January 1, 2009 

Legislative Perspective by Senator Elect Dick Kelsey

Crisis or Opportunity?  

As the State Legislature opens its session on January 12, the state of Kansas faces the most difficult financial crisis in anyones memory.  We have gone from almost a billion dollar surplus in 2007 to a projected billion dollar deficit in fiscal year 2010.  Our nations economy as a whole is experiencing not only a recession but an economic crisis that even the experts are not sure how to handle. 

As we face this crisis I believe we should see this situation as an opportunity.  As lawmakers we should take the opportunity to examine every government program and ask ourselves is this really necessary or could we deliver this service more cost effectively.  Ronald Reagan is often quoted as saying Athe closest thing to eternal life is a government program.  The reason this is true is that every government program develops its own constituency.   Many people begin to believe that their program is the most important thing the government does. 

Politicians like to give money to people not take it away.  The problem is they are not giving away their money - but yours.  Most people I talk with believe they already give the government enough of their money and are not inclined to suggest having their taxes raised.  Thus, the only thing we can do with a shortfall in government revenue is to reduce spending.  This means that some programs - or maybe all programs - will get less money than they did the year before. 

This provides us all with the opportunity to think creatively - think outside the box.  How can government be more effective and efficient.   In a talk I give often, I share how we can turn our problems into opportunities.  Lets do that as a state and turn this financial crisis into an opportunity to do better with less.