ShawneeDispatch.com

To the editor:

Recently, my opponent in the 39th House District signed a pledge with a group, Americans for Tax Reform, not to approve any tax increases while he represents the people of the 39th House District. He has challenged me to do the same. While my opponent and I may agree on fiscal responsibility with government spending and putting more hard-earned dollars back into the pockets of our citizens, the voters of our district need to know the whole truth.

Tax reform and public tax control has been around for many decades. The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, better known as TABOR, has been attempted and even enacted in ways throughout our great nation. In 1992, Colorado made TABOR a constitutional amendment with a promise of cutting wasteful taxes and refunding surpluses back to the people. This vote resulted in few refund checks and drastic reductions in all critical services to all the people of the state. Services such as education, health care, fire and police protection, and the general infrastructure of Colorado roads and services have suffered to the point of having to charge the people more and/or cutting the services. Again, the reality of this attempt has hampered the lives of the people of Colorado such that in 2005 they voted to freeze or suspend the amendment to study its negative impacts on the state.

Voters should also know that our incumbent representative voted for two significant tax increases while representing us as a state legislator for the 39th. He voted to tax residential and business utility meters, and he also approved a carbon tax that would have impacted all Kansas taxpayers. The result of the carbon tax would have meant higher utility costs for the residents of Johnson, Wyandotte, and Leavenworth counties. I really don't know how, on one hand, Mr. Donohoe can pledge not to raise taxes and then vote to approve tax increases.

As a successful administrator in public education, I have learned to run a comprehensive program with fiscal restraint and decreased funding.

Joe Novak

Candidate, Kansas House of Representatives, 39th District