There is a term, “the common good,” that bears consideration. A dictionary defines it simply as a noun meaning, “the advantage or benefit of all people in society or in a group.” It’s not something claimed by any particular political faction, in other words. It’s something that is good for everyone.
Wednesday, a diverse group of Kansas leaders met in Topeka and kicked off a movement, calling themselves the “Rise Up Kansas” coalition. (You can find them easily on facebook.) Their goal is to encourage tax reform at the state level to help pull Kansas out the fiscal hole it has dug itself into through the Brownback tax plan.
“The first year of the Brownback tax plan inflicted more damage to state finances than the entire Great Recession,” said KCEG Executive Director Heidi Holliday. “If we’ve learned anything in the last four years, it’s that we can’t have it all. Yes, it would be nice if we could eliminate the state income tax and still enjoy the quality of life we expect - and deserve - in Kansas. But every month we learn how impossible that scenario is, whether in the form of new budget cuts or missed revenue targets or credit rating downgrades. We have to make a choice.”
Their proposal reinstates individual income brackets, closes the LLC loophole, reduces state sales tax on food, and sweeps the 4/10 of a cent sales tax currently dedicated to the State Highway Fund to the State General Fund, pairing it with an equivalent increase in the state gas tax of $0.11 per gallon.
In other words, it rolls back the tax breaks provided to a few that has resulted in the draining of the state’s reserves, and has further left the state unable to pay its bills. It asks all Kansans to bear some of the load now, and have no doubt, it will be a heavy one. But rolling back the food tax a bit will offer some relief to our poorest.
The net impact, Rise Up Kansas reports, will generate approximately $820 million for the State General Fund in fiscal year 2018, while putting $100 million “back into the pockets of Kansas families for groceries.”
We have to accept that there is no overnight fix to the problem. Our state will go further into debt in the coming months, simply because it takes so much time to change laws, and rightly so. But a plan like this offers a bottom, and hope that once its reached, it’s not so far we can’t climb back up again.
“There are lots of ways to modernize our tax code and broaden our base,” said KCEG Senior Fellow Duane Goossen. “We’re offering a good starting point here today. This is a commonsense, straightforward plan. It will fix the core problems plaguing our budget while holding the line or reducing taxes for 70% of Kansans. This fiscal mess presents a great opportunity for an overhaul, and no matter how lawmakers close the gap, we urge them to take a comprehensive approach.”