Oklahoma state senator Jim Wilson has a bright idea about how to raise $17 million for his state: put a sales tax back on newspapers and periodicals. Because levying taxes on an industry locked in an economic death spiral is always a good way... destroy that industry more quickly. Also a good way to get a newspaper to stop talking bad about a certain politician who may have an important vote on the state's tax policy. Everybody wins!

Sen. Wilson wants to give that $17 million windfall to the state's teachers, who could then teach kids how to read, if only there were something left to read after all the newspapers fold.

[Tulsa World via Mediawire. Photo: mestes76/ Flickr]