To: The Kansas State House, The Kansas State Senate, and Governor Laura Kelly
State of Kansas, Repeal Business Tax Cuts
To the Kansas State Legislature and Governor Brownback,
We, the undersigned, are proprietors of businesses in the State of Kansas, and the patrons of such businesses, who were affected by the tax cuts enacted in 2012, which exempted us from paying millions of dollars annually in taxes. We ask that you revoke the cuts and reinstate reasonable taxation on our businesses and personal income.
On a personal note:
I own and operate a small business in Kansas because I love this state and the people who live here. I wouldn’t want to do what I do anywhere else. The damage to my customer base as the result of current tax policy is undeniable. I can’t ignore it. I receive dozens of donation requests each week from non-profits who have been subject to funding cuts, who don’t know where else to turn to find support for the citizens they care for. I hear my customers anguish over whether their kids can count on Kansas for an adequate education, and I am among those terrified mothers. I could go on and on about what troubles your constituency and how ripped off they feel: the state pension fund, the highway fund, higher education, ad nauseum… but I won’t. No doubt you’re aware.
I know your job is not easy. I don’t mean to armchair legislate, but I’m telling you from street level: this is not working. The cuts are not working. Please, it’s time to admit that the experiment has failed. Its not too late to make policy changes that will turn things around for the residents of Kansas. Its not too late to do the right thing. As business owners in Kansas, as the “job creators” we are saying: we understand. Most of us have enacted failed policies in our own institutions which we have had to reconsider and repeal. We will find a way to recover from new taxation should you wisely choose to impose it on us. We’ll make it work, and we will be better and stronger organizations as our customers thrive.
I say to my staff that while we often make mistakes, our mistakes do not define us. What defines us as an organization is how we respond to them, and how hard we are willing to work to make corrections.
Most sincerely,
Meg Heriford
Ladybird Diner
Lawrence, Kansas
We, the undersigned, are proprietors of businesses in the State of Kansas, and the patrons of such businesses, who were affected by the tax cuts enacted in 2012, which exempted us from paying millions of dollars annually in taxes. We ask that you revoke the cuts and reinstate reasonable taxation on our businesses and personal income.
On a personal note:
I own and operate a small business in Kansas because I love this state and the people who live here. I wouldn’t want to do what I do anywhere else. The damage to my customer base as the result of current tax policy is undeniable. I can’t ignore it. I receive dozens of donation requests each week from non-profits who have been subject to funding cuts, who don’t know where else to turn to find support for the citizens they care for. I hear my customers anguish over whether their kids can count on Kansas for an adequate education, and I am among those terrified mothers. I could go on and on about what troubles your constituency and how ripped off they feel: the state pension fund, the highway fund, higher education, ad nauseum… but I won’t. No doubt you’re aware.
I know your job is not easy. I don’t mean to armchair legislate, but I’m telling you from street level: this is not working. The cuts are not working. Please, it’s time to admit that the experiment has failed. Its not too late to make policy changes that will turn things around for the residents of Kansas. Its not too late to do the right thing. As business owners in Kansas, as the “job creators” we are saying: we understand. Most of us have enacted failed policies in our own institutions which we have had to reconsider and repeal. We will find a way to recover from new taxation should you wisely choose to impose it on us. We’ll make it work, and we will be better and stronger organizations as our customers thrive.
I say to my staff that while we often make mistakes, our mistakes do not define us. What defines us as an organization is how we respond to them, and how hard we are willing to work to make corrections.
Most sincerely,
Meg Heriford
Ladybird Diner
Lawrence, Kansas
Why is this important?
Business tax cuts in the state of Kansas have resulted in dramatic budget shortfalls, cuts to critical services and agencies, and widespread insecurity among the residents of the state. I am asking that taxation of my business and others in Kansas be reinstated.