This year is the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, I have enjoyed reading about him and I want to provide you one of his quotes.
“ You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking people’s initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves” Abraham Lincoln.
Let me tell you how we finance the Casino Review Board Operations. Last year the selection process cost about $1.65 million. This year, the agency (Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission) estimates costs will be somewhere between $750,000 and $1.0 million. Background checks, researcher and consultant costs, and costs associated with actual meeting places are all taken into consideration for these costs.
There are two things to keeping mind about the review board’s expenditures. First, the review board expenditures are charged to the applicants as they move through the process. Last year, the applicants funded the entire $1.65 million. From the State General Fund perspective, there are no additional costs for these meetings.
Second, the Legislature has previously approved a loan of $5 million from the SGF for start-up costs related to the casinos. However, once the casinos are up and running, the managers fund the agency’s regulatory activities. The agency must repay that money by June 30, 2012.
Did you know that there is more than $200 million waiting to be claimed by its rightful Kansas owners? Previously on numerous occasions I have reported about the Unclaimed Property Program and the possibility that you may have a nest egg waiting and not even know it.
This money could come from a family member dying and having left a bond in a safety deposit box and the heirs knew nothing about it, or a refund check from a company never reaches the intended recipient. That money and millions more of similar origin come to the UPP in the state treasures office each year. Last year the office took in over $21 million in unclaimed property and we were able to return $11 million to its rightful owners.
To see if you are eligible visit www.kansascash.com, or call toll free 1-800-432-0386. Over the last 5 years many constituents have informed me that they have received money that they had no idea they were entitled to. Some amounts have been significant some not so much, but hey, it’s free to look.
If you are a builder, contractor, or owner of an older home you may have an interest in looking at proposed changes to K.A.R. 28-72 relating to childhood lead poisoning prevention. The adoptions, amendments and revocations being proposed by KDHE will allow for the continued protection of public health and defend Kansas families against environmental poisoning from lead based paint. Remember we are from the government and we are here to help you!
At the completion of each session the many agencies write regulations meant to apply interpretation of legislative intent on the newly created statutes or to revise some laws currently on the books. These are called rules and regulations and must go through a process and are approved by the Department of Administration, the Attorney General Office, and then are placed before a joint legislative committee on rules and regulations.
As often happens the legislative intent is interpreted differently when the agency takes the opportunity to make changes in their regulations. The process is common and usually brings us back next session to rewrite a law that has exposed unintended consequences. The changes to the R&R normally involve more money or increase in staffing to oversee compliance.
Economic Impact: Cost to the agency; there is no additional cost to the agency, any cost associated with this program administration are funded through federal grants (free money) and certificate holders (contractors fees paid by consumers, you).
With the proposed increase in license fees, certificate renewal, professional education requirements to remain certified will be passed on a pro rata basis to consumers as a cost of doing business. (Well that makes it all right doesn’t it?)
Individuals becoming certified will be subject to a $50 fee for initial certification, and will be required to renew bi-annually at a rate of $25. Individuals also will be subject to professional education requirements and will pay for the training in the private market. This affects virtually every contractor, plumber, electrician, HVAC installer, floor covering installers, painters, and practically everyone that provides some sort of service at your house.
The current average cost for training is $125.00 per session. It is estimated that the costs to individual consumers attributed to complying with the regulations as proposed for the protection of public health would average $350.00 per job.
Copies of the proposed regulations and corresponding economic impact statement may be obtained by contacting Jason Meinholdt, Bureau of Environmental Health, at (785) 296-1274, or jmeinholdt@kdheks.gov, or www.healthyhomes.org.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be your representative in Topeka and I want to know what you think. You may contact me in person or 321-2087, 1115 Rim Rock Road, El Dorado 67042, email to johng@carlisleinc.net, previous copies of update are available at www.johngrange.net, Thanks, John
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