Comments on: Kansas Speaker Mike O’Neal at AFP Summit

By: Legend

Legend — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:19:23 +0000

Bob, I thought you followed all of this. Here is a story from the Associated Press from June 2008. The article stated the Governor asked cabinet agencies to reduce spending. Again, we can debate whether she cut enough out, but my point is she was pro-active back in the summer before the economy really went down the tubes in September.

The other article is from the LJ World on November 5 stating that the cuts would now be 3%. Bob, do you need any more evidence?

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jun/28/gov_asks_agencies_reduce_spending/

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/nov/05/sebelius_asks_3_percent_budget_cuts_across_state_h/

By: Bob Weeks

Bob Weeks — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:31:33 +0000

Legend, I can’t find any evidence that the governor ordered the cuts you say she did. Can you direct us to where we can find such evidence?

By: Legend

Legend — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:30:16 +0000

Cybex, can you tell me where in the Governor’s budget she is recommending higher taxes? I can’t seem to find it.

By: Legend

Legend — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:29:29 +0000

Bob, the Governor ordered 3% cuts to state agencies in the current fiscal year. The story from the LJ World is more accurate than the other one.

By: Cybex

Cybex — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:23:44 +0000

Gov. Sebelius will not make the tough financial decisions nor will she consider larger cuts in the bureacracy. It is not in her DNA to take political risks. Education and Social Services are the largest drivers of the budget and once you exempt them there is no where else to cut. Expect higher taxes.

By: Bob Weeks

Bob Weeks — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:40:42 +0000

This is a confusing situation. Here’s reporting from a Lawrence Journal-World story, November 5, 2008:

In the face of dropping tax revenues, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday directed state agencies to cut $60 million and warned that deeper reductions could be on the way. “Agencies have already begun hiring freezes, they’ve stopped capital purchases, they’ve been making other changes, but those efforts need to be increased and extended,” Sebelius said. She said the 3-percent cut, which would include higher education, represented a first step and that bigger cuts “are almost certain to be necessary” in the next fiscal year.

But here’s reporting from the Topeka Capital-Journal from November 28, 2008:

Two of the Legislature’s top Republican leaders are convinced Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius must immediately order cuts in state spending in response to sputtering revenue collections. … After the November election, the governor put agencies on notice that planning should reflect a possible 3 percent reduction in appropriations this fiscal year.

Legend, do you know which is the correct news story? Did she, or didn’t she order cuts? Or did she order agencies to only prepare for cuts?

By: Legend

Legend — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:15:01 +0000

The Speaker is partially correct. The Governor can make across-the-board cuts with the permission of the State Finance Council or targeted cuts. What I did not see in this blog post is that the Governor has already directed state agencies to reduce their budgets earlier this year.

We can debate whether the Governor’s recommended cuts go deep enough, but to be fair she has directed state agencies to make cuts.