NewsOK
The Oklahoman Editorial
Published: October 17, 2010
Reading David Blatt's memo to state political candidates is a road map toward bewilderment — as in wondering why anyone would volunteer to run for office this year.
Blatt is with the Oklahoma Policy Institute and a keen state budget analyst. Earlier this month, he fashioned a "Memo to Oklahoma candidates and elected officials" in which he concludes that the winners in November "will face difficult choices in filling large budget holes and balancing the budget over the next two to three years."
And that's just the short-term bad news! Longer term, Blatt wrote, elected officials face a growing "fiscal gap" between the cost of providing state services and the revenues available to fund them. If State Question 744 passes, that "fiscal gap" will turn into the Grand Canyon.
This problem isn't unique to Oklahoma. In state after state, elected officials are grappling with the fact that even large tax increases may not bridge budget gaps for very long... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Sun, October 17, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski