To: The Kansas State House and The Kansas State Senate
Raise the Kansas income tax on the richest 1%
Draconian spending cuts by the legislature and the governor are undercutting the economic viability of Kansas and ignoring the needs of our people. Yet the richest 1% are paying the same income tax rate as a beginning elementary school teacher.
Therefore, we call on the Kansas legislature to raise the personal income tax
· On income over $400,000 for married couples filing jointly and on income over $200,000 for single tax filers from 6.45% to 6.95%, and
· On income over $500,000 for married couples filing jointly and on income over $250,000 for single tax filers from 6.45% to 7.45%.
This small increase would raise an additional $49 million in revenues for essential services like education and public health and safety while affecting less than 1% of income earners in Kansas.
Please help to preserve the Kansas we all want to live in.
Why is this important?
The Kansas legislature is considering a “tax reform” proposal from Governor Brownback that would lower the personal income tax, eliminate some tax credits and deductions, and make permanent a temporary sales tax increase. If enacted, the Brownback plan will result in higher taxes for 80% of us and lower taxes for the wealthiest 20% of Kansans. Unlike other states that have radically cut income tax rates, Kansas does not have alternative revenue streams, such as tourism or natural resources. Thus, this will reduce revenues at a time when the state should be focused on long-term improvements in the Kansas economy by spending more on education, essential services, and infrastructure. A modest increase in the tax rate of less than 1% of Kansans would increase revenues by $49 million.
Just to illustrate, $49 million could:
· Restore the $38 million cut from mental health services in Kansas by Gov. Brownback’s budget AND leave $11 million to fund other vital services to the sick and disabled.
· Restore the $25 million that would be cut from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s highway program AND leave $24 million to repair crumbling bridges and make other critical infrastructure improvements.
· Restore 98% of the $50 million cut from education by Gov. Brownback in 2011.