Getting bang for state’s bucks

As the results of a state audit on the impact of the state’s $1.3 billion investment in economic development since 2003 were presented to a legislative panel Tuesday, state Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, asked a question worthy of debate: “What if we just lowered business taxes by $1.3 billion? Would that have more of an impact?” Of course, if Kansas hesitated to offer generous cash and tax incentives to business, other states wouldn’t hesitate to steal those companies and jobs away.

7 Comments

  1. JWink
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 6:12 am | Permalink

    Got to hand it to state representative Tom Sawyer for coming up with a creative idea — let the taxpayers and companies who earned the $1.3 billion dollars in the first place, actually spend their own hard-earned money. On the other hand, think of all the bureaucrats who would be put out of work handling and distributing this money.

    Sorry Tom Sawyer, your plan just isn’t practical.

  2. Regular
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 6:42 am | Permalink

    Or, they could put the money towards a Kansas health care plan. :)

  3. Political_mama
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 6:56 am | Permalink

    The business owners I know aren’t in it to help employees.

  4. johngalt
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 11:06 am | Permalink

    Rhonda,

    If Kansas lowered taxes by $1.3 billion, we wouldn’t have to do cash give aways.

  5. TomPaine
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

    What’s weird is that most tax cut ideas coming out of Topeka seem to be coming from the democrats. Here’s my idea eliminate the Tax income tax all together.

  6. TomPaine
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 4:58 pm | Permalink

    and no income tax on food.

  7. TomPaine
    Posted August 31, 2008 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    I mean sales tax