The Oklahoman Editorial, NewsOK, Published: July 5, 2010
LAST week, we commented on the plethora of requests for legislative interim studies. We didn't mention the joy of perusing the language of these requests. One referred to a bill "designed to attract Capitol” to the state. Since the state already has a Capitol (the building in which the Legislature meets), the reference must be to "capital.” As in money. By why was "Capitol” capitalized?
Another request sought a study on moving residents of an institution for the developmentally disabled to group homes and questioned whether the quality of care would be "effected.” To put it another way, how would it be affected?
State Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, unsuccessfully sought an interim study on a plan to "enjoin” Oklahoma to Kansas and Texas with a network of passenger railroads. Either he meant "join” as in link, or Morrissette was referring to the seeking of an injunction in a court of law.
Our favorite little ditty from the study request proposals was this outpouring of bureaucratese on ad valorem tax reimbursement: "Currently 1 percent of the state income tax collected is put into a fund for this program. This will study the issue itself and the possibility of other funding sources to keep this program fully funded instead of looking for revenue to see if funding is available.”
Lawmakers, study this: Plain speaking!
Raid wrath
Legislative raids on dedicated funds such as the one for tire recycling and the Insure Oklahoma program have drawn our wrath on a number of occasions. Consider what's going on in the northeastern United States and its potential to play out nationwide. Ten Northeastern states have a program in which credits for carbon emissions are auctioned to electric utilities. The latest quarterly auction raised $80.5 million, and the money is supposed to go to energy efficiency and environmental programs, says Stateline.org. Lately, though, the money has been sucked into the black hole of general government. Result: A program created to fund one thing is raising money to fund completely different things. Think that wouldn't happen if a national cap-and-trade system is successfully promoted as a way to finance alternative energy sources? Think again. It would suck cash from the private economy and redirect it to pet spending targets. FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Mon, July 5, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski