VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson)
Number 18-27
MORE EVIDENCE WE ARE OVERTAXED Week of 2018/07/02
Again we are told, if the story can be found, that the 2018 'special
session
No.2' massive tax increases levied on us by the Legislature were totally
unnecessary
surfaced in the June 7 issue of the daily news(?)paper in Tulsa. What in my
opinion
should have been a 'front page' story was small and hidden on page A3 that
carried
the headline: "State's gross collections jump 14 percent, set record for
May". Credit
for the story was given to Barbara Hoberock of the World Staff
In the third paragraph State Treasurer Ken Miller was quoted: "As
has been the
case each month for more than a year, Oklahoma's economy is showing signs of
ongoing expansion. In just the past 14 months, since 12-month collections
last
bottomed out, gross receipts have grown by more than $1.3 billion, an
increase of
more than 12 percent". Earlier it stated that the May collections were
nearly $971
million. That is almost one Billion dollars for just one month.
These increased collections were referred to earlier in the year
while the
Legislature was still in its regular AND special sessions and the necessity
for the
largest in history tax increase was being determined. Regardless, the 'big
spenders'
in control went ahead and bowed to the teacher union protests/strike and
passed
the onerous bill. Sadly, those in control carry an "R" behind their name in
their
voter registration. Shame on the voters in the districts they represent who
put them
there. It is possible that for them there really was not another option,
granted.
To their credit a group began by former Senator Dr. Tom Coburn had
gone
to work to put together a proposal for a ballot issue in November that
would, if
passed, repeal the laws passed for the 'largest tax increase in State
history'. The
petitions to put it on the November election ballot were in being circulated
for
signatures with over 42,000 being necessary for success. Then a group
believed to
be sponsored by the 'teachers unions' filed a protest suit to declare the
petitions
'unconstitutional'. After delaying actions to get it to the State Supreme
Court until a
favorable decision for them would render not enough time to counter a Court
decision against, in a reported 7 to 0 decision, did on a 'technicality' so
find.
The groups involved in the response have not yet issued a decision
on what, if
any, response they will attempt. It should be remembered that the, reported
to me,
State Constitution has a provision that any tax increase must pass the
Legislature by
a 67% majority or go to a vote of the people. The details of how these
increases
were able to avoid that provision are not clear in my mind.
It seems to me that there will be one or more of those judges on the
November
ballot for 'retention or rejection' and we would be proper in voting to
reject all there
so that the newly elected Governor would be able to nominate replacements.
The
Court has too long, in my opinion, consisted of members with mental bias
toward the
"left" (C/S) side of the political philosophy. Sadly that seems to be also
true down to
the lower courts. A change in the law to allow party affiliation being shown
for judges
at all levels would serve to make things more even and fair. At least that
is my firm
and unshakable opinion!!
In any event the continued increase in tax receipts by the State
makes the recent
tax increases even more unnecessary and immoral. They should be repealed
before
they adversely effects the fiscal well being of the citizens and economy.
Oklahoma has
long had the reputation for being a high tax state and that needs to be
changed for the
better for our own prosperity. Unfortunately, when the 'truth in advertising'
laws were
enacted political laws were excluded from coverage. The totally nasty and
usually
untrue trash recently endured in the primaries is a good example of the need
for
change there. I'm not optimistic that the Legislature members will pass such
changes.
END
Composed June 25, 2018
Robert W. McDowell, Jr.
841 Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken
Arrow OK 74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com
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