Debate on reducing state income tax

[onthestrip]

The main reason our state is doing relatively well is because of the current energy boom. There are uneducated people with a pulse making $150k in the oil field staring at pipes. This is probably not sustainable as a long-term economic development strategy.

This.

The good times right now aren't because of recent tax cuts, they are because of the oil and gas deep underneath us. Like you said, I know several people I went to high school with that wouldn't even know how to craft a resume, let alone have things to put in it, that are making dang good money. They aren't making that money because of tax cuts.

[Bunty]

April tax revenues in Oklahoma broke an all time record for April. That record can't be credited to tax cuts, since it's been 2008 or so since the last state income tax cut.

Yet, with record breaking revenues coming in, Republican legislators want to raise the cost of getting a drivers license to $12. Interesting how they choose to respond to other needs in state government services by trying to cut income taxes again.

[Just the facts]

However there is hope. Kerry and I actually agreed on something on this thread. He's definitely further to right than me politically, as I'm very much a centrist, but I also don't throw out common sense that so many do. For some reason sticking to the biased political leanings, regardless of how many times the statements are proven wrong or misleading, seems to be the only way people act on both sides.

I'll bet I am further to the right than anyone on OKCTalk. You are right though that sticking to biased political leanings isn't helping because for the most part, those ideas are just wolves in sheep's clothing. Why anyone on the right can support tax exemptions, tax credits, and tax deductions is beyond me. That is just using the tax code to manipulate the economy, the free markets, and for politicians to select life's winners - all things the right-wingers say they don't like. Of course, the left does it to by having extra taxes on certain items (but I suspect many of them DO want the government performing those functions). It reminds me of that Labyrinth game where you have to roll a steel ball around a maze while avoiding all the holes so you can get to the finish line and win. That game would be a lot easier if we just got rid of the maze and holes.



This is how the 1%ers do it.

[ljbab728]

Yet, with record breaking revenues coming in, Republican legislators want to raise the cost of getting a drivers license to $12. Interesting how they choose to respond to other needs in state government services by trying to cut income taxes again.

Actually, what they are wanting to do is raise it by $12 up to $33.50.

[Larry OKC]

Out of one side of their mouths, Republicans love to talk of cutting income taxes, so people can have more money to spend. Then on the other side of their mouths, pass a bill to increase drivers license by $12. Oklahoma Senate Approves Fee Hike For Driver's Licenses - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

I agree it is a bit hypocritical. Even though I have been a life-long registered Repub (it was a tossup when I registered at 18) but it came down to the labels themselves. i knew we live in a Constitutional Republic/ Representational Democracy. Personally in the past few years I have little use or respect for either party. I have voted for both and been disappointed/betrayed with the votes.

Of course the argument goes that they aren't raising taxes but increasing fees. there was a court case a few years ago (but must have been in a dissenting opinion), that a tax was a tax was a tax no matter what euphemistic label they tried to slap on it. Think it had something to do with the super majority to raise taxes but fees etc don't have the same requirement.

[zookeeper]

I agree it is a bit hypocritical. Even though I have been a life-long registered Repub (it was a tossup when I registered at 18) but it came down to the labels themselves. i knew we live in a Constitutional Republic/ Representational Democracy. Personally in the past few years I have little use or respect for either party. I have voted for both and been disappointed/betrayed with the votes.

Of course the argument goes that they aren't raising taxes but increasing fees. there was a court case a few years ago (but must have been in a dissenting opinion), that a tax was a tax was a tax no matter what euphemistic label they tried to slap on it. Think it had something to do with the super majority to raise taxes but fees etc don't have the same requirement.

Are you thinking of the Supreme Court's upholding of the Affordable Care Act? It was the Solicitor General (in support of the administration), who argued the opposite of what the administration had argued during the campaign, that the mandate was indeed a tax, John Roberts based his deciding decision on that very fact. A tax is a tax is a tax. So ironically, the mandate being a tax, which Obama had said it absolutely was not, but his own Solicitor General argued it WAS is what saved ObamaCare in the Supreme Court.

[Larry OKC]

zookeeper: no, the one I saw was a Oklahoma court (probably State Supreme) a few years back now when the company I worked for printed the Oklahoma Bar Journal and we had to proof the files for formatting.

[zookeeper]

zookeeper: no, the one I saw was a Oklahoma court (probably State Supreme) a few years back now when the company I worked for printed the Oklahoma Bar Journal and we had to proof the files for formatting.

That would have been an interesting job. I'm sure you literally saw all the fine print and had to shake your head.

[Larry OKC]

Zoo: many many times to be sure...we also printed the bills for the House of Representatives during session...won't blame it for my receeding hair line but it didn't help matters any