Hundreds of millions of dollars hasn't bought better test scores

State SAT scores continue a gradual decline

In 2005, the Kansas Supreme Court forced a special session of the Kansas Legislature to earmark hundreds of millions of dollars aimed at bolstering an education system the justices found wanting. Since then, the state has spent more and more on education, even as it faces a serious budget deficit.

The increase was put through by the state Senate leadership - Sens. Steve Morris, John Vratil and Derek Schmidt - working with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and liberal Republicans and Democrats in the House.

Conservatives, led by Reps. Mike O'Neal and Lance Kinzer, fought the increase, claiming Kansas schools were performing far better than the national average and pointing out that the increases were so large that schools systems had admitted they wouldn't be able to devise plans for spending the money quickly enough to accommodate the new funding. [ Read more...]

Sunflower hopes for appeal of plant rejection

Behind-the-scenes battle continues over coal plant

The case of the coal plant remains in legal limbo.

Gavin Young, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Administrative Hearings, said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Sunflower Electric Power Corp. have both been busy filing briefs in the case, but that no hearing will be scheduled until that behind-the-scenes debate is concluded.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has made rejection of the plant a platform for gaining national attention. [ Read more...]

Auditor says assessing costs and benefits 'like nailing Jell-O to the wall'

Committee almost pulls plug on illegal immigration study

Remember the study on the costs and benefits of illegal immigration in Kansas?

A legislative committee seemed poised Tuesday to say “never mind.”

But, in the end, the Legislative Post Audit Committee gave auditors another month to try to determine the best method for accurately answering a question that has bedeviled other states and organizations. [ Read more...]

Declining remittances reflect sluggish economy, not an exodus of illegal immigrants

Immigrants working in Kansas are sending less money home

Immigrants working in Kansas will significantly cut back on remittances – money sent home to their native countries – in 2008, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.

The IADB estimates that this year, Mexican and Latin American immigrants in Kansas will send $152 million home. That’s a significant decline from the $215 million that was sent in 2006.

The number of immigrants working in Kansas who will send money home also will decline this year, from 68 percent in 2006 to just 36 percent this year. [ Read more...]

Kansas’ poor diminished in Department of Labor’s new numbers

New economic report uses different stats to lower poverty figures

In unveiling the new state economic report, Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner may have been gratified that most of the state's press reported his contention that while Kansas had an impressive employment growth rate last year, the nation’s economy is dampening the state's hiring growth.

Although the U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly high rate of 3.3 during the second quarter of 2008, Garner blamed Washington for Kansas’ jobs woes. "We are starting to feel the impact of the national economic situation," Garner said.

But the real news in the economic report may not have been in disputed employment numbers. The big story may be in what appears at first to be the dramatic reversal of Kansas’ poverty figures. [ Read more...]

Study says probably not, but not offering incentives would put Kansas at a competitive disadvantage. Part one of a two-part special report by Phil LaCerte.

Was $1.3 billion in economic development incentives worth it?

It's the oldest rule in the financial playbook: It takes money to make money.

Kansas spent a lot of money. State agencies spent $453 million, and state and local governments sacrificed $860 million in tax revenue between 2002 and 2007. That's more than $1.3 billion, all for the sake of economic development.

A KU prof's 'expensing' plan would end perceived unfairness in current economic development incentive policies. Second in a KansasLiberty.com two-part look at the way these incentives work in Kansas.

Who should get the money? Support for 'equalized' incentive benefits grows

Rep. Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican, understands the frustration that many small business owners experience when they see a new enterprise supported by state tax incentives set up shop in Kansas.

“Main Street businesses wonder why incentives available to a new company aren’t available to them,” said Kinzer, a member of a small Olathe law firm.

As a response, a KU economics professor is floating a proposal that would do away with state tax incentive programs that favor one business over another with a system that would offer benefits to all Kansas businesses that wanted to participate, regardless of size. [ Read more...]

It's the Florida Chad Syndrome: Just when you think your vote doesn't matter, it matters a lot. James Meier gives some Kansas examples.

Can one vote make a difference?

We’ve all heard stories about some city election or school board seat that was decided by just a handful of votes.  But have you ever voted in an election that was decided by one vote?  Has anyone in our state, for that matter, been elected by just one or two votes?

Everybody enjoys hearing about those tight races.  Citizens like to know that in some instances, their vote really can make a difference.  But for some reason, those same voters seem to have developed a disconnection between their vote for a candidate and that candidate’s votes while in office. One vote really can make a difference on major issues affecting Kansas.

In fact, when an election is decided by just a few voters, it has more impact on our lives than just being an interesting story. Here's some proof: [Read more...]

The Week on the Web

Everybody's a critic. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius's performance at the DNC is now being used to calm crack addicts and treat people with chronic sleep ailments. Her speech was to political oratory what Novocaine is to dentistry. Ric Anderson at the Capital-Journal rounds-up the comments. The highest praise was reserved for the governor's "funny antidotes." Need to calm a lively Labor Day party? Here's the full text. Put on a gray helmet and you can do it in your sleep.

Speaking of good jokes. Heard the one about the "Kansas Ethics Commission"? The Kansas Meadowlark has the punchline - a list of the clowns on the commission. Our favorite: Tim Emert, a co-founder of KTRM, the angry guys who think falsely linking politicians they don't like to the KKK is good for the Republican party. The KKK is plenty bad, but at least you know where they stand in the political gutter. Emert's linked directly to Senate President Steve Morris.

Some good news from bankruptcy attorney Jill Michaux for all those people who are no longer in poverty, thanks to that new economic report (see above):

It will be a little easier to qualify for bankruptcy relief when the income guidelines used for eligibility increase slightly on October 1.  A single Kansas earner will be able to make $894 more per year and qualify for chapter 7 bankruptcy relief.  A family of four will be allowed a $2036 more income per year in Kansas.

A Preview of the Coming Week