Thoughtful, pragmatic legislators risked their re-elections last session to “do the right thing” by the people of Kansas. Fifteen of them lost their re-election bids at the hands of “outraged” conservative and tea party opponents, with the help of Americans for Prosperity (Koch funded), the Koch’s, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and other rightwing groups and individuals.

The “outrage” was over the TEMPORARY (3 years) one cent sales tax increase (an 18% increase in YOUR taxes) and the state’s replacement of about $200 million of American Recovery funds that were ending and would have come directly from schools and caseloads. (This caused the budget to increase by that amount, and even though the state had cut about one billion dollars from the budget previously, for a net cut of about $800 million, incumbents were blamed for increasing the budget by $200 million.)

Now, Gov. Brownback has backed off the 18% rhetoric and has stated that we should KEEP the one cent sales tax increase (an 18% increase in YOUR taxes) to help alleviate the state’s budget woes. (Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea?) In addition, the Kansas Chamber has since (after hammering those incumbents who helped pass the tax with billboards, mailers and robo calls) testified that the state should KEEP the tax permanently, so big business can have even more tax breaks at the expense of the ordinary citizen. WOW! Where is the outrage now?!?!

In addition, Gov. Brownback now wants to increase SGF (state general fund) spending by nearly $350 million next year (most of it for increased social service caseloads), about a 6% increase and $150 million MORE than increased by last year’s legislature who is now less fifteen moderate, pragmatic legislators replaced by the “formerly outraged, but now kind of quiet” newly elected. Where is the outrage now?!?!

Gov. Brownback is also proposing cutting eight agencies (which sounds like less government, but actually just means the functions and most of the workers get absorbed into other agencies) and about 2,000 state jobs, many of which are unfilled positions at this time. (Note: I said “unfilled” NOT necessarily unnecessary. Have you tried to get through to unemployment at the dept of labor or to ask the dept. of revenue a tax question? Have you tried to renew your driver’s license lately only to find the hours and/or days of operation reduced dramatically? Do you or a loved one work for the state as a corrections officer or mental health professional and find that double shifts are now the norm because there are not enough workers to cover the shifts?)

So, my question is, where is the outrage now and about what should we be outraged? Is keeping a much debated, temporary one cent sales tax for its intended duration a good idea? Is repealing it at the expense of our school children, our regents universities, our elderly and disabled, our corrections system and more worth saying we now have “less government”? Should the tax remain permanently on the ordinary citizen to fund yet another tax break for big business?

All valid questions. No easy answers. However, this much is certain, the newly elected, formerly “outraged” legislators need to put OUR money where THEIR mouths are. They either “dance with the ones that brought them” (Americans for Prosperity, the Koch’s, the Kansas Chamber and other conservatives and tea partiers), repeal the sales tax and hold the line on the budget while defying their new governor OR they “do the right thing” by the people of Kansas and become more like the pragmatic legislators they replaced. These are outrageous times for sure. Let’s make sure our outrage is directed into positive actions and outcomes, rather than just negative hyperbole.