“That idea is so damned nonsensical and impossible that I am willing to stand on the bridge of a battleship while that nitwit tries to hit it from the air”.
Newton D. Baker, U.S. Secretary of War, regards Billy Mitchell’s ideas of airplanes sinking a battleship. In July 1921 Billy Mitchell got his experiment and sunk a captured German battleship Ostfreisland. Newton was not on the bridge.
The budget continues to be the main focus for most of us legislators. The correspondence I have received has been mixed and runs the whole spectrum from; do not raise any taxes, to cut every government budget, raise the sales tax, leave my personal income tax, property tax, and inheritance tax alone. Cut schools, consolidate schools, give schools more money, and leave schools alone. Lots of options and opinions.
I am sure you can relate to one or more of these comments. I have completed the compilation of my latest survey, if you provided an address you will receive a hard copy in the mail, it will be posted on my website (www.johngrange.net) and if you would like a copy by email send us a note and we will make that happen too.
You will continue to hear about tax credits, tax abatements, sales tax increase, non-profit tax exemptions and the list goes on. Until both chambers work the legislation and the Governor signs the document nothing is locked in stone.
I know that no matter what we decide; some will be happy, some will be upset, and make no mistake we all will be affected one way or the other. We have to look back to 1929 to see any financial crisis like we are experiencing today. The repair will be extensive and will take some time and it could be expensive.
During the period from FY 2008 to FY 2011 the amount of State General Fund expenditures appropriated by KDWP has decreased from $8.6 million to $5.5 million; the total reduction is a little over $3 million or 35.5%. This reduction has had a severe impact on state parks capital improvements and the acquisition of equipment.
Another impact to the KDWP from the reduced expenditures by state agencies is the loss of inmate labor at the state parks. The Department of Corrections has been forced to close inmate facilities at Stockton, El Dorado, and Toronto, which provided the inmate labor utilized by KDWP.
During calendar year 2008, a total of 81,584 inmate hours were used to assist in park maintenance. Using the state rate for maintenance labor, if part-time employees were hired these hours are worth $1,224,576 ($15.00 an hour). In calendar 2009 the number of inmate hours dropped to 50,503.
The inmates working in the institutions building cabins are paid 90 cents an hour; those working in the parks are paid $1.05 a day by the KDOC, while KDWP is responsible for transportation and security. The decrease in available inmate labor is scheduled to continue for the next 3 years.
Canada is the top export market for US goods at $261 billion annually; Mexico is 2d at $152 billion. US trade supports more than 7 million U.S. jobs and 35 states have Canada as their leading export market.
Goods and services exported to Canada top $305 billion and imports exceed $368 billion. Direct U.S. investment in Canada exceeds $227 billion and Canadian investment in the U.S. is around $25 billion.
The top exports to Canada include $362 million in Automobiles, $289 million in aircraft, and $126 million in meat. Pratt & Whitney Canada of Longueuil Quebec has been selected by Hawker Beechcraft of Wichita to supply the new engines for the Hawker 450XP light business jet.
Top imports includes $738 million in aircraft engines and parts, $210 million in automobile parts, $197 million in aircraft parts only, $93 million in vehicle engines and parts, and $78 million in crude oil.
In tourism 25.8 million Canadians visited the U.S. and spent about $12 billion, while 12.4 million Americans went to Canada and spent $6 billion.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think. Please contact me if I can be of assistance.
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