Clay Center Dispatch, Kan., Ryan D. Wilson column [Clay Center Dispatch, Kan.]

Feb. 02--Most Excellent Gov. Sam Brownback and the people who work for him don't like the poor.

A few weeks ago the governor and his staff unveiled a glorious plan for a "fairer, flatter, simpler" tax plan. This generous tax plan would have given more money back to Kansans and Kansas businesses and still leave a surplus in reserve, the governor's office claimed.

The plan looked glorious and generous until we saw the numbers.

The Kansas Department of Revenue found that, under the governor's plan, more than a half million tax filers earning less than $25,000 a year would pay an average of $156 more in income taxes. By contrast, roughly 21,000 taxpayers making more than $250,000 a year will see an average cut of $5,200 a year in their tax bills. Everyone else in the middle would see a modest cut.

The plan eliminates a bunch of deductions, including a tax credit that helps poor workers and their families. When asked why that credit was to be eliminated, Brownback called it "social engineering" and said the state shouldn't be doing that.

His office argued that low income earners should pay more in taxes, because many of those taxpayers were children of affluent families, or for other reasons didn't need the tax breaks.

In other words, it's okay to take candy from a baby if that baby's parents are rich. And apparently, it's not okay to tax those rich parents so much.

The governor also stated that the increase on the poor would be balanced by social programs designed to help the poor. I find that hard to believe when the governor's office has cut funding for social programs benefiting the poor including Medicaid and mental health.

But even if the governor is planning to increase aid to the poor, taking money from the poor to help them still does not make sense. Why does the state need to take money from the poor, only to give it back with stipulations on how they can spend it? Why can't the poor be allowed to spend their money as they see fit? If the poor could afford these programs, they wouldn't be seeking state aid for it.

Frankly, I find it disturbing that the gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. Furthermore, our poorest citizens are young adults -- the average income for ages 18 to 35 is about $25,000; compared to about $45,000 for older Americans.

Fortunately, leaders of the Kansas House and the Senate have said the governor's tax plan isn't likely to pass either chamber, for a lot of different reasons. That's a relief if you make $25,000 or less.

But the governor's persecution of the poor doesn't end with a "Robin Hood in reverse" tax plan.

Axing funding to Medicaid and turning the program over to managed care seems heartless. If managed care is such a good idea, why hasn't it been done before? Just like with health insurance not covering everything, I'm worried that this plan will shortchange our neediest citizens.

Most recently the governor's office has changed the formula in determining who receives food stamps. The change will mean fewer US-born children of illegal immigrants will receive food stamps. This was intended to equalize the requirements for children receiving food stamps, regardless of whether their parents are US citizens or not.

On paper, that sounds fair, but I still don't like the idea of taking food away from children. A better solution would have been to allow more children whose parents are US citizens to receive food stamps, not take them away from some of those children of illegal immigrants.

Gov. Brownback has touted his religion over and over, but these actions don't seem very Christian to me. Christ repeatedly stressed that we should be generous to the poor and children especially, not drive them into further poverty.

Perhaps its time for Gov. Brownback to re-read the Bible he so proudly touts. The Bible contains over 300 passages on the poor, social justice and concern for both. If he doesn't have time to actually read the Bible, there's always Google.

And we Christians need to let our governor know that ransacking the poor isn't acceptable, no matter who you are.

-- Ryan D. Wilson

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