School Finance III

I understand the governor has a new television ad where she is seen driving a school bus. The ad trumpets her leadership in the school funding fiasco that was recently settled by the Kansas Supreme Court. This of course is a lame attempt on her part to make silk of a sow's ear. The fact the court was required in the school funding matter at all reflects poorly on Mrs. Sebelius' leadership as head of state.

So what should we expect next?

Well, the governor and her minions are now claiming significant advances in both the Kansas economy and job growth. And she is suggesting future growth will generate enough taxes to pay for the court-ordered $541 million increase in public school aid. But here's the problem with that logic.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Kansas job growth over the past five years has all been in government. While private sector jobs have actually fallen during the period by more than the expansion in government roles.

Since government does not generate wealth, it is dependent on funding from the private sector in the form of taxes. Otherwise there would be no need to collect taxes from you, me and businesses down the street. So it is illogical to claim an economy with growing government but diminishing private sector jobs can generate enough future tax revenue to cover the court's school mandate, assuming one believes as I do that private sector job growth is a reflection of robust economic activity.

It is hard to argue that Ft. Riley's expansion is a bad thing for our area. The fact that Sen. Pat Roberts and others' brought the "Big Red 1" here is good. But a healthy state economy requires some semblance of balance between private and government growth. Otherwise there is not enough tax revenue to fund expanding government services.

Higher property taxes here in Riley County are a crystal clear reflection of that fact. It is not property valuations but ever-expanding government coupled with a stagnant private sector that is causing your property taxes to increase.

We would all do well now to get focused on private sector growth. For it is in that sphere that necessary revenues are generated to fund important government services like police, roadways and schools. And might I add.provide that bright yellow bus for Mrs. Sebelius' campaign.

First published in the Manhattan Free Press, August 30, 2006.