A $100,000,000 mistake? Only in Oklahoma.

NewsOK.com reported on Friday that Oklahoma finance officials found a $100 million surplus near the end of the fiscal year, which ends in two weeks. So they find this extra cash after cuts to education and agencies that serve the poor and mentally ill were drastic. The article reports Shelly Paul, deputy budget director said the money 

"will likely be returned to state agencies in proportion to how much they were cut during two revenue failures that led to across-the-board spending reductions of 3 percent in December and 4 percent in March."

Is anybody holding their breath?  The operative word here is 'likely', which can also mean 'likely not'. How does a group of finance professionals misplace $100 million?  The Department of Human Services had to hold off sending payments to the elderly, disabled and those with mental illness for three months due to budget cuts.  How 'likely' are they to receive  three months backpay?  Certainly no one in Oklahoma politics went without pay for three months.

Dr. Kurt Hochenauer pulled no punches in his editorial today.  He urges people who can save themselves to get out of the state.  It seems legislators are trying to out do one another on who can  trash the state the best, or quickest.  

Move. It sounds like sage advice.

http://okiefunk.com/content/got-100-million-no-get-out-now

http://newsok.com/article/5504907