AFP-Oklahoma Issues Prosperity Agenda

Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma has released its 2009 Taxpayer Prosperity Agenda, “It’s Our Money,” focusing on taxpayer protections in the new year.

“Our elected officials need to remember who voted them into office,” said Stuart Jolly, state director of Americans for Prosperity- Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability and demand spending restraint during these hard economic times. That’s why our Taxpayer Prosperity Agenda urges lawmakers to practice smart spending and cut taxes to spur our economy.”

Each state legislator is receiving a copy of the agenda, which calls for responsible spending in public education (defeat OEA’s $850 million petition), an end to “contracted” taxpayer-funded lobbying, school choice for all Oklahomans, elimination of the franchise tax, passage of meaningful, sensible legal reform, and passage of a joint State Resolution denouncing the union’s Card Check bill.

On the national level, AFP supports an end to “cap and trade” legislation and a swift defeat of the Employee Free Choice Act (a.k.a. the Union’s “Card Check” bill).

AFP-Oklahoma is committed to building a grassroots effort around the state to educate, organize, and mobilize taxpayers in fighting against wasteful spending and protect the free-market.

“Taxpayers can make a difference in this state and make Oklahoma a place where businesses and families will want to come and stay,” said Jolly. “But we have to tell lawmakers loud and clear, ‘It’s our money.’”

The complete 2009 Taxpayer Prosperity Agenda can be viewed here: www.AmericansForProsperity.org/Oklahoma.

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Foundation Rips Tax Dollar Lobbying

From Americans For Prosperity Foundation ~ In recent elections, voters overwhelmingly supported a fiscally conservative platform, regardless of party affiliation. And yet taxpayer dollars are being used to lobby directly against taxpayer interests. Americans for Prosperity Foundation today released a policy paper exposing the growing financial hit Americans are taking each year due to taxpayer-funded lobbying.

“Exposing taxpayer-funded lobbying is important to our AFP Foundation’s mission of educating Americans about barriers to prosperity,” said AFP Foundation President Tim Phillips. “This is just one more way out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats ignore the interests of the American people.”

The report, titled “Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying: Runaway Government Growth,” reveals the staggering amount of money spent on taxpayer-funded lobbying in the last 10 years— $1.09 billion. In addition, the report points to an explosion of university earmarking and lists a “taxpayer-funded lobbying hall of shame” to identify the big spenders.

“Using our tax dollars to hire lobbyists to go back and lobby for more of our tax dollars only grows government spending," said AFP-Oklahoma's Executive Director Stuart Jolly. "The state is now lobbying the state, and where is the taxpayer in all of this?" Phil Kerpen, AFP Foundation's Director of Policy and author of the paper says, "Tax dollars should be used to deliver necessary government services, not to lobby for bigger government. While ordinary Americans are busy working, their hard-earned tax dollars are being used to pay for lobbyists who are fight­ing for higher taxes and bigger govern­ment.”

A few key findings:
● Over the entire 1998 through first-half 2008 period, taxpay­er-funded lobbying totaled a staggering $1.09 billion; ● Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a major cause of the dramatic growth in pork-barrel earmarks; ● In 2007 alone, public universities in 46 states em­ployed lobbyists.

View the full report at http://www.americansforprosperity.org/files/PolicyPaperTFL2008.pdf.

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AFP Challenges OEA On School Money

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today said throwing more money at Oklahoma schools is not the solution for education challenges faced by the state. The statement comes on the heels of an announcement by the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) that it would request an additional $850 million from taxpayers to increase per pupil spending.

“We believe that public school funding is either ‘too high’ or ‘about right’ just like the 64 percent of Oklahomans that responded to a recent Friedman Foundation survey,” said AFP Oklahoma Director Stuart Jolly. “Oklahoma schools have enough money. It’s just not being spent wisely.”

According to a recent AFP analysis, just 12 years ago Oklahoma’s entire state budget was $3.4 billion. Today, the education budget alone is $3.8 billion, meaning the state spends more today on Oklahoma’s education system than it did on all state programs just 12 years ago. “And what do Oklahoma students have to show for it?” Jolly asked. “The same grade they did 12 years ago – F.”

Meanwhile, education administrative costs in Oklahoma are three times the average amount for the region. In 2006, Oklahoma spent $753 per student while the average for the region was $242 per student. Oklahoma spends three times more on school administration than Arkansas ($215), Kansas ($258), or Texas ($252). Just 59.7 percent of education dollars are actually spent in the classroom. Putting $500 more per student back in the classroom – or $10,000 per classroom – is a first step toward addressing the state’s failing education system, AFP contends.

Since 1985, Oklahoma’s student population has grown by 7.1 percent, but the administration to take care of those students has grown by 46 percent! And the education budget during this same period has grown from $1.4 billion to $3.8 billion. And where does Oklahoma rank today nationally? The same place it did in 1985 – near the bottom.

AFP is calling for a larger percentage of education dollars to be spent in the classroom and for greater choice in education. When taxpayers and families have more choices, schools will improve.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to throw good money after bad,” Jolly concluded. “Our schools must spend the dollars we have entrusted to them wisely before they even think about asking for more. Ultimately, all families should have more choices when it comes to what schools their children go to.”

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GOP Lincoln Day Dinner Honors Military

The Oklahoma County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner on April 14th will honor the military with former State Rep. and Iraq war veteran Kevin Calvey (shown on the firing range) as keynote speaker, Chair Pam Pollard said.

A reception begins at 6 pm, followed by dinner at 7 pm in the Petroleum Club in downtown Oklahoma City.

"We will be honoring all men and women who have served in our Military. The '3 Colonels' as they have become to be known, Lt. Colonels, Stuart Jolly, Hopper Smith and Steve Russell will begin our event with the Prayer, Pledge and the National Anthem," Pollard said.

The program will begin with retired Major General Rita Aragon, Oklahoma's first woman general, relating her experiences in the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

Kevin King, USS Oklahoma webmaster, has prepared a video of all the sailors of the USS Oklahoma, featuring the survivors and their families reflecting on December 7, 1941.

The keynote address will be given by Calvey, an Army captain who just returned from serving a year in Baghdad helping prosecute Iraqi terrorists.

Tickets for the event are $50/person for dinner, $100/person dinner and reception.

For more information, contact Elayne at 946-1494 or email chair@okcountygop.com.

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