When Gov. Kevin Stitt said Mike Mazzei was “‘goofy,” maybe Stitt was looking at Mazzei’s economic figures that don’t math. Mazzei’s “plan” proposes “eliminating property taxes” for everyone over 65. “It’s only 10 percent of the population” he declares without any documentation! Then, claiming to be a fiscal expert, he boldly declares our economy will grow so fast we’ll get all the cuts replaced and more.
Mazzei doesn’t know what he’s talking about. There is no verifiable number of people who are 65 and own a home. Every smart person I know estimates it’s 35 percent or more of Oklahoma’s population. If we agree on a conservative 30 percent, that would be a cut in school funding of $2 billion out of a $6 billion education budget. But that’s not all. This plan cuts schools, job creating technology centers, state colleges, and essential county government services by potentially $1.5 billion.
Mazzei doesn’t tell you that, and he doesn’t tell you how he would replace the $3.5 billion, which is more than a quarter of our entire state general fund. The cities and schools can raise millage rates on your commercial and residential property to pay off voter approved bonds, but the rest of the cuts will affect the largest expense in education—people. They include cuts in teacher salaries and benefits, and without competitive salaries, the best and brightest will quit.
Our education system can’t get any worse than being ranked the worst or near worst education system in the country. After two big oil companies left Oklahoma, the American Petroleum Institute wondered what company needing technologically advanced employees would choose Oklahoma to locate a business when you’re ranked 50th in education. Great question.
Oklahoma’s General Fund Budget is stuck. While lawmakers cut spending, we don’t have enough money to balance our state budget. The fact is lawmakers had to borrow $500 million to “balance” this year’s budget. Mazzei’s Math Plan doesn’t math because he hasn’t provided more than political rhetoric on how to replace a potential $3.5 billion hole that his proposal could create if he is elected. Oklahoma needs a plan-not platitudes. Mazzei’s Math is flawed, so we need an explanation from the former senator explaining how he will replace more than $3.5 billion in lost revenue.