I read your opinion about State Question 744 which was reprinted in the Muskogee Phoenix. Hopefully you will consider some of the policies we initiate and how we manage spending may cause some of the frustration the common education community experienced which prompted State Question 744.
Some states maintain their infrastructure reliably year after year – regardless of the economy. In turn these states tend to be disproportionally rewarded with economic activity. For most of its 102-year history, Oklahoma has chosen to ignore the necessary improvements to attract economic activity.
Perhaps some may remember the decades the federal court was the administrator of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections because we didn’t do our job.
Perhaps some may remember Oklahoma defaulting on loans to build Arrowhead and Fountainhead lodges as well as Sardis Lake because we didn’t do our job.
Perhaps some may have realized that the amount of money we spend on transportation is not enough to eliminate a portion of the backlog because it isn’t even enough to pay for inflation on the backlog.
Perhaps some may have noticed that the annual double digit percentage tuition and fee increases at our higher education institutions have far surpassed their tax relief from tax cuts.
Perhaps some can ignore the $2 billion increase in health care Oklahomans must pay this year and the $2.2 billion increase next year – which the policymakers won’t even try to mitigate.
Perhaps Oklahoma’s leaders should look at policies that would increase the number of people earning a living wage instead of policies which force more people into poverty - requiring government assistance.
Perhaps it is disingenuous to suggest that funding common education as required by SQ 744 will require tax increases when we just cut taxes by a similar amount of money.
Perhaps some people have noticed the absence of meaningful statistical analysis for use in the decision process while developing statewide goals, spending amounts and spending priorities.
In the nine years I’ve been in the legislature I have been unable to determine if Oklahomans are getting the government they want or the government they are told they want. It seems to me the pro-business and quality of life approach to prosperity dictates that we create a first class infrastructure – even if it costs a couple of bucks. It is not responsible to say we are responding to the best interests of Oklahomans merely because we don’t have the money for additional education funding. If the legislature won’t take the responsibility and won’t do the analysis the people should do so with initiatives such as SQ 744.
Editor’s Note: This Guest Editorial is authored by State Sen. Jim Wilson from State Senate District 3 which is comprised of Cherokee and Adair counties in northeastern Oklahoma.
