Dear Editor,
As a Kansas taxpayer, I am very upset to hear that our governor, Mark Parkinson, is proposing a tax increase. Just one year ago, I recall that Mr. Parkinson threw away badly-needed taxpayer money by giving it to Planned Parenthood, when both the House and the Senate had voted to save that money for other urgent needs.
The hard-working people in Kansas deserve to see their tax money spent in areas that have the greatest need. It is irresponsible to frivolously spend money on a controversial group that does NOT need the money. I am sickened to know that whenever I purchase gas or any other item that is taxed, a small portion of my tax money is going to fund an organization which promotes an agenda that is completely contrary to my beliefs and that of the majority of Kansans.
The nature of taxes is that money is forcibly taken from those who earn it. This is understandable and acceptable when tax money goes to essential and non-controversial governmental services for which we can all agree that there is a legitimate need. However, in this case, the governor foolishly wasted taxpayer dollars where there was no need.
Our governor should have exercised a greater respect for the taxpayers last year, but since he did not, at least he should have the decency to not ask for a tax increase this year, especially in such desperate economic times.
Nicholas Heald,
Wichita
