OCPA column: Government shouldn’t discourage work

Government shouldn’t discourage work

By Jonathan Small

To make Oklahoma a place where all people can thrive requires that we make Oklahoma a place where people can work.

Work matters. It provides people with a sense of purpose and self-control even when they face financial stress.

That’s why conservatives are so strongly opposed to government policies that incentivize people to stay on the workforce sidelines. Such polices have severe negative impact on individuals and society as a whole.

Gov. Stitt: ongoing fleet modernization effort has saved $5M+, turned in 572 underutilized vehicles so far

GOVERNOR STITT PROVIDES UPDATE ON ONGOING FLEET MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE

OKLAHOMA CITY (July 21, 2023) - Governor Stitt and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services provided an update today on the ongoing state fleet modernization initiative previously announced in February.

To date, agencies have turned in a total of 572 underutilized vehicles, saving Oklahoma taxpayers an estimated $5.15 million. Additionally, Geotab trackers have been installed in 3,200 out of 10,500 vehicles statewide.

Gov. Stitt signs executive orders aimed at shrinking government, improving efficiency

GOVERNOR STITT TAKES ACTION TO SHRINK GOVERNMENT, IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 8, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt signed three executive orders aimed at creating a leaner, more effective state government that delivers better services to Oklahomans.

"As a conservative, I believe in smaller government, so I am proud to sign these executive orders today to reduce the size of government and be better stewards of taxpayer dollars," said Governor Stitt.

OCPA: To combat coronavirus, unleash the private sector

To combat coronavirus, unleash the private sector

By Jonathan Small

The emphasis on “public distancing” to combat the COVID-19/coronavirus should not be mistranslated into an edict to stop caring or taking necessary action. These are the times we must all commit ourselves to extraordinary personal responsibility and individual initiative. We must be courageous, not fearful. We must be wise, not obstinate. We must be a good neighbor, not an isolationist. We must be innovative and not captive. We must be compassionate and not self-centered.

Our policymakers will need to increase, not decrease, our reliance on private-sector solutions and this challenge will require government to modernize and innovate.

To some, that will sound counterintuitive. Surely at a time like this, critics will say, we need to ignore what the private sector can do and trust big government more than ever. But Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden noted the failures of big government in a recent debate when it was suggested government-run health care was needed to stop the coronavirus.

“With all due respect to Medicare for all, you have a single-payer system in Italy,” Biden said. “It doesn’t work there.”

Solutions from the private sector are helping significantly. In Colorado, which has a Democratic governor, the state waived regulations so medical professionals licensed in other states could immediately become licensed in Colorado, expedited the process for those currently seeking a medical license in-state, and expanded the ability of medical professionals other than current doctors and nurses to test for COVID-19.

If you reduce regulation, you can increase supply. Government has the opportunity during these challenging times to embrace this reality.

Similarly, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, lifted regulations so trucks delivering alcohol can also haul grocery supplies. Shortages in some grocery stores were not simply the product of mass purchases, but also regulations that restricted supply.

In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued similar executive orders waiving red tape as well.

At the national level, President Trump has tapped major businesses to make testing for coronavirus both easier and more efficient.

Unfortunately, these common-sense approaches often run counter to some of the loudest voices. Thus, some suggest we need bigger government, an approach that would require tax increases at a time economic contraction was already underway in Oklahoma. Such moves would set us back as a state, not speed recovery.

Instead, Oklahoma’s economy needs several pro-growth policy reforms to prevent long-term devastation from the simultaneous assault of the COVID-19 response and the oil production maneuvers between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Oklahoma needs pro-growth tax relief and tax reform—including reforms to increase capital, such as building crowdsource funding infrastructure in Oklahoma, and expansion of tax credit programs that promote innovation and effectiveness in education and work-force training. These reforms are necessary, and the sooner they are enacted, the better for all Oklahomans.

These are the times when everything gets put into perspective, and we must prioritize what is most important. I have every confidence Oklahomans will lead the way.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

The Conservative View: Open the Gate

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

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Open the Gate

A wise man once said that any government is a burden and expense to the citizens. I feel that the burden should be as small as possible; every effort should be made to make the government involvement into our lives simple and efficient. Anyone who has ever started a small business knows the runaround from our government just to obtain the proper licenses and permits to do business. From personal experience I know how frustrating it can be when you start calling different agencies; when you ask questions invariably the answer will be “I don’t know”. If you are lucky, after a dozen or so calls you might start to make some headway in getting your question answered. From my experiences the most useful information was to talk to other business people who had gone through the same process. I have often said that there should be some agency that an inexperienced entrepreneur could go to that could help them through the process. Fortunately a bill has passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives that has the potential to make the burdens for our business people much lighter.

House Bill 2310, by Rep. Jason Murphey, establishes a pilot program to integrate several licenses and permits with a one-stop Web site administered by the Department of Commerce. The bill would encourage a real-time environment where business owners can receive instant license and permit approval. The business one-stop site was established by legislation initially approved in 2007. The goal of the 2007 initiative was to provide potential business owners a single location they could visit in order to help them start a business.

We Americans seem to have forgotten that the entrepreneurial spirit of our citizens is the driving force of our economy. Government programs very seldom have a lasting positive impact upon our economy. I have observed people that would want to start a business, when they saw all of the hassle and paperwork they would decide to forget their desire to start a small business. I feel that the American people are a lot like a pen full of fine racehorses, they are just waiting for the gate to be opened so that they can stretch their legs. I say open the gate and let the American people grow our way out of the financial troubles we are experiencing. House Bill 2310 passed the House with a vote of 66-33 and will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

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

The Conservative View: Modern Day Carpetbaggers

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

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Modern Day Carpetbaggers

Christmas has come and gone for 2009, while most of us will have fond memories of the time that we spent with our friends and families. One supposed gift that I am sure that all Americans will never forget is the gift that 60 United States Senators gave us earlier this week by advancing the health care bill (HR 3590). Those of us that cherish that liberty have huge concerns about allowing our government to have more control over the lives of each and every American. While some believe that we will have free healthcare, I have found that having blind faith in any idea or person will usually result in disappointment.

I come from the small business sector; with that experience I want to share some of my concerns about the consequences that we are likely to experience. We all like to go to a restaurant and eat a good meal, but I have observed that the cost of eating out is rising. The people that own and operate restaurants must make a profit; they must balance the cost to do business to the price that they can charge for their product. There is an old saying that says, “You can only charge what the traffic will bear”. Forcing business owners to provide insurance for all of their employees will result in many of them laying off some of their employees and scaling back their business in order to stay competitive. Now the very people that thought that they were getting healthcare for free could find themselves hunting for another job in an ever increasing jobless market.

Our country was founded upon the premise of equality for all citizens and the rule of law. It was appalling to see all of the deals made to certain senators in order to (for the lack of a better phrase) bribe them to support the bill. While some states will benefit from all of the sweetheart deals, others will be paying the bills. Our senators should be working to defend our liberty and freedom and to treat all citizens equal and fair. In my opinion, the leadership of the Senate is the equivalent of the carpetbaggers of the civil war era. In any conflict there are people not afraid to stand up and be heard, one such man is Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma. It is refreshing to hear from a person that believes in a limited responsive government, not one resembling a carpetbagger.

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