'Step In It' Oklahoma

STEP UP OKLAHOMA

AND BE PREPARED TO HAVE YOUR POCKETS FLEECED

THE WATCHMAN

Well here we are at the end of the first week of the regular session for the Oklahoma State Legislature for 2018 and where do we find ourselves? They are still trying to pass a massive tax increase on the citizens of this state. We can only guess that they want that extra cash that you'll get back from Uncle Sam's tax cuts are needed to fill the pockets of all those rich folks who are masquerading as a grass roots organization. That has to be one of the biggest jokes we've heard in a long while.

We call out those who would vote for this needless tax increase and would ask them to read this article

This article alone should raise a question in not only every legislators mind, but also be asked when they are on the campaign trail later this year. How in the world does the seventh most fiscally sound state in the union find itself in need of an almost billion dollar tax increase? The reason is very simple. Corporations, especially the oil and gas industry, don't want to pay their proportion of the taxes. As an example when a new well comes on line now, the company pays a four percent tax on it. After three years it pays a seven percent tax on it. Anyone who has worked around the oil and gas industry will tell you that the best years of a wells life are the first three years. That's when the companies should be paying the seven percent tax. Letting them go to seven percent after three years actually decreases the tax revenue to the state.

Once again the Muskogeepolitical.com has done an excellent piece of reporting and brings us this article. This is a document that should be opened and read by everyone. In it you will see that those of us on the lower end of the pay scale will be paying more taxes while those at the upper end of the pay scale will pay none. That is correct we said none. Now those who happen to form this alleged grass roots movement all seem to fit into that group that will not pay any taxes. Do you see why they're trying to rush this through?

What follows below is the schedule for the joint committee on the budget's schedule for the 8^th of February 2018. Read through it. You'll find that everything in there involves raising your taxes. Believe it or not they got through it all that day.

CMN-JOINT-20180208-09000000A1 That is a PDF document. What it is is the basic program for the budget committee. This is what it looks like TO: Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget DATE: Thursday 2/8/2018 TIME: 09:00 AM Or AA1 PLACE: Room 432A AGENDA: 1. Welcome and introductions. 2. HB1030 - Schools; minimum salary schedule; repealers; contingent effect; effective date. - Wallace, Casey, David* 3. HB1031 - Amusements and sports; state-tribal gaming; model tribal gaming compact supplement; non-house-banked table games; codification; emergency. - Wallace, Casey, David* 4. HB1032 - Transportation funding; apportionments; Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund; State Transportation Fund; State Highway Construction and Maintenance Fund; conditional effect. - Wallace, Casey, David* 5. HB1033 - Revenue and taxation; cigarette tax levy; tax little cigars as cigarettes; smokeless tobacco levy; gasoline and diesel fuel levy; gross production tax rate and incentives; wind levy. - Wallace, Casey, David* 6. HB1034 - Tax credits; coal; cap; effective date. - Wallace, Casey, David* 7. HB1035 - Revenue and taxation; zero-emission facility; tax credits; cap amount; effective date. - Wallace, Casey, David* 8. HB1036 - Revenue and taxation; railroad rehabilitation; tax credits; cap amount; effective date. - Wallace, Casey, David* 9. HB1037 - Revenue and taxation; income tax; rates; exceptions; deductions; effective date. - Wallace, Thompson* 10. Other business and adjournment

We next found a list of your individual Representatives in the House that were pushing the Step Up and have your Pockets Fleeced bill. They are listed below.

Representative Kevin Wallace, Chair Representative Dennis Casey, Vice Chair 

Members: Representative John Bennett Representative Chad Caldwell Representative Kevin Calvey Representative Josh Cockroft Representative Jason Dunnington Representative Jon Echols Representative Elise Hall Representative Scott Inman Representative JP Jordan Representative Chris Kannady Representative Steve Kouplen Representative Mark Lepak Representative Ben Loring Representative Mark McBride Representative Jason Murphey Representative Terry O'Donnell Representative Charles Ortega Representative Leslie Osborn Representative Pat Ownbey Representative John Pfeiffer Representative Eric Proctor Representative Dustin Roberts Representative Todd Russ Representative Mike Sanders Representative Earl Sears Representative Shane Stone Representative Emily Virgin Representative Weldon Watson. As you can see they started work on the Step Up and get your pockets Fleeced Oklahoma ion the 8^th of February.

What put us onto this story was the great work done by the MuskogeePolitical.com. Although we as a group make no political endorsements, we find it more than interesting that all the Gubernatorial candidates except one has fully endorsed this robbery of the citizens of Oklahoma. Regardless of what the politicians say Oklahoma does not have a revenue problem. Oklahoma has a spending problem. A prime example of which is the outright lawlessness at the Department of Health.

Then we found this article . This is truly not surprising to anyone. In fact it would be no surprise to us if the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce actually wrote the plan out for some of their elite members. They do run the State Senate and now more than ever have a controlling interest in the State House of Representatives.

We must again thank the MuskogeePolitical.com for their outstanding work. They found this article

. We have seen this article in only one other place and that is the SoonerPolitics.org. web site. We encourage you all to open the link and read what it is telling you. This entire plan boils down into the State Legislature letting the corporations keep their nearly $2 billion dollars a year in tax write offs while those of us that work for a living pay for it. They even want to take the tax benefits that our 100% Disabled Veterans get away from them. If anyone deserves a tax write off it's the disabled Veterans.

This article we found was true to its word. They acted with so much speed hoping to avoid calls from disgruntled constituents. Some of these tax bills will actually be up for a floor vote of the House on Monday. If you think we are kidding about that, open this link . We believe all of you who vote for this measure should remember that elections are coming up in November. We will work hard to see you replaced.

We then found this article. They are absolutely correct. Every contender for the Office of Governor has endorsed this plan except Mr. Richardson. He's not only running radio ads, but we've seen a few television ads and his views are pointed out on several web sites as an infomercial before a story. This is primarily due to the support from big business the others want and get and Mr. Richardson doesn't want.

Then we found this article . Dr. Coburn is absolutely correct. Treat the cause of the financial burden not throw more money at it. Oklahoma is an oil and gas producing state. We found this about the state of Texasand this . As you can see in Texas they are paying more taxes on Oil and Gas than we here in the state do. What turns out to be the biggest argument is actually between fossil fuels and wind energy.

Then we found this article. Despite what those in government would have you believe, this state cannot live on oil and gas forever. Instead of trying to make the state a friendlier environment for employers you need to make it friendlier for their workers. You don't do that by continuously building unneeded turnpikes and raising taxes on the citizens. While states like Texas saw growth during the economic downturn that started in 2008, Oklahoma lost a world of opportunities because of taxes and turnpikes. What an idiotic way to run a state or a business.

The next article we found was this . The think tank is correct. Our state legislature is missing out on a tremendous opportunity to impose reforms within the state government that are so badly needed. Instead they have chosen to throw money at it to fix it. Haven't they learned that doing the same thing repetitively will only lead to failure? It's easy to see why none of these people made it above their current positions. They may be intelligent, but they lack the one item that truly makes them smart. That is called Common Sense.

The next article we found was this . We happen to agree with Mr. Small. While the state is still clawing its way out of a bad economy the legislature must look more towards keeping their campaign promises of building a more efficient and smaller government. They shouldn't lay the burden of over a half a billion dollar tax increase on those that are living from paycheck to paycheck. Just remember, elections are right around the corner.

Then we found this article . We were disappointed that the Governor didn't offer her resignation after the State of the State address, she should have. For her entire term in office she has tried every trick in the book to raise taxes or get us roped into an education system that dummy downs our students. Now she wants to raise taxes because it's easier than fixing the government she runs. Maybe if she would hire some more qualified staff she wouldn't have this problem.

Then we came across this editorial from KOCO-tv . We will disagree with them calling a bunch of businessmen and millionaires a grassroots organization. We really don't believe that this was their idea. They make a killing in tax deductions as it is from the state. Now they want more. Give us a break. You legislators should let them share some of the tax burden you are trying to lay on the citizens that make this state run.

The next article of interest we found was this. You don't get what the other guy gets and you get mad. You're doing the same thing they are. This sounds more like a school yard spat than an adult disagreement. Both of you should grow up and act like adults.

Then we found this article . The Governor seems confident that the tax increases will pass. Her budget shows no shortages for the next fiscal year. There is one big glaring hole in the budget that not one single legislator or the governor will admit to. That is the ability to attract new businesses to our state. How can they expect any large corporation to consider moving to Oklahoma when we have the high taxes and more turnpike miles than New Jersey. They just won't come. Where will a lot of our labor force go? Out of state of course. They want to work for a living.

The next article we found nailed it. This is not a program that will help the citizens of Oklahoma. This is a program designed to keep those in office there. They don't want people that won't do what the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce tells them to do.

Then there is this article . We would encourage you to open this link and read it. It makes the argument that even though the new wells will be taxed at four percent for the first three years, that is when they are most productive and should be taxed at the higher rate of seven percent. As it stands now in the Step Up and be Fleeced Oklahoma bill it's reversed which saves the oilmen millions and cost the state millions. That is no way to run a state.

We did find this article . We know Mr. Hargis and do respect him; however we do not see this as an opportunity for righting the state. We see this as a blueprint that will ultimately lead to the downfall of the state. This offers no incentive to bring other forms of business into the state nor does it offer any relieve from the myriad of turnpikes we have in the state. All this program has proven is that our state government is incapable of running a straight and narrow course of financial responsibility. With any luck maybe the Democrats will save the citizens again.

We'll use this closing as a fair warning for every legislator who votes for this oil and gas producer's protection act. We like to write about corrupt politicians and where their campaign money comes from. The research has already started and we'll work from the top down. Enjoy your session ladies and gentlemen we are sure going to enjoy ours.