Writing for the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy, Jonathan Williams says that Kansas lawmakers can improve the state's economy by showing some restraint.

One method is to put a cap (PDF) on the amount of debt the state carries, as a percentage of state general funds.

Increasing debt is for governments, just as for households, a way to live large on the cheap. But as events of the last few months have shown, excessive debt can lead to financial nightmares.