Economy, jobs top Brown's issue list for 2011

(POL) As Rep. Mike Brown campaigns for his fourth term representing House District 4, he is focusing on the economy and jobs, as well as continuing his efforts to expand insurance coverage for children with autism.

            As the state attempts to recover from an economic recession, Brown, D-Tahlequah, is focusing his efforts on ways to boost the economy and create jobs. Tax credits play a big role in the discussion of both, he said.

            “One side has banked on tax credits as being the holy grail of bringing in business,” he said. “We have to be business friendly, no doubt, but you also have to have balance.”

            The Legislature was lucky that it had the federal stimulus and the Rainy Day Fund to help balance the budget, but some of those funds were squandered in providing tax credits that will end up hurting the state in the long run, he said.

            “If those tax credits had strings attached to them to ensure job creation, we would have had an increased tax base,” Brown said. Instead, the dependency on tax credits created corporate welfare, and the recipients are likely to keep coming back looking for more assistance, he said.

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