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High-tax states can't pay their bills (EDITORIAL)

High-tax states can't pay their bills (EDITORIAL)

The Oklahoman Editorial, NewsOK
Published: October 28, 2010

From time to time we hear the lament that Oklahoma's budget problems are traceable to tax cuts in this decade. Were that so, states that raised taxes this decade should be better off. They're not.

Blaming tax cuts for Oklahoma's budget woes is the province of the class envy caucus. Astute observers and politicians such as Gov. Brad Henry don't agree. They recognize that the recession has squeezed governments at all levels.

California, Illinois and New York are featured in a recent stateline.org roundup of states where governments are so strapped that they can't pay the bills.

In California, failure to close a budget deficit prevented the state from paying $8.3 billion in bills — including state tuition aid for 41,000 community college students. The budget stalemate was political as well as fiscal. For the students, it was a nightmare... FULL ARTICLE

 

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