CAPITOL WATCH
M. Scott Carter reports on politics, legislation and other issues from the State Capitol.
About a week before he died Friday, state Rep. David Dank sat down with Oklahoma Watch, speaking on several issues. Dank was candid and direct. He said his biggest fight had been over tax incentives.
Dank said he wanted to leave the Legislature with the knowledge that he’d reduced the number of unnecessary tax breaks and redirected the money into programs “that genuinely helped people.”
Dank also had thoughts on several other issues:
On seniors: “We need to take care of our seniors and we’re not doing a very good job if it. They’re down the rung on what we consider out here.”
On schools: “Unless the teachers are ready to help do some heavy lifting and help us fight giveaway tax credits, we’re not going to be able to do much. Unless they help us go from district to district, it’s not ever going to be right. It’s not ever going to be where we can do what we need to do for teachers.”
On tax credits: “We need to get rid of the giveaway credits in state government. If the credit doesn’t create jobs, then get rid of them. You can’t convince me there is not millions of dollars in waste in government. I’ve been digging at this stuff on tax credits for seven years.”
On his wife, Odilia: “I was married to one of the finest educators that ever walked the face of God’s earth and she was paid a pittance. When it came time for her to retire, I told her to get out of there because she wasn’t be paid what she was worth.”
Dank, 76, died at his home.
