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Senator Hobson Responds to Latest Tax Diatribe, Gov Attempts to Divert Attention From Education

Statement from Senator Cal Hobson, Senate Appropriations Vice-chairman:

"I'm glad Governor Keating has started to follow the legislative process, but I wish he would follow it a little more closely before he issues his next erroneous press release on the progress of tax reduction initiatives.

For example, the proposed tax cut on marginal wells is not 'stuck' in conference committee as Governor Keating believes, it has been reported out for floor action.

The Governor also failed to mention another tax reduction, a $30 million cut in unemployment taxes for existing Oklahoma businesses, that is currently moving toward passage. I'm sure Governor Keating would have highlighted the proposal if it was authored by a Republican, but it wasn't. Our magnanimous Governor just can't force himself to admit that Democrats support tax cuts too. The difference is we've tried to tie our tax reductions to economic development, whereas the Governor has constructed his tax package for political gain. His tax cuts would not create a single new job.

When it comes to the our state's tax ranking, Governor Keating has apparently bought into the fiction peddled by Tom Daxon, so much in fact, that he can't even perform a simple math equation. In his press release, the Governor noted that "nine other states have already had their Tax Freedom Day", thus making Oklahoma a "middle tax state" in his estimation. That may be true under the zany tenets of Daxonomics, but the last time I checked, 50 minus 9 equaled 41. If Governor Keating truly believes 41 is half of 50, his problems are even greater than I imagined. The faulty arithmetic does explain volumes about the executive budget.

For the Governor's explanation, reputable tax rankings place Oklahoma at 44th in per capita state/local tax burden.

I just wish Governor Keating would devote as much time to education, as he does to writing erroneous press releases tax rankings.

The latest statement from Governor Keating is another rather weak attempt to divert attention away from his flimsy, almost non-existent budget for education. Education is the top priority in the Legislature, it is anything but that in the Keating administration. If Governor Keating is truly interested in promoting economic growth, he will stop issuing diversionary press releases, and endorse the legislative proposal to give $218 million new dollars to education."

Contact info
Timothy S. Linville, Media Specialist, (405) 521-5698