| Even if the Veto Referendum succeeds, the State has enough excess tax dollars to fully pay the full raises that we're promised. The Tax bill is unneeded and would go to next year's 'pet projects', not education. Oil industry leader, Mike Cantrell had lunch with House Majority Floor Leader, Jon Echols, yesterday. Echols was willing to tell the public the same thing he told Cantrell. So Cantrell pulled out his phone and began a live video broadcast wherein Echols explained several factors and emphasized that the money for teach pay raises is not completely dependent upon the massive tax package which leadership pushed through the house on a 2 hour notice, last March. Since then, the state treasurer's office has been reporting record-breaking tax receipts to the state. Cash is flowing in at even greater surplus than the massive tax increases would match, when the taxes go into effect in July. The net result is that the state had the projected surplus to pay the teachers WITHOUT imposing a tax increase at all. What we expect to see, if the tax increase is sustained; is for massive pet pork projects to be pushed through next year's legislature, like we used to see in the good years of the past. Most of those projects have been boondoggles and flops. |  File photo: Echols speaks to state media outlets about leadership plans. |
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Sooner Politics
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