Posted on 12/24/2009 8:54:22 AM PST by dragnet2
Oklahoma has the unwanted distinction of having the largest revenue shortfall of any state, according to a new report.
That reality is illustrated by the state's revenue collections, which are down by more than 25 percent from a year ago.
The state last week ordered yet another round of cuts, this time instructing agencies to cut 10 percent from their budgets.
A November state budget report by the National Conference of State Legislatures says Oklahoma's 18.5 percent shortfall for the current fiscal year edges out Arizona's 18 percent, with Illinois in third at 16.5 percent.
State agencies appeared to be taken by surprise by the 10 percent reduction. Departments have been putting workers on furlough and cutting services to cope with the 5 percent reduction.
Lauri Monetti, a Department of Human Services spokeswoman, said the additional cuts threaten programs that have been protected to this point because of the federal matching money they attract.
She said cuts in one-time expenditures will likely be made first. She said the “effect will be more significant” if the negative trend in revenue doesn't reverse soon.
The prison system, which is more reliant on state general fund revenue than most departments, is still analyzing the situation.
Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said the agency has already had a round of early retirements and is running furloughs. The department work force is at three-quarters of its authorized strength.
lol....
On the wealthy, yes. Do you advocate higher deficits?
parsy, who dares to say it
About a year back I mentioned that Michigan has always been an economic early warning state and was called an idiot.
Bullshit....MSM (directed by Obama) tells us RECOVERY is going STRONG! Mui Stong! There’s not prolem here folks, just move along and keep voting for Democrats.
Oklahoma politicians are no different from any others. When the money rolls in, they spend it like Ted Kennedy in a bar, expanding government and starting lots of new programs. Then, lo and behold, the party ends, and they start crying about not having enough revenue. Even with all the spending, they still didn’t fix the roads and bridges which are in horrible shape.
OKC just passed an extension of an extra penny of sales tax to fund a massive boondoggle called MAPS. It is someone’s fantasy idea of what dowtown OKC should be.
In the Tulsa area, voters finally stopped the dream of the local chamber of commerce types who wanted to build fake islands in the river and put condos, restaurants, etc. there.
Just as in every other town, city, and state, there is no end to the fantasies people dream up for spending other people’s money.
Why is it that nobody ever asks if the money should be spent in the first place? How did everyone get suckered into the notion that government can provide economic development? Until we somehow convince people that government should be limited and the private sector is the only real source of prosperity and progress, we will continue to be saddled with ever-increasing levels of taxation and spending.
Give me the red pen, and I’ll find plenty of spending to cut, and none of it will involve public safety.
Can’t Oklahoma borrow money from one of their Indian casinos?
But, seriously, Oklahoma ought to be in better shape than most since they found a way to dry up the illegal population. And they led the way in closing meth labs. Seems they’re better positioned to survive the onslaught of freeloaders and drains on society that other more “tolerant” states.
They need to look elsewhere to find out why their shortfall is happening.
Tax and spend.
Soak the rich?
Really?
Some out here are smart enough to understand that government at all levels has become incompetent, corrupt and in many regions, has just morphed into outright criminal enterprises run by local insiders.
You can bet the rent on that suspicion
In Oklahoma, not Arizona
What does it matter?
That’s what happens when a Democrat Administration and Congress try to dry up domestic energy production and cut dollars to OK.
What the stupid Democrat Administration in OK didn’t mention is that we have a rainy fund that can be tapped with this type of economy that has over $600,000,000 in it right now and almost $700M which comes close to balancing the budget. Republicans only control three statewide seats on the Corporation Commission. All the rest belong to Democrats who run the State agencies. The Treasurer and Equalization Board had to certify the dire straights in order to tap into the rainy day fund which I didn’t see mentioned in the article.
Thanks Governor Henry for your poor leadership for 8 years as state agencies kept hiring and hiring. Gov Henry the Democrat Doofus was elected because of a Indy running. State Government has grown a lot. Henry keeps vetoing bills that would bring it in line. Republicans for the first time in history after 2008 control both houses of the legislature. Our Senate margin is so small that they cannot override Henry Vetos.
Mary Fallin will win the Governor’s seat and we should do well in most of the state races. Time to turn OK completely red at the state level as we have for President.
We really, really, really need to get to a place where people understand that government is a bad thing. It really is. We ought to expect very little from our government. Border control, national defense, a court system. That's it. It should take about 4% of GNP.
Anything more simply invites corruption.
As an Okie (1956-1995), this sounds awful. Probably even more serious
than the oil bust of (IIRC) 1982.
The state is conservative, but somebody let things get out of hand.
How kin this be happnin Norm? They told me this was all about Californicatin and Hollywood librawls..
Arkansas was the only state to default on their bonds during the Great Depression. The Federal Government ran the state for two years.
I think it was a penal colony.
Martial, who ain't never done nuthin' bad enough to be sentenced to Arkansas.
But I been to Oklahoma
Ignore Parsifal. He’s a left-wing troll and a jerk on top of it. He should’ve been kicked off a long time ago, but he is entertaining in an annoying way. That’s probably why he’s allowed to stay.
And this is just a flat out falsehood. California at 40 plus BILLION as a deficit far exceeds every other state. 12% unemployment in this state is record. AND the legislature is comprised of those like Pelosi and Boxer who continue to spend NO MATTER WHAT. Bleeech
Wow! I didn’t know that. My respect for my state (for 3 more days) just went up a notch.
parsy, who will be back in Arkansas in about 2 years (or hopefully less)
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