[Jennbenn2]

Great post!
[LEFT]
SQ 744 is wrong answer to education funding in Oklahoma
BY SCOTT MEACHAM Oklahoman 0 </SPAN>Published: October 3, 2010




There has been a lot of discussion about the merits of State Question 744. I must confess my bias. I am unabashedly for education and education funding. I have spent the last eight years fighting (successfully) to increase funding for education in Oklahoma, to increase teacher pay and to improve the overall quality of our education system. The last two years, I have fought to protect education from the steep cuts that other state agencies have had to endure.
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SQ 744 is wrong answer to education funding in Oklahoma





Although I am for education, I am against SQ 744.
SQ 744, if enacted, will cause devastating harm to our state. Over a billion new dollars will have to be appropriated by the Legislature to common education. That sounds good until you consider where the Legislature will have to go to get the money. It will not raise taxes. The voters defeated the last tax increase proposal in Oklahoma by a huge margin. Oklahomans don't like taxes. That means the money will have to come from the rest of the budget.
Supporters of SQ 744 tell us the Legislature can easily come up with the $1 billion-plus in new money for common education through growth revenue or cuts to noncore state spending. What they don't reveal is that their growth revenue projections are based upon the 2004-07 period when Oklahoma's revenues grew at the fastest rate in our state's history as oil and gas prices hit record highs and the national economy was booming.
The economic picture today is much dimmer. Additionally, state agencies have had to absorb historic cuts as we have tried to weather the recession. The average cut the largest state agencies have had to endure over the last two years is 11 percent, with transportation taking the biggest cut. The picture for next year doesn't look much better, with the Legislature facing almost $1 billion in one-time revenue it must replace just to keep from making additional cuts.
It is helpful to think of the state budget like a pie. Common education gets 35.6 percent of the pie followed by higher education at 15 percent, the Health Care Authority (Medicaid) at 14.5 percent, Department of Human Services at 8 percent, corrections at 6.9 percent, mental health and substance abuse at 2.8 percent, CareerTech at 2.1 percent and transportation at 1.7 percent. Together these eight agencies account for nearly 87 percent of the state's $6.7 billion budget.
If the Legislature is required by SQ 744 to spend an additional $1 billion-plus for common education, it will have no choice but to take from the other pieces of the pie and make even deeper cuts to the rest of the budget. That means further devastating cuts to transportation, public safety, higher education, human services, mental health, Medicaid, local health departments and CareerTech at a time when there is no fat to cut. It will likely mean the elimination of some state services.
Please join me in defeating this poorly conceived question and vote no on 744.
Meacham is state treasurer, and serves on the governor's Cabinet as secretary of revenue and finance.
Over a billion new dollars will have to be appropriated by the Legislature to common education.



Read more: SQ 744 is wrong answer to education funding in Oklahoma | NewsOK.com[/LEFT]

[StillwaterTownie]

I'm still voting yes on SQ744 because legislators have had long enough to adequately fund education, even though they spent thousands of our tax dollars to fund a special study that determined that it was, indeed, true that Oklahoma was short funding education. They even tried to keep secret from the public results of the study. So face it people, Oklahoma legislators will never adequately fund education, unless directed by law to do so by concerned citizens. They are so bound and determined not to be made obligated to adequately fund education that they want you to vote yes on SQ 754, because passage of it would invalidate SQ744. The fact that SQ754 adds that it can not be repealed is reason enough to vote NO.

Also please vote YES on SQ750. Passage of it will require fewer signatures on a petition to get a state question on the ballot. Oklahoma as it is now has one of the toughest requirements of the states in using the petition process in this way.

[Three Ducks]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

I'm still voting yes on SQ744 because legislators have had long enough to adequately fund education, even though they spent thousands of our tax dollars to fund a special study that determined that it was, indeed, true that Oklahoma was short funding education. They even tried to keep secret from the public results of the study. So face it people, Oklahoma legislators will never adequately fund education, unless directed by law to do so by concerned citizens. They are so bound and determined not to be made obligated to adequately fund education that they want you to vote yes on SQ 754, because passage of it would invalidate SQ744. The fact that SQ754 adds that it can not be repealed is reason enough to vote NO.

Also please vote YES on SQ750. Passage of it will require fewer signatures on a petition to get a state question on the ballot. Oklahoma as it is now has one of the toughest requirements of the states in using the petition process in this way.

Regarding SQ744 - I totally agree. I think it is shameful that the state is only required to spend $42 ANNUALLY on each student. And quite honestly, this state is going to remain poor if people don't start investing in their children's educations.

People might be interested to check out how much of their income they're contributing to the state in comparison to other areas, and how little they benefit as a resident from their contributions. Maybe they would view things little differently.

[debbie at bouontiful]

If taxes are raised, will that bother you? Texas has no income tax but ours is about to go up. I already voted NO.

[Three Ducks]

Originally Posted by debbie at bouontiful

If taxes are raised, will that bother you? Texas has no income tax but ours is about to go up. I already voted NO.

No, it wouldn't bother me one bit. My son's future is worth the money spent. In fact, we're leaving Oklahoma at this point and going to a state with much higher taxes.

This state is so incredibly mis-managed it's insane. There are only 18 states who pay more of their income into taxes - Oklahoma has one of the highest tax burdens in the country. Yet, there is no money for the schools roads or bridges. Where is the money going?

[mkfarnam]

17 Reasons to reject SQ 744
To begin with, it won't work


#14.
Tuition at state colleges and universities would skyrocket with SQ 744.

University of Oklahoma President David Boren and Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis have estimated that if SQ 744 passed they might have to seek tuition increases of 15 percent to 20 percent for three consecutive years. One legislator predicts that if SQ 744 passes, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University would quickly have the highest tuition rates in the Big 12 and the state's regional universities - ironically, the so-called teachers colleges - would have tuition rates higher than any school in the Big 12 except OU and OSU. State college students would get no improvement in the quality of their educations for that money, just a higher bill for the same product.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at...

17 Reasons to reject SQ 744 | Tulsa World

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by debbie at bouontiful

If taxes are raised, will that bother you? Texas has no income tax but ours is about to go up.

Like wiae.

[Three Ducks]

Originally Posted by mkfarnam

17 Reasons to reject SQ 744
To begin with, it won't work


#14.
Tuition at state colleges and universities would skyrocket with SQ 744.

University of Oklahoma President David Boren and Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis have estimated that if SQ 744 passed they might have to seek tuition increases of 15 percent to 20 percent for three consecutive years. One legislator predicts that if SQ 744 passes, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University would quickly have the highest tuition rates in the Big 12 and the state's regional universities - ironically, the so-called teachers colleges - would have tuition rates higher than any school in the Big 12 except OU and OSU. State college students would get no improvement in the quality of their educations for that money, just a higher bill for the same product.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at...

17 Reasons to reject SQ 744 | Tulsa World

That's an editorial piece. Anyone with an opinion can write one of those.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Three Ducks

That's an editorial piece. Anyone with an opinion can write one of those.

Yes. Meaning what?,,,,

[Three Ducks]

Originally Posted by mkfarnam

Yes. Meaning what?,,,,

Opinions don't equal facts. I could tell you that I think the moon is made of cheese. Or, I could just say "The moon is made of cheese" as if I have some evidence that this is a fact. That doesn't make it real.