re: Want Proof Tax Cuts Don't Stimulate the Economy? Look at Kansas

Are we using just a single metric to measure these things now? That's some deep research.

That's like me getting a raise, going out and buying a yacht, and telling you the raise didn't make me richer.

I've read some about this Kansas situation and my take away is always that government in 2014 is a ravenous, hungry beast that has to be fed at all cost and violently resists a diet. It will either get every dime it thinks it needs from the sweat of the private sector or it will take everything down in it's fight to stay fat and happy.

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So revenue fell drastically on the local, state and federal levels after the crash of 2008, yet you contards never take that into consideration when speaking of the debt.

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That makes it even worse. Revenues fell, but gov spending decrease did not match. That is why during the first few years of Obama's term there was a record deficit. Do you know the difference in deficit and debt?

Also contard just doesn't sound right. There has to be a better term for you lefties to use.

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That said, there's a fundamental difference in the way the two sides believe this should be handled. On the federal level the stimulus was 28% tax cuts, about a third in help to local and state govts with their deficits and the rest in various actual "stimulus" projects.thats another thing you guys don't mention.

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It was a complete failure. We spent a almost a trilion $'s and still exceeded the projected unemployment of not spending the $ and had a slower recovery than predicted if we didn't spend it. We should have just sat back, put some more funds into unemployment plans, but not all the extensions.

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You and I can argue which is the best approach, but for it to be an honest debate, you'd have to acknowledge what really happened and that Democrats were not actually practicing "economic terrorism" as Sentrius (and others) claimed.

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We can argue, but if you can't see how the dramatic decrease in ag products are going to have more of a negative impact on Kansas's budget than tax cuts have there is no point. It would be like Louisiana's budget having a huge hole if oil prices fell from $100/barrel to $50/barrel in 2 years.

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yup

one state and 1.5-2 years of data

it's over. keynes won

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actually we have Reagan and Bush as examples as well. Reagan tripled the debt and Bush...enuf said.

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actually we have Reagan and Bush as examples as well

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You mean the Reagan/Bush economy that Bill Clinton gets credit for?

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And once and for all, please explain how the poor provide jobs?

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The poor definitely create jobs. Three quick examples:

Government agencies that exist to provide goods and services (e.g., welfare, public defenders, health clinics, etc.) to the poor would not exist without the poor.

The poor have a low propensity to save and fuel production of consumer products such as televisions, cellphones, fast food, etc.

Someone has to foot the bill for the benefits provided to the poor. People with a good work ethic and pride will seek jobs to stay off of as many government programs as possible.

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The poor definitely create jobs. Three quick examples:

Government agencies that exist to provide goods and services

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Those programs only exist because of taxes taken from almost exclusively from "the rich". It's the very epitome "trickle down".

FAIL.

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The poor have a low propensity to save and fuel production of consumer products such as televisions, cellphones, fast food, etc.

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Who supplies these goods?

FAIL.

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Someone has to foot the bill for the benefits provided to the poor.

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Only because the government has the power to steal.

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So revenue fell drastically on the local, state and federal levels after the crash of 2008, yet you contards never take that into consideration when speaking of the debt.

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Because the drop in revenue did not equal the rise in the deficit, it was greatly dwarfed by the spending increase.

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and the rest in various actual "stimulus" projects.thats another thing you guys don't mention.

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This would have been fine if the majority of the money had gone where it should have gone, infrastructure improvements, but in reality, much of it went to random earmarks and private companies like distilleries and artificial rubber tire manufacturers as kickbacks for political contributions. Although Libertarians would have opposed the stimulus on philosophical grounds, most republicans would have embraced it if the money had actually gone to what it was sold as going to, "shovel ready" infrastructure improvements, something that badly needs funding still.

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You and I can argue which is the best approach, but for it to be an honest debate, you'd have to acknowledge what really happened and that Democrats were not actually practicing "economic terrorism" as Sentrius (and others) claimed.

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It will be debated ad nauseum until the end of time while Nero Fiddles, Rome burns, and Bama wins another National Championship while Les leads another #1 recruiting class to the Duck Commander Independence Bowl.

It wasn't economic terrorism, it was just corruption, giving kickbacks to campaign contributors and ear marks to needed congressional allies in return for support in elections and on policy decisions. Nothing more, nothing less.

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The top 6.45% bracket for income over $30,000 has disappeared while rates on individuals earning more than $15,000 have fallen to 4.8% from 6.25% and to 2.7% from 3.5% for those making less. These rates will slide to 3.9% and 2.3% by 2018.As a result all itemized deductions save for charitable contributions will be reduced by half over the next five years.

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Tax-reform critics complain that revenues (as expected) declined this year and that receipts were $235 million—or about 4%—below the state's estimate last year. However, predicting revenues was particularly challenging this year because federal tax changes encouraged investors to shift income to 2012 from 2013. Revenues missed the mark in numerous states including Iowa ($185 million; 3%), Missouri ($308 million; 4%) and Oklahoma ($283 million; 5%).

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In May Moody's MCO +0.67% downgraded the state's credit rating, citing the state's $16.7 billion unfunded pension liability and school funding growth. But the rating is still four notches higher than Illinois's.

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Contrary to liberal folklore, Mr. Brownback hasn't taken a meat-cleaver to schools. Total per-pupil spending has increased to $12,885 from $12,283 over four years. State education spending has risen by about 2% annually since 2010 and is set to jump 4% this year—which doesn't include a 10% bump for teacher pensions.

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Kansas's rate of private job growth between January 2013 and June 2014 averaged 167% of that in Nebraska, 105% of Iowa and 61% in Oklahoma. That compares to 61%, 85% and 42%, respectively, between 2004 and 2012.

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