Policy Matters: When lawmakers cut budgets, it rolls downhill

In government, just like in nature, everything rolls downhill. And when budget cuts start cascading downwards, it’s not the mountaintop that feels the hit – it’s the town in the valley.

This is the moment we find ourselves in now, as the majority in Congress pushes for massive program cuts to help pay for tax breaks for the ultra-rich. From their lofty perch in Washington, it’s easy for members of Congress to slash funding for public health, Social Security, housing, education, and transportation. They don’t rely on these services daily, so the cuts look clean. They’re just numbers in a spreadsheet.

But gravity takes over fast. States like Oklahoma, which rely heavily on federal dollars for essential services, will find themselves coming up short. And unlike the feds, Oklahoma can’t borrow to fill the gap. The state is legally required to balance its budget.

So when federal dollars disappear, Oklahoma lawmakers face a choice: raise taxes or slash services. And 99 times out of 100, state lawmakers choose the knife. Not just the extras but also core services: SoonerCare, food assistance, transportation, housing, public safety, mental health, education, and more.

Then when the state steps back, the next in line – counties, cities, and towns – will feel the impact. Local governments experience these impacts exponentially when they get what’s left. Or rather, what’s not left. For more than two decades, Oklahoma lawmakers have prioritized shrinking revenue through poorly planned tax cuts rather than investing in the infrastructure that Oklahoma families and local businesses desperately need. This is not just a financial issue; it’s a community issue.

This string of cuts has increased the pressure on local governments. As a result, many local governments are doing less with less, especially as they deal with aging infrastructure.

That’s the real kicker: local government is where people feel government. Not in a press release or a policy memo – but in the missed trash pickup, dark streetlights, the delayed ambulance, the library that’s now closed on Saturdays.

These cascading cuts don’t just shrink budgets; they also erode trust. They hollow out the daily experience of public life. People blame the city for problems that started several layers above.

But as these federal and state cuts roll downhill like a landslide, it won’t be the folks living on the mountain who will feel it. It will be the everyday people living in the valley who will be buried underneath.