Tulsa County GOP opposes Vision2, censures Smaligo, Perry

TULSA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PRESS RELEASE

Members of the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee met on Saturday, August 18, 2012 and adopted a resolution calling for the defeat of the Vision2 county sales tax propositions on the November ballot and opposing any use of Vision 2025 funds to support, promote, or fund Vision2.

The County Committee is the governing body of the Tulsa County Republican Party, consisting of all Republican precinct chairmen and vice-chairmen, who are elected at precinct meetings every two years.

The resolution expresses opposition to government intervention in the private sector, the amount of debt to be incurred, the cost of that debt in interest and fees, the 13-year length of the proposed tax, and the effective surrender of city-owned assets to county control. Below is the text of the resolution:

Resolution Opposing Passage of Vision2 Tax Proposal
Adopted by the Tulsa County Republican County Committee
Saturday, August 18, 2012

Whereas, the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee believes in limited government and less taxes, and

Whereas, the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee believes government intervention into private businesses as demonstrated in the GM bailout is wrong and not the best use of tax dollars, and

Whereas, the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee believes it is bad policy for any level of government to go into debt, and

Whereas, the proposed Vision2 tax in Tulsa County would cost Tulsa County taxpayers $748.8 million in new taxes, and

Whereas, the proposed Vision2 tax would extend the existing Vision 2025 tax from expiring in 2017 to expiring in 2029, and

Whereas, a major portion of the Vision2 tax is to improve three facilities at the Tulsa International Airport and to create a $52.9 million "closing fund", and

Whereas, most businesses in Tulsa County will be disadvantaged by this tax as they will not be given any influx of taxpayer dollars to support their business yet some will be competing directly with these few tax supported businesses, and

Whereas, over $90 million of the tax dollars will be spent on interest and bond costs, and

Whereas, the cities of Tulsa County should not surrender control of city assets to a county government,

Therefore, be it resolved the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee does not support the passage of the Vision2 tax package and urges all Tulsa County voters to oppose these ballot initiatives on November 6, 2012, and

Therefore, be it resolved no Vision 2025 funds shall be used to support, promote or fund Vision2.

This is approved by members of the Tulsa County Republican Party County Committee on this 18th day of August, 2012.

In addition to adopting the above resolution opposing the Vision2 county sales tax, the members of the County Committee voted to censure Republican County Commissioners John Smaligo and Fred Perry for voting to place the Vision2 sales tax propositions on the ballot.
The Tulsa County Republican Party Platform states:

• We support reductions, when feasible, of both taxes and government spending as a general rule of government.
• We oppose any tax increase without demonstrated public need.

Smaller, limited government and lower taxes are a foundation principal of the Republican Party. The Vision2 tax package fully goes against the very principles on which fiscal conservative Republicans stand for.

Point of contact for this press release is:
J.B. Alexander, Chairman
chairman@tulsagop.org
918-810-9149