"J.G. Colbert, a card-carrying member of the Choctaw Tribe, has written a letter full of errors and omissions in an attempt to whitewash the harm caused by the tribes tax free activities.

When he mainly states, “Sardis Lake was not built by Oklahoma taxpayers,” he is dead wrong. All U.S. taxpayers, including those in Oklahoma, fund all expenditures made by the Corps of Engineers. Nowhere is there any evidence of any money being paid by the tribes to construct this lake.

Obviously, Colbert is biased. He fails to mention how many of Oklahoma’s Indian population are actually taxpayers because many are not taxpayers.

Further many folks believe the gaming fees collected by the state for education purposes should be much more than the amounts actually collected. This has been a good deal for the tribes, but not so good for the general population of the state."

Get the Story:
Neil McElderry Sr.: Tax laws should be revised (The Norman Transcript 9/21)

J.D. Colbert Letter:
J.D. Colbert: McElderry’s letter full of errors (The Norman Transcript 9/15)

Another Letter:
Robert A. Fairbanks: The issue of Sardis (The Norman Transcript 9/18)