Let’s #KSGOP Just for giggles. anyone in?

KansasJackass: RT @manspeaker: OK Kansas people want to have some fun today? Lets keep up our attacks and comments. Let’s #KSGOP Anyone in?

KansasJackass: RT @TZAN: I am so mad at the KSGOP I am flying my KS flag upsidedown outdoors,we are being highjacked by a hand full of anti Americans

KansasJackass: Rumoring about a potential walkout of state employees today…I’ll let you all know if it happens. #ks #ksgop #topprog

Blog on the Left: Kansas Jackass

  • GOP Leadership Blackmails Sebelius, Puts State Payroll in Jeopardy
  • At the Statehouse: Democratic Leadership Responds to GOP Blackmail of Sebelius
  • Speaker Mike O’Neal to State Employees: Blame Union, Sebelius for Payroll Freeze
  • Walkout of State Employees Possible, Employees Threatened
  • Sebelius Speaks out on KSGOP and Paycheck Gate
  • KSGOP Paycheck Gate Targets Students
  • Sign KDP’s Petition: Tell Republicans to Stop Blackmailing and Get to Work
  • BREAKING: Sebelius Signs FY 2009 Recission Bill, Line-Item Vetoes Education Cuts
  • Is the KS GOP Gunning for a Government Shutdown?
  • Breaking: New Meeting of State Finance Committee Meeting Scheduled
  • KS GOP in a Panic, Asks Sebelius for Meeting
  • GOP Leaders Indicate They May Allow State Payroll to be Paid

Politics is a dirty business, but Republicans made this exchange 100 times dirtier than it ever needed to be.

[Editor's note:  Is any kind of civil political discourse possible in Kansas?]

Kansas Republican Party and Blog

Articles:

KS GOP Blasts Governor for Playing Politics with State Employees

Executive Director Christian Morgan stated, “The Governor is purposely misleading state employees with the communications coming from her office. The Governor is asking the Legislature to not only break the law to fix her inability to manage the state budget, but is asking the Legislature to put the State deeper into debt”

House Republican Leadership Statement, Feb 16, 2007

The following is a statement from House Leadership regarding the Governor’s continued efforts to misrepresent her role in the events of the State Finance Council meeting and her responsibility to address a revised 2009 budget.

“While we all can agree that these are trying times for Kansas families, seniors, and business owners the Kansas House of Representatives respectfully disagrees with breaking the law in order to gain political capital.

The [Governor's] idea that the Legislature is preventing state employees from being paid is the equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater. The Governor is attempting to draw attention away from the fact that she has multiple options to fix this problem. Her options do not include illegally issuing certificates of indebtedness when revenues, in this climate, cannot begin to repay the debt. She can easily sign House Substitute for SB 23 or fix the problem by issuing allotments.

The Governor is attempting to mislead the public in an effort to drum up support for poor public policy. The majority of the Legislature recognizes the severity of the current economic situation and is acting in a responsible manner. How the Governor can say on Thursday that we don’t have enough money and issue allotments and then turn around and on the following Monday say, we will have enough money when the numbers HAVE NOT changed is irresponsible and disingenuous. We strongly urge the Governor to use her power to make allotments and cut state spending rather than withholding tax refunds or paychecks from hard working Kansans.

The decision was made, by the Governor, to halt income tax refunds last week. Now that her back is against the wall she is using scare tactics to try to manipulate public opinion. We find it perplexing that she will halt income tax refunds due to not having enough money in the budget but will ask for additional certificates of indebtedness even though she knows the dollars for repayment will never materialize without a fundamental change in the 2009 budget. Kansas citizens deserve better.    ….

Memo to Senate Republicans from Senate Leadership, Feb 17, 2009

A few facts about yesterday’s actions surrounding the State Finance Council meeting which was ultimately cancelled by the Governor:

Before the SFC meeting, Republican leaders met with the Governor to let her know privately that they could not support signing an additional certificate of indebtedness — particularly of the size the Gov was requesting. Without assurance there would be a positive ending balance, it would be against state statute to approve the certificate. The private meeting was an attempt to spare the governor the embarrassment of losing the vote in the public SFC meeting.

The governor abruptly cancelled the SFC meeting, cutting off any hope of continued dialogue for the rest of the day to resolve the matter. She issued a statement condemning the Republican leadership for attempting to “blackmail” her into signing SB23 which was not yet even on her desk. The Senate Minority leader fired off his own media statement referring to “blackmail” and “coercion”.

The Governor and the Democrats are the ones who immediately reverted to scare tactics by using their access to state agencies and to KOPE to contact state employees and tell them they might not get paid this week. They also added on the inflammatory information that payment of state tax refunds were being held up, implying that move was somehow tied to yesterday’s events, when in reality the administration ordered suspension of tax refund payments last week. ….

Republican leadership never issued an ultimatum about SB 23, nor did they refuse to attend the SFC meeting. They met with the governor privately beforehand to warn her in private of the legal obstacles to approving further certificates of indebtedness under these conditions.

Tweets on Twitter from the Right: (many Republicans and others on the center-right block followers from the left because of past ad hominem attacks, and lack of civil discourse)

kansasra: Nice to see KS Gov Sebelius finally recognizing the budget problem. Now cut spending like you should have done in NOVEMBER! #tcot #ksgop about 7 hours ago from TweetDeck

kansasra: KS Democrats put up “blackmail” website. http://bit.ly/Dulc6 Go and thank Republicans for standing for something. #ksgop

kansasra: @kansasjackass Been here a while, i can’t tweet all day, I WORK… What is it you do again exactly??? #tcot #ksgop

Blogs on the Right

Let’s review the questions you should answer for yourself by reading this article and the materials from both sides:

Which group seems to be more interested in a mature, reasoned, thoughtful debate, and following the reality of the law?

Which group seems more interested in rhetoric and causing unnecessary fear and anxiety among the public?

Which group(s) could have made this problem less severe by more responsible, controlled spending over the last few years when the economy was good?

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Posted by Earl Glynn Accountability, Governor, Kansas Government, Taxes Subscribe to RSS feed

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