This is a letter published in this morning's Tulsa World, written by my good friend, Brad Byers.
"Bravo to Tulsa World senior editor Ken Neal for writing: "The next time you hear some politician bleating about how you can spend your money better than government, take time to figure out how you and your neighbor are going to build a bridge." ("Bridging big gaps," Aug. 19.)
Or highway or school. State government has surplus income because high oil prices increased the wellhead tax. So, do they use the money to repair roads and bridges and schools? No. They cut our income tax.
Oklahoma and U.S. economies are up because we borrow $50 billion a year to hire people to build weapons and fight a war that raises the price of oil. Oklahoma gets a double benefit -- paid at the gas pump and with the blood of our soldiers. But not paid by us taxpayers.
Oklahoma's infrastructure, institutions and soldiers suffer while we cut income taxes but raise the poor tax (sales tax for the river, lottery for schools).
Come next year the World will tell us again to re-elect Sen. Jim Inhofe and Rep. John Sullivan who supported every tax break for the rich as well as the $50 billion a year to recruit a new crop of terrorists in Iraq.
What's wrong with Oklahoma voters?"
Bradley C. Byers, Tulsa
'Nuff said.