Senator Chris Steineger's letter

BY SEN. CHRIS STEINEGER

An old Chinese proverb holds that within every crisis awaits opportunity. With the economic slowdown generating less tax revenue for Kansas government, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent and redesign state and local government for greater effectiveness and efficiency.

The tax revenue "crisis" is an opportunity to upgrade Kansas government to be more capable of global competitiveness for the next 140 years. We have a three-year window of opportunity to accomplish this upgrade, because once the economy turns around and tax revenue pours into government coffers, there will be no incentive to reform.

In 1861, when Kansas was birthed into statehood, there were no cars and no highway system, radio, telephone, television or Internet. The horse was the primary means of transportation, and 105 counties were laid out to ensure that the courthouse was never more than a day's horseback ride away. In 1861 it was decided that we needed 40 state senators and 125 state representatives to make laws in Topeka.

All businesses, small to large, readjust their business model every few years. They go through mergers and consolidations, and they adapt to changing times. Churches and nonprofit groups do the same. Yet Kansas government has not made similar improvements and adaptations. Our state and local governments still operate with the legacy management structure from 1861.

Here are two proposals to actually redesign government to cost less and be more effective:

* Downsize the Legislature. The Legislature should lead by reducing its size and reinventing itself. We should place on the 2010 statewide ballot a proposition to downsize the Legislature by at least 30 percent. It is no longer necessary to have 165 legislators to make policy for us. No corporation of similar size would have such a large board of directors, and some states larger than Kansas have smaller legislatures. I suggest a reduction from 40 senators to 30, and from 125 state representatives to 90. The timing is perfect for this idea, as the Legislature will redraw the district boundary lines in 2012. Legislators with larger districts out west should be given extra compensation for their mileage expenses.

* Consolidate counties, townships and cities. In rural Kansas, fewer but stronger counties would better compete with the urban areas in attracting talented people, jobs, employers and other development. The state should encourage unification by paying the legal costs involved with these mergers, and we should allow merged counties to continue to receive state aid. In Wyandotte County, we have had great success after unification. The Kansas Speedway, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Cabela's, Great Wolf Lodge and 500 new homes all came after we unified our government, making it more effective at economic development.

I'm proposing a study commission to analyze a Kansas map that has 36 counties. This map is not mandatory but rather an attempt to create a modern management structure where each new county has at least one economic development engine, such as a university, county courthouse or regional hospital. I suspect a thorough study will show that money could be saved through economies of scale, technology could help access and deliver services, and economic development could be more effective.

The primary goal is to adapt and upgrade our government to meet the needs and technology of the times. The secondary goal is to create a government that we can afford and can serve our needs for the next 100 years.

Chris Steineger is a Democratic state senator from Kansas City, Kan.