The Budgeting Elephant in the Lawmakers' Room

   The State Budget elephant in the room has just recently appeared at the State Capitol, and like the new Dos Equis "world's most interesting man" commercial - if there is one, he brought it. Instead of the world's most interesting man bringing the elephant - corporatist lawmakers brought it. The "elephant in the room" at the capitol is the gross production tax. It's the missing link and the last "elephant" for balancing the state budget. Almost all tax increases have been agreed to by the Senate and House (republicans and democrats) for balancing the state budget including a cigarette sales tax increase, gasoline tax increase, income tax reduction freeze, specific fee increases, and many more tax increases for ordinary Oklahoma taxpayers. The one sticking point is a rollback of gross production tax reduction to the rate of five or six years ago, from the present 2% to 7%. Some budgeting experts say it could raise as much as $300 million each year, and reduce the state budget deficit by 33%. Corporatist lawmakers, not republicans or democrats, won't hear of it, however, so the stalemate continues...
   A gross production tax rate rollback to what it was until recently, is the elephant no self-respecting corporatist wants the public to see. The reason for this balanced budget blockade by corporatist lawmakers is really very simple - the love of money. Many Senators and House members have accepted as much as $5,400 from each corporation not wanting their severence taxes increased. The lawmaker beneficiaries are enough in number to squelch any consideration of a gross production rate increase. Several corporate owners (George Carlin's 1973 rant which can be seen on YouTube) are now "cashing in their chips" and demanding a "return on investment" (ROI) for providing $thousands to their corporate cronies (corporatist lawmakers). The "corporate cronies" have thus far stalled the gross production rate increase, thereby providing the demanded ROI for the out-of-state corporations and "for profit" non-profits.
   We may see who the real winners are by the end of today, Friday, May 19, 2017. It will be either Oklahoma citizens... or out-of-state corporate entities and corporatists. Then again, we may not see the end of the budget melee, as corporatists at the capitol may extend the budget negotiations into a special session - in order to make more money. It's what they do...