Wasteful spending will continue under the Sebelius administration in Kansas. The Kansas Taxpayers Network is disappointed but not surprised to hear Governor Sebelius defend more increases in often dubious state spending.

The Lawrence Journal-World reported December 9 that the Governor viewed any limit on state spending above inflation and population growth to be excessively stringent on state budgets. The governor defended rising spending because of judicial mandates for public schools. The claim that school funding is inadequate is ironic because many districts are already receiving far in excess of $10,000 per pupil per year in tax funds.

Governor Sebelius' defense included the soaring Medicaid spending. This Medicaid growth is occurring at a time when a number of other states like Florida and South Carolina are reforming their systems to limit spending growth. Governor Sebelius wants to see state spending on health care grow too.

An outrageous example of soaring and sizable state spending that Governor Sebelius ignored is literally outside her office door. That is the statehouse remodel project. Earlier this month the projected bill for this project was raised again. The cost is now up to $285 million. This statehouse spending initially began almost a decade ago at a tiny fraction of the most recent cost estimate.

Since the statehouse has only 317,000 square feet, this cost per square foot is now $900 per square foot. Most residential construction costs are in the neighborhood of $100 per square foot and luxurious commercial costs are roughly twice as much. This state government spending far exceeds these square foot figures. When the final cost is completed for the statehouse remodel, the expense is likely to be over $1,000 per square foot. Kansans could have had another statehouse built for what is being spent at the Kansas statehouse and put a new roof on the old statehouse too.

Governor Sebelius tries to shift the blame for soaring spending to her Kansas Supreme Court that is packed with her appointees. The governor should not ignore the statehouse spending that has turned the statehouse into a construction project this entire decade. Kansans should know that they are faced with the same sort of state fiscal profligacy that is also rampant among the bipartisan earmarkers and pork barreling in Washington, D.C.

KTN is copying the LJW article and a link below.

http://www2. ljworld.com/ news/2007/ dec/09/sebelius_ disagrees_ afp_budget/

Sebelius disagrees with AFP budget
By Scott Rothschild
December 9, 2007

Topeka - A proposal by anti-tax groups to limit state spending to the inflation rate is not realistic because of commitments already made to education and health care, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Friday.

Sebelius also said there are more confrontations on the way with President Bush over health insurance for low-income children.

Concerning the state budget, Sebelius criticized a proposal to limit growth in spending in the next state budget to the inflation rate plus population growth.

The proposal has been touted in an advertising campaign by Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Taxpayer Network and National Federation of Independent Business.

"Out-of-control state spending is leading to a fiscal crisis in the state of Kansas, and we want to help inform the public of the consequences of overspending tax dollars," said AFP-Kansas State Director Alan Cobb.

But Sebelius said the majority of increases in state spending have been because of court-ordered increases in school finance and escalating health care costs associated with Medicaid.

She said that backing off the commitment to public schools was "highly unlikely" and that neither she nor the Legislature would reduce services to needy Kansans.

On the federal front, Sebelius said that after meeting with congressional Democratic leaders this week, it appears there will be a continued standoff with Bush over funding of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

SCHIP provides low-cost health coverage to the children of families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to purchase private insurance. The program covers 6.6 million children nationally, including 35,000 in Kansas.

Congress has approved a $35 billion increase in SCHIP over five years, which Bush vetoed.
Sebelius said congressional Democrats will continue to fight Bush over the issue but expect their best shot of overriding a veto is next fall.

"At that point, I am hopeful that Congress will step up and override because absent that, we will have to cut kids off of health insurance all across this country," Sebelius said.