By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Policy Institute has released its 2020 Green Book.
"Kansans have seen a lot of economic turbulence this year with the COVID-19 pandemic," said economist Michael Austin. "Our hope is that our latest version of the Green Book can suggest what policies Kansans need to see faster economic recovery. It's a wake up call of sorts, showing the many ways government policies, some that we've seen here in Kansas are dragging Kansans behind."
Though COVID-19 made the situation worse, it wasn't good to begin with, according to Austin.
"Our Green Book shows that Kansas was a laggard in growth well before the public crisis hit," Austin said. "Whether it’s jobs, wages, or economic output, what we tend to see is that states with lower tax burdens grow faster than Kansas as well as grow faster than states that have higher tax burdens."
Slowing jobs and accelerating government budgets perhaps explains the upward trend of property taxes.
"In 2018, Kansas spent about $4000 in terms of government spending per resident," Austin said. "The best economically performing states spend 13% fewer dollars per resident."
It is important to note that spending on schools in Kansas is considered government spending and more than half of the state's budget goes to K-12 education.