That was the sound of Sam Brownback running for president

That "State of the State" speech last night Sam Brownback gave?

Don't mistake it for anything else but exactly what it was--that of a possible presidential candidate, throwing his proverbial hat in the ring.

I don't know if it's for the next go-round--2012--or the one after that (though I'd bet this one) but that's exactly what that was/is.

There's lots of things about it that point that way but here was the main one, his quote:  “The days of ever-expanding government are over,” he told lawmakers assembled in the House chamber for the traditional address.


Can you imagine anything any Republican, Tea Party member or Libertarian would like to hear more?  Even plenty of Independents would be included in that group, clamoring for "smaller government."


And that's all fine, certainly.  Government, truth be told, shouldn't exponentially and forever expand and gobble up more taxes, etc.


But here's the tough part:  Mr. Brownback wants to cut taxes, too.  Yes, you heard right--cut taxes.  Naturally he wants to cut them on and for business, not on working Kansans.  Everyone knows it's the businesses that get the tax cuts, not the average working stiff on the street.


Forget that Kansas right now has more than a half-billion dollar budget deficit.  Yeah.  $550,000,000.00 and rocket scientist/Governor Brownback wants to cut taxes.


Terrific.  How's that going to work?


I love this quote from The Kansas City Star today, too:  “For once we have strategic direction (from a governor),” said Rep. Marvin Kleeb, an Overland Park Republican. “That’s something we’ve been sorely lacking.”

And you know why he says that, don't you?  Why, because finally Kansas has a Republican governor so the House and Senate out West there is going to have to be behind Mr. Brownback 1,000%, of course.  And as long as he talks like this--shrinking government and cutting taxes, why those people are going to be absolutely giddy.

Never mind that there's more than a half-billion dollar budget shortfall they have to deal with.  You're going to hear a whole lot of "We're going to cut business taxes and grow the economy to pay these things off."  

Except  good luck making that work.  It didn't work for Ronald Reagan and it's highly unlikely to work now, in the worst economy in the last 80 years.

For clarification, this is what he said he wants:  Several changes to the tax code. Brownback said he wants to increase the tax deduction for business investment; work to reduce income tax rates and eliminate narrowly crafted corporate tax subsidies.

Good luck with that, Sam.  At least you're thinking big.  Of the 3, that last one would be nice--eliminating "narrowly-crafted corporate tax subsidies."  Corporate welfare needs to go away, ultimately, but decreasing it is a good start.  

Finally, here's the other lynchpin of Mr. Brownback's speech last evening, too--he says he's going to eliminate 8 agencies at the same time.

Yowza.

That'll make a lot of heads spin over in Topeka--and likely all across Kansas.

So far he's quiet on which 8 he'll lose.  It will be fascinating to see what he thinks is a waste of taxpayer's money and so, unnecessary.


Brownback ended his speech by restating five goals he set for himself on the campaign trail: increase net personal income of Kansans; increase private jobs, increase the percentage of fourth graders reading at grade level; increase college-ready high school graduates; and decrease childhood poverty.

Admirable goals, to be sure.  For Kansas sake, here's hoping he's successful.  Fascinating stuff should be coming out of Topeka for at least the next 21 months--until November, 2012.  

Governor Brownback's fellow Republicans will need to make him successful as long as he's in that position since that will make them, him and the Party all look great.  Then, the better they make him look, the more likely it is they get this guy in the White House.

And if they do, what a pretty day for Kansas that would be, eh?

Link to original post:  http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/12/2579745/in-tough-fiscal-talk-brownback.html