A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED!

by Steve Fair

 
     Each year the U.S. House allocates between 1.4 and 2 million dollars of tax dollars to each of the 435 members of the House to run their Washington and in state district operations.  According to the U.S. House Clerk’s office, Oklahoma’s five members of the House did not spend over $750,000 of the taxpayer money they could have on their office rent, supplies, equipment and staff salaries in 2011.    The 755K  is on top of the five(5) percent cut every member took in their 2011 operating budgets when Republicans took control of the House.  
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     In a story on Newsok.com Sunday, it was reported that fifth district Congressman James Lankford of Edmond had returned the largest amount of the five- a third of the total- $252,000.  That was 18% of the total Lankford was allocated.  District one Congressman John Sullivan from the Tulsa area was next returning $229,000 to the treasury.  District three Congressman Frank Lucas, who represents western Oklahoma,  gave back $160,000 and fourth district Congressman Tom Cole of Moore $103,000.  Second district Congressman Dan Boren of Muskogee, the lone Democrat in the delegation gave back only $10,964.  You can view more detailed information on what each of the 435 members of the US House spends at disbursements.house.gov.
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    If all 435 members of the U.S. House did what Congressman Lankford did and returned 18% of their operating budget, it would save U.S. taxpayers $110 million annually.  While that may seem like an insignificant amount of money when you consider the size of the current national debt of nearly 16 trillion dollars, it is a start.  If a Congressional office can trim that much out of their budget, why can’t a large federal agency do the same?  They can, but they won’t do it willingly.  It will literally take ‘an act of Congress” to get it done. 
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     Back in January when the Washington Post wrote a story about eight Republican members- none from Oklahoma- who returned over 1.45 million to the treasury, liberal blogger Stan Collender called the move ‘grandstanding’ and clamed the Republicans didn’t ‘understand’ federal finances.  “The Treasury doesn’t give each member a wad of cash to spend,”  Collender said.  “It only pays expenses after they are incurred.”  While Collender is technically right about the process, he is clueless about budgeting.  There is a very real sense that money not spent is money saved. 
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     Being a member of Congress is not a popular job in today’s tough economical and political climate.  In a Gallup Poll conducted in November of 2011, Congress had an approval rating of around ten(10) percent- the lowest ever.  In the same poll, eleven(11) percent of Americans found polygamy to be morally acceptable, and thirty percent approved of pornography.  Actually, the results of that poll provides us some valuable insight into the root problem in America.  It’s clear our country’s moral compass is broken and secular values rule the day.  When immorality is winked at and situational ethics are practiced, it’s no wonder we have raging deficits- both financially and morally.
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     The Republican members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation should be praised for not spending all the tax money they had budgeted to run their operations.  Holding down operational spending takes discipline and courage in today’s economic climate.  It shows commitment and proves Oklahoma has members of Congress who do care about America and its future.  If only that commitment and courage to do what is right would spread across our country. 
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     Taxpayers should recognize and appreciate these lawmakers efforts.  After all, it’s our money they are spending/saving.  Ronald Reagan said, “Government is the people’s business and every man, woman and child becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax paid.” 

Where is the Waste

Weekly Opinion Editorial

WHERE IS THE WASTE?

by Steve Fair     

     In a recent poll conducted by SoonerPoll, Oklahoma voters were asked if they were in favor of eliminating tax credits to offset a decrease in the state income tax.  Fifty two percent were in favor with twenty four percent undecided.  A follow up question asked voters if they were in favor of phasing out the state income tax over a ten year period.  Fifty one percent were in favor with twenty percent undecided.  Just fifty one percent of Oklahomans wanted to eliminate the state income tax?  Why wouldn’t everyone be in favor of not paying a tax?

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     The primary reason is because the average citizen in Oklahoma doesn’t trust government.  They have been lied to before, so they are skeptical when government says they are going to cut out a large revenue stream without a plan to cut on the other side of the ledger.  The state income tax currently represents twenty seven percent of the state’s revenue. 

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     Republicans believe the uplift from putting more money back into taxpayers pockets will keep the revenue stream steady and make cuts unnecessary.  The theory, known as supply side economics, worked under Reagan.  Taxes were cut and government revenue went up.  As Reagan said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” That may be the case, but Oklahoma government needs to get right sized and this is the perfect opportunity to do it.

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     Oklahoma legislative Democrats don’t want to eliminate the income tax because they don’t believe in smaller government.  Liberals never want to give back any money to taxpayers and are willing to use scare tactics to prove their point.  In an interview with The Oklahoman, House Minority Leader Scott Inman, (D-Del City) said, “I'm convinced that when the income tax is eliminated in Oklahoma, those monies that were once used for roads and bridges and education won't be there from the general revenue fund.  The counties in order to fund their schools and roads will have to increase property taxes to make up the difference. An income-tax cut at the state level will invariably lead to a property tax increase at the county level.”  Inman has no evidence that property tax increases would be the mechanism government would go to if elimination of the income tax created a shortfall.  In fact, the Oklahoma constitution prohibits a ‘statewide’ property tax.  Who knows what state government would do to make up a revenue shortfall.  As Yogi Berra said, “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

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     Elimination of the state income tax in Oklahoma is a bold move.  But at the same time we eliminate, we should work to get Oklahoma government growth under control.  In the recent past, when faced with a budget shortfall, the legislature has simply made across the board cuts at state agencies.  That’s unfair to state agencies who run their operations efficiently and rewards agencies who are wasteful.  “One size fits all,” is not a sound strategy in a budget. 

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     Oklahoma agencies should have to justify every single penny they get each year from the taxpayer.  Zero based budgeting should be implemented.  Zero based budgeting is an approach to planning and decision-making which reverses the working process of traditional budgeting. In traditional incremental budgeting, agency heads justify only variances versus past years, based on the assumption that the "baseline" is automatically approved. By contrast, in zero-based budgeting, every line item of the budget must be approved, rather than only changes..  Zero based budgeting would help the legislature to identity waste. 

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     Another way to identify fraud, waste, and duplication in state government is by empowering the State Auditor to conduct performance audits. Performance audits refer to an examination of an agency that accesses whether the entity is achieving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the employment of available resources.  In other words, a performance audit doesn’t just make sure the books balance, but evaluates if tax dollars were spent in a proper way.  A bill to amend the state constitution to authorize the State Auditor to do performance audits failed to make it to the floor for a vote this session.  It makes you question the legislature’s resolve on finding waste if they will not authorize the duly elected State Auditor to do performance audits.   

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     The Oklahoma legislature is currently considering several versions of bills that would phase out the state income tax.  In this final month of session, you will hear a lot about these bills and how important they are to Oklahoma’s future.  Elimination of the income tax should be balanced with the rightsizing of Oklahoma government and the first place to start is identifying waste. 

Weekly Opinion Editorial

TRUST AND OBEY!
by Steve Fair

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker spoke last week to over a thousand people at the annual Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs Citizenship Dinner in Oklahoma City. A group of union members picketed outside the facility. Elected in 2010, Walker, a former Wisconsin state legislator and county executive in Milwaukee is facing a recall election on Tuesday June 5th. Walker, 44, inherited a state government with over a three billion dollar budget deficit and a state whose businesses had lost over 150,000 jobs in three years, so drastic action was necessary.

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After taking office, Walker proposed a state budget that saved Wisconsin taxpayers 300 million dollars over two years. One of the components of the cuts reduced the take home pay of state workers by eight(8) percent. Firefighters and law enforcement were excluded. He also proposed that government workers collective bargaining rights for anything other than wages be eliminated. Walkers pushed for tort reform and property tax reductions. As you can imagine, these proposals did not set well with some in the highly unionized state, particularly the bureaucrats.
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An organized effort, led by United Wisconsin, garnered enough signatures to force a recall election to potentially unseat Walker, the Lt. Governor and four Republican Wisconsin state senators. According to United Wisconsin, “When elected officials subvert the will of those they represent, enacting a radical agenda that seeks to concentrate power in the hands of the very few and jeopardizing the livelihoods of the people they are supposed to protect, the exercise of the constitutionally-guaranteed right to force a recall election is a just and proper tool to force accountability upon those elected officials who act as if there is none.” What they fail to say is that Wisconsin government was going bankrupt when Walker and Republicans were elected! Why can’t liberals understand that government doesn’t have any money? The only money that government has is what the people give it.
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What is ironic is these issues are EXACTLY what Walker campaigned on when he was running for governor, so it should have come as no surprise when he did them. When asked why he moving so fast to implement change, Walker responded, “If you were the CEO of a company and you were taking over a company that was failing, you wouldn’t wait a year or six months or even a month, you wouldn’t wait.. … Wisconsin couldn’t wait.” That is refreshing- a politician who actually did what he said he would do when he was campaigning. Walker had said he would curtail the public sector union activities- they just didn’t believe him.
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Public sector unions are a lot different than private ones. They negotiate with government officials who are either elected or appointed by elected officials. Union involvement in the electoral process often can create a situation where the unions can elect people who are more sympathetic to the union and in effect control both sides of the table- in essence voting themselves a raise. That is often why you see a lot of public sector unions taking an active roll in political campaigns.
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If management of a private corporation strikes a bad deal with a labor union that places the company in an uncompetitive situation and it goes bankrupt as a result, company shareholders take a hit and jobs move elsewhere, but no taxpayer money is involved. If politicians strike a bad deal with a public union, taxpayers foot the bill. Governments cannot (easily) go out of business. They have a captive tax base, so increases are just passed along to the taxpayer.. Public sector unions thus lack the upper limit on their rapaciousness that private sector unions have.
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Walker is a man with courage. He took on a powerful political force in Wisconsin that has the resources to destroy him politically. When he did it, he understood there would be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yet he charged on.
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Walker, the son of a Baptist minister, says his religious life is expressed in the words of an old hymn, “Trust and Obey.”* From childhood onward, Walker recounted how God specifically directed his life, how he had learned to trust that direction, and how he sought to obey Christ in all things and at all times. He related the biblical story found in Matthew 14 of the apostle Peter in a boat, whom Jesus directed to walk on the water. At first, Peter followed Jesus and did, indeed, walk upon water. But Peter became fearful and sank. According to Walker, this is a parable of the whole Christian life. “If you “fail to trust and obey,” Walker said, “You sink.”

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*For the story behind the hymn, Trust & Obey, go to http://www.lectionary.org/HymnStories/Trust%20and%20Obey.htm

Weekly Opinion Editorial

CANDIDATES MUST VOTE!
by Steve Fair

Wednesday is the first day that candidates can file for office. Candidates for offices from county to state and federal level will have until Friday to toss their hat into the ring. County offices up for election this cycle are Sheriff, County Clerk, Court Clerk, and District 2 County Commissioner. All 101 State Representatives and 24 of the State Senators (odd numbered districts) in Oklahoma will be voted on in November. Oklahoma only has two statewide offices up for election- both Corporation Commissioner races. All U.S. congressional seats(435) nationwide are up for re-election. Filing for county offices will be at the local county courthouse. Filing for state and federal races are at the State Capital in Oklahoma City.

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Why do people run for office? Obviously the reasons vary. Some genuinely want to make a difference in government. Others run to make sure one issue is either passed or defeated. Some like the power of the position. Still others have a family connection to politics- ie Bushes, Kennedys, Borens. Then there are those that are genuinely interested in public affairs. No matter what their motivation, all candidates, regardless of political affiliation, should be admired for their willingness to put their time, talent, treasure and energy into a campaign.

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What blows my mind is when a political candidate files for office who doesn’t vote or votes infrequently. Take for example Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for Governor in California in 2010. Whitman, who is the former CEO of E-bay, didn’t register to vote until she was 46 years old and had NEVER voted before she filed to run for Governor. When her apathy was exposed Whitman said, “The reason is, is for many years, I wasn't as engaged in the political process and should have been." Whitman lost the race by eleven points to liberal Jerry Brown who used Whitman’s lack of voting as an effective tool against her.
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Democrat Jon Corzine lost his battle for a second term as governor of New Jersey to Chris Christie in 2010. One of the reasons was Corzine had to overcome the fact that he hadn't voted in a Democratic primary since 1988 and had missed three general elections in that time when he first ran for the Senate in 2000. Christie effectively exploited Corzine’s lack of interest in participating in the process with faithful voters.
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Perhaps the best example of a candidate not voting before being a candidate is President Zachary Taylor. Taylor was elected President in 1848 as the Whig nominee. Taylor was a war hero and bragged that he had never cast a vote for President before he ran. He was politically naïve and his administration was marred with controversy. Taylor died in office after just sixteen months.
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Why don’t people vote? According to the California Voter Foundation twenty eight percent of infrequent voters and twenty three percent of those unregistered said they do not vote or do not register to vote because they are too busy. That implies those who do vote are not busy, right? That is a lame excuse and with in-person absentee balloting available in Oklahoma, which allows voters to vote on the Friday, Saturday or Monday before the election, there is no excuse to not exercise your right to vote.
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The survey also found that nonvoters are disproportionately young, single, less educated and more likely to be of an ethnic minority than infrequent and frequent voters. 40 percent of nonvoters are under 30 years old, compared to 29 percent of infrequent voters and 14 percent of frequent voters.
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How and who a person votes for is not a matter of public record, but whether they show up to vote is a part of the public record. Every political candidate for every office should be ‘required’ to publish their voting history for the public. One of the best measures of a person’s interest in political issues is if they vote. Candidates should be willing to explain why they didn’t show up to cast their ballot. It is inconsistent, hypocritical, and egoistical for someone who NEVER saw the importance of voting to become a candidate for elective office. Candidates/elected officials should be an example of the importance of voting.
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Founding father Samuel Adams said, "Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual--or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. "

I am pleased to announce my campaign team for the Republican National Committeeman race.

I am humbled and honored to have their support.

Weekly Opinion Editorial

FOLLOW IT!
by Steve Fair

Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides two methods of amending the Constitution. One is by Congress and the second way is if the two thirds of the states call a Constitutional Convention. The only way the founding document has even been amended has been by the first method which requires two thirds of Congress to pass the amendment and then three fourths of the states to ratify.
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The second method to amend the Constitution has never been accomplished since the document was written, but it has come close. Back in 1912, only one more state was needed to call a convention when Congress passed the 17th amendment which allowed the direct election of U.S. Senators. In 1983, only two states were needed to call for a convention on a balanced budget amendment. There is now a movement across the country to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of reigning in the federal government. Thus far, twenty states have passed legislation calling for a convention.
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Oklahoma State Senator Steve Russell, (R-Moore) and State Representative Leslie Osborne, (R-Tuttle) are the authors of SB 1903 which states ‘legislative intent for Oklahoma to apply for a single purpose U.S. constitutional convention to propose an amendment that would require approval from the majority of state legislatures before increases in the federal debt could be implemented.’ The bill passed the Senate 27-16 and is now in the State House awaiting consideration.
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First, the stated reason Russell and others want to call a constitutional convention is to reign in the federal government. That is a sound motive- the federal government is completely out of control. Re-distributing wealth, taking away our freedoms, mandating what we must buy and the list goes on and on. What Russell and others fail to see is that while Article V allows for calling the convention, there is no guarantee the convention will be for a ‘single purpose.’

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Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Warren Burger had this to say about a “single purpose” Constitutional Convention: “I have also repeatedly given my opinion that there is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a Constitutional Convention. The convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the convention would obey. After a convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the convention if we don’t like its agenda. The meeting in 1787 ignored the limit placed by the confederation Congress “for the sole and express purpose.”

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Can you imagine the media circus that would be created if a 21st century constitutional convention were convened? Every article, every jot and tittle, every amendment in the beloved document would be under scrutiny by various special interest groups. There is no way only one single issue would be debated. If you think your constitutional rights are under attack now, convene a convention and see it play out on cable news 24/7 with media talking heads ‘spinning’ the daily proceedings.

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Second, even if a constitutional convention was convened and a balanced budget amendment was passed, there is no guarantee it would be followed by Congress. As evidenced by the passage of ObamaCare and dozens of other ‘unconstitutional laws,’ consideration of what the founding document says is seldom a factor in modern day legislation. Convening a Constitutional Convention is exactly what liberals and progressives want. They want the entire document to be up for debate and if they can convince citizens it needs to be added to, they can certainly convince them to take away from it. For those who don’t believe in absolute truth, a constitutional convention is a dream come true.

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Third, we do need a balance budget amendment in the Constitution, but Congress should do their job, pass the amendment and let the states ratify it. While they are at it, they should pass amendment on ‘term limits’ and an amendment that limits Congress the power to exercise only the 17 things mentioned in the Constitution they are supposed to do. Not addressing the hard issues is the way we got to this point in our country. Our elected officials need to be held accountable to do their job.

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Roman Senator Publius had it right when he said, "Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws." Elected officials should concentrate on following the principles already in the United States Constitution, instead of adding to it.

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Contact your Oklahoma State Representative and urge them to oppose SB 1903.