Another Trickle Down/Low Tax Paradise Shits the Bed
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When the GOP took full control of Oklahoma government after the 2010 election, lawmakers set out to make it a model of Republican principles, with lower taxes, lighter regulation and a raft of business-friendly reforms.
Conservatives passed all of it, setting in motion a grand experiment. Now it’s time for another big election, but instead of campaigning on eight years of achievements, Republicans are confronting chaos and crisis. Agency budgets that were cut during the Great Recession have been slashed even deeper. Rural hospitals are closing, and teachers are considering a statewide strike over low wages.
“I’m not scared to say it, because I love Oklahoma, and we are dying,” said Republican state Rep. Leslie Osborn. “I truly believe the situation is dire.”
Oklahoma’s woes offer the ultimate cautionary tale for other states considering trickle-down economic reforms. The outlook is so grim that some Republicans are willing to consider the ultimate heresy: raising taxes to fund education and health care, an idea that was once the exclusive province of Democrats.
“Without new recurring revenue, we can’t fix these problems,” said Osborn, who was ousted as chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations and Budget committee for her outspoken support of tax increases.
It seems to be an issue like slavery, and won’t die until you drive a stake through its savage evil heart. Do another 600,000 Americans need to die over this issue too?
It seems that they do. “Tax cuts work” is the zombie lie that simply will not die. Of course, it is helped along by democrats like John Carney who still believe in it in spite of all evidence.
Education has been a threat to bigots, rubes, religious fascists and despots since the Galileo days
Let Kansas and Oklahoma revert to the dusty hellholes God meant them to be.
These stories always make me feel like secession is worth considering.
Can’t be any worse than this liberal shit hole state.
What a dumb comment. Read the linked story and you’ll see you’re just dead wrong. That can’t be your real name, or you’d be embarrassed to post a comment like that.
Well, hard not to say they deserve it and more, they did the same insane shit that Kansas did and got exactly the same result. Both states are filled to the brim with fools, there can be no doubt. Have they learned their lesson? I doubt it, let them wallow in misery some more, maybe it will sink in.
Tom’s such a good boy.
@Tom “Can’t be any worse than this liberal shit hole state.”
Which you seem to enjoy well enough to have made it your home. What’s that say about you?
Delaware IS a low tax state. Schools suck, can’t drink the water, can’t eat the fish… obviously we don’t have enough taxes or regulations.
Most regulation and taxation is best done at the federal level. It’s a team sport – if you leave it to the states, each state will try to undercut its neighbors for the greediest and dirtiest corporations.
TIL…. Oklahoma’s state flag is a Native American symbol with blood-red crosses on it?! jesus creepin shit….
This is not a liberal state. It’s a corrupt state
And we rely on being the home of corporate crooks for our state’s lifeblood
The idea that a hedge fund manager or corporate attorney who officiated a same-sex wedding or supports abortion rights is “liberal” is a scam. We’ve all been hoodwinked. The idea that the 25 years plus assembly line of garbage governors are somehow “liberal” is incorrect and dopey.
Mouse is correct.
There’s nothing liberal about Carney, Markell, Purzycki, Coons, Carper, pistol Pete, et al. They all carry water for organized money and let the poor and the sick and the homeless rot.
But they aren’t overly racist so they’re somehow “liberal.”
Thank you sir, it doesn’t happen often lol