Kansas GOP Insider (wannabe): Gross

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Gross

This is a little bit disgusting and whole lot disheartening.

Remember back in 2010, when the turncoats of the Kansas Legislature implemented a 1 cent sales tax? This was before Brownback was elected, so he gets a pass on it. The plan was to raise sales taxes 1 penny on every dollar just to get the state through the lean budget times of the recession.

Legislators promised, I mean PROMISED, at the time that the majority of the tax would sunset in three years. (A small portion was to be a forever past to fund state highways. Yay. Not.) They practically signed in blood that this was just to edge us through. Remember, this was a Republican legislature and while more conservative members of the House wailed and moaned about it, they went along.

Fast forward two years. Times remain lean. Meanwhile, a Brownback-backed state legislature, led largely by conservatives in the House, rammed through a budget that cut deeper than originally planned. They played hard ball and won... or did they?

Now Brownback is polishing his knives and potentially preparing to stick a slew of them into the backs of conservative legislators. Last week, the Governor proposed extending the soon-to-expire sales tax to make up for upcoming shortfalls.

This is unacceptable.

I have asked a number of conservative legislators whether they would support a plan that extends the tax. Unfortunately, very, very few have vowed not to support it. The vast majority, however, have said it's just too early to take a hard stand on such an issue.

That is also unacceptable.

Legislators should take heed. The constant legislative attempt to shroud the budget in shadow and play games with my pocketbook is so raunchy. Principled people can take a stand on whether to raise taxes or break promises. This isn't difficult.

There are many voters who swallowed the sales tax increase only because they were promised the majority of it would expire. You'll get no sympathy from me if you can't keep your promise, and I have a feeling I'm not alone.


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