DRIBBLE DOWN ECONOMICS

The Oklahoma legislature again followed lobbyist money instead of the interests of their constituents when they voted to give the owners of the Sonics a 60 million dollar tax break by passing HB1819 last session. To see how much your legislator received from Sonic lobbyists, check out this website (http://davidhglover.googlepages.com/reverserobinhood)

Overall lobbyists for the tax credit gave about $600,000.00 in campaign contributions to legislators while encouraging them to vote for a 60 million dollar tax break. I sure wish I could get even half that on my investments. If you do an in depth calculation on the voting patterns; it shows that Representatives voting YES on the bill received an average of $3,167 in contributions while legislators voting No on the bill only received $1820. Senators voting YES were a little more expensive. They received an average of $7,100.00 while Senators voting no only received $3950. .

Meanwhile the infrastructure in our state is falling apart. The ASCE web site, http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=76, calculated in 2005 that the total bill to bring our bridges, roads, water and sewage systems up to par would be over 2.34 billion dollars. I have a feeling it is going to be very hard to get there if our legislature continues to let the lobbyists run our state.

Taxing Necessities and Giving Special Interests a Pass

Oklahoma is one of only seven states that still taxes groceries at the same rate as other purchases. Recently the Oklahoma Legislature had an opportunity to repeal the sales tax on groceries but it failed by only one vote. Did your Representative vote yes or no? Check out the votes on HB 3103 at http://www.okhouse.gov/51LEG/Leg_Votesxx.aspx?include=inetvote2008.htm

We are experiencing a time of runaway inflation for fuel and basic necessities. If the legislature had passed this bill it would have helped every person in the state rich and poor alike. Meanwhile, during the same week, they passed another 60 million dollar tax exemption to bring the Super Sonics to Oklahoma City, added another 22.1 million in tax breaks for the oil industry to the 159.7 million they gave them last year. They even found that they could afford to help investors in gold and precious coins, making their profits non taxable.

I didn't look at every bill so I have a feeling there are a lot more special breaks that I didn't list. It's unfortunate that the working people of Oklahoma can't afford a lobbyist to work with the legislature on behalf of their interests because it appears that the majority of our legislators can only support tax relief suggested by lobbyists. Pleas for relief from everyday folks are just not loud enough to rise above the constant din of gimme this and gimmee that they listen to every day from the special interests.

I know one thing for sure, I need a Representative with better hearing, because mine didn't listen to me on this bill.