My commentary published at the article linked above and elsewhere on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
By my count, there are not enough "moderate" Republicans and Democrats to over-ride any veto the governor will use to stop any proposed bill to "[r]epeal that special tax break for businesses and farmers." Speaker Ray Merrick (R-Stillwell) has advocated a quick in and out session, herding a nervous, but loyal crowd that carved this "tax break" into marble four years ago.
He could also be aware that the KS Supreme Court (another Republican whipping post) offers no chance of a written opinion until well into this coming May when either they are forced to return into a special session, or possibly watch the schools close July 1st statewide.
If the court finds the Brownback approved funding bill is inadequate and unequally favoring urban centers over rural school districts, the crisis deepens and dissent grows exponentially.
Brownback and his supporters will be sending out waves of border-line libelous postcards all funded through dark money front groups. All mailed before the statewide Republican primary in August, targeting the legislators that opposed, in any fashion public or private, their own office holders.
The postcards and ads will seek to manipulate both; those low-wage voters most unfamiliar with the issues and the so-called "faith based conservatives" who vote more out of zealotry than reason.
The only solution is the election in November those ready and willing to lead a prolonged, public opposition with a concise plan to investigate tax avoidance among the state's top 1%, discourage the largely secret tax deals offered to large businesses which rob the Kansas General Fund of worker's income and sales taxes.
Create new tax revenue streams; as in wind and solar community-owned rural electrical coops, legalizing and regulating marijuana as neighboring Colorado has done, and establishing a public Bank of Kansas as North Dakota did before the Great Depression to fund local start-ups.
All of these will create jobs for a sustainable future with our children for the difficult decades ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment