About Me

I moved to Eastborough, Kansas in 2021 with my wife, daughter, and cats. I work as a Senior Product Engineering Architect for Cadence Design Systems, previously having retired after 27 years from Intel.

My education includes a B.A. in Mathematics from Princeton University, an M.S. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, and a New Jersey Teaching Certificate in Mathematics.

Now as a proud new Kansan, I'm also an outsider who can bring a fresh perspective to Kansas politics.

Why Erik Seligman for State Representative?

It’s time for some change in Kansas State Representative district 83. Here are some of the key points that would drive my agenda if elected:

  • - Reduce the tax burden on average Kansans. When my family moved here in 2021, we were disappointed to learn that Kansas has an exceptionally high tax burden for a “red state”. The small tax reductions passed in the June 2024 special session were a start, but there is much more to be done.
  • - Educational opportunity for children at all income levels. Every child is a unique individual, and deserves a variety of educational options, even if their parents cannot afford private school. We need to strengthen Kansas charter school laws, and expand school choice programs throughout the state.
  • - Protect children from unnecessary medical interventions with lifelong consequences. It has become increasingly clear that “gender-affirming” medical care allows children— many too young to get a tattoo— to decide on medical treatments that will affect the rest of their lives, and are not truly necessary. The incumbent voted against outlawing these treatments.
In addition, I will provide open and transparent communication at a level rarely displayed by any officeholder. When I previously served in elected office, on the board of one of Oregon’s largest school districts, I published a detailed blog describing my reasoning behind every major vote. You can still read it at https://hillsboroerik.com. You will always know exactly how I voted, and what my reasoning process was— and be able to meet me at monthly Constituent Coffees to share your view, whether you agree or disagree.

Please email (erik@wichitaerik.com) or call me (503-312-1665) if you have any questions, and I’ll look forward to receiving your vote!

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Is the Incumbent "Good On Taxes"?

In these times of outrageous inflation, every one of us is worried about our personal expenses, and tax cuts are more critical than ever for average Kansans.   Some neighbors have told me that I shouldn’t challenge my opponent on the tax issue, since he’s known to be relatively conservative in this area.   It is true that he eventually came around and supported some of the watered-down compromise tax reduction proposals this year.  I also appreciate and agree with his criticism of omnibus spending bills that are too big to properly understand or debate.   But overall, there are still a lot of problems with Kansas taxes.   A few key points to keep in mind:

  • The incumbent voted to sustain the governor’s veto of the tax reform plan passed in January.   According to media reports, his argument was that equivalent budget cuts needed to pass before tax cuts.   Of course I agree that spending cuts would be great— the legislature should work on these too.   But in any case, typically these arguments that we “can’t afford” tax cuts derive from the static analysis fallacy:  the idea that every reduction in tax rates will reduce revenues by an equivalent amount.   This ignores the fact that lower tax rates spur increased economic activity, often increasing revenues— as seen at the national level by presidents including Kennedy and Reagan.
  • Kansas is a severely overtaxed state, and this is causing us to miss huge opportunities created by the West Coast exodus. According to some calculations such as those at wallethub, Kansas’s overall tax burden ranks as high as 12th in the nation— extremely high for a “red state”, and making it much less attractive to potential new residents and businesses.   Many of my old friends have left Oregon in the past decade in search of more reasonable government, but I haven’t seen any others choose Kansas, and this issue has been an important factor.   We need a major tax reduction plan in order to become a truly competitive destination for the many people currently relocating within the country.   
  • The incumbent has been in Kansas politics since the 1980s, and is a ranking member of the appropriations committee— so must bear direct responsibility for our current highly-taxed state.   These discussions tend to drown in minutiae related to specific rates on property, social security, etc— but you need to keep the big picture in mind.   Overall Kansas citizens suffer an unusually high tax burden, and my opponent has consistently been part of the government that helped to create this situation over the past four decades.

Thus, if you are concerned about your family’s budget and our state’s overall tax burden, it’s time to vote for a change:    Erik Seligman in district 83.