BRIAN DOWNS
EDMOND — Oklahoma families have been dealing with the current economic downturn the way they have for a century: tightening their belts and getting rid of unnecessary spending in order to make ends meet. Oklahomans expect that their state government would do the same.
But as we find out, that may not be the case. Records show that 29 of the top 36 administrators at the Department of Human Services received raises in the past year ranging from just more than $100 a month to nearly $2,000 per month. These raises came during a time when headlines were dominated by bailouts, foreclosures and worries about a recession leading to another Great Depression.
How are taxpayers to believe that cuts in services can’t be avoided when they hear about raises being given during a period of declining revenue? State Treasurer Scott Meacham has been warning agencies since January to expect budget cuts. By handing out raises, agencies increase their base costs, forcing cuts to come from services. Just as bad from the public perception is that state agencies are now making budget requests for next year that include huge increases even though they know the state will have even less money to work with.
Not only are some salaries going up, state government also is increasing the number of workers. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reports that state government added 1,300 jobs between September of 2008 and September of 2009. Health services is the only other job category to increase during that same time period.
State lawmakers have their hands tied when it comes to how agencies spend the money. Once a budget is passed, each agency decides how to spend the money it gets. But more should be done in the budgeting process to make sure that agencies are spending properly in the first place. Every agency budget should be gone over with a fine-toothed comb to find areas of savings. Taxpayers should demand that their elected officials scrutinize every agency’s budget and question every expenditure before another dime is spent at the state Capitol. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn is providing this type of leadership in Congress and Oklahoma lawmakers should follow his lead here at home.
Because of revenue shortfalls, lawmakers will be pressured to use the Rainy Day Fund for the current budget year. With stimulus dollars unavailable in 2012, it’s important that lawmakers do not deplete the Rainy Day Fund now.
Oklahoma families are saving wherever they can, but aren’t allowed to save on taxes that go to the state. Lawmakers must give them the satisfaction of knowing the tax dollars they are contributing are being put to use in the best possible way.
BRIAN DOWNS is the executive director of Oklahomans for Responsible Government. OFRG is a nonprofit taxpayer advocacy group dedicated to improving accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility in state government. For more information, go online at www.ofrg.org.
