Monday, August 14, 2006
VISIT WITH PARTY DIGNITARY
The Militant Moderate and two friends met for lunch with an officer of the Oklahoma Democratic Party this week. This meeting was prompted by expressions of concern made previously to ranking figures in the stae party. These included a number of different points, such as the influence on the party of leftist groups seeking their own agenda through the party, failure to field strong candidates, and a failure to challenge republicans campaigning on religioous virtue and tax cuts instead of the real issues and problems of the average voter.
As a result of the meeting, we came away very impressed with the mental agility of the party spokesman, his quick command of voter statistics, and the compilation of a computer data base on voter demographics and polling issues. Our concerns were not assuaged, however.
We are still quite concerned with the failure of party leadership to focus on issues which our position clearly differs from the opposing party. National weaknesses such as mismanagement of the Iraq War and Katrina, the inept effort to scuttle Social Security, loss of middle income jobs, bankrupting the nation with tax cuts for the wealthy and war spending, and incompetence in foreign affairs -- all should be exploited in the state. A gallon of gas is now 60% of the minimum wage for an hour's work. The president's approval rating is down to 33% again. Two-thirds express disapproval of the republican-led Congress.
Perhaps the most irritating part of the conversaton was the party officer's repeated statement that "Oklahoma is well off," and not affected by national woes.
The Militant Moderate would take issue with the belief that Oklahoma is "well off" and unaffected by blunders. Oklahoma is cutting taxes for the wealthy while the state continues to go further into debt each year -- adding perhaps as much as a billion dollars to that debt in the last two years. Issuing bonds payable from future general fund income, while clearly not constitutional, continues to be an annual occurrence. State debt in the form of billions of unfunded liability in the teacher retirement system remains unaddressed. A multi-million dollar law enforcement training facility has been sitting idle in Ada because of no appropriations to function. Yet we cut taxes by $600 million? Do we need a new definition for "conservative?"
Oklahoma incarcerates more women proportional to population than any other state, and ranks in the top ten in total incarceraton rate. We have jails full because prisons are populated heavily with the mentally ill, substance abuse offenders, and non-violent property offenders. We have a "lock 'em up and toss the key" mentality, but no willingness to pay the bill. We offer few rehabilitation programs in mental health, or in basic, vocational, or higher education for prisoners in Oklahoma. We have foolishly closed most of our mental health custodial treatment beds.
Oklahoma's property tax rates are 47th lowest in the nation. The state and local tax burden of our citizens is 40th in terms of proportion of earnings. Per capital state spending is $1200, or 42nd in the nation proportionally.
Who is getting taxed in Oklahoma? The top 5% in income pay 9% of that income in state and local taxes, while the lower 60% in income are paying 11% of theirs in taxes. Why? Because we rely so much on the sales tax. And, who benefited most from the recent income and estate tax cuts about which republicans brag so much in their campaign ads? Right, it is the high income group. They should be ashamed.
The Militant Moderate and his friends contend that there is much wrong in Oklahoma, and that the wrongs are becoming worse as a result of the type of unreasoning, ultra-conservative republican involvement in state affairs that we have witnessed. Moderates of both political parties need to reject those leaders and actively work together to move Oklahoma forward in a progressive but cautious political fashion.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
