THREE THINGS THE NEXT GUV NEEDS TO COMMIT TO!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

WATCHDOG OR LAPDOG?

by Steve Fair

 

Republicans gained a majority of Oklahoma state House seats in 2004, but with a Democrat governor (Brad Henry), and a Democrat controlled Senate, they were limited in what they could get done.   Republicans actually took control of the Oklahoma legislature in 2006 with the election of Sen. Anthony Sykes, (R-Moore).  Voters had sent 25 Rs and 23 Ds to serve in the Senate, but GOP Sen. Nancy "Cryly' Riley, (R/D, Ada) flipped from Republican to Democrat after she finished third in a three-person Lt. Governor 2006 primary.  Riley's childish selfish actions gave control of the Senate to the Democrats for an additional two years.  In 2008, voters sent 26 Rs and 22Ds to represent them and Republicans controlled both chambers of the legislature.  It would be another three years of a Democrat governor (Brad Henry), before the GOP would have total control of Oklahoma state government, but after 2011, Republicans have never looked back.  During their rise to supper majorities and total control of Oklahoma government, GOP candidates promised to (1) identify waste, fraud, and corruption in state government, (2) curb state spending, (3) reduce government's footprint. 

Every push card, TV commercial, and campaign speech by GOP candidates parroted the same theme.  Only the photo changed.  Fed up with being taxed too much and earning too little, Oklahomans gave Rs control of the legislature and elected two Republican governors who each served two terms (8 years).  It's a near certainty the next governor will be a Republican.  Two are in a primary runoff.  Three thoughts on what the next governor needs to do: 

First, the next governor must have the courage to order performance audits on every agency and entity that gets a dime of taxpayer money.  It's easy to promise to be a watchdog on the campaign trail, but the last two GOP governors have turned out to be lapdogs.  Using the constitutional office of State Auditor should be utilized more.  Limited scope and politically driven audits should cease.  Finding waste, fraud and corruption and exposing and then eliminating it should be priority one. 

Second, the next governor must require state agencies to justify every penny of taxpayer money they are allocated.  They should implement zero based budgeting (ZBB).  Unlike traditional "incremental" budgeting, which adjusts the previous year's funding, ZBB starts from a "zero base," meaning no program or expense is automatically continued.  Traditional "incremental" budgeting, which adjusts the previous year's funding, just lets state agencies grade their own tests. 

Third, the next governor must be committed to letting Oklahomans keep more of their income.  Every candidate has promised to cut taxes, but specifics on what services will be impacted is not discussed.  The current governor never fails to mention how much Oklahoma has socked away in rainy day funds, but those huge balances mean taxpayers overpaid their bill and didn't get a refund. 

Rainy-Day government accounts are created to insure government doesn't suffer financially when times get tough for taxpayers.  The next governor should be more concerned with helping taxpayers get through tough times than government.

Since Republicans took control of state government in 2011, the Oklahoma state budget has grown 45%.  That's not fiscal conservative.  Talking fiscal conservatism is easier than taking on the bloated state bureaucracy.  Choose wisely on August 25th.  Oklahoma needs a watchdog, not a lapdog.