| Oklahoma's Republican politicians have another indictment to face in the growing class warfare narrative. The candidate filing fees were massively increased in recent years, effectively making citizen representation more favorable to the affluent. It's a massive poll tax on a citizen who dares to take up the notion that we are a government of the people. Sure, the state will let you vote for free, but you cannot dare be a leader for free. It now costs a citizen a minimum of $500 to file for any state elective office. Some fees are as high as $2000, just to have the possibility of living the doctrine that our grade school civics lessons claim that we all enjoy. Is the effort to exclude the less affluent motivated by party politics? Many say 'yes!'. But another and larger group claim that it's an effort to prop up the incumbents who have spent their previous years in office gaining exclusive access to deep-pocketed special interests. How else do you explain the Oklahoma Senate voting to give another $70 million to the wind energy companies? It's unjustifiable to all but a few senate districts where the wind energy actually pays some property taxes. Just to run for a state judicial or House seat will set back an individual $500. Senate seats cost $750. Allother seats cost $1000, and the governor's mansion costs $2000. |  794 citizens paid nearly half a million in candidate taxes, this week. |
Was the motivation for doubling the filing tax an attempt to dissuade foolish filers? If so, then who are the foolish filers? This year Oklahoma set a record for the most candidates filing. They may be just as foolish or even more so; but at least they're the affluent foolish.
Some have said; "The difference between a 'nut case' and an 'eccentric' is only defined by wealth or notoriety. William F. Buckley jr. once said;
Some have said; "The difference between a 'nut case' and an 'eccentric' is only defined by wealth or notoriety. William F. Buckley jr. once said;
"I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University." The great Oklahoma experiment in Republican-run government is being squandered by interlopers who either faked being conservative or got corrupted by the trappings of power, influence, personal ambition, or all of the above. Can the Democrats do any better? They've showed us 90 years of doing far worse. They likely will be no better in the future. But perhaps a more evenly divided state government is the likely 2nd best option. The best option would be a return to liberty, conservatism, and unleashing the potential of Oklahomans to do for themselves and take care of each other without the government doing any more than the minimal that we can tolerate. Two weeks ago I spoke with Frank Robinson. He's a disabled older Oklahoman who cannot afford the filing fee, and cannot physically accomplish the necessary petition drive he'd have to have certified in order to be a candidate for office. Is this Jefferson's republic? When the disabled are facing walls in front of the election board entrance, we have failed to live our creed. |  Frank Robinson is a disabled man who have been denied the opportunity to run for office because he's disabled and barely surviving on his pension. |
