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Governor's Column:Kansas Economy Back on Track

Date: May 24, 2006
Issues: Employment and Affirmative Action


Governor's Column:Kansas Economy Back on Track

The following is a column by Governor Kathleen Sebelius:

Just a few years ago, the Kansas economy was mired in a recession. Many Kansans were out of work, businesses were hurting and state government was nearly bankrupt.

To get the economy back on track, I set out to change the way we did business in Topeka by building partnerships with employers and by seeking to save taxpayers money by finding savings in state government.

My first year in office, we brought together business and community leaders from all over Kansas to take part in the Prosperity Summit. We found new ways to work with employers to create a climate in Kansas that helps create jobs. We also found $1 billion in savings and efficiencies by changing the way government does business.

Now, just a few years later, Kansas businesses are growing and creating good jobs. We've already seen job growth in 24 of the last 26 months, and the unemployment rate last month is the lowest it's been since December of 2001.

That's real progress, and I believe it can continue.

We held a second Prosperity Summit last December in Wichita, and it was there that I proposed elimination of the property tax on new business machinery and equipment.

More than any other initiative, it has the potential to spur job creation in Kansas, and I was thrilled to be back in Wichita this week to sign this tax relief into law.

Kansas employers will now be able to invest in the new technology they need to compete with their counterparts all over the world, which will help them grow their businesses and create jobs.

And Kansas as a state will be able to build on its already outstanding business climate - a climate that was rated in the top 10 of all states earlier this year.

Thanks to the hard work of Kansas employers and employees, our economy is back on track, creating jobs and opportunity throughout our state, and that's good news for every Kansan.

http://www.ksgovernor.org/news/docs/col052406a.html

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