Budget & Tax

AP Is Apalled, Apoplectic ...

January 19, 2009

Brandon Dutcher

... that Oklahomans are getting to keep some of their own money. Check out this lede: "A $600 million revenue gap Democratic Gov. Brad Henry and legislators must fill is only a fraction of the funding wiped out by a series of state tax cuts in recent years."

"Wiped out," huh? Sounds serious.

"According to Tax Commission figures," the AP continues, "tax reductions approved between 2005 and 2007 will surge past $1 billion this year and total $2 billion by the time they take full effect in fiscal year 2011."

"Surge," huh? Sounds ominous. Two billion dollars! Can you imagine such a thing? Oklahomans get to keep some of their own money instead of giving it to people to whom it doesn't belong. What next?!

"Republican leaders, who pushed hard for the tax reductions, are now in full control of the Legislature for the first time in state history and will have to deal with lost revenue and budget reductions," the AP continues.

But what about Gov. Brad Henry? He's the one who -- oh, how to put this? -- signed the tax cuts into law. Will Brad Henry "have to deal with lost revenue and budget reductions"?

The AP also reports that "the GOP leaders defend the reductions on both philosophical and economic grounds."

But again, what about Brad Henry? Does he "defend the reductions on both philosophical and economic grounds"? The AP doesn't tell us. Why not? After all, these GOP leaders didn't have veto-proof majorities. None of this surging and wiping out would be happening apart from Brad Henry's signature.

Great moments in Artful Partiality.