Brownback's Failed Experiment: Kansas in Fiscal Crisis

Governor Sam Brownback’s “real live experiment” – which massively cut taxes with no mechanism to make up the revenue to fund education or other middle-class priorities – has plunged the state into fiscal crisis. In one scathing headline after another over the last few months detailing the devastating impacts of Browback’s tax cuts, the failure of the governor’s right-wing scheme has been exposed. This weekend brought more attention to the Kansas crisis, which leaves Governor Brownback deeply vulnernable to defeat in November.
Here’s a sample of the most recent headlines:
The New York Times: “Yes, if You Cut Taxes, You Get Less Tax Revenue”
Washington Post: “Tax cuts in Kansas have cost the state money — and job creation’s been terrible”
The Wall Street Journal: “Sam Brownback’s Tax-Cut Push Puts Kansas Out on Its Own”
The Kansas City Star Editorial: “Kansas budget is running on fumes, and it could get worse”
Here are some excerpts:
The New York Times: “Kansas has a problem. In April and May, the state planned to collect $651 million from personal income tax. But instead, it received only $369 million. […] Translation: It looks as if we gave out a bigger tax cut than we thought.”
Washington Post: “ Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal last month to tout the success of his economic program, particularly several rounds of income tax cuts amounting to the largest in the state’s history […] The only problem? That job growth hasn’t exactly materialized.”
The Wall Street Journal: “Employment growth is below the national average, while Kansas faces plunging revenue, dwindling reserves and a rare debt downgrade.”
Jared Bernstein: “Well, how about that?  Cut taxes and you end up with less tax revenue.”
 

###