Friday, February 17, 2012

Republicans Gone Wild: OETA Funding Safe—for Now

AltTulsa is pleased to see that the legislative move to strip state funding from public television (OETA) has been dropped.

The Oklahoman reports that Rep. Leslie Osborn, a Republican from Mustang, has withdrawn the bill. She told the paper that she didn't have the votes to get her bill through the budget subcommittee on education.

AT has previously criticized the defunding idea as "dumb."

Rep. Osburn, however, is not giving up. She told the Oklahoma that OETA funding would be cut or eliminated when the state abolishes the state income tax, another goal of the state Republican leaders. (Homeowners beware—property taxes will go up!)

Nevertheless, Osburn is a True Believer. "[T]he founding fathers didn't give us the right to procure money from the people against their will—which is taxation—for anything cultural or philosophic," she told the paper.

Oh, wait. Don't tell her about the Smithsonian. Or the National Gallery of Art. Or the Library of Congress. Or the National Archives.

1 comment:

Tulsan said...

If it were for a "Creation Science," er, "Intelligent Design" museum, I'm sure she'd be willing to use the taxpayers' money. As long as it supports ignorance, it's golden.