BY RUSSELL TURNER
KILLING THE GOLDEN GOOSE
It never ceases to amaze me how the government will do anything to keep the party going for a little longer. Anyone who has not been in solitary confinement in a deep dungeon somewhere knows that the state of Oklahoma, along with several others, is having financial problems. Any state that relies upon oil and gas revenues to fund state government has experienced trouble in the past, and the current problem is just another chapter in a long book. I have heard countless politicians use the old cliché that we need to diversify our economy; while that rhetoric makes for good campaign speeches, it takes more than stump speeches to make it happen.
One thing that I know for sure, I know that the ideas floating around the state legislature are definitely not the way to diversify our tax base. Since the collapse of the price of oil it has been the small businesses in this state that keep the state going. Instead of cherishing the only thing that has kept our heads above water, all they can talk about is imposing more taxes and fees upon an already strapped segment of society. There have been proposals to force any service provider in the state to pay a tax upon what they charge for labor. If you go to your local barber and have your hair cut you would have to pay the regular amount plus a tax similar to a sales tax upon that. All of us like to have the availability of people in the community to do small odd jobs, some may be retired or semi retired but usually their prices are very reasonable. If this legislation passes that will no longer be an option, because of the added expense and paperwork most of them will no longer provide that service.
I know from personal experience there are countless boards and commissions that are constantly looking for more ways to relieve us of our money in the form of licensing and endless permits, this new ploy is just another example. This latest downturn should open the eyes of our elected officials to know the only secure base is the small business sector. Most of the time the small business sector doesn’t have the time to lobby at the state capitol, they are too busy making a living and keeping the wheels of our society running. Also, since they are not organized they lack the political power to get noticed. It is completely absurd to think increasing taxes and burdens is the solution to all of our financial problems. Instead of throwing barriers in the way of small business they should be thinking of ways to lessen the burden and let them grow our economy. Or maybe the small business owners should close their doors and just try to get on some government entitlement program and let someone else pay for it. Only trouble, who will be left to do the paying?
All of this stuff reminds me of the story about killing the goose that laid the golden egg. When you start abusing and choking the goose to get more eggs all you will accomplish is killing the goose.
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