Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Richardson is pitching a state budget plan of this own, called the Kitchen Table Plan. He says the plan balances the budget without a tax increase and provides a $3,000 pay raise for teachers. Richardson also is calling for lawmakers to reject House Bill 2347 which caps the itemized income tax deductions, including charitable deductions.
The Kitchen Table Plan provides $1 billion in revenue through spending cuts and deferment of corporate tax credits. Those credits will be paid back once the state sells the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA),
“We need to learn to budget like everyday Oklahomans do. When mom or dad loses their job, they don’t go take money from their neighbors to pay the bills. Instead they sit down as a family at the kitchen table to figure out what they can live without for the time being.”
“We need our legislators to have the same kind of meeting at the state capitol kitchen table and figure out what our state can live without instead of how much more money they can take from Oklahomans’ pockets,” said Richardson.
The Tulsa attorney, who also ran for governor in 2002 as an Independent, says it is time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans again.
“It’s time our Republican leaders adhere to the Republican principles they campaigned on,” said Richardson. “And if our Republican leaders no longer choose to follow Republican principles, then it’s time to find new Republican leaders.”
Additionally, he wants to see HB 2347 killed because it could have an adverse effect on non-profits in Oklahoma, which are heavily relied upon when the state’s safety net systems don’t work for those in need.
“It’s a chilling effect to imagine that some of our Oklahoma leaders would even think of passing HB 2347, which would be devastating to our church giving and charity giving,” said Richardson.
You can read Richard’s plan here.
This is the first candidate in my memory to support spending cuts and work to balance the budget! Everyone else frets about canceling planned income tax cuts or finding new taxes and fees!
Bravo, Gary!
Tom must have no memory at all. Spending cuts have occurred year after year in Oklahoma driven by tax cuts. Remember that was the plan for job growth and economic development as promised by Fallin and Company from day one.
It didn’t work of course but of more importance is the question how can Tom be so clueless? Perhaps he just arrived from Kansas where the identical mythology has driven that state into not just a ditch but a deep canyon.
Governor Richardson? Now there is a plan. Good old rich trial lawyer Gary’s only hope of being elected leader of our state would be a massive turnout of other out of touch with reality voters like Tom. Uh oh. That means he could possibly win in a landslide.