The indisputable disaster of GOP governors: How Jindal, Brownback & Snyder have sold their constituents up the river

The indisputable disaster of GOP governors: How Jindal, Brownback & Snyder have sold their constituents up the river

"In Kansas, Sam Brownback’s massive tax cuts haven’t spurred the growth he projected they would, but instead wreaked havoc on the state’s budget. As the Kansas City Star reports, “Gov. Sam Brownback’s income tax-cut plan to spur job growth in Kansas has become a full-time disaster. On Friday, the state announced it had lost 3,000 total jobs in August. That’s on top of the 5,100 jobs lost in July.” The result is a nearly $1 billion budget gap that has led to cuts to funding for schools and highways. In glorious Republican tradition, these cuts disproportionately affected poor children and children of color. The Boston Globe reports that the state is now being sued on constitutional grounds after poor schools were forced to close early and eliminate summer school. Brownback also cut funding for healthcare programs that would benefit the poor and children, money for veterans, and programs to help children read. He recently had to slash spending for higher education and increase taxes on cigarettes (which predominantly impact the poor). Research suggests that this is the norm: Economist Howard Chernick finds that “Party control by Republicans is associated with a more regressive tax structure” at the state and local level."