Monday, August 28, 2017

Oklahoma needs RISK-takers, not RECKLESS idealogues!

Weekly Opinion Editorial
WHERE ARE THE RISK-TAKERS?
by Steve Fair
     The Oklahoma legislature is headed to a special session.  It’s not clear when, but it will not likely happen until Governor Fallin and Republican legislative leaders have the details hammered out on how to plug the $215 million dollar budget hole created when the Supreme Court ruled the cigarette fee was actually a tax and therefore unconstitutional.  It was reported that a budget deal had been worked out, but that was quickly denied by legislative leadership and the governor.  From all indications it appears they are working exclusively on the ‘revenue’ side of the ledger.  Bureaucrats have been effective in selling their message that Oklahoma government has been ‘cut to the bone.’ Three observations:
     First, if Oklahoma government is lean and mean and has little waste, has that been verified?  Too many lawmakers have simply accepted it as fact.  There should be a comprehensive audit of state government.  Every entity that gets one dime of state tax dollars should be audited.   No stone should be left unturned and the constitutional office charged with auditing- Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector- should be given incremental funding to get it done, not some appointed ‘special auditor,’ handpicked by the governor or legislative leadership.  If that is not done, then it is clear the legislature is not serious about ‘rightsizing’ government.
     Second, a fundamental economic principle that has escaped many lawmakers is that corporations and businesses do not pay taxes, people pay taxes.  Whenever a politico talks about raising taxes on oil/gas companies, ending tax credits for various other industries or charging sales taxes for goods and services, they are in effect raising individual taxes.  Businesses aren’t sponges.  They don’t ‘absorb’ taxes.  They pass taxes along to consumers in the form of price increases. When the price of peanuts(or the tax on peanuts) goes up, the price of peanut butter goes up.  Most citizens understand the concept, but it appears many elected officials don’t get it.
     Third, Oklahoma needs bold, innovative, risk-taking leadership to move the state forward.  We don’t need elected officials that will simply grow government and do what has been done.  We need leaders who will fundamentally change Oklahoma government.  We need risk taking, inspiring leaders-people willing to do what’s right instead of what is easy.    
     President Ronald Reagan said, “This country was founded and built by people with great dreams and the courage to take great risks.”  General George Patton said, “Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” Oklahoma needs leaders who will take calculated risks and not just work on one side of the ledger in a down budget year.
     Every person running for the legislature and the statewide offices in 2018 will claim to be a risk taker, but most who claim to be risk-takers are reckless ideologues, who would have little chance of being an effective change agent if they were elected.  An effective risk taking leader is competent, has character, courage, and charisma.
 

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