Had this plan gone forward, I believe there would strike terrorists anywhere in it keeps our nation safe.

it keeps our nation safe. President

have been a decline in charitable giving an outcome Afghanistan. Trump, our military leaders and espe-
that would
Edmondhave
Sunhad a dramatic impact on Oklahoma
- 08/30/2017 The
Copy Reduced Presidents
to 95% call for
from original support
to fit and
letter page cially our service membersPage : A04the
deserve
charities. action from Pakistan and India has been full support they need to succeed.

Use TSET to Protect Vital Services

BY JONATHAN SMALL gloom predictions they deposited to the endow- leaders an alternative to its not a tax increase.
GUEST OPINION trot out for every tax ment plus spends about increasing the tax burden The state Constitution
debate: nursing homes $50 million in earnings on working Oklahoma does say that reforming
n the final hours of the will close, rural hospitals every year. families. The money is TSET requires a vote of

I 2017 Legislative session, will fail, health and human

lawmakers desperate to services will be depleted.
find revenue passed All this supposedly
TSET does a few impor-
tant things, but it also
has plenty of question-
already there to prevent
all of the doom-and-
gloom scenarios.
the people. But so does
passing any tax hike that
has less than three-
Senate Bill 845 to impose a because lawmakers could- able spending. Right now, This is why OCPA has fourths support in both
$1.50 per pack tax on ciga- nt constitutionally pass a TSET is spending around called on lawmakers to legislative chambers.
rettes. Except that, to get tax on tobacco. $770,000 to lecture allow Oklahomans to Why not let Oklahomans
around constitutional lim- But if lawmakers want Oklahomans to drink vote on reforming TSET vote to break down this
its on legislative power, to use tobacco money to more water. Last year, and accessing those funding silo, just a little,
they labeled the measure a protect vital services, public outrage forced funds to stabilize reim- in order to shore up
fee. theres a better place to TSET to change course bursement rates for nurs- some basic services?
The Oklahoma Supreme look. when it attempted to cre- ing homes and rural hos- Its time to use TSET
Court unanimously struck Its called the Tobacco ate a new administrative pitals. This could also funds to protect rural
down the revenue provi- Settlement Endowment position with a salary of fund the Physician hospitals, nursing
sions of Senate Bill 845 Trust, or TSET. This is a $250,000 a year. Manpower Training homes, and other vital
earlier this month. This public trust that manages So, when you take a bil- Commission. It could all services instead of
has left some elected offi- money received by the lion dollar bank account, be done without taking increasing the tax bur-
cials claiming they must state as a result of the growing every year and away from TSET tobacco den on working
pass new and larger tax tobacco lawsuit and set- generating annual earn- cessation programs or Oklahoma families.
increases during a special tlement from years ago. ings around $50 million, the current endowment.
legislative session. To This fund alone recently then factor in some ques- Believe it or not, some JONATHAN SMALL serves
strengthen their case, they topped $1 billion, and it tionable spending, its have ridiculed this sug- as president of the Oklahoma Council
have the same doom-and- gets $50 million a year obvious TSET offers state gestion simply because of Public Affairs (www.ocpathink.org).
2017 THE EDMOND SUN

Copyright (c)2017 Edmond Sun, Edition 08/30/2017

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