By Joseph L. Bast, Steve Stanek, Richard Vedder, and Herbert J. Walberg With the spread of term limits, more elected officials are new to the job than at any time in recent memory. But they have many sources of advice, starting with the professional staff of every legislature and including such membership organizations as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the Council of State Governments (CSG). Numerous think tanks also publish research and analysis, much of it available on their websites. Faced with a steady stream of reports and studies from government agencies and nongovernment advocacy groups, elected officials can easily lose sight of the principles and lessons that should form the foundation of what they were sent to the state capital to accomplish or protect. These principles are rooted in the American experience and attract broad bipartisan support among thoughtful elected officials. This article presents ten such fundamental principles addressing the tax and budget aspects of state government, providing the reader with an authoritative guide to the following fiscal policy issues facing Oklahoma policymakers: Read more... Posted at 9/21/2006 12:04:00 PM