Kansas Is a Testing Ground of Trump-onmics. It Failed, Yet Kansas Is Still Deep Red

[TomCADem]

Last edited Tue Dec 20, 2016, 02:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback embarked Kansas on a right wing economic experiment based on the fantasy that huge tax cuts to the rich would pay for themselves and lead to a roaring economy. When that did not occur, Brownback argued that Kansas did not have a revenue problem, but a spending problem, and predictably cut health care and education funding, which still did not lead Kansas to the economic promised land. Yet, despite these economic struggles, Kansas still a deep red state, which went for Donald Trump.

There is this theory that Trump won because he was responsive to the concerns of the working class. Yet, in Kansas, its citizens have suffered through year's of right wing economic policies designed to favor the rich, yet Kansans continue to vote for Republicans.

Personally, I think that the Republican party has found something more powerful than offering an economic solution to its voters. The Republican party offers a scapegoat. Consider that Kris Kobach, Kansas's chief voting official, has rose to popularity by championing the cause of fraud by immigrants even though Kansas is one of the less diverse states in the Nation. Put another way, Kansas has become a prime testing ground for using racism to oppress white people. Kansas is over 75% white. Yet, Kris Kobach has become one of the most prominent Republicans in the State based on his voter suppression efforts in a State that is already very white to begin with.

I personally think that it is not either/or question for Democrats between addressing social justice issues regarding racism and sexism versus issues of relevance to the white working class. To the contrary, I think it is vital to raise awareness of how Republicans are using racism and sexism to not only oppress minorities and women, but to oppress working class white males. Nowhere is the more apparent then in Kansas.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kansas-hard-times-snap-20161121-story.html

Hard times for Kansas and its schools as economic 'experiment' creates gaping budget hole

Kansas began a supply-side economics experiment five years ago that was supposed to showcase a grand economic expansion. Here's why the state is struggling financially.

In February 2015, three years into the supply-side economics experiment that would upend a once steady Midwestern economy, a hole appeared in Kansas’ finances. To fill it, Gov. Sam Brownback took $45 million in public education funding. By April of this year, with the hole at $290 million, Brownback took highway money to plug it. A month later, state money for Medicaid coverage went into the hole, but the gap continued to grow.

Today, the state’s budget hole is $345 million and threatens the foundation of this state, which was supposed to be the setting for a grand economic expansion but now more closely resembles a battleground, with accusations and lawsuits flying over how to get the state’s finances in order.

The yawning deficits were caused by huge tax cuts, championed by Brownback and the Republican-dominated Legislature, that were supposed set the economy roaring. They didn’t.

[liberal N proud]

1. The plan is to fail

They want government to fail, they want the country to fail.

[geomon666]

4. Yup, we have a winner.

We better start realizing that and acting against that rather than treating these pigs as just another political party/rival.

[nycbos]

5. Yup absolutely.

[roamer65]

2. Kansas isn't failing for the wealthy elite.

The death of innocent people isn't a big deal to social darwinists.

They actually get off on it.

[Matthew28]

3. The republican party wants the United states to fail

They want it to be a third world shit hole.

[golfguru]

6. It is the stupid foreign trade deals

If Ford built a modern Auto manufacturing plant for $3 Billion, imagine how many jobs and infrastructure worth $800 Billion is leaving America EVERY YEAR. China has 10 times more factories, buildings, highways, housing, trucks, cars, and jobs compared to just 3 decades ago. During that time America lost equivalent amount of the same items.

[KPN]

7. I think you are onto something there.

And I agree that it absolutely isn't an either/or situation. At the same time I feel a need to say that I can't help but wonder (and feel by way of a huge nagging hitch in my dharma) if the economic travails of working class people aren't a catalyst for those other things? If so (and I'm guessing we both think they are) it would seem important not to simply condemn or oppose those people, but to focus more on the economic policies and principles that created the conditions that allowed that catalyst to exist.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

8. Kansas has been a Republican stronghold for years.

They haven't voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate since LBJ in '64.

Prior to that, it took a Great Depression to shake sense into them... and then only temporarily.

I heard more preachers on the radio yelling "Jeeeesus!" while driving through that flat state on I-70 than anywhere else in the country.

[WestSeattle2]

9. I think many miss the big picture. Republicans don't believe in trickle down economics.

Their goal is to starve government - to destroy it. And it's working in Kansas. Crushing budget gaps will demand what? Lay-offs, entire departments dismantled, and public schools (as they are currently structured) closed and replaced by vouchers to "new" public schools. Publicly owned utilities and infrastructure will be sold off, or long term operating leases will be let - with taxpayers eventually getting stuck with a huge tab when those facilities are returned at lease end in damn near inoperable condition, because the private operators took profit and executive bonuses instead of investing in maintenance.

That is the real goal. The trickle down economic nonsense is just that - a smoke screen. It's a mistake to underestimate their desire to destroy government.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. I don't think they want to destroy government. They just want it...

... to serve the wealthy.

Start around the 4:20 mark to get to the meat of it:

[WestSeattle2]

12. Agreed. The government they envision will only serve the "deserving" - read

"rich white guys." They will socialize risk, and privatize profit.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

13. Yep! n/t

[LonePirate]

11. As they say, you can't fix stupid.

The voters knew Brownback's economic policies were a disaster but they re-elected him anyway. Two years later, they still sent a super majority of Republicans to the state legislature. The entire Congressional legislation is Republican as well. If economic ruin along with failing schools, a poor health care system and a net migration out of the state aren't enough to convince Kansas voters that they need to stop voting for Republicans, then nothing will. It's too bad the fine Democrats and their voters in the state have to suffer with so much blatant stupidity.

[TomCADem]

15. MLK - Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

I think many prominent Democrats have responded to the 2016 election results by posing a false choice: Address social justice issues relating to racism and sexism ("identity politics&quot versus addressing issues of relevance to working class whites.

Republicans (and some Democrats) have suggested that Democrats lost because they played "identity politics" by being sensitive to social justice issues. However, this ignores that Trump won by heavily relying on identity politics and effectively blaming minorities, Muslims and women for many of the country's problems. He derided such concerns as "political correctness" and amplified on such fears by pushing the idea that millions of immigrants would be crossing the border and voting for the Democrats.

This is strategy is not new. It provides an easy scapegoat for Republicans that caters to pre-existing stereotypes, racism and sexism. Indeed, by exploiting the racism and resentment, Republicans are able to oppress not only the objects of such racism, but white males.

I think the key is call attention to this. Fight ignorance with knowledge.

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Kansas will go bankrupt, others will follow.

The average idiot there was happy to get a few dollars extra in their paycheck. These people don't look beyond their own nose, education means nothing, infrastructure means nothing. It's a shit place, they are getting what they asked for.

[JI7]

16. Social Issues often Matter more than Economic for Many People

the fact that someone like sam brownback gets elected there says a lot itself. he is known for being a religious social conservative.

[TomCADem]

17. However, Even Religious Issues Take a Backseat To Straight Up Racism and Intolerance...

...otherwise any number of Republicans would have won other than the serial adulterer with a soft porn wife. In Kansas, you have Kris Kobach gain national RW acclaim combating voter fraud by illegal immigrants in a state where there just not that many immigrants.

Kansas is a prime example of why you can't simply rely on a progressive, pro-working class platform. Trump's policies are incredibly harmful to the white working class, yet he won them in droves.

What we need to highlight is the racism/sexism premium that the white working class pays. In order to feel superior to other racial groups, in order to feel superior to women, white working class males are giving up tax cuts to the rich, cuts to health care, and possible cuts to social security and Medicare. Racism and sexism have a price, and in Kansas, Republican voters are paying a hefty price tag for their intolerance and conservatism.

[JI7]

18. i think other white people just need to laugh at them for being fools

they aren't going to listen to any non white person.

[TomCADem]

19. Too True. We Need A White Southerner to Speak Truth. We Need Someone like...

[JI7]

22. yup, someone like that

[uponit7771]

23. Kansas isn't hurting enough, wait to the next big snow fall ... we'll see the responses...

... seeing snow removal is a notable part of the budget and no adequate snow removal will seen by most.

Dems should go in as an experiment and see if these people can be talked to... and see what message works

[TeamPooka]

20. No, Kansas is GREAT again. Because Republicans are in charge. That's all that matters to the GOP

base.

[uponit7771]

21. Are they blaming Obama yet? Read the article, its depressing ... Brownback has fucked up the whole

... state an even discontinued the economic reports to show how much he's fucked up the state and there's still more than 3 people who voted for his dumb ass.

These people are fucked up