Helping Oklahoma Prosper the Right Way

Capitol Considerations

A Weekly Column by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Helping Oklahoma Prosper

America was founded by socialists, at least in Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.

When that ideology proved disastrous, the colony adopted capitalism and it thrived.

When the appropriate checks are in place, the free market economy creates prosperity and that is what we need here in Oklahoma if our government is going to escape suffering future revenue failures.

Here’s a little more about Plymouth Colony. Back in 1620, the founders of the colony had written into its charter a system of communal property and labor where the colony basically owned everything and everyone in the community was to work as best they could and then everyone would share equally in the profits, like the food.

It was a disaster.

If everyone is going to share alike, then why work hard trying to be productive? You’re still going to get your share of the pie.

Productivity tanked and starvation set in. After two and a half years, the socialist experiment was abandoned, private property was restored, and individuals began working for their own prosperity, and as a result the community prospered.

I bring this up, not to claim that Massachusetts became a perfect society after that, since it didn’t, but to point out an economic reality. Communities prosper when citizens, and by extension, businesses, are allowed and encouraged to invest in their own prosperity without the government trying to control everything.

As a member of the Senate Republican Caucus, I’m pleased that we have adopted a legislative agenda that does just that.

There are certain things the government must do. Infrastructure, education, public safety, and services that provide a safety net to our citizens are essential. Those are areas we are focused on, but more on those later.

Here are a few goals we are working on in regards to helping Oklahoma become more prosperous.

* Get rid of ineffective and costly tax incentives that consume state revenue while identifying and maintaining incentives that actually create jobs and provide a positive return of revenue to the state. If the incentive is not bringing in more tax revenue than the state is paying out, it needs to go.

* Continue building and repairing infrastructure, like roads and bridges. Our implementation of the eight-year plan has significantly reduced the number of state roads needing repair, and we have fixed or replaced about 900 of the 1200 state bridges which were in serious disrepair just a few years ago.

* Get rid of excessive regulation while strengthening appropriate regulation so that we can stimulate economic growth in the state which will lead to more jobs for Oklahomans.

* Find ways to help our state diversify its economy so it is not so dependent on oil and gas.

We also have to deal with the revenue shortfall as a top concern since we can’t cut our way to a balanced budget. We must look at raising revenue while striving to make some areas of state government more efficient, and all while not cutting essential services.

Those are some of our goals. They are something that I think is worthy of consideration.

As always, I am interested in feedback from my constituents, so if you have any questions or comments, please email me at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. My office can also be reached by phone at 405-521-5561.