Most states, Kansas included, put more tax burden on middle- and low-income families than on the wealthy, according to a new study by the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
At a glance, Kansas appears to split taxes as a share of income more evenly than the national average. (See the Kansas fact sheet.) But low- and middle-income families are still seeing a greater percentage of their incomes go to the government than wealthy families.
Kansan families that make less than $19,000 a year pay about 9.2 percent of their income in taxes — the national average is 10.9 percent. More than 6 percent comes from sales and excise taxes and 3.5 percent comes from property taxes, the report shows. The richest families making more than $424,000 pay 7.1 percent of their incomes in taxes. Offset by federal deductions, the poorest pay the same share in taxes and the richest pay 5.9 percent in taxes — the national average is 5.2 percent.
Ks Whopays Factsheet
Sadness, disappointment and a message of hope marked the City Council’s abandonment this morning of a proposal to sell a vacant, city-owned building to The Lord’s Diner to feed the hungry in central-northeast Wichita.
The sadness came from council member Sue Schlapp: “I think we lost our focus someplace along here,” she said. Read More »
Mayor Carl Brewer and council member Lavonta Williams are down in San Antonio this afternoon helping put a playground together in a low-income neighborhood. It’s one of the outings on their four-day National League of Cities conference.
So far, Brewer said one of the biggest messages he’s sending on Wichita’s behalf to President Obama’s representatives is that the aviation industry deserves the same government attention the ailing auto industry has gotten. He said that means providing tax breaks and other incentives to those buying planes. It also means federal funds to pay for training centers to not only train people how to work in aviation but to prepare them for work in similar fields when aviation companies layoff workers. That, he said, would also help Wichita diversify its economy. And, finally, he said he wants the federal government to do more to remove the negative stigma attached to corporate jets.
Asked how that message could be floated in the context of corporate executives getting fat cat bonuses even when stocks tank, he said that he understands that concern but also thinks people have to realize that those executives have valuable skill sets. “If you don’t keep them, somebody else will get them,” he said.
The man Kansans wanted to send to face President Barack Obama in the general election last year will be in Wichita Monday morning to sign his new book, “A Simple Christmas” and the new paperback release of “Do the Right Thing.”
Wichita city officials say they’re eager to see entrepreneur Jack DeBoer’s plans for WaterWalk, the embattled 7-year-old downtown development along the Arkansas River.
But they sent a message to DeBoer on Wednesday: There’s no more money available to help kick-start a mixed-use project bogged down from the beginning, first by city funding issues and more recently by the lack of credit available for business deals.
The big news circulating in City Hall today is the change in management at the WaterWalk. The slow-moving project with more than $36 million of you tax dollars invested is now under day-to-day control of Jack DeBoer’s Consolidated Holdings Inc.
The change is intended to speed up development. Whether that will turn the letters of intent project managers continually say they have in hand into reality is a big question. Sorry, no answers or predictions here. It’s too early to tell. Read More »
Council member Paul Gray complained a bit about the environmentally-friendly building designs. Vice Mayor Jim Skelton balked at the potentially huge price tag.
Otherwise, council members Tuesday mostly voice support for an ambitious plan to turn about 420 acres of vacant city land into a sprawling park with a 215 acre lake. The plan is pretty complex. It involves a Cornejo & Sons-affiliated company mining tons of sand out to build the lake and extensive landscaping with the leftover top soil. Then it would be up to the city council to approve funding for roads, about 14 miles of trails, several large buildings, a cable system that tows waterskiers and wakeboarders and a swimming beach. Parks and Recreation Director Doug Kupper said it could cost $60 million to $100 million, depending on when things are built and how many donations/sponsorships they can secure from corporate partners. Read More »
Wichita City Council member Jeff Longwell said he may try to table a planned Tuesday vote to support tax incentives for a proposed destination bowling center in west Wichita.
The move comes after confusion over whether the “Gordon Vadakin School of Bowling” is actually part of Jay Maxwell’s plan. Maxwell, an established Wichita developer, stressed to The Eagle last week that it’s only an idea and that he still needs to negotiate Vadakin’s involvement. Allen Bell, director of urban development, said that Vadakin asked the city to withdraw his name from publicity after it emerged in a story in Saturday’s Wichita Eagle. But, Bell said, developers still plan on a bowling training center of some kind.
Most states, Kansas included, put more tax burden on middle- and low-income families than on the wealthy, according to a new study by the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Sadness, disappointment and a message of hope marked the City Council’s abandonment this morning of a proposal to sell a vacant, city-owned building to The Lord’s Diner to feed the hungry in central-northeast Wichita.
Mayor Carl Brewer and council member Lavonta Williams are down in San Antonio this afternoon helping put a playground together in a low-income neighborhood. It’s one of the outings on their four-day 
See the video 
Council member Paul Gray complained a bit about the environmentally-friendly building designs. Vice Mayor Jim Skelton balked at the potentially huge price tag.