Forbes called it “fiscal snake oil.” The New York Times editorial board: “ruinous.”

Late night talk show host Seth Meyers weighed in saying: “Even when you buy couch cleaner, they tell you to try it on a small patch of fabric first and that’s what happened here. Kansas was the small patch of fabric, and not only did the cleaner not work, the couch exploded.”

Kansas is falling into deeper debt. State agencies are underfunded. Important early childhood education programs are under siege. And now, Kansas is borrowing from its pension fund to pay bills because the state refuses to change course on Gov. Sam Brownback’s disastrous 2012 tax policy. Brownback slashed taxes for the wealthy and business, saying it would be a “shot of adrenaline” to the heart of the economy.