OTHER REASONS FOR STATE'S SHORTFALL

REGARDING "Revenue 'shortfall'? Not exactly" ("Point of View," March 12):
Stephen Moore believes Oklahoma's budget shortfall is largely based on the
fact that legislators across the nation went on a spending spree in the
1990s that resulted in the budget shortfalls states are facing today. If
this theory is correct, why did Moore, a senior fellow in economics at the
Cato Institute, wait so long to surface? Logically, he should have scolded
the Keating administration for continuously tapping the Constitutional
Reserve Fund from 1994 to 2002.

In reality, legislators in Oklahoma and across the nation are experiencing
the same types of budget shortfalls due to the recent downward spiral of
the economy and stock market. People across the nation are more reserved
about spending their money on items outside of necessity. I don't admit to
being an economist, but if Moore wants to seriously evaluate and condemn
the practices of Oklahoma legislators, he should look no further than the
Department of Corrections.

Under the Keating administration, the mentality of "lock 'em up and throw
away the key" doesn't work anymore. When you have a prison population of
more than 23,000, 61 percent is considered to be nonviolent and 26 percent
suffer from mental illness, we will obviously have a budget crisis. It cost
Oklahoma taxpayers an average of $28,000 per year for the care of these
nonviolent and mentally ill offenders. The past two years alone, 80 percent
of new inmates entering the system were nonviolent, costing taxpayers $400
million in operating and capital costs.

Also, if we look at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the number of
children and adults entering the system from 1996 to 2003, the numbers have
nearly tripled. We have more women, children and elderly needing our help
with assistance in health care. The appropriations have gone from $272
million to $413 million in operating costs.

I encourage all Oklahomans to get involved in the process and understand
that our tax dollars can be better spent in schools than in prisons.

Lindley, D-Oklahoma City, represents District 93 in the state House of
Representatives.