I hope you all had a great Memorial Day and you were able to be with those you care about the most. The flying of the US Flag is one way we pay tribute to our soldiers, sailors, marines, servicemen and women that have served in our armed forces. When you see a person you know to be a serviceman or see someone in uniform, tell them thank-you for their service to our country, that little action will make you both feel good.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) continues to monitor attendance in our state parks across Kansas. The ½ price admission fee has made it possible for many to make use of our facilitiesand give you a chance to experience the great outdoors. The attendance has climbed to almost equal the previous levels and the Department would like to reduce the parks to free admission.
The camping and entry permits are issued on an annual basis that renew on the calendar year, while our budget appropriations are fiscal year July 1st – June 30th. To finance open admission to state parks we need to find $1.6 million in State General Fund (SGF) dollars to replace the vehicle admission fee revenue. (Camping, boating, and other special use fees would still apply). The intent is to increase state park visitation and to generate greater public participation in outdoor recreation.
Historically, park user fees have been supplemented by the SGF, and in 1958-1963 the park system was funded entirely from the SGF. Park entrance fees were implemented in 1964, and camping fees in 1982. Since 1995 SGF support has been reduced from 60 percent of their annual parks operating budget to as low as 11 percent.
As SGF support declined, park fees were increased to bear more of the funding needs. Park fees were increased twice and camping fees four times just to maintain park services. This was self-defeating in that as the cost increased it created hardships for many families, and reduced park visitation and use. I will continue to support the open admissions and hope you all come and use our state parks.
Our friends in Canada provided me some information that I believe may be of interest.
*The Canadians report 11 years of federal budget surplus: 2 consecutive years all provincial-territorial budget in surplus.
*16 successive years of economic growth, * Lowest unemployment in 33 years,
*Interest rates low; inflation low, stable and predictable; *Canadian dollar appreciated almost 50% in four years.
They credit NAFTA, tax reform, streamlining regulations, and strong macroeconomic policies. They are on track to be debt free by 2021 and their social security is fully funded. By 2010, federal corporate tax rate was 15 percent as opposed to 37.8 percent in 1980.
US-Canadian trade tripled since 1988 and exceeded $625 billion in 2007. Canada has 1/40th of the population of China, however they purchase four times as many US goods as China. The US exports more to Canada than to the UK, Germany, Japan & China combined. Canada is by far the largest purchaser of US agriculture products. Only 14 states border Canada, yet more than 2/3 export more to Canada than to any other country.
Kansas trade in transportation goods to Canada comprised 41% of State exports and 52% of its imports. The Sunflower State supplied Canadian consumers with $219 million in meat. Toronto-based Onex Corp. acquired the Wichita Division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, now Spirit AeroSystems. Total economic impact of Canadian and Kansas trade is $4.5 billion. This relationship supports 72,750 jobs in the US.
More than 4% of US employment relates to trade with Canada. US export industries are highest growth sector of our economy. At the end of 2007; US direct investment in CDA equaled $303.7 billion and at the end of 2007 CDA direct investment in the US equaled $217.9 billion. 15,516 CDN-owned businesses in the US employed 533,122 Americans in 2007.
Approximately 400,000 persons cross the border daily (145 million annually). In 2006 21.8 million CDNs visited the USA and spent $8.8 billion. We in turn sent 13.8 million across the border and spent $6.4 billion. More than 70% of CDA-US trade is transported by truck. (25 trucks a minute average).
The US buys more oil, natural gas, uranium & electricity from CDA than any other country and all CDN regions are major suppliers of energy to the USA. Canada supplies more oil to the US than Saudi Arabia & Iraq combined. The CDN oil sands are the largest single oil deposit in the world, (1.6 trillion barrels).
They are committed environmental custodians and have mandatory emission reductions for their largest emitters. The government and industry together are developing carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
Approximately 700 CDN military are stationed at Cheyenne Mountain and across the US. There has been a significant increase in defense spending including large equipment acquisitions, mostly US purchases. The port security has been enhanced; all rail shipments are x-rayed.
Canada was the first to station specially trained officers abroad to intercept persons attempting to enter Canada with improper documents (30,000 interceptions in the past 5 years). Every legal immigrant is security cleared. 250,000 immigrants/year receive security, medical & criminal screening (applicants wait abroad while being processed)
I asked about the illegal immigration problem I was told the main issue was they do not share a border with a country where many are trying to leave to find a better life or to continue a criminal lifestyle.
I provide this information as a way to inform you that we are indeed involved with a global economy. If we take a lesson from the above information we find, reduced taxes, lower government spending, cooperation between industry and government, less onerous regulations, balance of trade, and border security.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your Representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think. During the interim and until January next year contact me at my home; 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado, 316-321-2087, or johng@carlisleinc.net, www.johngrange.net, or grange@house.state.ks.us.
Thanks again, John.
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