It hasn’t been a pretty week for Kansas governor, Sam Brownback. It’s definitely not getting prettier. As Brownback threatens legislators with tearful pleas behind closed doors, the world may very well be witnessing the death throes of a once-galvanized party that appears to be splitting. As Kansas Republicans duke it out over whether or not to raise taxes to fix the ailing Kansas economy, Kansans are watching a party that once represented a prosperous state fight over how to keep the nose-diving budget from obliterating every corner of the state. Tea Party and Moderate Republicans just can’t seem to find common ground, and the battle between them is a no-man’s land where all Kansans reside.
On Wednesday, Governor Brownback threatened the legislature, stating that if they didn’t pass a tax hike before Monday (June 15th) he would be forced to make massive cuts to the budget which he suggested would come from regents institutions and schools?in Kansas. The cuts would cost universities and schools?hundreds of millions of dollars and would likely result in massive layoffs, program cuts, or other collateral damage. While most legislators viewed Brownback’s emotional state as a sign of his “passion” for the state, it might more prudently be considered a sign of the desperation that is befalling the legislature as Republicans scramble to come together to fix a budget crisis created by the governor’s tax plan.
The legislature was entering the 113th day on Friday, a record for the state. That seems fair considering the tax hike legislators are considering is also the highest tax hike in Kansas history- coming from the governor who claimed he would slash?taxes in his fiscal experiment, but who ?has instead slashed the throat of education funding from kindergarten through college forcing schools to close early across the states. Kansans may be wondering how exactly the legislature will fix the budget crisis while staying true to their Bush-esque campaign promises of “no new taxes.” It doesn’t look like anyone will get what they want, and once again, Kansans will fund the ineptitude of the legislators and the governor.
