Articles in the Democrat-Gazette today note the rising tide of Republicanism in the state. And, as Stephens Media notes, moderation is no virtue among today’s Republican candidates in Arkansas.
I do wonder if all those making up this political trend have thought of specific consequences. Perhaps they have.
E-mail happened to bring up a couple this morning.
1) Women’s rights.
Funny or Die has a darkly funny take on the Republican notion of women’s medical autonomy, an elaboration of the illustration above.
2) Taxes.
- Crooks and Liars
- SAM BROWNBACK: Anti-tax, anti-woman leader in Kansas.
What’s wrong with Kansas? Not a thing, Republicans believe. This Kansas law professor’s outline of the newly approved Republican plan for taxation, the most regressive in the U.S., is striking. Under leadership of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, Kansas has ended taxation on businesses and farmers and corporate partnerships (lawyers, doctors and accountants). Kansas now taxes only workers, not the wealthy. The result will be a loss of almost $1 billion in state revenue a year. Schools will feel the cuts the most.
It might be that Kansans and a growing number of Arkansans want a tax system that penalizes the poor and diminishes the public services on which the poor and middle class depend more. I have to believe — someday — they’ll realize they did NOT want the consequences of this sort of public policy. Meanwhile …..
Kansas, of course, has one of the most punishing regimes in the country, too, when it comes to women’s abortion rights.
Personhood from conception, a tax on abortion, withholding of medical information from women, invasive procedures — Kansas now has it all, Gov. Brownback presiding. Nor is dissent much tolerated. Remember how Kansas school officials came down with both feet on Emma Sulllivan, a high school student who criticized Brownback? She’s still catching grief on Twitter as a result. A while back, she said she was looking forward to attending the University of Arkansas. We could use her, judging by recent trends.
