Deadbeat Oklahoma

$1.50 25,000 Blue Chip Readers VOL. 39, NO. 1 An Independent Journal of Commentary JANUARY 10, 2007 Millions In Unpaid Bills Deadbeat Oklahoma By Frosty Troy The 2007 legislative session is shap- lack of money for drugs, staff and fa- only $49.4 million [11%] benefits the Republican-controlled House. ing up to be a fiscal barnburner, cilities. bottom 60% of taxpayers. Tax cut? The Transportation Depart- thanks to a red-hot economy. Will they [Chesapeake executives donated • SB 334: Abolished the estate tax ment estimates the state’s decaying pay the bills or cut taxes again? $500,000 to the Swift Boat liars who over the next three years [$87.8 mil- infrastructure repair price tag at $11.2 Republicans have retained their 57 falsely attacked John Kerry’s magnifi- lion impact]. billion. Oklahoma ranks third in the vote majority in the Oklahoma House cent combat record. An odd coupling • SB 2016: Increased exemptions on U.S. with 8,757 deficient bridges. of Representatives and split the State since Henry had given one of the nomi- retirement income [$181 million im- Tax Cut? Oklahoma’s health care Senate 24-24. A new Democratic lieu- nating speeches for Kerry’s presiden- pact]. system is a sick joke – third in the na- tenant governor, Jari Askins, will cast tial bid.] The public education budget was tion in the percentage of adults lacking the deciding vote in any 24-24 stand- Henry claims to be pro-education shorted by more than $58 million. The health insurance, 700,000, including off. but angry Senate Democrats scoffed at State Board of Education is asking for one out of every three children. The session convening Feb. 5 will his $1,200 initial pay raise proposal in an interim appropriation. Tax cut? Oklahoma’s parks and lodg- have $276.9 million in new money. 2006 and won $3,000 for the teach- Gutting the state’s revenue base es face a $100 million maintenance They would have had another $181 ers by forcing a special session – which because times are good [four years of deficit – yet tourism is the state’s num- million but that was gobbled up by tax Henry opposed. revenue increases] is the height of ir- ber one industry. cuts. As luck would have it, fortune smiled responsibility. Tax cut? Salaries for public health According to Appropriations Com- on the new governor as oil and gas rev- Tax cut? Oklahoma still ranks 50th nurses and nursing staff at public mittee Co-Chair State Sen. Johnnie enues bloated the ‘06 state budget by in average salary of public school teach- hospitals are 20% below the national Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, the Legisla- nearly a billion dollars. ers at $38,722. The teacher turnover average. Consequently, the nursing ture has $500 million of commitments Did Henry and the Legislature use is horrendous and former Gov. Henry shortage is epidemic in Oklahoma. pending. the windfall to pay bills the state Bellmon’s key education reforms are Tax cut? Thanks to a do-nothing Normally the reaction of a Demo- owed? No, instead they adopted major still suspended. state leadership, Oklahoma hospitals cratic governor would be similar to permanent tax cuts of unprecedented Tax cut? Oklahoma is 46th in what provided over $500 million in uncom- what Frank Keating did as a Republi- proportions – $640 million. These in- it spends on a child’s public school ed- pensated care in 2005, shifting more can governor facing a Democratic Leg- clude: ucation. College tuition has risen more of the cost to those with insurance. islature. He ruled by veto. • SB 202: Slashed the top income than 96% over the past four years at It was Keating, at OU President Da- Because it takes a super majority to tax rate from 6.25% to 4.9% [$480 OU, more than 74% at OSU. A bill to vid Boren’s urging, who shifted OU’s override a veto, Keating held the power million impact] – $343 million [70%] of improve college tuition assistance for Health Sciences Center hospital to an and gutted the Rainy Day fund. He the cut goes to top 20% of taxpayers, middle class families was killed in the HMO which subsequently closed the sought to punish public schools and emergency room education program. A ran roughshod over the state budget. new ER program is emerging in Tulsa. He left Henry a bare $35 million in the Tax cut? The Corrections Depart- Rainy Day Fund and $700 million in ment has lost 418 employees since red ink. 2002 and needed 700 staff to return If the past is prologue, nice guy Brad to a 5% vacancy rate. Instead, the Leg- Henry is no Frank Keating. He is not islature left them short $80 million for pro-labor, signing a bill that prohibits critical budget needs. an injured worker from hiring his or Tax cut? Funding for the juvenile her own doctor. justice system has been cut 10% since He signed a bill that prohibits 2002, leading to critical staff short- unions [including the OEA] from bun- ages. Gross mismanagement and mal- dling campaign contributions, a blow feasance of this agency have been rou- for Democratic candidates. The busi- tinely overlooked at the Capitol. ness crowd was still legally allowed, Oklahoma has been sued by the fed- through their 527s, to toss more than eral government over the juvenile facil- $300,000 in the GOP pot within days ity at Sand Springs, charging abuse, of the general election. neglect and incompetence. Gov. Henry Henry is pro-big business, signing is a named defendant. an unprecedented $100 million give- Tax cut? Approximately 2,860 poor away to Chesapeake Energy and pals. families with a developmentally dis- It was to “encourage” more drilling – as abled child are on a waiting list to though any encouragement was need- receive home and community-based ed. No accountability was required. medical services they desperately While Chesapeake was loading up need. on taxpayer money, more than 500 se- Tax cut? There are more than 3,000 riously mentally ill Oklahomans were seriously mentally ill Oklahomans on a being turned away every month for waiting list for treatment – no staff, no See BILLS Page 19 Observations Howdy With our first edition of 2007, we our journal will make you think. welcome hundreds of new readers, Welcome aboard! many joining us through the generosi- ty of loyal subscribers whose gifts help keep this journal of free voices alive. What A Year! In the months ahead, you’ll discover The Observer is unlike anything else The most frantic days of the year are available in Oklahoma. behind us and now we need to concen- Most of the state’s mainstream media trate on important issues – ending the allow one voice: their owner’s. They’re war, balancing the budget and shoring typically archconservative and display up our social programs. a single-minded devotion to the silk- Too many Americans are uninsured, stocking corporate elite. too many children go to bed hungry, We love debate. We welcome differ- yet there are borrowed billions being ing viewpoints [libel and slander ex- used to run a protracted war that two- cluded]. We don’t protect sacred cows. thirds of the American people oppose. We’re not in the hip pockets of either The 2006 elections were as ugly as party. we’ve seen. Yes, religion is a vital part We are social liberals, but we are of this nation, regardless of belief [or far more fiscally conservative than the right to disbelieve]. Voting in America is seen not as a again turned into a flood zone. Then our media brethren. We don’t think Vile vituperation oozed out of too privilege, but a right that is taken for along came the Christmas rain and it it’s right, for example, that the state’s many fundamentalist pulpits in 2006. granted and only exercised by young was flooded again. media are tax exempt while mothers The hate-mongering voters guide dis- people when some issue strikes them What makes this particularly irri- pay sales tax on milk for their babies. tributed by the Oklahoma Baptist as directly touching their lives. tating is that tourists, thousands of We abhor the expansion of corporate Messenger was a disgrace. Topics of concern are few. Polls show school children, visitors and state em- welfare – it’s often flag-waving, free-en- In Oklahoma we remain a divided the issues they are interested in in- ployees must use the tunnel or dodge terprisers first in line at the taxpayers’ state, not just by political parties, but clude Iraq, taxes, Social Security, and heavy on Lincoln Boulevard. trough. We think all should pay their between the haves and have-nots. The health insurance. Big shots such as the governor use fair share of taxes – to whom much is level of corporate greed is boundless Questions of military service get the the west entrance. There is no concern given, much is expected. because we haven’t had nearly enough attention of young people, but most- for the little people. We believe the government ought to leaders at the Capitol with backbone. ly males until Iraq and the focus on This travesty has been going on for stay out of private lives. We believe in It is time to bury the bitter memo- women in combat. years while tax cuts have been flying fairness and equality and habeas cor- ries of the past and focus on building Is there any way to educate young- out of the Legislature. Legislators don’t pus.

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