YOUR VIEWS

Audits needed

The Oklahoman has done a great job in bringing to light the state budget shortfalls and the mismanagement/ ineptness (and possibly fraud) at the state Health Department. Only our government could get by with this. A well-run business would fire any employee so incompetent, so they could stay in business and be solvent. It seems obvious their only “solution” is to raise taxes. Isn’t it time that a full independent audit is run at all departments, along with independent management oversight review, with all employees/officials responsible for this fiasco being fired, so our citizens can regain confidence in our democratic government?

Jim Gilbertson, Oklahoma City

The ‘entitled’ class

Regarding “Analysis: Tax cuts, spending to raise deficit to $1T by 2020” (Associated Press, April 10) updated what we already knew but omitted a critical element. After Republicans had rushed through their “signature accomplishment” the Congressional Budget Office told us in December that the $1.3 trillion tax cut went primarily to the wealthiest. The Tax Policy Center Analysis similarly found that the largest share of the wealth initially freed up would go to the richest families. But it gets worse. By 2027, households earning $1 million or more — estimated to be 0.6 percent of all filers — would get 82 percent of the total benefit — while middleand lower-income levels would see substantial tax increases. Republicans knew their gift to America’s wealthiest would increase our national debt by $1.5 trillion or more!

Sen. James Lankford has already said, “To address our federal debt, we must slow the growth of entitlement spending …” That’s code for those who benefited least from the Republican tax scam will sacrifice most through weakened social programs — education, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security — so the wealthiest can keep their huge Republican giveaway. Entitlement spending? Who is the “entitled” class in America?

Scott McLaughlin, Midwest City

Exciting times in OKC

These are exciting times for the central business district of the state’s

capital city. The ongoing dynamic revitalization playing out in downtown Oklahoma City continues to get better and better. It is hard to imagine that there is a city in the country that is experiencing a renaissance as that of Oklahoma City.

But to me the real game changer is the Oklahoma City Streetcar that will commence service later this year. Almost weekly there is a new announcement of a future development, be it retail, apartments or office buildings being built next to or close by the streetcar rail lines that will serve these new announcements. Last summer I had an opportunity to visit Kansas City and ride its new rail streetcar between Union Station and downtown. It was standing room only as riders stood in line to get aboard. There is every reason to think our streetcar system, which is twice the size of K.C.’s, will be just as exciting to ride.

Rail transportation in cities across the country is making a comeback due to increasing trends of the populace moving to metro areas, which in turn generates more and more vehicular congestion on streets, highways and interstates.

Perhaps Oklahoma City’s streetcar can plant a seed in central Oklahoma whereby intercity rail passenger service can be seriously considered and advanced in the not-too-distant future.

Glad to see him go

Dean Schirf, Harrah

Regarding Michael Gerson’s column on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s retirement (Commentary, April 15): Baloney. Ryan should be remembered for his submission to Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

I am happy to see that RINO leave. Maybe he can convince his buddy, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, to go with him.

Nellie Willis, Oklahoma City