Fallin Hails Boeing Move to Oklahoma, Says Reforms Needed to Keep Momentum

            Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin praised Boeing officials for their recent decision to move 550 California engineering jobs to Oklahoma, but she also cautioned that without further reforms to the state’s workers’ compensation and tort systems, future jobs could go elsewhere.

            “The good news is we won this round, but the less good news is that we are still competing with other states for future jobs.”

            Fallin said the Boeing move mirrors decisions by other employers to flee California’s high taxes and excessive regulation. Oklahoma, she said, is more attractive because of reforms we have enacted in workers’ comp and our lawsuit system, but those reforms must continue if we are to successfully compete for future jobs.

            “As governor, my first priority will be to make Oklahoma the most attractive state in the nation to employers seeking a haven from high taxes and the heavy hand of government,” Fallin said.

            Fallin said other states like New York and Maryland, where liberal governors and state legislatures have reacted to the recession by raising taxes, are also losing population and jobs.

            “That’s an opportunity for Oklahoma, but only if we have a governor and a legislature working together to enact those reforms that make us more attractive,” she said. “I will be that governor.”

Tax Day

Tax Day is bearing down on us again and serves as another reminder of the need to reform our outdated tax laws.

Going back to my days in the Oklahoma House, I’ve always supported reforms that lessen the tax burden on families and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money. As a member of Congress, I’ve fought to drastically reduce the capital gains tax, the corporate tax and the estate tax in order to foster a business environment where more and better jobs can be created.

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and the other liberals in Washington believe they can tax and spend our way to prosperity. But in Oklahoma, we know that’s just not right.

We need to have a tax code that incentivizes the entrepreneurial spirit that made our country into the greatest economy in the world! I promise as governor, I will support tax policy that helps our economy thrive and allows Oklahoma families to keep more of their pay in their pockets.

New Yorkers Moving to Escape High Taxes

A story in the New York Post this week points out how New Yorkers, faced with a ridiculously high tax rate, are fleeing the Empire State in favor of locales with lower taxes.

The article states, "More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy. It was the biggest out-of-state migration in the country. The vast majority of the migrants, 1.1 million, were former residents of New York City - meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out. ... It all adds up to staggering loss in taxable income. During 2006-2007, the 'migration flow' out of New York to other states amounted to a loss of $4.3 billion."

Imagine the disastrous effect losing $4.3 billion in tax revenues will have on New York, which already is faced with soaring budget deficits stemming from years of poor spending policies.

This story shows us the importance of keeping taxes low in order to keep the economy growing. In Oklahoma, we have steadily reduced our state income tax burden. It's important we don't' reverse that trend by enacting the kind of job-killing tax increases that are being considering on a national level and in a number of states.

We know we are blessed to live in a great state with friendly people and boundless natural resources. Our cost of living is low, especially compared to a place like New York, and you can't beat the quality of life here.

As more businesses and jobs leave New York, and other high-tax cities and states, the are going to move somewhere. That's why as governor, I'll work tirelessly to make sure that place is Oklahoma!

By enacting smart fiscal and tax policies and by continuing to build and educate our workforce, we can become a magnet for businesses leaving high-tax areas which will create more and better jobs here in Oklahoma!