Deevers files bills to end income tax, feral hog hunting hurdles, and EPA diesel regulations

State Sen. Dusty Deevers has filed a bundle of new bills that are well worth consideration by the Oklahoma Legislature:

Deevers Introduces Tax Cut Elimination Bills, Other Tax Cuts

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan 15th) — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, has introduced a slate of legislation to reduce the tax burden on Oklahomans, including the following.

• SB305 to immediately eliminate the State individual income tax.
• SB322 to immediately eliminate the State corporate income tax.
• SB308 to gradually reduce the income tax by 1 percent per year until eliminated by 2029.
• SB323 to gradually reduce the State corporate income tax by 1 percent per year until eliminated in 2028.
• SB311 to reduce the gross production tax on the oil and gas industry from 7 percent to 5 percent.
• Various tax credits for Oklahoma families and family-oriented initiatives, including SB228, SB281, and SB328.

Gov. Stitt, Treasurer Russ celebrate Oklahoma's improved credit rating

GOVERNOR STITT, TREASURER RUSS CELEBRATE ANNOUNCEMENT OF IMPROVED CREDIT RATING

OKLAHOMA CITY (February 14, 2024) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt and Treasurer Todd Russ celebrated Oklahoma's strong financial standing after Fitch Ratings released their revised Rating Outlook, moving Oklahoma’s rating from 'Stable' to 'Positive.' Fitch Ratings becomes the third rating agency to improve Oklahoma's outlook within the last year, following Moody's and S&P.

OCPA: Biden administration’s fiscal policy has echoes of Afghanistan

Biden administration’s fiscal policy has echoes of Afghanistan

By Jonathan Small

Amidst the ongoing chaos of U.S. withdrawal, it’s widely understood that the Biden administration’s handling of Afghanistan is a debacle that will have long term, negative consequences. Unfortunately, the administration’s approach to fiscal policy falls into the same category.

The spending package initially approved as a COVID bailout in 2020 was enormous, but some could defend it as a once-a-century emergency response. Instead, Washington politicians are now treating it as a floor for future spending, creating levels of deficit spending unimaginable just a few years ago.

The consequences of that spending are already being felt by working families in Oklahoma, and the situation will only get worse with time if it is allowed to continue.

A recent forum hosted in Oklahoma City by the Millennial Debt Foundation, which seeks to “lead a generational conversation about fiscal stewardship, the role of the federal government and America’s deficit spending crisis,” highlighted facts that all citizens should hear.

McCall, Wallace comment on first meeting of LOFT Oversight Committee

STATEMENT: Speaker McCall on First Meeting of LOFT Oversight Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – “When I was elected as Speaker back in 2016, it was clear the agency budget hearing process was not as efficient and transparent as it should be, and that lawmakers did not have enough time to fully vet budget requests or analyze how effectively agency programs were serving Oklahomans. Since that time, we have strived to make the entire budgeting process more efficient and accountable to the Legislature, which is charged with stewarding the taxpayer dollars we use to run government. LOFT is another important piece of that multifaceted approach – along with recent efforts to rebalance state boards and commissions and efforts to audit state agencies on an annual rolling basis – aimed at instilling accountability, transparency and efficiency into our government. Not only will LOFT track appropriated dollars and analyze agency programs, but it will also provide lawmakers information prior to agency budget request hearings that will allow us to make better informed decisions. I am very appreciative of Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat and his willingness to address this issue in a way that will make our process much more productive.”

Wallace Comments on First LOFT Meeting

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Appropriations and Budget Chair State Rep. Kevin Wallace (R-Wellston) today commented on the first meeting of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Oversight Committee. Wallace was appointed co-chair of the committee by House Speaker Charles McCall. Sen. Roger Thompson, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is also co-chair.

“We had a very productive first meeting,” Wallace said. “Now that we have all committee members in place, we were able to do a deep dive on the statute and our responsibilities as a committee. We were able to assign members to working groups and start to work on establishing a calendar by which we want to have certain action items accomplished.”

The LOFT office and the committee were established with the passage and signing into law of Senate Bill 1 this year. The overall goal of the office is to increase transparency and accountability of the expenditure of taxpayer dollars by state agencies. The 14-member bipartisan and bicameral committee is charged with overseeing and guiding the operations of the office.

Wallace said one of the working groups established in today’s meeting will examine the requirements of the LOFT executive director, so the committee can begin a search for that individual. A director will need to be in place before the beginning of the legislative session, he said.

A second working group will establish the rules for LOFT, which will have to be approved by the Legislature during the next legislative session. The committee also set the date for its next meeting, Aug. 20.

Wallace said members hope to have proposed rules soon. They plan to utilize preliminary LOFT information beginning next session and even more detailed information every legislative session after that.

“This office is necessary for conducting the business of state government,” Wallace said. “The public deserves to know how their tax payer dollars are spent and the benefits of each program and service they pay for as administered by state agencies. This nonpartisan office will help us better track such spending and the necessity of items detailed in agency budget requests each year. Lawmakers are hopeful we can find any waste and improve the efficiency of state government to benefit our citizens.”

Wallace said elected lawmakers are tasked with appropriating funding to state agencies to manage programs and services for Oklahoma. The sheer number of appropriated state agencies combined with the number of new lawmakers each year because of term limits predicates the need for additional help in tracking the intricacies of agency budgets and their yearly requests for state funding.

He said LOFT staff will be able to regularly:

• gather information related to proposed agency budgets;
• evaluate the extent to which each agency fulfills its statutory responsibilities;
• determine the amount of revenue available to the agency from various sources;
• compare current budget information to prior agency requests; and
• conduct an investigation of any agency as needed to fulfill its responsibilities.
• The office also is authorized to conduct performance evaluations, independent comprehensive performance audits and will provide up-to-date information and analysis on state spending and the performance of state programs and service to the House and Senate to aid in the yearly appropriations process.

Aside from Co-Chairs Wallace and Thompson, other committee members are:

• Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow
• Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City
• Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond
• Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa
• Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City
• Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa
• Sen. Kim David, R-Porter
• Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee
• Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer
• Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Guthrie
• Sen. Michael Brooks, D-Oklahoma City
• Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City.

Heritage: With Budget Deal, Trump’s Fiscal Legacy No Different Than Obama, Bush

Winfree: With Budget Deal, Trump’s Fiscal Legacy No Different Than Obama, Bush

WASHINGTON — Tonight, Secretary Mnuchin and Speaker Pelosi released the final details of their backroom deal to bust through 2011 Budget Control Act caps and raise the debt ceiling. Paul Winfree, director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, released the following:

In a rare moment of fiscal discipline, Congress’ passage of the Budget Control Act (BCA) in 2011 placed caps on discretionary spending. Since its passage, Congress has routinely violated the spending caps with no regard for the consequences. This latest deal effectively renders the BCA dead. 

On top of the new spending, the deal suspends the debt limit for the next two years, piling on as much as $2 trillion more in debt. Hitting the debt limit ought to be a wake-up call for lawmakers to confront our nation’s unsustainable spending. Instead, many in Washington will celebrate the increased spending from BCA’s demise. But anyone concerned about the nation’s fiscal health should be alarmed. 

This deal comes less than four years after President Trump campaigned to balance the budget by cutting spending and after his administration produced three budgets to move toward fiscal sustainability. Few forces would threaten the president’s pro-growth agenda more than $22 trillion in debt fueled by unchecked government spending. If President Trump takes this deal—the worst in a decade—his fiscal legacy will be no different than the Obama and Bush administrations that he has criticized.

Sens. Ford, Halligan, Mazzei to launch new think tank

State Senators John Ford (R-Bartlesville), Jim Halligan (R-Stillwater), and Mike Mazzei (R-Tulsa) are starting a new think tank to focus on state issues. Ford and Mazzei are both leaving the Senate due to term limits, while Halligan opted to not run for a third and final four-year term.

From Oklahoma Watch:

Mazzei, a certified financial planner, told Oklahoma Watch that the Opportunity Project will reflect the views of fiscal conservatives like himself on issues of state finance, education and health policy.

“Our goal, in the era of term limits, is to offer policy ideas and institutional knowledge to members of the Legislature who would like to have some expertise that doesn’t come from lobbyists and agency employees,” Mazzei said.

Mazzei said organizations such as OK Policy and OCPA play an important role in the legislative process, but generally lack the insider perspective gained from years of service in the House or Senate.

“Our ideological friends out there sometimes make proposals that sound good on paper, but they don’t work in the real world,” Mazzei said. “And neither do they understand the political realities of how to get stuff done at the Capitol.

“That level of detail and expertise frankly just doesn’t exist at the think tanks,“ he said.

Ford leaves office with a lifetime Conservative Index score of 63, Halligan with a score of 45, and Mazzei with a score of 64. Comparing those scores to the rest of the Senate, Mazzei is tied for 13th most conservative/19th most liberal, Ford is tied for 14th most conservative/18th most liberal, and Halligan for 22nd most conservative/9th most liberal (2nd most liberal Republican).

Read the full story at Oklahoma Watch here.

Government Shutdown? Not So Fast

With the looming battle over the Continuing Resolution (CR) funding bill, this article sheds some light on what would happen during a potential government "shutdown".

Psst. No shutdown during a 'government shutdown'

Social Security checks would still go out. Troops would remain at their posts. Furloughed federal workers probably would get paid, though not until later. And virtually every essential government agency, like the FBI, the Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, would remain open.

That's the little-known truth about a government shutdown. The government doesn't shut down.

And it won't on March 5, even if the combatants on Capitol Hill can't resolve enough differences to pass a stopgap spending bill to fund the government while they hash out legislation to cover the last seven months of the budget year.

Not quite what the media is playing up as a "shutdown", huh? Click here for the rest of the article.

GOP Pledge: Cut $100B? More like $35B

During the 2010 congressional campaign, Republican House leaders issued a Pledge to America, wherein the GOP leadership made pledges to make spending cuts, repeal ObamaCare, and make congressional reforms, among other things.

One of the most prominent pledges was "we will roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone [emphasis mine]".

A lot was made about the House Republican's intent to cut at least $100B from the budget in their first year of control. However, it seems that this particular pledge won't actually come to fruition.

It seems that the House GOP leadership is planning on cutting $74 billion from the budget. That is, $74 billion from President Obama's 2011 budget proposal. As Erick Erickson said today on RedState.com, "There’s just one problem — the Democrats left power without ever passing Barack Obama’s budget. In other words, the GOP is cutting $74 billion from a budget that does not even exist." In actuality, the GOP leadership-proposed cuts amount to about $35 billion less than the 2010 budget.

"We're going to cut at least $100 billion. No, make that $74 billion. Actually.... $35 billion. What? Is something wrong? Pledge? What 'pledge'? Oh, 'at least $100 billion in the first year alone'? Well..... yeah, about that..."

Our fiscal situation is in a mess. Everyone agrees on that. It's a total and bipartisan wreck. We have to do something about it, something major. Halfhearted, hesitant nibbles won't cut it. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has found $350B in waste, fraud and duplication that could be eliminated. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has proposed $500B in cuts.

That's more like it. As Sen. Coburn has said, we have an apocalyptic fiscal crisis on our hands. Our national debt now stands at over $14,000,000,000,000.00 (14 trillion dollars). We stand on the brink. Now is not the time for hesitant indecision. Either we take the plunge into national fiscal ruin -- or we take the plunge and make the deep cuts necessary to balance our budget and pay down our debt as speedily as possible. There is no other option.

My hope is that the Congressional Republicans will finally get the message, and do the right thing for our nation, even though it is hard. It remains to see whether or not they will summon the courage to do so.

The Conservative View: Paychecks and Payment Books

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner and conservative activist Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Paychecks and Payment Books

We Americans have become a people that, for the most part doesn’t ask what something costs but rather how much our payments will be. Whenever we want to purchase something we want to know if our paycheck is large enough to cover the additional payments that will be required for the new purchase. When I was growing up most of my neighbors, like my parents, tried to avoid going into debt for anything. Many of them lived through the great depression and knew firsthand the pitfalls of being in debt. They understood that anything that you owe for can potentially belong to someone else if you fail to make the monthly payment. I can remember one of my grandfathers telling the story about the time during the depression that he almost lost his home because he owed a small amount of money on it and the payment was due and he had no job or cash to make his payment; fortunately he had a friend that was able to loan him the funds to save his home. Making payments based upon what your paycheck is can be a risky form of economics. Even in the best of times there can be downturns that can cause any of us to be without an income for a period of time.

Borrowing money is always a risk but it can be necessary for economies and business to grow. I was raised to save a nest egg and to have a substantial down payment then borrow the rest. The point that I am trying to make is, while debt can be necessary, we need to be cautious when borrowing. I believe that our government should exercise the same cautions that any good businessman would use in his business.

How would you feel if your grandparents, when they were young, could purchase items on credit and delay the payments for their grandchildren to pay? Any logical person would not think that would be a good idea, especially if he or she was the grandchild that had the inherited responsibility to pay for their grandparents spending spree. If we would only take the time to look at what is going on with our national spending, we are doing the exact thing to future generations of Americans.

It was Thomas Jefferson that said, “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes”. We Americans will be voting on November 2nd for the people to run our government, I urge you to choose the ones who understand the proper use of paychecks and payment books.     

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.  

The Conservative View: Handwriting on the Wall

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner and conservative activist Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Handwriting on the Wall

I guess it is just a part of human nature for us when we are young to believe that we will never grow old and we will always be strong and energetic. I am reminded of an old story in the Bible about an ancient king being warned by a hand that appeared and wrote a message of warning to the king. As I see a little more grey hair each day, I also see the need to prepare for the day when I can no longer work yet still have the income to live a modest but comfortable life. As a conservative I believe in personal responsibility and the using of good fiscal sense, if we don’t see the handwriting on the wall we are all going to pay a huge price in our so-called golden years.

A lot of people have faith in some retirement system either from Social Security or some state retirement plan. Both of the systems are experiencing problems and I feel that the problems will only get worse. In the case of Social Security, the baby boomers are retiring and the number of those paying and those receiving are getting closer together every day. Another fact; the retiring baby boomers were paying more into Social Security because many of them were at their peak salary. In the case of many of the state retirement systems, the contributions were borrowed from by the lawmakers who were in charge of the system to fund other government projects or the funds were invested in a falling stock market.

Some states are already raising the retirement age to prolong the inevitable reductions of benefits. Social Security is also facing a train wreck, we have heard the warnings for years but very few politicians have the will power to do the things necessary to fix the problem. I do know that we Americans have gotten into the mentality that problems can be fixed in a year or two, but we are facing decades of sacrifice in order to correct the problem. I have noticed that many Americans are unwilling to make the sacrifices; far too many of us have the mentality of just let someone else take the hit and leave me alone. For those of us that can see the handwriting on the wall, we know that we need not rely upon the government but to rely upon our own abilities to provide for ourselves in our later years.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

Brogdon: Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Passed TABOR?

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Passed TABOR?
Brogdon says spending limit needed to control growth of government

(Oklahoma City)- “Don’t fear the budget cuts if TABOR passes, fear the budget cuts if TABOR doesn’t pass.” That’s what Senator Randy Brogdon used to say to opponents of the taxpayer bill of rights. Time has proven him correct.

A spending limitation law is the answer according to the Senator. He says Oklahoma’s current spending limit is too easily ignored. Prior to the current revenue drops, “we increased spending between 6% and 13% every year,” while the Oklahoma economy grew little more than 3% in those same years.

Brogdon says, “Allowing Government to grow three or four times faster than the economy is unsustainable as we have found out over and over again.”

Senator Brogdon says Oklahoma has a spending problem. In five of the last ten years Oklahoma has failed meet proposed spending levels. “If you can’t pay your bills half of the time, you are spending too much money,” said Brogdon.

In fact, state government’s failure to meet budget demands has resulted in drastic, monthly, across the board budget cuts in state agencies and services with little regard for need. “The decisions we should have made for ourselves are being made for us by the balanced budget law,” said Brogdon.

Brogdon acknowledges that passing TABOR would not have prevented the national economic problems that led to the most recent collapse in state revenue. He notes, “it would have given us the opportunity to make our spending decisions based on need. We would also have spent less money and have a third more funds in reserve.”

Brogdon, a candidate for Governor, says spending increases should be limited to the percent increase in inflation and population. “This allows government to grow at a sustainable pace in conjunction with the growth of the economy. This will be a top priority as Governor of Oklahoma.”

One difference Brogdon notes from the last TABOR proposal, “state revenue collected in excess of the spending limit can be used for one time capital expenditures. This will allow Oklahoma to address pressing bridge and road repairs without adding to the budget baseline.”

Brogdon states that he is the only candidate for Governor likely to make a spending law a priority. “Congresswoman Fallin has never spoken in favor of spending limits, Lt. Governor Askins has opposed them, and Attorney General Edmondson tried to put the grassroots organizers of TABOR in prison.”


You can learn more about Brogdon's candidacy by visiting his website. His opponent in the Republican primary is Congresswoman Mary Fallin.

The Conservative View: Déjà Vu

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Déjà Vu

Déjà vu is the feeling that we have been somewhere before. One of our greatest abilities is to learn from our mistakes. If we are smart, we will learn from the mistakes of other people that have had the same problem. Sadly we know this, but far too often we choose to ignore common sense and go down the path that will ultimately lead to problems that could have been avoided. Over the past few days there have been financial troubles that are causing ripples across the world.

Those problems have originated in the nation of Greece. No longer are investors just losing boatloads of money, people are starting to lose their lives! I have found that we humans love our material possessions, and whenever anything or anyone threatens those possessions chaos isn’t very far behind. Everyone from air traffic controllers to teachers left their posts. Tens of thousands of protestors hit the streets, hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails. There were several deaths reported due to the unrest in Athens alone. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have pledged 143 billion dollars to bailout Greece but they are demanding concessions such as slashing public sector wages, freezing pensions and boosting taxes.

The Greeks don't want to see their wages, salaries, and standard of living collapse. And they're stark raving mad; especially because the measures are being crammed down their throats at a time when unemployment is already running at a six-year high of 11.3 percent. The problems in Greece stem from a simple fact: The country lived way beyond its means for far too long! Politicians borrowed and spent like mad, assuming the day of reckoning would never come. The major cause of the problem in Greece was caused by interest rates taking huge jumps.

Our government has manipulated interests for a long time in this country to keep them low; with all of the deficits in our national budget we could be facing similar problems in this country. If Greece had tried to get its house in order before interest rates surged, it probably would have avoided the disaster unfolding before our eyes.

The path that the Greeks took sounds a whole lot like the path that our leaders have taken. I hope that we can avoid the feeling of Déjà vu and the problems the Greeks are experiencing. We Americans are not that much different than the people of Greece. I do not want to see riots in our cities because of a government failing to put common sense ahead of deficit spending.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

CPAC 2010 Straw Poll Results

The 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), hosted by the American Conservative Union, started Thursday, and concluded on Saturday. Somewhere around 10,000 conservative and libertarian activists attended this year's conference - said to be a 20% improvement over last year.

A straw poll was taken, standard fare at CPAC. Here are the results.

CPAC 2010 Straw Poll (Poll details - PDF)

• Ron Paul - 31%
  
• Mitt Romney - 22%
  
• Sarah Palin - 7%
  
• Tim Pawlenty - 6%
  
• Mike Pence - 5%
  
• Newt Gingrich - 4%
  
• Mike Huckabee - 4%
  
• Mitch Daniels - 2%
  
• Rick Santorum - 2%
  
• John Thune - 2%
  
• Haley Barbour - 1%
  
• Other - 5%
  
• Undecided - 6%

Straw poll of 2,395 CPAC registrants, February 18-20, 2010

Ron Paul continues his track record of winning straw polls (or should we say, over-performing?). This is where the poll needs to be clarified.

Only about 25% of the CPAC attendees bothered to vote in the straw poll. 13% of voters were associated with a CPAC cosponsor (such as the NRA, Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation, the John Birch Society, and the highly-controversial GOProud - a gay conservatives group), 32% were individuals (i.e. non-college age), and 48% were students.

Fiscal issues came out way on top for the attendees; pro-life and pro-traditional marriage issues ranked very low. Not an accurate sampling of the grassroots Republican, or the primary electorate.

Age-wise, 54% were between 18 and 25 years old, 19% were 26-40, 14% were 41-55 years, and 10% were over 55 years of age. 64% of voters were male, 30% female, and 6% refused to answer.

So, the typical voter in the straw poll was a young, college-attending male, focused on fiscal issues. In other words, the standard Ron Paul supporter. In light of this, and given the strong libertarian bent of CPAC, I am not surprised that Ron Paul won the straw poll.

The Conservative View: Armadillo Holes and Horses

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Armadillo Holes and Horses

Anyone that has ever ridden a horse knows you have to have some intelligence for your protection and that of the horse. A good cowboy knows that he has to be aware of his surroundings and know the territory. If the cowboy is riding the horse on a well maintained race track, he can run the horse at full speed and not worry about dangers such as armadillo holes and such. On the other hand, if the cowboy is riding in an unfamiliar field he must go at a slower rate and watch for dangers that could hurt him or his horse. If the cowboy is riding in the forest he can run the risk of being knocked off by low hanging limbs. In the long run, the most sensible thing to do is to slow the horse down before you hurt him or yourself. Riding horses is a lot like spending money; all of us need to slow down to avoid being hurt.

In the 2009 fiscal year we Americans have run up a budget deficit of 1.4 trillion dollars. It is easy for us to hear those numbers and become numb to them, but that amount is roughly 10 percent of our total economy. The alarming thing is that amount is triple what it was just a few short years ago. The only time the deficit came close to reaching that percentage was during times of war such as the Second World War. There are projections that over the next decade the red ink will increase by an additional 7.2 trillion dollars. Over the past few days there has been talk that congress will have to raise the debt ceiling. The current $12.1 trillion limit could reportedly jump by as much as $1.8 trillion.

It has become a joke that our government will ever limit the growth of debt. When the debt reaches the $14 trillion point the ceiling will be raised again. Out here in the real world you would be hard pressed to find a banker that would just keep loaning you more money, especially if you were already in debt so deep that you couldn’t pay off what you already owe. We Americans need to take a lesson from the cowboy who knows when to slow the horse down and prevent injury to himself and his horse. Like a horse stepping into an armadillo hole, the black hole of debt can be just as dangerous.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

The Conservative View: The Future Costs

Better late than never... this week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner.

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

The Future Costs

A couple of nights ago I watched The History Channel documentary about World War 2. Most of the people today do not appreciate the sacrifice that our parents and grandparents made to protect this nation and our way of life. Our way of life was paid for with the blood of that generation. With hard work and good fiscal policies the United States became the dominate power on the earth militarily and economically. It is sad that today many Americans do not understand the meaning of sacrifice and the duty that we adults of today have for future generations. We Americans had better start to wake up and see that our stature as a nation is shifting away from us because of our poor, or lack of, spending discipline.

We're in hock as a nation like never before. Neither the current administration nor Congress has any viable plan to change that fact. And both the actual and hidden costs of our debt are rising every day. Our public debt can boggle the mind, currently it is over 12 trillion dollars. In 2009 alone we have added an additional 1.4 trillion debt. Even with the cheap interest rates we have now, the interest on the debt is 202 billion dollars. If that 202 billion was divided up to the entire population of the United States, every man, woman and child would receive a check of $656.00. While there are some people who are obsessed with the health care legislation, they need to realize that if we don’t get a handle on our spending problem all of the taxes we pay will go just to pay the interest on the debt. In a very short period of time we can forget about defense, health care, Social Security or anything else. We will experience the biggest shift of the balance of power that the world has ever seen.

Today we have an unhealthy reliance upon the nation of China; already they are the largest owner of U.S. debt. If the Chinese ceased to buy any more of our debt it would send our economy into a tailspin. We won the cold war with the former Soviet Union, but I have found that the bigger enemy can be the country that controls the purse strings. If we don’t learn some spending discipline the legacy that we leave future generations will be a nation that has lost its world influence not because of losses on the battlefield but because of poor finances.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

The Conservative View: Wheelbarrows and Money

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner.

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Wheelbarrows and Money

For any country to be a world power they first must have a strong economy. Most people would think a strong military is the only requirement, I feel that the economy and the value of any currency has a direct impact upon the stature of a country. For generations the American dollar has been the currency that was welcomed anywhere in the world. Even our enemies admired our strong currency. I believe the dollar was strong because of the conservative values our forefathers lived by.

It is amazing to me how the American people hardly raise an eyebrow when the American dollar loses value to other currencies around the globe. It is especially sad for the people who have retired and are relying upon their savings to take care of themselves in their later years. To put it into perspective, if you buy a radio today from Japan for 10 dollars then in a month the dollar loses half of its value the same radio would cost you 20 dollars. If you have a total collapse of the value of a currency, all of your life’s work would be for nothing. The more fortunate people would be the ones that are still able to work, in such a scenario their wages would be adjusting at a continual rate. There have been countries where the workers would get paid on a daily basis so that they could spend their money quickly while it still had some value. In Germany after WWI, the hyper inflation was so bad that it would have taken a wheelbarrow full of money just to buy a loaf of bread.

One of the main causes of hyper inflation is a country living beyond its means. Whenever a country goes into debt and keeps borrowing money or printing money just to operate is one of the major causes. In our personal lives, if a friend wants to borrow money from you then you find out that he has borrowed from all of his other friends, you are going to be reluctant to loan him anything. More than likely if you do loan him some money you are going to require a higher interest rate to offset the extra risk. Many Americans have fallen in love with all of the government spending; if we keep spending maybe it would be a good idea to save enough to buy everyone a wheelbarrow so that we can haul our cheap money around.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

The Conservative View: Optimist or Pessimist

This week's Conservative View, from Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner.

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Optimist or Pessimist

We all like to have better things such as a new house or a better auto, but all of these things require more money. Over the past year we have seen the fallout of stretching our finances to the breaking point. People that have lost their jobs are on the verge of losing everything because they cannot pay their bills. Often these people have to take a job that does not pay what they are accustomed too. In the good times we have a habit of assuming that the good times will always be here and we don’t have to worry about our finances. Personally I prefer to have a small nest egg and plan for the worst and hope for the best. One of the biggest flaws that many people have is the inability to budget their money and prepare for the worst. If we can avoid locking ourselves into too many financial obligations, we can have the flexibility to get through the bad times. Next year we Oklahomans will have the ability to vote on a State Question that could remove any financial flexibility that state budget makers now have.

State Question 744 would require Oklahoma to increase it’s per pupil spending to the regional average. While we all want to have quality education for our children, we need to remember that other agencies in the government also have to be funded. Granted, Oklahoma education spending ranks low in the country, but so do other agencies in state government. For example, corrections, transportation and a host of other agencies are also short of money. Tax revenues are like a bucket of water, there are only a certain amount of drops in that bucket. The only way to increase the amount for education is to pass more taxes, consolidate smaller schools, reduce or eliminate certain classes or courses, or plan for extra tax revenue because of future growth or the most likely - simple cutting the budget of other agencies.

We had better weigh the costs very carefully when we go to the polls to vote on State Question 744. The money necessary will have to come from somewhere and the other state services may have to take a hit in order to satisfy the funding requirements for SQ 744. I try to not be a pessimist,but I have found that the difference between an optimist and a pessimist is the pessimist has more and better information.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, click here.

The Conservative View: Pro Choice?

This week's 'Conservative View', from Russell Turner.

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Pro Choice?

For years there has been a huge debate on the abortion issue in this country. There are two camps, one being pro choice and one pro life. The purpose of this column is not to debate that issue, but to put the heath care debate into a perspective that we can relate too. To me it is ironic that the biggest proponents of the huge government takeover are for the most part pro choice in the abortion debate.

The founders of this country created our form of government to have as little impact on the citizens of this country as possible. One of my favorite quotes was from Thomas Jefferson, “ the government that governs best governs least “. Have we forgotten that the purpose of government is to protect our freedoms that are endowed by the creator? I agree that the cost of health care has risen, but what hasn’t? The cost of autos and a host of other things have risen at a fast rate also, often because of the manufactures having to comply with government regulations. We Americans have a habit of being willing to pay any price for something we want and complain about the price of the things we need. Now that the government owns General Motors, I wonder if the American people would tolerate the government telling them what kind of car and what color they need. I will bet that there would be the biggest revolt you would ever see if that were to happen, but many are willing to set back and let the government decide life and death decisions about our heath care.

There may be a place for some government involvement in heath care, but it should be limited. One of the things that I found very offensive is the idea of end of life counseling. The patient, family and spiritual leader, not some government bureaucrat, should make those difficult decisions. Before any of us begin to place all of our faith in government just look at the track record. Social Security and Medicare are programs that were supposed to provide for all Americans, now both are a ticking time bomb that in my opinion will retire a long time before most Americans.

We Americans like to be able to determine our own destiny. If we want to remain pro-choice in that aspect, we had better take a hard look before we embrace socialized medicine.

If you want to contact Russell, or wish to subscribe to his email list, click here.

Important Meetings for Muskogee Residents on Tuesday

There will be two important meetings for Muskogee-area resident on Tuesday. First, from the Muskogee Phoenix:

Muskogee voters are invited to attend a public question-and-answer forum concerning the three sales tax increase proposals on the June 9 city ballot.

The town hall meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Roxy Theater.

City Manager Greg Buckley and other city officials will be there to answer residents’ questions concerning the three proposed increases that would total .75 percent or three-quarters of a cent on a $1 purchase if passed.

The taxes are proposed to address a series of Muskogee needs, including replacing a city sewer line and water lines, repairing streets and a training center for police and fire.

The forum is sponsored by the Phoenix, and if you have questions regarding the meeting, call 684-2920.

And now the second one:

National organizations Americans for Prosperity Foundation and American Majority are proud to announce a series of joint grassroots town halls around Oklahoma called

“The Barnstorming Tour for Liberty!” to build awareness of local and state issues amongst citizens around the state and communicate to them how they can be more involved in their community. This tour is a “do not miss” event for all Oklahomans who love their freedom and want to be an active participant in the fight for liberty.

Over the course of these three days, events will be held in eight cities at the following locations and times:

Enid on Monday, May 18th, at 7:30 a.m. at Wee Too, located at 4002 N 4th St.

Ponca City on Monday, May 18th, at 12:00 p.m. at Head Country BBQ, located at 1217 East Prospect

Bartlesville on Monday, May 18th, at 6:00 p.m. at Montana Mike’s Steakhouse, located at 3825 SE Adams Rd

Claremore on Tuesday, May 19th, at 7:30 a.m. at Eggbert’s, located at 900 South Lynn Riggs Boulevard

Tahlequah on Tuesday, May 19th, at 12:30 p.m. in the “H Room” of Cherry Springs Restaurant, located at 704 East Ballentine Road

Muskogee on Tuesday, May 19th, at 6:00 p.m. at Cowboy’s BBQ, located at 401 North York Street

Lawton on Wednesday, May 20th, at 8:00 a.m. at IHOP, located at 1060 NW 38th St.

Altus on Wednesday, May 20th, at 12:00 p.m. at Val’s Restaurant, located at 800 N Main St.

The cost of attendance is FREE and includes training and training materials. (Meal not included)

In reference to the upcoming tour, American Majority Deputy State Director said, “Each of these events will be an outstanding opportunity for Oklahomans to hear from two great organizations in AFP and American Majority. Our hope is that the folks we talk to can first find out what is happening in their community, state, and country and then discover the role they can play in our ongoing pursuit of freedom.”

Set to kick off on Monday, May 18^th and go through Wednesday, May 20^th in cities throughout Oklahoma, the tour will cover 8 cities across the state over the course of 3 days.

AFP State Director Stuart Jolly said: “These stops are meant to highlight and answer the ‘What’s next?’ question posed at the recent tea parties in order to make a real difference in real peoples’ lives.”

Each stop along the way will feature information about Americans for Prosperity Foundation and American Majority and the function each organization plays in the cause for liberty. This tour will highlight current issues facing Oklahomans. There will also be a time for discussion regarding the ongoing efforts at the local, state, and federal levels of government to renew free market and limited government principles.

I highly encourage you to try to make one or both of these events.

Tax Day Tea Party in Muskogee

Anyone up for a Tea Party in Muskogee on April 15th? Join the Facebook group and RSVP for the event, organized by your humble servant.

Check the soon-to-be-unveiled TeaPartyMuskogee.com for more details in the coming week or two.