Reason Magazine draws thought-provoking conclusions in its autopsy of the Kansas tax policy the legislature just scrapped.
The writer, an intern, notes that the articles trickling out in the mainstream media are thoughtless, over-simplified piffle paffle.
“Media coverage of the Kansas tax policy has become part of of an ongoing game that attempts to blame the other side for every problem under the sun, while denying any criticism of your own camp. In doing so, the nuance and complexity of tax policy is lost,” the article reads. “Many news outlets seem far more interested in pushing narratives of Republican failures than using the state to highlight the fiscal problems practically every state is experiencing.”
The story details a brief of the history of how Gov. Brownback’s tax policy came to be. The Governor proposed phasing out state income taxes over several years while eliminating taxes for some businesses.
“What went wrong? First, the legislature failed to eliminate politically popular exemptions and deductions, making the initial revenue drop more severe than the governor planned. The legislature and the governor could have reduced government spending to offset the decrease in revenue, but they also failed on that front,” it reads.
The writer also notes that most states are experiencing similar budget problems, though coverage of their “tried and true ‘tax and spend like there’s no tomorrow’ method (quite the opposite of suffering the consequences of some ‘trickle-down’ tax experiment)” aren’t receiving the same amount of media coverage as Kansas.
Reason is a libertarian monthly magazine of “free minds and free markets.” So the right doesn’t get a pass for its part in Kansas’ now-defunct tax policy. The writer suggests that Kansas’ tax experiment proves lower taxes alone aren’t an economic cure-all.
“Excessive regulation, budget insolvency, corruption, older demographics and a whole host of other issues can slow down economic growth even in the presence of a low-tax environment…anyone who thinks starving bloated government of revenue will decrease spending is kidding themselves,” the writer says.
Politicians at every level find ways to kick the can down the road, and Kansas is no exception, he notes.
“Paying lip service to fiscal responsibility is not enough. Cutting taxes is easy. Cutting spending is a necessary, and far more difficult, prospect,” he concludes.
An intern from Reason Magazine examined facts, waded through the rest of the media narrative, and drew some thoughtful conclusions. Here’s hoping Kansas’ media takes a lesson.
Read the entire piece here.