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.
You are acting in direct conflict with your mission statement. STOP ATTACKING SALLY
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out what is happening in our broken legislative processes. I try to vote for the best person but it's obvious I haven't always had good information to work with.
ReplyDeleteSally Kern has a reputation for being a good Christian. It sounds like she is not really thinking things through though or she wouldn't vote for taking taxes off of gold and leaving them on groceries.
First we need to tell only the truth!!!
ReplyDeleteEveryone should go to GOOGLE and access the small booklet "The Law" by Frederick Bastiet. It is on the internet for you to read with understanding.
Sounds like the issues have been totally distorted as reported in the recent flyer. Dr. Martha Hayes should be ashamed of herself by distributing such false and misleading information.
The issue of getting rid of sales tax on rare coins, etc, was because it was a double taxation problem. Buyers were having to pay sales tax when they bought the coins and then a capital gains tax when they were sold.
The "All Kids Act" would have extended the eligibility of Medicaid to families that make up to $60,000. This would be a big move in the direction of socialized medicine. If you want insurance for your kids, go buy it. Get a second job if you have to. Don't try to introduce a government program to take my money to buy your kids insurance.
An act of PLUNDER!
Trying to add that amendment on the rare coins bill was a purely political move.
As for the gas tax issue, The bill or the question of at what point are you going to tax the oil companies for getting the oil out of the ground? Once the oil is out of the ground they should be taxed when they enter the process to sell oil. Don't tax the oil companies for investing the time and money to drill for oil. All oil companies should be drilling NOW!
Roger 21
I received a flier on my door and appreciate the information. Thank you, Better Oklahoma Government.
ReplyDeleteAs for health care, we need a single-payer health care system which would put the greedy HMOs and other insurance companies out
of the business of denying care to line their own pockets and interferring with the practice of medicine.
Medicare started as a very successful single-payer system until it was "privatized" when prescription drugs were added in 2003.
We need to stop voteing for those people who do not have our best interests at heart. The grocery tax is hurting the hard working people of Oklahoma. The bill to end this tax should be introduced again and Sally should be voted out.
ReplyDeleteWhy is nothing being reported about the Democrats vote against removing the grocery tax later that same day?
ReplyDeleteThe fact is the Dems voted against the back-to-school sales tax holiday bill (HB 3358) and also against allowing the grocery tax repeal amendment to be added to it.
Lets get all the facts before passing judgment!!
In answer to the questions directly above. BOG relies on info posted on the House website www.okhouse.gov.
ReplyDeleteThere was a floor amendment timely filed to remove the state sales tax from groceries. Democrats voted against a motion to table the floor amendment. So did four Republicans: Hickman, Ingmire, Reynolds, Trebilcock.
Later in the day, there was an attempt (which failed) to suspend the rules for some kind of amendment which missed the deadline for filing amendments, but the House website doesn't say what the amendment was.
BOG does not post gossip or hearsay.
where are you getting your financial support? i dont see that you have filed with the state ethics commission. You obviously are getting money from somewhere how else can you run newspaper ads and send out flyers. you call for 'better' oklahoma government but havent filed with the ethics commission which seems sorta shady to me... if you're for real you wouldnt be ashamed to admit who is behind you're organization.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr/Ms/Mrs Anonymous, Only political organizations that ask citizens to vote one way or another are registered at the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. We are and educational organization not a political action committee. (Please read our statement of purpose) Our goal is to inform citizens about how legislators are voting and the possible impact of that vote.
ReplyDeleteOur money comes from donations from regular everyday citizens who want better government. Some like yourself are anonymous.
We never publish or distribute information that cannot be verified on a reputabgle government website by anyone using a computer.
We believe that the facts can stand alone therefore they require no public or private endorsements.
Time to tell Jennifer Seal to give it a break!All your neighborhood door posters seem to be in house district 85,Where Seal has been TWICE DEFEATED!
ReplyDeleteNo one man is totally responsible for a HB passing or failure,yet Seal's flyers continue to try and smear Daviv Dank ! Seal is so obsessed ,as Hillary, with the liberal mind set,she is assuring another DEFEAT,just as Hillary was responsible for her defeat!
I don't understand the comment above. Jennifer Seal is not running for office.
ReplyDeletePlease review our extensive list of informative links which should help clarify our educational mission.
ReplyDeleteWe do not support or oppose any political candidate. We do provide educational information regarding voting patterns of current elected officials. The Oklahoma Legislative sites documentation from these official sites regarding the bills and how they were voted on are always used.
The focus of our educational efforts is often directed by local requests in the communities where we have members.
Our organization came into being because too many news organizations focus only on the antics of movie stars,fires and car wrecks instead of the votes in our legislature that affect every Oklahoma citizen and their pocketbook.
Quit complaining about the BIG OIL COMPANIES. U.S. Oil companies only account for 30% of the oil used in the U.S. If you get the foreign oil companies to reduce the profits they make, I will support instituting issues on U.S. companies. Those profits are hiring the employees let go from the GM plant, Dayton tire, the airline industry and all the other companies that have fled Oklahoma over the last few years. $181 million is pennies compared to the cost of salaries, oil and gas rentals, royalty payments, new products and numerous other investments made in this state. We should be supporting the last of the U.S. industries, increase the U.S. production and put the foreign companies that are making most of the profit OUT OF BUSINESS!!!
ReplyDeleteIf We Drill in the US, We Don't Get the Oil
ReplyDeleteby Cenk Uygur
Huffington Post
July 23, 2008
One thing has been driving me crazy about this drilling debate --everyone seems to assume that if we drill for oil in the US, that we will get the oil. And hence, we won't be dependent on foreign oil anymore. But we won't get anything, Exxon-Mobil will.
The oil that comes from that drilling will not be United States property. It will be the property of whichever oil company got the rights to that contract. They can then sell it to whoever they like -- and they will. They will sell it on the world market, so the Chinese will have just as much access to the oil that comes out of the coast of Florida as we will.
...(That oil) won't be ours. And it will be sold on the world market, so its effect on global oil prices will be even smaller.
When we ask the question of whether there should be drilling off the coast of Florida or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we should ask the question this way -- would you be comfortable with the Chinese or the Germans or Russians or the Saudis drilling on American land? Because for all intents and purposes, they will be.
Large multi-national firms like Exxon-Mobil are not US property. They sell to the world and their allegiance is to corporate profits. So, when they drill, they drill for the whole world, not just us. Some might find that heart-warming, but it certainly has nothing to do with the US having more oil or lower prices.
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