The oil bust is really wreaking havoc on budgets in Oklahoma. It appears there is going be at least a billion dollar deficit. To make matter worse, they are led by a tone deaf Governor who is gung ho about cutting the income taxes of the wealthiest Oklahomans. This tax cut, cuts a quarter percent off of the top tax rate. A tax cut that is very ill timed. I swear she wants to be just like Sam Brownback in Kansas.
Since revenues are down so much, a “Revenue Failure” has been declared. All state agencies must make cuts. The healthcare agency must make a 3% cut. They are headed by a Republican hack who has made it clear that they do not need the Federal dollars that Medicaid expansion would bring. So the 3% cut will be made by cutting mental health services to kids on Medicaid. This is a sad tragedy. The kids have been sexually or physically abused and most are in the foster care system. The foster parents are outraged that the kids that have been placed in their homes because of this abuse will not be able to get the therapy that they need. Cutting Medicaid is the worst deal possible. For each dollar that is cut, Oklahoma loses two Federal dollars. This means that each dollar that is cut, it has to actually cut three.
Republicans in Oklahoma need to take a serious hard look at the damage they are inflicting on the lives of kids by hanging on to tax cuts and refusing to consider tax increases. It is going to affect kids that need help the most.