We’ll have more to say on this but here’s information from KASB. We agree “’A majority of the projected shortfall we face is due to increases in K-12 spending since fiscal year 2014,’ Brownback said in his State of the State address… “Brownback’s statement was a far cry from his campaign rhetoric when he often bragged about the quality of Kansas public schools and defended his funding record of K-12 education. “And it is a far cry from what budget experts say is the cause of the current budget crisis, which they attribute to income tax cuts enacted...
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Courts are not meant to be democratic
Last night in the State of the State Gov. Brownback said we should change how judges are selected and make our courts more democratic. We vehemently disagree. Our courts are not designed to be democratic. We have 3 branches of government, two of which are democratic, with the remaining branch (the courts) with the role of upholding legal and constitutional standards regardless of political pressures. This article provides a helpful explanation. But this argument misapprehends the nature of constitutional democracy. As conceived since the nation’s founding, constitutions are understood to provide the legal framework for democratic government, distribute...
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Leave a Comment Goossen: Spending not culprit for budget woes
“Look back 30 years. What did it cost to purchase a car? Eggs? Electricity? Blue jeans? A house? Certainly less than today. Most of us know instinctively that prices will likely be quite a bit higher 30 years in the future. Although Americans are currently enjoying a reprieve in the cost of a gallon of gas, we would be fooling ourselves to believe the price will never again rise above two dollars. “State government services and programs are no different. Over time, state spending goes up. That’s normal. Inflation pushes routine expenses higher. Populations grow, requiring more services....
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Leave a Comment Schools for Fair Funding explain there’s more to the story on school budgets
From our friends at Schools for Fair Funding: There is more to the story…. Response to KPI Blog post January 2, 2015 “School districts budget large spending increases this year.” Dave Trabert mixes apples and oranges when he compares school district actual spending to published budgeted spending. Best practice, followed by most school districts and businesses is to budget higher than expected expenditures. Mr. Mr. Trabert calls out districts like Wichita for budgeting an 11% increase in administration for FY15.,This ignores the fact that Wichita saw an actual 9% cut in administration the previous year. Over the...
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