Why The 'Teacher Pay' Tax Increase Was Unnecessary

 

 

 

 

WHY THE TAX INCREASE FOR THE

TEACHERS PAY WAS UNNECCESSARY

THE WATCHMAN

 

Recently we here in Oklahoma had the dishonor of watching our state legislature cave in to the demands of the various teacher's unions at the expense of the tax payer. This didn't have to happen. To the shame of the legislator's and the Governor they demanded a tax increase and bullied their way to get it. There was never any discussion about reforming the education system. We the People of this great state lost because the unions and the State Chamber of Commerce wanted this to happen. The common hard-working citizen had no choice in the matter.

 

This caused was pushed by the lame stream, we meant main stream media propaganda arm of the union. One of these decades we may see them return to honest reporting, but not in the near future. What peaked our interest in this story was this article by a small publication called Non-Doc. They are one of the few online papers in this state that does a very good job of investigative reporting. What we found to be most disturbing about this article was the teacher's since of betrayal that an initiative petition to overturn the tax increases was launched almost immediately. We can't help but wonder if they realize that this is a log rolled bill and probably would not stand against a court challenge. The mistake was made when they included the other state employees in the bill for a pay raise.

 

Now we would like for you to open and read this next article. This is a report on the findings of the Joint Task Force on Tax Credits. What it won't tell you is that up until the mid-1980's, the state was limited in it's ability to give tax credits. Tax credits were primarily issued by city and county governments. That was repealed. The state decided it knew better to the tune of $6.1 billion dollars. Some of that money was returned to the politicians in the form of campaign contributions. This is occurring even to this day.

 

Another group out there that does a good job at investigative reporting is OklahomaWatch.org. A good example of there work can be found in this article. This will show you how Oklahoma stood against the rest of the nation from 1969 through 2017. We were far from the National Average consistently. It is pointed out that great strides were made in the first decade of this century but have lacked progress for ten years. Do we feel they deserve a raise, yes. But along with their raise must come reforms. Our students deserve better.

 

Another item that we found was this article. For all of you who are under the impression that this strike was just something they recently planned, you are terribly wrong. The states largest teacher's union has been planning this strike since last summer. The torn and tattered out of date books they used that was eaten up by the media was staged. Yes, the union produced fake news.

 

Now we took he time to go back a couple of years, when the unions started agitating for a pay raise, and compared rhetoric to fact. At the time the rhetoric was always the same. Oklahoma is last in the nation in teacher's pay. Facts are hard to hide, and we feel the unions were hoping no one would look into the actual facts. We did, and we limited our review to states that shared a common border with Oklahoma. We began with state profiles and this is the State Profile for Arkansas.

 

We next found this State Profile for Kansas. We would hope that our elected officials or their staff would have taken the time to do this type of research.

 

We next found the State Profiles Page for Colorado.

Then we found the State Profiles Page for Louisiana.

 

Then we found this State Profiles Page for Louisiana and Missouri. This actually gives you a chance to view the differences between two states.

 

Then we found this State Profiles Page for New Mexico.

 

Then we found this State Profiles Page for Missouri.

 

Then we found this State Profiles Page for Oklahoma.

 

Then we found this State Profiles Page for Texas.

 

That tells you what the differences are between the states. As you can see there isn't much. Now we are going to dig into the real story of pay and see why Oklahoma Teacher's are in such a fit. You must remember that the figures you see here are an average of salaries for all the teachers within a state.

 

We started by going to this site for the state of Kansas. The average salary for a teacher at that time was $47,755 a year.

 

We next went to this site for New Mexico. The average salary for a teacher at that time was $47,163.

 

We next went to this site for the state of Texas. The average salary for a teacher at that time was $51,890.

 

Then we found this site from the State of Oklahoma. Once you get to this site you are able to download the salary of all the current educators and administrative staff. Have fun.

 

Then we found this site for the Oklahoma teachers. Their average salary for a teacher at that time was $45,276. Regrettably there are working couples in Oklahoma that don't earn that much.

 

Then we found the site for Louisiana Teachers' Salaries. They made at the time an average of $49,745 a year.

 

Then we found the site for the Arkansas Teacher's average pay. At the time they made an average of $48,218 a year.

 

Then we can't forget Missouri. We found this site on Missouri's Teacher's pay. This indicates that the average teacher's ay in Missouri was $47,957.

 

It doesn't take a math wizard to see that Oklahoma teachers are some of the lowest paid educators in the area. These averages don't tell the entire story. These averages don't indicate what the starting salary is by state nor do they indicate the highest salary by state. The biggest item these averages fail to reflect for the state of Oklahoma is the cause for the lack of adequate funding for raises and the lack of appropriate standards for eligibility to become a teacher. We shall address both here shortly.

 

We can say that the lobbyist did their jobs well this year. The way we know this is by this article we found. This is from the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. If you will open the link and look under the section titled "Legislative Agenda for 2018" you will find that they are more about politics than business.

 

Then we found this devastating article. As parents frustratingly try to understand why their children cannot succeed in school or why they fail to maintain a job or can't read or write they have no knowledge that daily they are sending their most precious children to an education system that only requires a teacher maintain a 2.5 percent grade point average while attending college. We know that there are some highly educated and well-meaning educators out there who did better than a 2.5 percent grade point average in college, but the Department of Education needs to stop forcing mandated test on these students, so the teachers can do what they've been trained to do and that is teach. The minimum grade point average to become a teacher needs to be raised. Our children deserve better.

 

When we found this article we weren't really surprised. The scandal plagued government led by Governor Fallin has even made a stop at the State Department of Education. The individuals involved may have been cleared, but the involvement took their eye off the mission long enough to bring the end to quality education in Oklahoma. What a disgrace.

 

Then we found this article. This is something that we feel everyone was fully aware of. Spending per student can actually very from district to district. Although useful information, it fails to fill a gap in what is essentially a very real need of the state's ad districts. The funds used to collect this information could have been better spent in budget reduction or school grants.

 

We also found this report from the OkPolicy.org. This report is typical of a government that fails to properly manage the available funds. Our legislators would much rather give tax breaks to their corporate campaign backers than to educate our children properly. That puts the welfare of our children and our state at risk. Just think how far $6.1 billion dollars a year would go in restoring roads and fixing the infrastructure of this state. Just imagine how much improvement could be made to our education system.

 

Then there is this article. This is one that is a must read. It indicates that after analyzing a report, the report failed to include any state, county or city generated revenue to the schools. Quoting the article "Further, the report, from a progressive or liberal-leaning group based in the nation's capital, listed Oklahoma as having made the steepest reductions in state spending on public schools." We're not saying that there was a little bias in the report, but the article does indicate an increase in state spending on public education each year.

 

Then a very interesting question was raised by the OkPolicy.org. With the veto petition going on, should it make the ballot in November, will the pay raise for the teachers be delayed? We don't honestly know. We believe it will be held back however the funds for each teacher would be held in an escrow account and should the initiative fail, they would receive back pay.

 

As has been typical with our Governor and Legislature, they have once again opened their mouths and inserted their feet. We found this report where the Governor signed the tax bill she's been wanting for her entire term in office. Unfortunately, it may also face a legal challenge as it covers two different subjects. Not only does it give a pay raise to the teachers, but to save time they included other state employees in the bill. It's what is referred to as log rolling. It is also against the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. Just so the legislature could go home three weeks early.

 

In conclusion there are several options that we as citizens can take. The first is already out there, the veto initiative, which we support. The second is the court challenge which we support. We also support a primary challenge to any candidate that voted for this ignorant piece of legislation. We would also support an initiative for a state question raising the requirement for approval of a tax or fee increase to 85 percent. We would support lowering the term limits. We would support a petition for a state question that would give the citizens the right to recall their elected officials. No longer can we afford to let them run rough shod over us. It's time we put some fear of the people back into the government.

Is Todd Lamb the Right Choice? Really?

 

Call me Mary's Little Lamb Again and I'll Shoot you

 

IS TODD LAMB THE RIGHT CHOICE

WE'LL LET YOU DECIDE

THE WATCHMAN

 

Just Another Sheep, Mary's Little Lamb

 

From the beginning we will admit that we are not impressed with the career of Lt. Governor Todd Lamb. If there is anything he has learned about politics, it's saying half-truth's and what people want to here. It would be refreshing to here the truth from a politician for a change. We're not getting it from the two leading candidates in the Republican party. What has brought our attention to this story was this article from the Musgokee Politico that indicates that Mr. Lamb and a complete outsider with shady business dealings are tied for the lead at a miserable 19% of the population willing to vote for either one of them. As much as each candidate has spent, that's totally discusting and shows a lack of enthusiasm for either candidate. 

 

We started by going to his official web page at www.ok.gov . We found this page. We found it to be a rather boring and understated as to what he has done with his life. He has gone to college. He's an attorney, yet we found no mention of him ever having practiced the field for which he studied all those years to get his degree and license for.

 

We next went to his campaign web site. We specifically looked at his plan which you can see here. These are all the things that every politician in the state has been telling us for years. In truth he's just telling people what they want to hear. It's truly a shame that he had to drag his wife and children into this political duel. They deserve better than this. As is typical of liberal Republican's these days, he didn't even bother to identify the party he was running for on his web site. Is he ashamed of the Republican Party or what?

 

We next found this article. We would urge you to open this link and read it for yourself. You'll find that Mr. Lamb has been around the state political scene for most of his life. His father is a former State Senator and so is he. He has been around the state capitol since Frank Keating was Governor.

 

Then there is this article from the far left. He makes a good point about riding the Trump train into office, but he unfortunately, lets his liberal bias come through loud and clear. That's not good journalism. That's perpetuating a fake news story. We never saw anything like this when it was a Democratic President that was caught. Nor did we hear anything about the Democratic cheating scandal during the campaign.

 

We found a very good article in this story. What struck us the most about this story was the following quote "Lamb,46, a Republican running for Governor, has spent much of his adult life working at the Capitol – as an aide to former Governor Frank Keating, a state senator and as a lieutenant governor. He can hardly paint himself as an outsider in the governor's race.

 

He has instead argued that, in his current job, he's been a powerless spectator to the dysfunction in state government." We're not buying that b.s. story. He has been a part of the dysfunctional state government since the days of former Governor Frank Keating.

The next article of interest we found was this on tax increases. Now we don't know about you, but from where we stand, except for his brief service with the Secret Service, he's been nothing but a career politician. According to him in another report, which we will bring to you shortly, the state hands out $6.7 billion dollars a year in tax credits. That is enough for us to tell you that the State doesn't have a revenue problem that required a half a billion-dollar tax increase this year. It has a spending problem which they refuse to address just to pay their campaign financiers back for their campaign donations. The question is do we really want another career politician to be our governor. He's quick to tell you what you what you want to hear, but he's short on taking action.

News Ok asked several of the candidates about the recent tax increase for teachers pay raises. The results can be found in this article. We ourselves find it extremely difficult to swallow that the state ranked seventh in the nation as far as being the most fiscally sound would find it necessary to raise the taxes on the working class while barely taking a nibble from the corporate welfare program they operate.

This next article we found received a lot of publicity when it occurred. Most people thought it was a good thing. Those who watch Oklahoma's political scene took this as a political ploy. He fully understood that standing by any tax raising proposal would eliminate any chance he has of becoming the Governor of the state of Oklahoma. He saw a chance to jump ship and took it.

 

Then for the first time somebody looked at Todd Lambs non-profit. In this review the credit goes to OklahomaWatch.org for this article. The non-profit group is called the E Foundation. It is a registered 50 (c) 3 with the IRS. Quoting directly from their story "Part of the E Foundation's mission is to create nonpartisan programs that seek to help start-up businesses and grow jobs in the state. It also is planning to be a voice advocating for conservative and free-market policies, such as supporting charter schools, reining in government spending and ensuring the future of Oklahoma's military installations.

 

Experts in nonprofit law say the latter goal will require the foundation to walk a thin line because of its 501 (c) (3) structure greatly restricts it from engaging in lobbying and bars it from direct political activity." In short, they will have to form a new for-profit foundation to lobby to ensure the future of our military installations and they have the money behind this group to do it. We would urge you to open this article and read it for yourself.

 

We next found this http://oklahomawatch.org/2016/11/28/how-would-todd-lamb-govern/

from OklahomaWatch.org. They brought out the fact that as much as he has traveled the state while Lt. Governor, less than 50% of the people didn't know who he was or didn't care. Those are not very good numbers for as long as he's been in office.

 

We next found this article on his stance on medical marijuana. We found his stance was consistent with that of the former Attorney General. He has mis-read the State Question and has framed it as something it isn't. Most of the interview was spent trying to distance himself from wearing the mantle of those terrible words of an establishment career politician. We can't help but wonder if he's ever had a job that wasn't paid for by taxpayers?

 

We next found this article. Yes, we know he is a liberal reporter, but here he makes a very valid point. Governor Mary Fallin isn't his biggest problem. He's sitting there trying to convince everyone that he's a Conservative, when all the while he's cozying up to some big-time players in the Oklahoma economic market. Borrowing a quote from the Lost Ogle "For those of you new to the show, Larry Nichols is one of Oklahoma's revered, respected and feared Oil Overlords." He's been mentioned as a member of the E Foundation and is a former head of the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce. It is the opinion of our staff that electing Todd Lamb as Governor would be like letting the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce run the state. They already own the House and Senate.

This next article we found here, is worth opening and looking at the date. The date is important here. This is when he actually filled for the office of Governor of Oklahoma. The reason it will become important will become evident in the next paragraph.

 

The first hint of his campaign finance reports was found here at www.votesmart.org. We went through this report and found that it did contain numerous individual donors. There was also a list of expenditures. All had the appearance of legitimacy. What we didn't find was a list of donors from Political Action Committees, Unions, Political Parties or any special interest groups. We knew we would have to dig deeper.

 

We next went to www.votesmart.org to see what information they had available on him. What we found was this. We will say that it looks impressive, but it is typical of the path of a career politician. To those Veterans who are 100% disabled it's not. Hey wonder where his military service is.

 

We know that he was a former State Senator, so we looked at his voting record here. This does indicate a moderate Republican stance, yet he is running as a Conservative. He claims to want to do away with corporate welfare yet in this voting record we find that he is part of creating the problem. On April 5, 2008 they voted on SB 1819 Tax Rebates for Sports Franchises. He voted Yea. So, the OKC Thunder get a tax rebate and the hard-working citizens of the state get to pay over a half a billion dollars in tax increases. Tell us again how he is a Conservative because we aren't buying it.

 

We next went to the evaluation page and this is what we found. These are good numbers for business but not so good for the consumers. It's at this point we must ask who is he really working for?

 

The next article we found to be a little disturbing. It would seem that Bloomberg Business News is tracking the state of Oklahoma as if it was a corporation. That just goes to show how infested with corporate welfare the state has become. Our state is no longer working for We the People, they are working to enrich themselves.

 

The next article is from the RedState.com and proves that as Governor Mr. Lamb has no intentions of rolling back corporate welfare. We thank RedState.com for this great article. Quoting from the article "After squeaking through the Oklahoma House of Representatives, this oil and gas production incentive was at a stalemate in the Senate. Lt. Governor Todd Lamb, who now claims he is against these types of giveaways, came in on the rare occasion to cast the deciding vote as President of the Senate. He broke the tie by voting in favor of the subsidy." That doesn't sound like the vote of the man who is against tax subsidies to us.

 

Then we came across this article. We find it peculiar that a man running for office would not want to be interviewed as often as possible. Sure, he may not want to be interviewed by bloggers, but he seems to avoid everyone but the lame stream media.

 

This next article was no surprise. Former Governor Frank Keating endorsed Todd Lamb for the office of Governor. Mr. Lamb worked for the former Governor for several years in the past and this was to be expected.

 

 In closing we find that Todd Lamb is just another career politician trying to seek higher office to use as a stepping stone to even higher office. He is being controlled by the major players in Oklahoma's oil and gas industry and would not do what's best for the citizens of Oklahoma. He is fully capable of looking you straight in the eye and telling you a lie. He along with all the other candidates currently running for office for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General the House or Senate are all running contrary to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. Not one single individual has indicated that the would call for a State Constitutional Convention as required by our State Constitution every twenty years. The last state convention was held in 1974. That indicates that our elected officials have been unconstitutionally passing laws since 1994. All political appointments and all contracts they have signed are unconstitutional. It's time that We the People of this state hold their feet to the fire and make them do their job.

 

 

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Legislators As Ashley Madison Clients

POLITICAL LUNACY HAS TAKEN OVER AT THE STATE CAPITAL

THE WATCHMAN

Politicians can be snakes in the grass at times. We are about to present to you the case of one of those politicians that by all accounts condemns the leadership of the House of Representatives and proves that the House Ethics Committee is nothing more than a battering ram to be used against those who don't agree with the Speaker.

We have been aware of this situation for some time now, but what has really brought it to a tipping point is this story in the Muskogee Politico. His opponent in the primary election has filed a challenge against Mr. McDugle claiming that he has failed to meet the residency requirements to run for that office. From the information that we have obtained he may be correct.

Then we found this article from 2017. We would urge our readers to open this link and read the article for themselves. In it you'll find a copy of the actual Divorce Petition where Mr. McDugle is accused of adultery, basically mentally abusing his children. It is asked that he seeks counseling for his mental health issues on page five of the divorce application. Could this be the reason he left the military? Is this another case of un-diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? We think it's only a part of the problem at play here.

Rep. Josh West: The Man With No Self control

Josh West: The man with no neck and no self control

FAILURE BEGETS FAILURE

THERE IS A BULLY OR TWO IN THE HOUSE LEADERSHIP

AND THE SPEAKER LETS THEM GET AWAY WITH IT

THE WATCHMAN

A few weeks ago, there was a survey that asked a simple question. That question was "Is it better to have a former military individual in an elected office or not." As we have a retired military individual on our staff we asked him to respond to that question. His answer was "Not necessarily." With a former military or even a retired military individual you must look at their military background to consider their fitness for office. It is his considered opinion that any military personnel that have seen front line combat duty and have been injured during that time is in need of long term assistance to overcome the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that they deny that they have.

Okla Legislators Raised Taxes On Those Who Can Least Afford It.

LIKE THIEVES IN THE NIGHT

OUR LEGISLATORS RAISED TAXES ON THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT

THE WATCHMAN

Why is it when politicians do something they know the citizens will disapprove of, they always do it at the end of a day and leave hoping that nobody has heard about their decision to put the shaft to the working poor and middle class again? Could it be that the legislators are financially better off than the rest of us? Yes, we do remember a time a few years back when they tried to raise the bar so high that the average citizen could never afford to run for office. That was swiftly shut down. Instead of being honest with themselves and the citizens of this state they came like thieves in the night and robbed the citizens by adding additional taxes on several items just to feed a bunch of greedy school teachers whose results are far from stellar.