Groups urge increase in grocery tax credit (Tulsa World, 12/17/08)

Lindsay — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:30:55 -0600

Advocates note that more Oklahoma families are struggling to pay for food.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Groups that work with low-income families urged lawmakers Tuesday to increase a sales-tax credit to offset the cost of groceries.

David Blatt of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, who was joined by about 20 organizations, asked the state "to take modest but important action to help struggling families buy groceries."

Oklahoma Policy Institute promoting plan to update Sales Tax Relief Credit (Journal Record, 12/17/08)

Lindsay — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:18:34 -0600

OKLAHOMA CITY - Every day it gets a little harder for Oklahoma families struggling to put food on the table, according to recent figures provided by the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. The food bank reported a 42-percent increase in people served during the first eight months of 2008 compared to 2007.

"Every day we see a growing demand for food among Oklahoma's families," said Sara Waggoner, the Community Food Bank's executive director.

Mixed signals: State's economy tops nation's, thus far (Tulsa World, 12/15/08)

Lindsay — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:32:11 -0600

So far in this recession Oklahoma's economy and state budget are doing better than the nation's as a whole. The big question is whether and how long that will continue.

December's Numbers You Need, an Oklahoma Policy Institute publication that reports economic figures from various official sources, contains some mixed signals for the state's economy. OK Policy is a statewide non-profit group whose mission is to reduce poverty, expand economic opportunity and promote fiscal responsibility.

More make do with less (Tulsa World, 12/09/08)

Lindsay — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:33:58 -0600

Since 1999, the percentage of families living in poverty increased in 30 of the state's 39 most populous counties, according to data being released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Okmulgee County recorded the biggest jump - a 6 percent increase - in poverty among families, data from the bureau's American Community Survey indicates.

The percentage of families in Okmulgee County whose income was below the poverty level increased from 14.9 percent to 20.7 percent.

Editorial: We're in this together (The Oklahoman, 11/16/08)

Lindsay — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:07:58 -0600

We're in this together

David Blatt, Director of Policy, Oklahoma Policy Institute

With more than one in five non-elderly Oklahomans lacking health insurance and health care costs posing an ever-growing burden on businesses and families, identifying options to expand access to health insurance coverage is likely to be a major priority for Oklahoma policymakers during next year's legislative session. This fall, legislators and others have been working as part of a House task force aimed at developing recommendations to chart a path forward.

U.S. Census Bureau data indicates Oklahoma poverty level decreased in 2007 (September 15th, 2008 OKC Business)

Lindsay — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:13:37 -0500

Data just out from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate poverty in Oklahoma decreased about 1 percent in 2007, but the state’s poverty rate of nearly 16 percent is still 2.6 percent above the national average. About 557,000 – or nearly one in six – Oklahomans were below the poverty line last year.

In 2007, the federal government established the poverty line at $20,650 in annual household income for a family of four.

Oklahoma’s 2007 median household income was $41,567, up $1,800 from 2006, but 18 percent below the national median household income.

Let's Reinvest in Oklahoma (September 6th, 2008, Oklahoman)

Lindsay — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:33:35 -0500

A recent editorial in The Oklahoman suggested that because state income tax revenues are increasing, recent tax cuts did not hurt state revenues. The truth is that the cuts have prevented us from taking the opportunity to reinvest in Oklahoma.

Report cites Oklahoma income tax-cut slash (Oklahoman, September 3rd, 2008)

Lindsay — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:50:31 -0500

A think-tank that advocates for the poor says Oklahoma lawmakers would have had $400 million to $600 million more to spend on education and other programs the last two years if not for income tax cuts.

The Oklahoma Policy Institute says its figures are based on average historical growth in personal income taxes over the last 15 years.

Oklahoma poverty rate down, but still not perfect (Oklahoman, August 26, 2008)

Lindsay — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:16:30 -0500

Despite improvements last year in the number of Oklahomans living in poverty and a boost in residents' household income, the state's economic numbers remain among the nation's worst, census data released Tuesday show.

"This is a classic glass half-full, glass half-empty situation," said David Blatt, director of policy for the anti-poverty Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Concentration of working poor declines in Tulsa (Tulsa World, August 12th, 2008)

Lindsay — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:54:58 -0500

But a report says the number of poor people climbed.