SRS has a growing backlog of needy citizens.

Educators say K-12 schools need $70 million more in 2010.

And the state is expecting a budget shortfall of $500 million or more in 2010 — even without factoring in requests for more spending.

One way to help fix the problem might be more honest reporting on the nature of the state’s budgetary woes.

First are the recent claims by the Department of Revenue and others that the state would have had an extra billion dollars to close this year’s budget gap if legislators weren’t giving away tax cuts and exemptions like candy corn.

That’s true only IF those cuts and exemptions didn’t encourage any additional economic activity that resulted in higher tax payments. Revenue’s numbers are a static calculation that doesn’t take into account any such activity. It also assumes the legislature wouldn’t spend the extra money like they did the $911 million general fund surplus the state had at the end of FY2007.

A Wichita Eagle editorial today credits legislators with swooping in to save the day with more dollars to meet SRS needs but then says legislators, “fell short this year, closing a ghastly budget gap by forcing cuts in those and most state services. As a result, the physical disability waiting list has grown from zero to 1,382 in just 10 months.”

SRS does have a growing backlog for it’s home- and community-based services but it’s not because of cuts. According to SRS Communications Director Michelle Ponce the backlog comes from an increase in requests for service. She told KansasWatchdog the program has not had any budget cuts.

The Eagle editorial ends by asking, “what does it say about our state lawmakers’ values that they proceeded with the scheduled phase-out of the corporate franchise and estate taxes last spring, for example, rather than put that revenue into social services or some other vital state program?”

Like schools? K-12 education spending continues to increase along with the number of districts joining Schools for Fair Funding. SFFF is responsible for lawsuits that pushed K-12 education spending to more than 50 percent of the state’s general fund. Some districts budgeted more than $45,000 per pupil in 2009 while other districts budgeted less than $8,000.

Such disparities beg for an efficiency audit which, no thanks to the 2010 Commission, Legislative Post Audit is preparing for four districts that volunteered for the audit. LPA is also reviewing potential cost savings from reorganizing the state’s districts.