# What isn't the matter with Kansas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398 "2014-11-12T01:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/81 "2015-06-06T02:17:02Z")
Things continue to go swimmingly in The Sunflower State. We should all follow their lead. [http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/usa-kansas-furloughs-idUSL1N0YR2CV20150605](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/usa-kansas-furloughs-idUSL1N0YR2CV20150605) ---
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/82 "2015-06-07T18:24:12Z")
are you asking why and/or how Kansas has a culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies? Because I wonder that, too. I’ve long thought of leaving my liberal scumhole state for greener pastures. or are you asking why certain elites can’t understand how people could prefer a lower tax government with less services. THAT doesn’t surprise me. The entire political left is dying and freaking out like the right in the 50’s, and they’re being exposed for the elitist fascists they’ve always been. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/83 "2015-06-07T22:22:39Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > I don’t see why I should care about what states are the best “peers” of Kansas. That’s interesting, coming from the guy who [insisted on comparing Illinois to neighboring states](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17612501&postcount=1): > [@Illinois Governor's Race](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illinois-governors-race/694896/1): > > Other midwestern states–Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan–have elected Republican governors and cruised to better economic performance. Indiana is a particularly important competitor since it shares such a long border with Illinois. Indiana beats Illinois handily with lower unemployment, lower inequality, lower taxes, and lower debts. Essentially, your argument boils down to “tax-cutting Republican governors are awesome,” and you’re willing to cherry-pick statistics as needed to support the idea that tax-cutting Republican governors are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/84 "2015-06-07T22:56:53Z")
> [@EdwinAmi](#): > > are you asking why and/or how Kansas has a culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies? > Because I wonder that, too. I’ve long thought of leaving my liberal scumhole state for greener pastures. > > or are you asking why certain elites can’t understand how people could prefer a lower tax government with less services. > THAT doesn’t surprise me. The entire political left is dying and freaking out like the right in the 50’s, and they’re being exposed for the elitist fascists they’ve always been. **“The affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many (Adam Smith, 1776).”** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/85 "2015-06-08T01:24:26Z")
> [@EdwinAmi](#): > > are you asking why and/or how Kansas has a culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies? No, we’re wondering why they cling to those policies even when they work out so badly for everybody as they have in Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/86 "2015-06-08T13:34:52Z")
> [@EdwinAmi](#): > > are you asking why and/or how Kansas has a culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies? … this is satire, right? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/87 "2015-06-08T16:00:35Z")
Its like John Galt doing stand-up comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/88 "2015-06-08T21:52:06Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Its like John Galt doing stand-up comedy. Who? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/89 "2015-06-08T23:22:14Z")
Ayn Rand in drag. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/90 "2015-06-09T00:26:57Z")
The answer is more tax cuts. What’s the question again? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/91 "2015-06-09T01:15:45Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Of course for someone [as rich as Paul Krugman](http://freebeacon.com/blog/poor-paul-krugman/), it may be difficult to understand the pocketbook issues of ordinary voters. It may be hard to grasp the fact that for many people, being allowed to keep one percent more of one’s money means better food and clothing, a better home, a better car, and other improvements to one’s standard of living. But the voters of Kansas seem to understand. I’m sure Paul Krugman is smart enough to understand the economic effects of having a few extra dollars to spend for an individual family. What Krugman understands that the average ordinary voter doesn’t understand is the effect on the overall economy of these policies. Many of these effects are counter-intuitive to the ordinary person not formally educated in economics. > [@EdwinAmi](#): > > are you asking why and/or how Kansas has a culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies? > Because I wonder that, too. I’ve long thought of leaving my liberal scumhole state for greener pastures. > > or are you asking why certain elites can’t understand how people could prefer a lower tax government with less services. > THAT doesn’t surprise me. The entire political left is dying and freaking out like the right in the 50’s, and they’re being exposed for the elitist fascists they’ve always been. How much does Kansas receive in government farms subsidies? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/92 "2015-06-09T04:08:05Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > Who? Oh. > [@eschereal](#): > > Ayn Rand in drag. umm, _whoosh_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/93 "2015-06-09T12:52:54Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > How much does Kansas receive in government farms subsidies? Well, you made me curious, so I went looking. According to this site: [EWG Farm Subsidy Database || Kansas Conservation Database](http://farm.ewg.org/region.php?fips=20000&progcode=total&yr=mtotal) , between 1995 and 2012 Kansas recieved: $9.38B in Commodity Subsidies $3.45B in Crop Insurance Subsidies $2.37B in Conservation Subsidies $1.14B in Disaster Subsidies Total about $16.4 Billion dollars in Government subsidies. Also worth noting: The top ten percent of all farms collected 70% of the subsidies, while 32% of Kansas farms got no subsidies. I’ll let other folks draw conclusions as they will. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/94 "2015-06-09T13:07:07Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > How much does Kansas receive in government farms subsidies? A [lot](http://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=total&page=states). It’s worth noting that all the states ahead of it on the list except Nebraska have larger populations, though on a per-capita basis Kansas gets less than Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/95 "2015-06-09T13:41:21Z")
To trickle your funny bone. [http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/strip/archive/2015/6/7](http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/strip/archive/2015/6/7) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/96 "2015-06-09T15:37:35Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Its like John Galt doing stand-up comedy. > [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > Who? Not you. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/97 "2015-06-09T16:52:10Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Well, you made me curious, so I went looking. > > According to this site: [EWG Farm Subsidy Database || Kansas Conservation Database](http://farm.ewg.org/region.php?fips=20000&progcode=total&yr=mtotal) , between 1995 and 2012 Kansas recieved: > > $9.38B in Commodity Subsidies > $3.45B in Crop Insurance Subsidies > $2.37B in Conservation Subsidies > $1.14B in Disaster Subsidies > > Total about $16.4 Billion dollars in Government subsidies. > > Also worth noting: The top ten percent of all farms collected 70% of the subsidies, while 32% of Kansas farms got no subsidies. > > I’ll let other folks draw conclusions as they will. That seems like a lot of handouts for a “culture that embraces such go-get-'em, self-supporting, and generally good old American policies”. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/98 "2015-06-14T21:30:40Z")
After a nearly 4-month struggle, the Kansas lege [has arrived at a budget agreement](http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/The-Kansas-Budget-What-Happened-Overnight-307103871.html), which the governor will probably sign. \*The two bills together would raise $384 million during the fiscal year that begins July 1. Even with the new revenues, Republicans who drafted the plan said Brownback might have to cut up to $50 million in spending. One measure raises the state’s sales tax to 6.5 percent from 6.15 percent. The House approved it early Friday, 63-44, and the Senate passed it Friday afternoon, 21-19. “I congratulate them on coming together in a spirit of cooperation and compromise to do what is right for Kansas,” Brownback said in a statement issued after the vote. The other measure was approved Sunday by the Senate and includes an increase in the cigarette tax of 50 cents a pack, to $1.29. It also includes a modest increase in taxes for business owners and farmers, at a level Brownback would accept, rather than a more aggressive proposal sought by some GOP lawmakers.\* Which may be problematic WRT, oh, the Laffer curve. If you raise register-level taxes, you throttle spending by raising prices, which ends up risking not only lower than expected revenue but also economic stagnation. I mean, hey, if it works at the top margin, it probably also works at the bottom. Perhaps even moreso. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/99 "2015-06-14T21:52:24Z")
The Shit always rolls downhill but it settles at the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398/100 "2015-06-14T21:56:39Z")
This means that Kansas now has one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation. I really wish that **ITR champion** would come back here to the discussion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-isnt-the-matter-with-kansas/704398.md?page=6)