What's the matter with Kansas?

Kansas has a town named Liberal, but its politics certainly trend to the conservative side. So, why, pray tell, did Kansas’ Legislature and governor conspire to raise taxes?

Did the Obamaites get to them?

It would be hard to see how, since the GOP dominates both legislative chambers, though the governor is a Democrat who used to be a Republican. Nevertheless, as you can read here, the pols there voted for a temporary sales tax increase that takes $314 million from Kansans.

What gives? Actual conservative budget management:

“In the 2009 fiscal year, Kansas’ general fund was around $6.5 billion. The fiscal year 2010 budget (written in 2009) had to be dramatically downsized, both in the regular budget process and in subsequent cuts by Gov. Mark Parkinson. As a result, when lawmakers this year went to write the 2011 fiscal year budget they were starting from a general fund base of $5 billion. They faced a shortfall of around $450 million. ...

“With Medicaid and education off the table, only 15% of the general fund was left for cutting. That was less than $800 billion. 'To try to take that $450 million out of that $800 million,' (Senate President Steve) Morris says, ‘that wasn’t going to work.’”

The Tax Foundation showed Kansas with a 5.3 percent sales tax rate as of Feb. 1. Add in the temporary addition and, lo and behold, Kansas’ rate is higher than Michigan’s 6 percent sales and use tax.

Note that Kansas took this action after making budget cuts. This isn’t about taxing first and asking questions later. Note also that some of the new money will go to the state’s highway trust fund. Michigan, of course, can’t seem to find more money to fix roads.

It used to be conservative philosophy that you identify what services the voters want and then find the money to pay for them. Kansas seems to be following that tried-and-true method.