[Oklahoma City, OK, October 26, 2015] Today Governor Fallin announced that government agencies should prepare to cut nonessential expenses by 10 percent. This is further proof that the Republican led legislature is incapable of governing at the most basic level. Their inability to project revenue within the margin of error allowed by the Oklahoma Constitution is a new low in Republican fiscal responsibility with continued unnecessary and painful cuts to essential public services.
This latest announcement highlights the irresponsibility of the Governor and Republicans in approving a tax cut despite knowing there would be a $600 million budget shortfall. This is further compounded by the fact that we now know next year’s budget shortfall could easily double to over $1 billion and because of that agencies will continue to receive even deeper cuts.
In Governor Fallin’s release she talks about protecting “essential services” and getting “ahead of this issue as we enter a difficult budget year.” The irony is the Governor, her department heads, and the Republican legislature failed to do exactly what she is now calling on agencies to do as a result of her deficiency.
Governor Fallin and legislative Republicans have long claimed to stand for fiscal responsibility. Today’s announcement further underscores how far their empty political rhetoric is from the truth.
Hate to say it, but in spite of President Boren’s good intentions, the penny sales tax has to fail. As badly as we need the revenue, it is entirely the wrong way to do it and it completely absolves the legislature of their fiscal responsibilities. They have cut income taxes and watched the state budget get cut right along with them – – now to the point of putting our state in all kinds of jeopardy. If there is a revenue failure – which might very well happen – it should be the Republicans who admit the error of their ways and fix it or pay the price at the polls next election.
This has been a long, slow, painful lesson in which the Republicans have proven they are incapable of leading. However, if we – the Democrats – fail to consistently, clearly, candidly and diplomatically inform the people of Oklahoma on where they’ve gone wrong, we are just as bad as the Republicans. They’ll gladly lead the lemmings to the fiscal cliff if we are not willing to educate them. And the Republicans will blame “government” – which includes the Democrats.
Oklahoma voters continue to vote these people in.
Cut “nonessential” expenses, if they are nonessential why not cut them 100%? Mary you’re a whore and a stupid whore at that.
Agencies and education have been cut enough. The legislature has not done its job by financing government. I wonder why we are now asked to approve a penny sales tax to bail out the legislature’s failure to fund education. Sales taxes are the most regressive type of tax and hurt the poor far more than the rich. Poor people spend all their money on essentials, which are taxed! Make the legislature do their job to fund government and reverse their tax cuts.
Last year and probably this year, 702 million dollars was given in tax breaks to 12 companies. Three hundred million went to oil and gas companies. Republicans don’t care about this state or its citizens unless you are rich. That crazy witch needs to rescind the income tax break she is giving out. It really only benefits the rich. Rich people don’t have to live among us or put up with the crime. They live in their own bubble.
Gotta get the minorities to VOTE, if that doesn’t happen, the REPUBLICANS will RULE in this state for ETERNITY…. Only the white people in this state vote in numbers that matter….
Without the blacks, Indians, mexicans, Asians & whatever else people of color out there VOTING in NUMBERS that matter, Oklahoma is destined for this type of leadership until the world explodes….