State could save thousands at Will Rogers Memorial

April 24, 2012

Following is an excerpt from OCPA’s Proposed State Budget for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2013.

With Oklahoma government spending at an all-time high (see chart), the time has come to set priorities and to exercise spending discipline.

The Will Rogers Memorial Commission should no longer receive a state appropriation. According to its website, the Will Rogers Memorial Museums exist “to collect, preserve, and share the life, wisdom, and humor of Will Rogers for all generations. … The Will Rogers Memorial Museums are the premier destinations to introduce, showcase, and celebrate the life, legacy, and spirit of Will Rogers.” Clearly the Will Rogers Memorial Commission is an important local entity, visited by some and not visited by others. But it is not a core function of government, and should not be supported by general taxes on all Oklahomans.

The potential savings from implementing such reforms would be $740,486 annually.

Submitted each year by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Inc. to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma and their elected Officials, the OCPA “Budget Book” is carefully crafted by Fiscal Policy Director Jonathan Small to help lawmakers set priorities and exercise spending discipline while creating a state budget that respects your family budget. Offering unmatched fiscal policy analysis and recommendations, Small draws on his experiences as a former budget analyst for the Oklahoma Office of State Finance, former fiscal policy analyst and research analyst for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and former director of government affairs for the Oklahoma Insurance Department to provide perspective on the state budget that you cannot find anywhere else.