The Quiet Conservative March 22, 2008
The Winds of Change
Every single Kansan has opened their utility bill this month and said in exasperation: “Darn it! I’m
not paying enough!” The Kansas City Star and Topeka Capital Journal are filled with stories of
power companies inundated with over payments and struggling with how to convince customers to
take back their money.
Meanwhile in the state capitol the legislature is struggling with what to do with all the extra revenue
they are forced to spend. The money is coming from businesses that flock to Kansas in a desperate
effort to support our Democratic Governor. It seems the more we raise taxes and regulations on
businesses, the more they want to relocate here. After all, if you had a business and were looking at
where to go, the very first thing you would look for is a state with strong anti business policies and
high taxes like ours. States with low taxes and common sense regulation are hemorrhaging people
seeking to get rid of all their extra money. For the every day Kansan, as you do your taxes this year
look at the form and see how little you actually pay out of your paycheck. Then, run down to the
bank and take out your savings and send it in a form of a check or money order to the state house.
You know they can use your money more wisely than you.
When Forbes magazine rated states, Kansas came in at 20. Hurray! Well, we are a nice state. Lots
of room and lots of polite people. Traffic isn't too bad and you can usually get into a game if you
want to. Food is pretty good and housing is good too. So, 20 sounds about right. But Forbes breaks
it down a lot more than just a ranking number. While Kansas rated 20 over all because of the nice
things above, how did they rate Kansas’s business climate? If a business was looking to move to a
state that was favorable to them, we ranked 49th. We only beat the corrupt Democratic cess pit of
Louisiana. And, we won’t beat them again. They elected Bobby Jindal, a Republican, to replace the
incompetent Blanco and Governor Jindal is already making waves cutting taxes and promoting
business. Louisiana is taking off like a rocket. I think it’s safe to say we can reserve our spot at
dead last next year. But at least Kansas is number one at something: unemployment benefit over
payments.
Which brings us to the latest abortion controversy in Kansas. No, not the one where Dr. Tiller
funds almost the entire state Democratic Party through the Pro Kan Do money laundering scheme,
the one where our Governor Sebelius vetoes the Sunflower power plant expansion. Sunflower
wanted to spend 3.6 billion dollars building two new clean coal technology generators to produce
power. The electricity would be used to power western Kansas and export power to other states.
When they did so, they would be creating jobs and contributing revenue to the state budget. They
would even make a profit for their coop members. It’s a darn good thing we stopped them.
Otherwise the state might stop looking into your wallet for their tax money. And, we all know you
have too much money to begin with.
But, there must have been a reason for Governor Sebelius to veto the expansion. The Topeka
Capitol Journal provided this quote 03/22/2008: ”Of all the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me
as governor, none is greater than my obligation to protect the health and well being of the people of
Kansas.” The problem that prompted the veto is the emission of carbon dioxide by the coal plants.
You see the coal plants emit carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. (You emit it too every time
you breath out. So, you too are contributing to global warming. Stop that.) The good governor saved
us from the coal plants that emit CO2. It's important to be green.
Not so fast, it seems Kansas already derives 72% of our electrical energy from coal. Those coal
plants have been operating for quite a while. Sunflower is asking to add on to operations that
presumably already produce power. What do they emit? Carbon dioxide.
This gas is so horrible that plants use it to grow. They take in carbon dioxide and use the carbon.
Plants then give off oxygen they don’t need. It’s a whole circle of life thing. Look across the green
fields this spring and blame the evil carbon dioxide in the air.
Then look closer. Because there is mortal danger out there in the country. On those same fields is
a far more potent threat to the environment: cows. The United Nations estimates that cattle are the
number one threat to the environment. They emit methane which is a greenhouse gas twenty four
times as potent as carbon dioxide in trapping heat. According the UK’s Independent newspaper
December 10, 2006: “Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause
global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.” If the
Governor’s greatest responsibility is to safeguard our health in the matter of greenhouse gases, it is
high time to call out the Kansas National Guard to deal with the cow threat.
Meanwhile on the global warming front, the sky is falling crowd has hit a bit of a snag. NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory has been studying ocean temperatures. Since water retains heat better than
air, global warming should be heating the oceans. Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface after all.
As reported by NPR (03/19/2008 The Mystery of Global Warming’s Missing Heat by Richard
Harris) there is a problem with ocean temperatures. Josh Willis, the guy at JPL with the government
money, estimates 80-90% of global warming involves heating the oceans’ water. The JPL folks
took 3,000 robots and went all around the globe checking temperatures. They found not only no
heating, they found slight cooling. Add to this the air temperatures stopped rising in 1998 and it all
becomes a little embarrassing. Seems it might have been the solar cycles of the sun after all.
At this point let’s recap what we have so far. Governor Sebelius just vetoed a bill that would allow
Sunflower Energy to build a profitable coal burning addition to its operation that would have seen an
initial 3.6 billion dollar investment in Kansas. This expansion would have created jobs, been a major
investment in the state’s electrical grid, reduced the future cost of electricity to the individual, and
provided revenue for decades. The veto was done to save us from a gas necessary for life and to
defend us against a problem that doesn't exist. (See prior columns about the natural climate cycles
02/09, 07/07, 06/22)
It’s a good thing the national economy is so good and there is no question of a recession. Otherwise,
people might want to question such leadership. But there is more at stake than being rated 49th out
of 50 for economic climate by Forbes, and telling a company to go screw when they try and bring
billions in business to the state. There is the impression we give to others. Hyperion Resources Inc.
is building a pipeline from Canada to Oklahoma. Along with it they are building a 8 billion dollar
refinery and 2 billion dollar energy plant. Kansas was a finalist for their refinery but South Dakota
was chosen. According to Sebelius’s office South Dakota was always Hyperions first choice so it is
no big deal. You get the impression the executive branch in power couldn't be bothered in the least
with attracting such a business. They probably didn't try. It’s so....capitalistic, not progressive,
which is the coming winds of change for the state and national stage. The question is, did the
antagonistic approach to Sunflower cost us not just the 3.6 billion but the additional 10 billion dollars
plus the jobs and revenue they would bring? Are you outraged at the decision to discourage business
and opt instead for higher taxes on the individual?
Here are three cut and past points from an essay by Dr. Barry Poulson, professor of economics at
the University of Colorado, from the Americans for Prosperity web site:
1. “ At no other time in the state’s history have state and local governments imposed such a heavy
tax burden on Kansas residents. This year, state and local taxes will capture 11.2 percent of the
state's income.”
2. “In recent years, Kansas has been in a race to the bottom to become the most heavily taxed state
in the region. While Kansas has been raising taxes and adding debt, surrounding states have pursued
more prudent tax policies.”
3. “Kansas has been an underachiever in economic growth during the past decade. The difference is
exacerbated when compared to the more rapidly growing neighboring states like Colorado. At one
time, Kansas had a larger population and higher Gross State Product than Colorado. As Colorado’s
individual and corporate income taxes were reduced, their population and Gross State Product
outgrew Kansas.”
But in a state where Shawnee County jail inmates must work on the state house lawn collecting
money thrown on the grass by passing motorists, this isn't a problem. We just aren't paying enough
and we know it.
It appears the Senate has enough votes to override the veto by our progressive Governor, it will
come down to the House vote which looks likely to fail in its override. Do you know how your
representative in the Senate and House are voting? You should call and find out today. After all, it
is your money we are talking about. If you have too much money and don’t care, just send it along
to them in the form of a money order. If you do care, then look at your electric bill and tax bill and
decide whether we should have a better business climate in the state of Kansas. Maybe it is still
possible the winds of change can bring prosperity, not socialism in the form of anti business policies.