Kansas was supposed to be the GOP’s tax-cut paradise. Now it can barely pay its bills.

VOX ^ | 07/08/2014 | Andrew Prokop

[SeekAndFind]

In 2012, Kansas governor Sam Brownback signed a massive tax cut into law, arguing that it would boost the state's economy. Eventually, he hoped to eliminate individual income taxes entirely. "Our place, Kansas, will show the path, the difficult path, for America to go in these troubled times," he said.

National conservative activists raved. Patrick Gleason of Americans for Tax Reform said Kansas was "the story of the next decade." The Cato Institute praised Brownback's "impressive" tax cuts and gave him an "A" on fiscal policy. And the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol said that, if reelected, Brownback would be "a formidable presidential possibility."

Yet though Brownback is running for reelection this fall in a deep red state, he's trailed his Democratic challenger in 3 of the 4 most recent polls — and his marquee tax cut appears to be the main reason. Kansas is now hundreds of millions of dollars short in revenue collection, its job growth has lagged the rest of the nation, and Moody's has cut the state's bond rating. "Governor Brownback came in here with an agenda to reduce the size of government, reduce taxes, and create a great economic boom," says University of Kansas professor Burdett Loomis. "Now there's been a dramatic decline in revenues, no great increase in economic activity, and we've got red ink until the cows come home."

[Soul of the South]

“In a normal world yes, but we have seen Republicans get tax cuts and continue spending like dimwits do.”

I remember the 8 years of George W. Bush well. Tax cuts then a spending orgy by a Republican Congress and President with record earmarks, big new social programs, and no vetoes.

Our new Republican Governor in NC has the same problem. He cut taxes but can’t cut the spending enough to offset the revenue loss. The progressives are having a field day.

[DanZ]

“Cheerleading from liberal groups like Amer for Tax Reform - CATO (Amnesty Liberal, Open Borders Liberal, One World Liberal),”

You are WAY WACKY - CATO is a Libertarian Think Tank of the highest standing, moral fiber and has the finest minds that Ronny Reagen liked to listen to

Please go clean yourself up, you spilled too much crap all over yourself

[castlegreyskull]

Sooo..... they still have a surplus?

Lets focus more on the motive. I don’t know if the article mentioned it. How is Kansas’s economy? Did the experiment work. Seemed like a safe gamble, lower taxes, see if the economy improves, still have a surplus.

[castlegreyskull]

It did enjoy a downer economy. Either this article is just a disguised attack on a GOP governor. So they have a downer economy with high taxes, and a downer economy with low taxes, both with a surplus.