State of Kansas Archives: on Budget & Economy
Laura Kelly:
Funding & assistance to strengthen rural small businesses
We have been able to help nearly 3,000 small businesses across the state with grants for payroll and other expenses. But we know more must be done. That's why I'm pleased about the resurrection of the Kansas Main Street Program and the launch of the
Main Street Affiliate Community program. These programs provide funding and technical assistance to help transform and strengthen rural downtowns.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Kansas legislature
Jan 13, 2021
Roger Marshall:
Lower taxes & decreased regulation for American greatness
The less control the federal government has, the better off we will be. By getting Washington out of the way, lowering taxes, and decreasing regulation we are seeing the new age of American greatness again.
For our rural ag economy, it is vital that our producers have fair trade deals to get their commodities to an international market. Doc has and will continue to fight for farmers and ranchers in Washington.
Source: 2020 Kansas Senate campaign website KansansForMarshall.com
Jun 17, 2020
Dave Lindstrom:
Growth in regulations affects ability to create jobs
Though the government has a regulatory role to play in certain areas within our economy, somewhere along the way, the government has strayed dramatically from its basic economic role. While President
Trump has been on the right track trying to reduce extraneous regulations, agency growth continues along with an overall growth in regulations affecting the ability of employers to create jobs and opportunities in their respective communities.
Federal personnel costs are also a huge driver of expenditures. The federal government employs more than two million civilian workers, with an estimated average salary of $94,463 or $291 billion annually. In addition to validating the need for
given positions, there must also be an examination of whether such lofty salaries are warranted, especially when compared to private sector wages that lag considerably behind the federal average and are subject to the elasticity of our economy.
Source: 2020 Kansas Senate campaign website LindstromForSenate.com
May 31, 2020
Barbara Bollier:
Infrastructure key to rural Kansas, including broadband
Infrastructure is key to rural Kansas, including safe roads and high speed broadband. Both are critical to the rural economy.
Specifically, improved internet access in rural communities will strengthen businesses, healthcare facilities and schools as well as attract young people. We also must reform the United States Postal Services to ensure mail delivery.
Source: 2020 Kansas Senate campaign website BollierForKansas.com
May 28, 2020
Barbara Bollier:
Work to increase transparency in budgeting process
As both a doctor and a fiscal conservative, Barbara has always worked to maintain balanced state budgets. As a U.S. senator, Barbara will continue to work to increase transparency in the budgeting process,
eliminate fraud and waste from the federal budget, reduce the federal deficit and affirm our commitment to seniors by working to strengthen Social Security and Medicare.
Source: 2020 Kansas Senate campaign website BollierForKansas.com
May 28, 2020
Dave Lindstrom:
National debt is a huge problem
Lindstrom said the national debt is a huge problem. "This government overspending is getting crazy," he said. "I would like to make sure we are not spending more than what we bring in every year. We have a $22 trillion deficit. Our budget is a trillion
dollars more than what we take in every year. That is $31,000 and changes every second of the day. It is out of hand and not sustainable. I hope I can bring some stability to politics in Washington, D.C."
Source: Ottawa Herald on 2020 Kansas Senate race
Jun 27, 2019
Laura Kelly:
Address financial crisis without new taxes
Those breathtaking years of crisis have left Kansas on the brink of collapse. While the time for finger pointing is over, we're not off the hook for the long-term consequences of past policy decisions. I'm proud to honor my promise to balance
the budget without raising taxes. That is why we must be cautious, conservative and fiscally responsible. We must live within our means. Prioritize what matters most. Always look for ways to save. And always make sure our children come first.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Kansas legislature
Jan 16, 2019
Greg Orman:
Economic development plan instead of lazy tax cuts
Independent candidate for governor Greg Orman offered an economic development plan for Kansas targeting middle-class job growth by streamlining regulatory hurdles faced by new businesses, expanding the solar and wind industries and elevating in-state
processing of crops.Orman, competing against four candidates in the Kansas race for governor, said relying on broad state tax reductions, as Kansas did with income taxes under former
Gov. Sam Brownback, was a "lazy" approach to economic expansion. "Simply cutting taxes across the board and hoping for the best ignores many important elements that drive growth," Orman said.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the Republican nominee, proposed income and sales tax cuts paired with a cap on property taxes. Democratic nominee Laura Kelly plans to focus on investment in education and has derided the state's sales tax on food.
Source: Topeka Capital-Journal on 2018 Kansas gubernatorial race
Aug 16, 2018
Wink Hartman:
Run Kansas like a business
To get Kansas on the right track, we need a stable, business-friendly tax code that will attract employers to our state and keep current jobs here. The state needs to run in a fiscally responsible way,
which means no more spending money we don't have or raiding highway funds to slide by. That means finding efficiencies where we can, and eliminating unnecessary or wasteful programs.
Source: Leavenworth Times on 2018 Kansas gubernatorial race
Aug 11, 2017
Wink Hartman:
Low balanced budget without political gridlock
As a small-businessman, I understand the basic truth that you can't spend more than you make. For too long, the Kansas Budget has been a political football that has created enormous uncertainty and political gridlock. That has to change. If elected,
I will work with legislative and business leaders throughout the state to create a balanced budget that meets the needs of government, provides stability to Kansas families and businesses and doesn't spend a single taxpayer dollar more than necessary.
Source: 2018 Kansas governor campaign website HartmanForKansas.com
May 2, 2017
Ron Estes:
Returned $113M in unclaimed property, including tax refunds
In 2010 Ron was elected Kansas State Treasurer. As State Treasurer, he oversees more than $24 billion in public funds. Ron has continued his track record of finding efficiencies by coming in under budget by over $600,000 during his time in office.
Key programs in the treasurer's office include Cash Management Unclaimed Property. Ron also serves on the Pooled Money Investment Board, which manages the investment of the state's idle funds.
During his tenure, Ron has visited all 105 Kansas counties and returned over $113,000,000 in unclaimed property to rightful owners. He also spearheaded legislation that improved the ability to match people with their unclaimed property through tax data.
Another reform initiative changed law to require that unclaimed tax refund checks become unclaimed property so they can be matched with owners instead of remaining with the government.
Source: 2017 Kansas House campaign website EstesForCongress.com
Apr 11, 2017
Ron Estes:
Support a balanced budget amendment
Families in the 4th district know they have to balance their budgets. Business owners understand they won't be in business long without a balanced budget. The federal government should not play by a different set of rules.
I support a balanced budget amendment that will force the federal government to get its financial house in order.
Source: 2017 Kansas House campaign website EstesForCongress.com
Apr 11, 2017
Sam Brownback:
The days of "tax first, cut never" have come to an end
Tomorrow, I will present in detail a structurally balanced budget. This budget is balanced.- Balanced in that it reconciles spending with available revenue.
- Balanced in that it adequately supports the core functions of state government,
while finding necessary efficiencies.
- Balanced in that it addresses both sides of the ledger, revenue and expenditure.
The days of "tax first, cut never" have come to an end. As President Bill Clinton even observed, "The era of big government is over." Can we really ask Kansans to pay more for a government that maintains separate bureaucracies to license
the practice of barbering AND cosmetology? Our budget will fix that. Do we continue to need separate departments to regulate the state insurance and securities markets? Our budget will address that too.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Kansas Legislature
Jan 10, 2017
Roger Marshall:
Get government out of the way, to allow prosperity
The best way to encourage job creation is to get government out of the way and allow the entrepreneurial spirit to prosper. Too often, businesses growth is stymied by complex regulations with ever changing interpretations and laws which are passed
though they were never read in their entirety. Too often, the hands of business leaders are tied and stagnation, rather than growth, incentivized. We must maintain a free market for American products and promote the export of our homegrown commodities.
We need a tax structure that does not punish success but instead encourages investment on American soil."My personal experiences in health care, agriculture, and banking have proven that we have too much regulation.
Our job as leaders is to make the complicated simple, not complicate the simple. America was once the pre-eminent place in the world to launch a business. By getting Washington out of our way, I think we can be that place again."-- Roger Marshall
Source: 2016 Kansas House campaign website KansansForMarshall.com
Nov 8, 2016
Patrick Wiesner:
Pay off $19T national debt over a period of 25 years
The Senate mission of Patrick is paying off the government's debt. Patrick takes paying off the national debt as the duty of baby boomers. His plan is simple but requires hard work. The US now has a $17 trillion annual economy. We can take 3.0 percent of
our GDP and, every year, put that toward debt reduction. In year one, we will pay off $510 billion. The second year--another $523 billion. If the economy grows at two and a half percent, in just under 25 years, the debt will be paid.
On top of the $19 trillion in Treasury bond obligations, our Congress and the lobbyists have unloaded $5.0 trillion of housing loan guarantees onto the taxpayers plus another $1.2 trillion in student loans. Borrowing and making more promises that our
children will pay the bill is the way Washington spends money without voter accountability. This culture can only be fixed by firing incumbents. If we do nothing, and let the debt keep going up, our children will leave.
Source: 2016 Kansas Senate website, WiesnerForSenate
Apr 1, 2016
Patrick Wiesner:
Paying off the national debt is the duty of baby boomers
Today, the incumbents don't debate paying off the debt. There is no talk of a surplus. They have given up on balancing the budget. The GOP-controlled Congress (along with all-too-willing Democrats) dealt with caps on discretionary spending by simply
raising the limits. In the process, the debt ceiling is now unlimited. Any discussion the GOP is a fiscally conservative caucus is a hoax.Patrick takes paying off the national debt as the duty of baby boomers. His plan is simple but requires hard work
The US now has a $17 trillion annual economy. We can take 3.0% of our GDP and, every year, put that toward debt reduction. In year one, we will pay off $510 billion. The second year--another $523 billion. If the economy grows at 2.5%, in just under
25 years, the debt will be paid.
Patrick has been in private law practice for 23 years. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. His practice is focused on solving tax and debt problems. Patrick intends to be the Senate expert on the tax code.
Source: 2016 Kansas Senate campaign website WiesnerForSenate.com
Mar 1, 2016
Ron Estes:
We returned $65 million to Kansans to help grow the economy
The 2014 Kansas Republican Party's "Clean Sweep" Bus Tour made stops in El Dorado and Augusta as they began their four-day tour across Kansas. Sen. Pat Roberts, Gov. Sam Brownback, Rep. Mike Pompeo, and State Treasurer Ron
Estes made the stop visiting with constituents and talking about the upcoming election.Estes said, "Four years ago when we had the clean sweep bus tour we elected Republicans all up and down the ballot statewide and federal.
In those four years we've returned over $65 million to Kansans so they can help grow the economy in Kansas." He said the governor and legislature worked to improve the pension system in the state.
He said, "I'm a CPA.
I have 32 years of directly relevant insurance experience for this job," he began. "If you want somebody who understands business and how to bring good business practices to this incredibly important insurance department. I'm your man."
Source: Butler County Times-Gazette on 2018 Kansas Governor race
Oct 30, 2014
Randall Batson:
Market-led recovery instead of federal stimulus
Q: Do you support or oppose the federal stimulus as better than market-led recovery?
A: Strongly Oppose.
Source: Email interview on Kansas 2014 Senate race with OnTheIssues
Sep 19, 2014
Patrick Wiesner:
End Washington DC's "let's borrow money" culture
Q: When thinking about the future of the state, what concerns you the most?A: My biggest concern is the "let's borrow money" culture of Washington DC. I don't think we should have to borrow for college and take 20 years to pay it off; or borrow to own
a home and take 30 years to pay it off; or borrow to run our Federal government and never pay it off. I want our kids and their kids to live their lives without owing money. As your US Senator, I intend to move us out of the debt cycle.
Source: Emporia Gazette on 2016 Kansas Senate race
Aug 2, 2014
Patrick Wiesner:
Generate surpluses & not deficits; pay off our national debt
Q: What are your top three priorities?A: As Senator, I will start my work on setting budget policy so that we generate surpluses and not deficits; this will give us revenue to pay off our national debt. Second, our tax code needs attention so that
compliance is easy. Third, we need to keep lobbyists from drafting laws.
Q: What actions would you take on the budget?
A: My mission is to get our country out of debt. The United States has enough economic power and agricultural wealth to
be generous to its citizens and, at the same time, pay for the cost of government. National defense, Social Security, and a safety net for the poor are priorities. Other programs will be limited or cut so that we have enough revenue left to pay off our d
Source: Emporia Gazette on 2016 Kansas Senate race
Aug 2, 2014
Pat Roberts:
Ok to spend in time of war; otherwise don't be over-generous
Gov. Sam Brownback showered Roberts with praise for his work on a $404 million research lab at Kansas State University. But Brownback didn't mention that Roberts voted against a sweeping spending bill earlier this year that provided the money for the
research lab; had his position prevailed, the project could have collapsed."I have voted for omnibus [spending] bills in the past; in the past, I have voted for [raising] debt ceilings," Roberts said. "But that was a time of war; we were doing
emergency spending." Now, "all of a sudden, you are at $16 trillion debt," he said. "It's astounding. Now, $17 trillion, $18 trillion."
Similarly, Roberts said he voted against the farm bill because its subsidies for certain commodities were too
generous and it did too little to overhaul the food stamp program. Still, when Roberts travels through the state, he touts his role crafting the law's provisions reforming the crop insurance program.
Source: Politico.com weblog on 2014 Kansas Senate race
Jul 8, 2014
Milton Wolf:
Free enterprise is the key to national prosperity
Question topic: Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self interest into the fairest and most productive economic system there is, and are the key to national prosperity.
Wolf: Strongly Agree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Kansas Senate race
Jul 2, 2014
Greg Orman:
Report federal spending by strict accounting standards
The only way we get spending under control is by making hard choices that Congress today seems unwilling to make. We've seen our credit rating as a country downgraded because of the whole debt ceiling debate because politicians refuse to face
the tough choices we need to make and play by a different set of rules. We need to require the federal government to report expenses and revenue by the same strict accounting standards now required of all major companies.
Source: 2014 Kansas Senate campaign website, OrmanForSenate.com
Jun 17, 2014
Chad Taylor:
Budget cuts threaten basic prosecutorial services
Democrats now have a challenger in the Kansas Senate race in Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, who launched his bid on Friday. Taylor's entry into the race gives Democrats at least a chance to take advantage of what's already become a
bruising Republican primary fight between Sen. Pat Roberts (R) and radiologist Milton Wolf.
Taylor was first elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012, and drew some national attention after he said budget cuts threatened to keep him from prosecuting domestic abuse cases.
He faces slim prospects
for success in the deep-red state, however--Kansas hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than half a century, and the state went for Mitt Romney with 60 percent of the vote in 2012.
Source: The Hill e-zine on 2014 Kansas Senate race
Mar 3, 2014
Mark Parkinson:
Constitutionally require set-aside for emergency fund
It is time that we take steps to make sure that the state never again finds itself facing this kind of fiscal challenge. There are many reasons for the budget problems that we have. One is that we came into last year without an emergency fund. This is
unacceptable.Downturns are inevitable. Every business and family knows this, and those that are able develop reserve funds to prepare for those downturns. It is time for the state to do the same. I am asking you to pass the Constitutional Amendment
that would require us to set a portion of state revenue aside to create an emergency fund. In years of declining revenue we would tap into the fund and avoid the situation we are currently in. It is time that we put our fiscal house in order and lay the
foundation for a solid financial future for this state.
During a recession, people give up; once they give up, a recession can become a depression. My message to Kansans tonight is this: don't give up. There are too many reasons for genuine optimism.
Source: 2010 Kansas State of the State Address
Jan 11, 2010
Bill Graves:
Reauthorize the Kansas state lottery
In the 1986 election, nearly two out of three Kansas voters supported amending the Kansas constitution to have a state lottery. This session, you will discuss whether to honor their decision. Failure to renew the Lottery will cause it to automatically
expire and will require budget adjustments that anticipate the loss of $60 million -- an amount the Lottery is expected to generate for various state programs in FY 2002. I support the Lottery’s reauthorization.
Source: State of the state address to Kansas legislature
Jan 8, 2001
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021