Oklahoma’s local, county and state government – like every local, county and state government – needs revenue to function.
Based primarily on taxes and fees, government does things like fund education, work to make sure residents are safe and secure, and provide things such as dams, bridges and highways.
And yes, all this costs money.
Teachers need to be paid. It costs money to build a highway.
That’s the way things should work.
But for years now, we have had elected politicians, industry leaders and those who claim they are political experts tell us that Oklahomans are overtaxed. They call for the elimination of many taxes and want the public to believe we should go through and eliminate most government. Do this and the state will still function easily, we’re told.
Government and its tax revenue have become demonized to the point that half the public thinks the rest of us are thieves.
Don’t believe them.
Or, better yet, listen to people like Sen. Lonnie Paxton, the leader of the Oklahoma State Senate.
Earlier this year, Paxton, a Republican from Tuttle, strongly criticized an initiative petition that would phase out property taxes for some homeowners.
Eliminating those taxes, he said, would hurt schools, farmers, county governments, renters, landlords and businesses.
In short, Paxton reminded everyone that Oklahomans must work together to make our government function.
He said he understood the need for changes and improvements, but just gutting the system wouldn’t work.
Paxton also authored Senate Joint Resolution 39, which would let the public decide to amend the Oklahoma Constitution and lower the caps that determine how much property taxes can rise each year.
He didn’t talk about gutting the tax system.
Instead, he supported ways to tweak and limit the system.
Money – especially when labeled as ‘public money’ – often gets misused and the system is vilified. What few understand, though, is that a quality public money system is necessary for this state, its counties and local governments.
Guys like Paxton understand this.
Paxton and the smart ones aren’t trying to take your money away from you. They understand how taxes are used and the impact that some publicly funded agencies can have on the public.
It’s one thing to complain about the cost of a big highway until that highway is needed to transport those who need help.
It’s not a scam when government is working to provide a path for residents seeking an opportunity.
Guys like Paxton and others aren’t trying to destroy government.
Instead, they are working to make sure the state’s resources are allocated properly.
Because whether we like it or not, taxes are necessary for our democracy to function.
___ M. Scott Carter is an award-winning political and investigative reporter with more than 40 years’ experience covering federal and state government and politics in Oklahoma. He can be reached at scott.carter@swoknews.com.