Claremore Daily Progress

Dear Editor:

The editorial in Wednesday’s Daily Progress concerning the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights was filled with misconceptions.

You admitted that the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights would send surplus tax revenue into emergency and budget stabilization accounts.  But then you criticized TABOR for not putting enough side in those accounts.

The fact is the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights would mandate a certain percentage of government surpluses to be set aside for periods of emergency or economic downturn.  Such fiscal discipline during the good times will allow Oklahoma to weather economic troubles much more comfortably during the bad times.  At the very least, it would be much more responsible than the current system, where the legislature spends all its revenues each year.    

You also implied that TABOR would not allow for population increases. 

In fact, the opposite is true.  TABOR limits the increase in taxpayer money government can spend each year to the sum of inflation plus population growth.  Therefore, spending can increase with the population – but at a reasonable, sustainable rate. 

As you said, the state has legislators who are supposed to make important fiscal choices.  A Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights would force those politicians to be good stewards of taxpayer money.  The legislature must budget wisely and make tough spending decisions rather than simply raising taxes to cover costs.

I thank you for allowing me to clear up any misunderstanding, and urge anyone seeking more information about how TABOR would benefit Oklahoma to visit www.afpok.org.

Sincerely,

Mike Osburn