Proposition K Archives - Voice For Liberty

Nov

Rep. Steve Brunk on Kansas taxes and spending

Speaking to the Wichita Pachyderm Club on Friday, Kansas Representative Steve Brunk (Republican from Bel Aire) addressed taxation and spending in Kansas government. Brunk said "We need more taxpayers, not more and higher taxes." In evaluating legislation, he said he asks these questions: Does this help the state of Kansas bring companies to the state, and does it offer encouragement to companies already here? Kansas is usually just about in the middle of all states in ability to attract companies to the state. We should be able to better than that, and a way to do better is to reform…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Articles of Interest

Electric cars, Obama and education reform, Kansas online records, Proposition K Could the Volt Jump-Start GM? (Washington Post) The Volt is Chevrolet's plug-in hybrid, meaning it has no gasoline engine, running solely on electricity. The problem is that the car's price may be $40,000. My question is where will we get the electricity to charge these cars on calm days if we don't build more baseline electricity generation capacity? No Picnic for Me Either (David Brooks in the New York Times) An overview of President Obama's attitudes towards public schools in America. Can the president successfully challenge the government school…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

More support for Proposition K in Kansas

About the only people who don't like Proposition K are people dependent on government for their revenues. Here, a press release from the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy tells of two organizations who have endorsed Proposition K. There may be some who note that these two organizations, being involved in the real estate business, benefit from lower property taxes. Two things: First Proposition K doesn't necessarily mean lower property taxes. Instead, it means more predicable taxes, with decisions to increase the tax rate being made in the open and with public input. Presently, property taxes increase by stealth, as…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Proposition K hearing spotlights differences

At Wednesday's hearing before the Kansas House of Representatives Taxation Committee, different ideas about property taxation became clear. The subject of the hearing was Proposition K, a proposal to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas. On this day, proponents of Proposition K testified. Questioning by Representative Nile Dillmore, Democrat from Wichita, provided an example of these differences. Dillmore asked about "infill" development, questioning the fairness of Proposition K. What about someone building a new house across the street from older houses? The new home might have cost $200 per square foot to build, while the old home is not worth…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

5 Questions: Proposition K

The Shawnee Dispatch reports on an informational meeting in Johnson County. The article is 5 Questions: Proposition K. There's also a poll to express your support (or not) or Proposition K.

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Proposition K opponents sometimes misinformed

In public debate, sometimes people don't let facts or reason get in the way of arguments they want to press. This is the case in some of the comments left to a Wichita Eagle article about Proposition K, an effort to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas. Here's one example of a comment left in response to the article: It's like having 10 friends go out to eat 2 of them order the steak and lobster platter for $22 bucks each, 6 people order regular burger/fries plate for about $7 each and you and the remaining friend having only a…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Proposition K op-ed confuses issue

Today's Wichita Eagle contains an op-ed by Glenn W. Fisher, regents professor emeritus at Wichita State University and property tax expert (Con: Tax plan would shift burden, be arbitrary, February 8, 2009 Wichita Eagle). The subject of this piece is Proposition K, an effort to reform the property tax appraisal system in Kansas. Proposition K is starting to attract attention and debate, the reason for two op-ed pieces in today's newspaper. The piece by Fisher, however, contains a number of puzzling arguments. First, Fisher states: "Proposition K would do nothing to reduce taxes or spending." This statement is not true…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Proposition K Website Now Open

Proposition K is a measure designed to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas. There's now a website with supporting information. The site allows readers to leave comments, and some comment writers make good points. The link to the website is Proposition K.

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Proposition K is a Constitutionally Valid Reform Option for Kansas

Some opponents of Proposition K, an effort to reform property tax appraisals in Kansas, are questioning whether this measure would conform to the Kansas Constitution. The following news release from the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy introduces a study that answers this question. New Study Shows that a Constitutional Amendment is Not Required (WICHITA) Wednesday Rep. Steve Brunk (R-Bel Aire) introduced legislation to reform the property tax system in Kansas. The bill changes the way that the taxable base is set. The current system relies on a system of appraisals, which is purported to be fair market value. Proposition…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Public Forum on Kansas Property Tax Reform

The Flint Hills Center for Public Policy is holding public forums on Proposition K, an effort to reform property taxes in Kansas. The first of these meetings will be held on Thursday, January 29 at 6:00pm at Willowbend Golf Club (8001 Mulberry Drive in NE Wichita). The public is invited to attend. Here's a link to a map of the meeting location.