Will The Real Tax Champions Please Stand Up?

A Challenge to Our Three Republican County Commissioners

I am working on a much longer entry that will go into depth on many of the FAQs regarding annextation. However, I want to note the rhetoric that is being "liberally" bandied about as to whom are the true "conservatives" on the issue of annexation? I have tried to refrain from such simplistic arguments, because they are too often the tool of those who don't want to put much thought into what is, without a doubt, a very complex issue.

However, let me issue a challenge.

We have three county commissioners, all of whom are Republican, and are claiming to be the tax payer's friends. Here's my challenge.

If you are truly interested in the good of the taxpayers and all of the municipalities in your respective districts, pass a resolution stating your intent to not put the "Four to Fix the County" tax back up for renewal when it lapses in 2011.

I know some of you won't be there then, but such a resolution would become a natural campaign issue. Conservative voters could then determine, before renewal time, if they want a Republican candidate (incumbent or not) who openly supports renewal (a tax hike?).

The commissioners could also support the transfer of some or all of the 3 mils of ad valorem tax that law allows to be transferred to Tulsa, which would go a long way to help get the city through its current operations crisis, before the legislature and the current administration go to the extreme of creating a Fire Protection District that would raise Tulsan's property taxes by as many at 7 mils.

Do one or both of these two actions and I might believe your anti-annexation rhetoric.