(Correction: This letter was updated at 11:10 a.m. Monday, May 22, to clarify that the requirement of a supermajority legislative vote for tax increases was instituted via state question. NonDoc regrets publishing the error.)
To the editors:
Republicans initiated a state question that requires a supermajority of legislators to raise taxes for any reason. Then, they ratcheted down income tax that benefited wealthy Oklahomans while mostly starving essential public services.
What could go wrong?
Now, Democrats are pressuring Republican legislators to raise gross production taxes on oil because Republicans need them for that voting supermajority they implemented.
Dems and many citizens want oil and gas to pay their fair share to fund Oklahoma education, medical care, roads and essential public services.
Oil tycoon Harold Hamm doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Of course not. He and his oil-company cronies told the Legislature where to set the lowest gross production taxes in the U.S. in the first place, and Oklahoma’s lawmakers did it.
I’m an old Republican, but I am disappointed in the lack of leadership by our Republican House, Republican Senate and Republican Gov. May Fallin. They’ve been in charge since 2010. Looks like it’s time for a change.
Anybody got one of those voter-registration forms?
Red Goldfarb
Yukon, Oklahoma
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