Money Talks

BY ARNOLD HAMILTON

When I covered the Texas Legislature years ago, a state Senate staffer delighted in passing out cigars that bore a wrapper-slogan truism of the legislative process:

Money Talks and Bulls— Walks.

It’s still true that big money greases the lawmaking wheels. Today’s case in point: The House approved on a 92-1 vote and sent to the governor a measure [SB 313] that extends existing gross production tax rebates/exemptions until 2012.

Over the last five years, producers have collected $339 million in exemptions or rebates from the gross production tax, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Coupled with $720 million in ill-advised tax cuts, it’s easy to see why Oklahoma lawmakers had to rely on federal stimulus dollars to bailout the state’s most essential services – including education – in the just-approved budget.

How bad will it be next year without Uncle Sam’s pot of gold?

The sad fact is, the vast majority of state lawmakers never met a corporate welfare scheme they wouldn’t embrace, no matter its impact on funding of essential state services.

Will we ever hear a serious public discussion about corporate goodies vs. government essentials [i.e. necessities]?

If you’re curious what kind of money is floating around the legislative process, former state Rep. Wanda Jo Stapleton offers insight. She has reviewed Oklahoma Ethics Commission reports to tally up – as one example – Chesapeake Energy’s contributions [$660,990] to sitting legislators.

Here’s what she found: