Typically, when we reach out to ask you to contribute to the Oklahoma Policy Institute, we list all the good reasons we believe you should support our work with a tax-deductible contribution. But it has become an end-of-year tradition for us to share a reminder that other people may believe differently. Here are five things you may believe that should lead you not to contribute to OK Policy.
1) Facts are irrelevant
On the state policy issues that matter to most people – including taxes, health care, public services, poverty, and criminal justice – OK Policy is Oklahoma’s trusted source for reliable, data-driven information and analysis. We produce fact-based resources that help Oklahomans better understand the laws and policies that impact our lives. These resources include our Online Budget Guide, fact sheets for all 77 Oklahoma counties, and Legislative Primer, as well as our daily In The Know electronic newsletter. But if facts are irrelevant to you, do not contribute to OK Policy.
2) Every issue only has one side
Through our analysis pieces, op-eds, columns, and reports, OK Policy is often that lonely voice offering a different perspective – whether it’s making the case for expanding health coverage, arguing for a fairer tax system, or restructuring our criminal justice system to eliminate racial disparities. But if you believe there’s only one side to every issue, then you should most definitely not contribute to OK Policy.
3) Understanding how the state spends my tax dollars is someone else’s job
Oklahoma’s state budget process is a relative black box from which more than $7 billion in appropriations emerge each spring. OK Policy works to explain the appropriations process, show where state revenues come from and how they are spent, and track budget trends over time, guided by the belief that an informed citizenry is vital to a healthy, functioning democracy. With a shrinking Capitol press corps, many people count on OK Policy to shine a light on what is happening behind the curtains. But if you prefer to remain in the dark about how your tax dollars are budgeted, then making a tax-deductible contribution to OK Policy is most certainly a terrible idea.
4) 49th is OK
One in six Oklahomans —and more than one in five of our state’s children — live in households that earn too little to stay above the poverty line. By nearly every health and social indicator, Oklahoma ranks last. It doesn’t have to be this way. One of OK Policy's core convictions is that Oklahoma can be a place where all Oklahomans have an equal opportunity to thrive, raise healthy families, and live in safe communities. But if you think Oklahoma is just fine the way it is, supporting OK Policy is probably not for you.
5) There’s no more work to do
So long as we remain last in our region in education funding, have one of the highest per capita incarcerations rates, maintain a tax system that penalizes our poorest citizens, and have nearly the highest rate of people without health insurance, OK Policy will fight for a better Oklahoma. To make progress, our elected officials must meaningfully invest in public services. If, however, you think there’s no more work to do, do not contribute to OK Policy.
All kidding aside, we sincerely hope you will make a tax-deductible one-time or recurring year-end contribution to OK Policy to help ensure that our work continues to have an impact in 2021. We greatly appreciate your support, and we hope this year, you can make the coming year even better by donating securely online at okpolicy.org/donate.
Sincerely,
Ahniwake Rose Executive Director
