The Kansas business lobby is armed with new data to convince this year’s legislature to press for lower taxes and other change.
The basis is a Kansas Chamber of Commerce commissioned survey of 300 company owners.
The December 2013 questionnaire found 57 percent of those surveyed thought they paid too much in taxes. Thirty-six percent thought they paid about the right amount.
The study found less interest than in the past in what plays into the economic border war with Missouri, the poaching of jobs back and forth across state line.
"Would you be consider leaving Kansas because of the business climate?" asked Pat McFerron, who ran the study. "In 2012 we saw 26 percent of businesses saying they were willing to leave Kansas because of the business climate in the state. That’s dropped to 22."
With the top important issue facing Kansas businesses as taxes, education drew an interest level of one percent.
Three of four surveyed wanted less spent on school administration, more on the classroom, but the question was based on the premise that $0.55 of every education tax dollar goes to instruction.
Kansas Department of Education data disagree with the figure, saying it is actually $0.62.
Chamber President Mike O’Neal lays the definition problem at the door of the Education Department.
