"Step Up Oklahoma" says they can solve OK financial woes

[Billybob]

Billy Bob should run for office since he is offering a plan to stop all instances of governent waste! Is it too late to file to run for governor?

Let's close all governent agencies and get rid of the waste AND save tax dollars!

Waste and outright theft which was the issue I was addressing are different. Still you'd think dealing with either would save money and improve the functioning of the agencies. If there does have to be tax increases they'd certainly be easier for many to swallow if reform and accountability went along with them.

 

[Glocktogo]

yes it does

No it doesn't

 

[Pokinfun]

No it doesn't

yes it does

 

[Pokinfun]

I know it doesn't. That's why they're always beggin for more every time the clock strikes 12.
A few years ago Vance AFB had a huge surplus they needed to blow to keep their $ allotment. They busted up the taxi ways and repoured the concrete. That's how finance works in .gov.

that is not a comparison.

 

[TerryMiller]

Yes....minority rule. 35 get their way....and my kids class sizes will go up another 5, maybe 10, students. If they are lucky they can have a 4 day school week too! You're doing fine Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Ok! Dead last in the country in edumacashun and no end in sight!!!

Don't look now, but most all of the previous ideas to "help education" didn't help, including the lottery. So, what makes one think that the "step-up" people had any better ideas?

 

[Lakenut]

Oil isn't going away any time soon. Big oil was on board with doubling gpt. Not a permanent fix but a step in the direction of at least slowing the bleeding.

For those who don' think education is in crisis mode...you don' have kids...or don't pay attntion to their school. My kids go to a school system that isn't know for having money or teacher issues. They have had openings last fall that still haven't been filled. That has never happened.

 

[okierider]

Oil isn't going away any time soon. Big oil was on board with doubling gpt. Not a permanent fix but a step in the direction of at least slowing the bleeding.

For those who don' think education is in crisis mode...you don' have kids...or don't pay attntion to their school. My kids go to a school system that isn't know for having money or teacher issues. They have had openings last fall that still haven't been filled. That has never happened.

I had kids in the system and voted repeatedly to fix the problem over the years, the problem is not the amount of money they are getting but the corruption. No amount of money will fix abuse!!

 

[Lakenut]

I keep hearing about corrption in education....can you cite specific instances?

 

[rawhide]

Waste and outright theft which was the issue I was addressing are different. Still you'd think dealing with either would save money and improve the functioning of the agencies. If there does have to be tax increases they'd certainly be easier for many to swallow if reform and accountability went along with them.

Like these:

• Lower Supermajority Threshold - Lower the supermajority threshold required in the Legislature to pass revenue-enhancing measures to 60%. This restores flexibility that allows legislators to better govern complex revenue matters, while preserving a threshold higher than simple majority that protects taxpayer interests.
• Budget Stabilization Fund - Establish a reliable annual funding mechanism to protect the budget in economic downturns.
• Line-Item Budget - Require the passage of line-item budgets with effective legislative oversight.
• Independent Budget Office - Creation of office specifically designed to root out waste, fraud and abuse across all government functions and identify synergies that can be gained throughout government.
• Revenue Transparency - Revises the state budget to increase accuracy and transparency from all state agencies to better reflect all sources of revenue.

 

[Billybob]

I keep hearing about corruption in education....can you cite specific instances?

I cited instances of corruption but you didn't seem to like it. Anyone can simply google "Oklahoma school embezzlement"(lot of hits nationally also, the Detroit scandal with 11 principals is a highlite). Also a search of "Oklahoma teacher arrested" gets a lot of hits and many of those cases result in lawsuit payouts which cost the public.