Dear Editor,
I find it interesting to read that the governor has hosted special meetings at the governor’s mansion with members of the Legislature that will be expected to rubber-stamp his agenda.
Regardless of the fact that these meetings are being investigated for violating the Kansas Open Meetings law, why did the governor feel the need to hold these meetings behind closed doors and out of view from any public scrutiny?
Could it be that his proposals are suspect as to the over all benefit to Kansas citizens?
Case in point, the governor’s proposal to overhaul the state’s public pension system.
The proposal currently being pushed by the governor in the Legislature would move the state to a defined contribution plan. The effort seems to be based on some ideological belief, because it’s not based on any fiscal reality.
The state’s own actuary has pegged the new plan as costing the state $10.9 billion more than the current system.
The truth is, the new proposed system will do nothing to fix the state’s current pension system while creating a new system that won’t provide an adequate retirement for future state workers.
Maybe the governor realizes this fact and that is the reason for all the secrecy?
Maybe the governor pushing a plan which is so costly and detrimental to state workers, he finds transparency too inconvenient? Barbara Thoren,
Hoisington