$300 million increase for Oklahoma education

[Plutonic Panda]

I think education funding needs to be increased in Oklahoma. It should be feasible though. I feel sometimes Oklahoma doesn't take education as seriously as it should, but it does seem to be improving.

State school superintendent asks for $2.6 billion for Oklahoma education | News OK

Oklahoma Superintendent Seeks Huge Boost In Funding - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[ljbab728]

PluPan, you may want to change the title. They are asking for a total budget of $2.6 billion which is a $300M increase.

[Snowman]

PluPan, you may want to change the title. They are asking for a total budget of $2.6 billion which is a $300M increase.

With some of the bills around who knows, maybe a young senator was proposing to cut the education budget to zero with the gap to be filled by the private sector, to let the government stick to core services.

[Plutonic Panda]

PluPan, you may want to change the title. They are asking for a total budget of $2.6 billion which is a $300M increase.

Oops, you're right. My mistake.

[ljbab728]

With some of the bills around who knows, maybe a young senator was proposing to cut the education budget to zero with the gap to be filled by the private sector, to let the government stick to core services.

You're right. The state has to save as much money as possible for court fights about all of the unconstitutional bills that the legislature passes.

[Plutonic Panda]

Governor Calls For Lower Taxes, More Money For Education - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[frontallobotomy]

Haven't we been through the lower taxes, increased spending thing before?

[Midtowner]

Haven't we been through the lower taxes, increased spending thing before?

Have we? We have to balance the budget every year in Oklahoma, so either something has to be cut for this budget or revenues have to go up.

Since education was cut so bad in the recession, it's time to at least bring it up to pre-2008/2009 levels.

[Plutonic Panda]

Have we? We have to balance the budget every year in Oklahoma, so either something has to be cut for this budget or revenues have to go up.

Since education was cut so bad in the recession, it's time to at least bring it up to pre-2008/2009 levels.

But, is lowering the taxes the smart thing to do?

[Midtowner]

But, is lowering the taxes the smart thing to do?

Not without offsets for revenue, and just about every proposed manner I've read about is going to hit the poor and middle class disproportionately hard.

[Larry OKC]

But, is lowering the taxes the smart thing to do?

If memory serves, education was largely spared the budget axe even during the recession (not to say cuts didn't happen, but they weren't as severe as other agencies). Fact is that education still receives the lions share of appropriated monies (not counting the monies they get from dedicated sources that don't go thru the appropriations process).

Also, tax cuts are largely neutral or actually increase revenue. it is just moving one pile of money to another pile. As most folks when they have more money in their pocket, have a tendency to spend it, which the state recaptures in sales taxes. The states share of the sales tax is 4.5% and the income tax rate is 5.25% (?). As people spend more, they are buying more which means that more people have to be hired to sell and make the stuff, which lowers unemployment and other government expenses fall. All of that means more people are employed and have more money to spend, thus keeping the cycle going. The increase in sales tax collections also helps local entities like OKC MAPS projects.

[venture]

Not without offsets for revenue, and just about every proposed manner I've read about is going to hit the poor and middle class disproportionately hard.

The Oklahoma way? lol