Board of Regents meeting in Tulsa

RSU items approved

Dr. Larry Rice presented several items to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents Monday in Tulsa. Though the media was swarming to the meeting to hear whether or not the regents will approve a pathway for conference realignment, Rogers State University presented for approval a posthumous degree to the family of Sgt. Andrew Peterson.
Peterson was killed in action during a patrol in Afghanistan. He had completed hours for the Associate's Degree, Rice said. Regents unanimously approved the posthumous degree that will be awarded to his parents.

Dr. Boren front and center

Dr. David Boren presented 26 items to the regents before the conference realignment.
The board of regents voted to go into executive session to discuss realignment, possibly moving Oklahoma to the Pac-12 which has been widely speculated.

Investments, Drug Testing and Obama's plan

Welfare and Drug Testing

Look for Oklahoma legislators to take up the issue of requiring welfare recipients to take a drug test.

During the most recent legislative session, Rep. John Bennett (R-Sallisaw) introduced a bill that went no where. He plans to reintroduce the bill.

HB 1083 would require anyone applying for state-assistance to undergo a urine screening as part of their eligibility AND every six months afterwards.

Any applicant who might fail or refuse the test would have to forfeit eligibility for the next 90 days.

Oh, the cost of the drug screening would be deducted from the applicant’s first payment.

If someone receiving assistance fails a drug test they would be ineligible for the next year.

Looking at how Florida legislators took the same approach, Bennett says that sate saved nearly $1 million the first month it was implemented, with an anticipated $9.1 million savings annually.

A recent SoonerPoll indicates 88.3 percent of likely Oklahoma voters would support a law to require welfare applicants to undergo drug screening.

How much could Oklahoma save from the drug screening? No one really knows yet, but it looks like legislators are willing to try it.

POLL: Return on education investment not seen

Taxpayers spend on average $8,400 per student for education in Oklahoma.

The return on that investment is not being seen by taxpayers, according to SoonerPoll.

Of those polled, 62.4 percent said taxpayers are not getting a good return on their investment. Only 22.9 percent showed a favorable response.

Democrats in the poll showed a negative

“It’s a pretty sobering indictment of the status quo,” said Brandon Cutcher, vice president for policy at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), “and this is using the government’s own spending data. If voters knew the real cost of education—which, as OCPA  has demonstrated, is north of $10,000 per student—I suspect the return-on-investment results would be even lower.”

SoonerPoll, Oklahoma’s public opinion pollster, was commissioned for this poll by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. SoonerPoll.com conducted the scientific poll July 25-Aug. 11. Likely Oklahoma voters were selected at random and given the opportunity to participate in the poll by phone or online. Of the 587 respondents who participated, 17 took the survey online and 570 responded via telephone interview. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.04 percentage points.

Tax, tax, tax….Spend, spend, spend

 Today, President Barack Obama proposed $1.5 trillion in new taxes as part of his 10-year deficit reduction plan. The bulk of the taxes are on the wealthy. He also reduces spending on Medicaid and Medicare.

“This is not class warfare. It’s math,” Obama said. The HuffingtonPost outlines the areas Obama's plan would cut and add.

What else is it? It pits the rich against the no-so rich and the poor.

Initial reaction from Republican leaders is Obama’s plan is not a recipe for growth, according to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

No matter what McConnell or Obama say the real cuts will be recommended by the new super committee. We will have to wait and see who wins the war of taxes and spending.

Weekend Yada Yada: Behind the Scenes

Political Pals

Former state Rep. Wayne Pettigrew has been on a town-by-town journey announcing his candidacy for the Second District Congressional seat.

Pettigrew served in the Oklahoma Legislature from 1994 to 2004, representing District 39, a rural district northwest of Oklahoma City.

Lance Cargill

What was almost as interesting as Pettigrew’s visit in Claremore, was his advance man. ‑ none other than Lance Cargill.

Remember Lance? He was the youngest person to serve as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2007-08. He was 35 at the time. His leadership reign was cut short when it was discovered he hadn’t paid his taxes on time.

Cargill was quite an up and comer within Republican circles. He has a bachelors of science from Oklahoma State University in political science and economics. He went on to Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he earned the juris doctorate.

This could be the remaking of Cargill’s future political career.

Ironically, one of Cargill’s partners in politics at the time was Fount Holland.

Holland is overseeing the campaign of another Second District candidate, Markwayne Mullin.

Stillwater Coup, Sort Of

PHOTO: Joint Project Manager Guardian

A military coup of sorts has been seized over in Stillwater.
The city's airport authority has entered into a lease with FLIR systems, who plans to tests it Combat Outpost Surveillance and Force Protection system, nicknamed "Kraken".
The testing is to prove the equipment' viability.
Last month the U.S. Army reported http://www.army.mil/media/218457/ it was evaluating the "Kraken" system at the White Plains Missile Range in New Mexico. Check out the Army's site for more information. Let's just say if the system works it can protect our Armed Forces from incoming attacks.
It is "a cutting-edge force-protection system which combines radar, surveillance cameras, unmanned sensors, gunshot detection and remote-controlled weapons," according to the Army.
It is designed as a quickly deployable unit that can monitor and triangulate and lock on to the location of a person firing a weapon.
Let's just say WOW! Just what our military forces need over in Afghanistan.

Carter on Mitt's Side?

Mitt Romney and President Jimmy Carter

Former President Jimmy Carter might have been heard endorsing Mitt Romney as the GOP's choice for president.
Wait a cotton-pickin' minute. Carter was speaking with Lefty Rachel Maddow on MSNBC about the GOP candidates. The one-term president said "I'm not taking a position, but I would be very pleased to see him win the Republican nomination."
Carter also said he hoped Mitt's religion would not stand in the way of his achieving the land's highest office.

RWR Prognostications

Football season has begun so here are Right-Wing Randy's selections:

College
Oklahoma Sooner vs Florida State
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Tulsa
Arkansas Razorbacks vs Troy
Kansas State vs Kent State

NFL

Detroit
Buffalo
Green Bay
Houston
New York Giants

Have a great weekend!!!!

Carson, Intermodal-ness and No-Show Me Missouri

Top Army Counsel Carson?
Brad Carson, former Congressman, bronze star recipient and Claremore resident has been nominated to be general counsel to the U. S. Army by President Barack Obama.
He would be an excellent advocate for the Army.
Can he clear the hurdle of being a Democrat? Carson is an officer in the U. S. Navy Reserve. He served in Iraq in 2009 and 2010. But, his nomination must go before the Senate Armed Services Committee on which Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican, sits.
Inhofe's spokesman has said he will look at Carson's record on military issues and determine whether or not to support of oppose the nomination.
Despite party affiliation, Carson would be an excellent choice.

Intermodal - New Word in Transportation
Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett delivered his State of the City address on Thursday.
At the top of his priorities is Intermodal Transportation.
Intermodal? You might ask. It is when freight is transported using more than one type of shipping, truck, train, plane or barge.
Bartlett says creating an intermodal transportation hub will be great for the Tulsa region.
He named a dozen types of parts related to the oil and gas industry that can be shipped from Tulsa International Airport or via the Port of Catoosa. From the airport to the port an intermodal transportation hub would greatly benefit businesses in Catoosa and Rogers County.
Bartlett noted a recent shipment of crude oil traveled through the Verdigris Channel down the Arkansas River connecting with the Mississippi and arriving at a refinery on the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first of its kind to take that route.
The Tulsa mayor said Oklahoma has energy resources that are cheaper than those overseas.
This should be good news for Rogers County and the Port of Catoosa.
Get on board the Intermodal Express.

Show Me State Falls Short
A bill that would give 500 Joplin businesses property tax relief has stalled in the Missouri Legislator. Those business were either destroyed or damaged during the devastating May 22 tornado.
The state's House of Representatives passed the measure 149-0. When it arrived in the Missouri Senate it hit a snag.
Missouri senators should be ashamed of their action.
The bill would have allowed Joplin's small businesses to have their property taxes pro-rated. Now they will have to pay about $600,000 in taxes, while not generating revenues as they rebuild and repair their businesses.
It is outrageous. Missouri law already has a provision that allows homeowners a similar tax break if their homes are damaged by a tornado, flood or other natural disaster.
Show Me the money is the mantra of those senators.

Cooking up confusion

Too Many Cooks

Find a recipe, prepare the ingredients, mix, stir put it in the oven to bake.

Sounds simple. Ninety-nine times out of 100 the end result will be tasty. As long as the temperature is correct and the cook doesn’t leave the dish in the oven for too long.

What happens when there is more than one cook?  What happens when one cook wants to add a tablespoon of garlic and the other wants cayenne pepper? Depending on the dish, things might not go awry.

In that same vein, what happens when you have three county commissioners , an architect and an outside consultant overseeing the same project?

In this case you get confusion, resulting in red faces all around.

Rogers County Commissioners Mike Helm, Dan DeLozier and Kirt Thacker split on their votes Monday to approve additional bond money to fund the construction of the new courthouse and E911 center.

Pmg consultants reported the project was $550,000 short.

WHAT? All Rogers County residents have so far is a big hole and 12 ft. mounds of dirt. How can the project be over budget so early in the process?

Now, a special meeting has been called to look at the need for the additional funds.

Commission Chair DeLozier now says the panic may have been due to some wrong numbers?

What do you get with too many cooks in the kitchen? Confusion and wrong numbers.

Big 12 not Big Enough for Texas

While the continued crumbling of the Big 12 Conference is not necessary politically-related, it is quite a shame how the greed of one school can ruin the entire meal.

The Longhorn Network, a collaborative effort between the University of Texas and ESPN, is the nail that broke the Big 12 Camel’s back.

Texas says everything is bigger down there. Their lust for more money, more control and to be top dog in the Big 12 has finally caught up with them.

Ironically, a year after an embarrassing season, the Longhorns now have attempted to bounce back, but their rise in the media world may leave them having to shuttle their precious network.

The black-sheep sister Texas A&M jumped the Big 12 ship to the Southeastern Conference.  If that wasn’t enough Texas wanted to make nice with the Sooners and Cowboys, but the damage had already been done.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will likely head out west and join the Pac 10 or -12 or -16  and Texas will be left to figure out its final conference destination.

The catch? The Longhorn Network maybe an albatross that will prevent them from join the ACC or Big East of anywhere else. Why? Texas doesn’t want to share any of its revenues from the network.

We say “happy  trails” to the Longhorns.

 

Could E-Verify lead to Government Tracking

Congress is about to mark up the Legal Workforce Act,which would force all employers to use the E-Verify system.

E-Verify is a government-run database and employment identification system. Many see this as an invasion of privacy and poses a threat to free speech. The greatest fear is that E-Verify could lead to a National ID system that could create hurdles to traveling freely.

“Papers please,” might inevitably be heard as families go on vacation and leave their resident state.

The original intent of the bill was to fight illegal immigration. Many employers who attempted to use the system found it was unreliable.

Could E-Verify lead to our government being able to know our every movement? Will it lead to fingerprinting of every citizen? What would be next, the collection of DNA samples?

Any efforts to move toward a national ID system should be stopped.

Red Light, Green Light & a path to smaller government

Red Light, Green Light
Word coming from 104 Muskogee is Claremore will finally have street lights synchronized.

In the past 4 years city officials have studied and studied, agreed to spend money on a traffic light synchronization plan, and now it may become reality.

Will synchronization of traffic lights help traffic flow better along Hwy. 66? How will those lights be effected when a Burlington Northern train rolls through Claremore tying up traffic for 10-15 minutes?

The equipment has been installed at seven intersections throughout the downtown Claremore area. Traffic lights on Will Rogers Blvd., Patti Page Blvd., Lynn Riggs Blvd. and 1st street will be connected via the Internet and will feature cameras for the new system.

Rhythm Engineering, who installed the interactive system, says it will reduce stops by motorists by 60 to 90 percent, lower fuel consumption by 20 percent and reduce emissions by at least 30 percent. This all sounds great, as long as it helps unclog traffic.

Be patient fellow motorists, let us all with hold judgment on how it will work.

The proof will be seen soon enough.

Smaller government in name only
Most, if not all Conservatives believe in a smaller government. It's part of the Red Trinity we genuflex to each day, Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and Less Regulation.

A state representative from Midwest City believes he has a bill that can take belt-tightening to a new level.

Rep. Gary Banz (R-Midwest City) believes the state legislature should be downsized..
“As lawmakers, we constantly talk about the need for smaller government,” said Banz. “My legislation lets legislators prove it in a way that shows we are truly committed to reducing the size of government.”

Conservatism in real terms.

Less legislators would mean less staff at the Capitol. Fewer staffers would be needed to provide support. On the face, Banz' bill could save Oklahomans money.

Where's the catch?

Banz' House Joint Resolution 1021 would first have to be approved by the state's 101 representatives and 48 senators. If it gained legislative approval, it would be placed on ballot for voters to decide, since it would require a change in the state's constitution.

The idea behind Banz' bill is a good idea, but it strings out the process way too long. If it successfully clears the legislative and ballot box hurdles, it wouldn't take effect until 2021.

Banz wants the change to be done in a careful manner.

If Oklahoma can do without 10 percent of its legislatures, saving the taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars, why wait?

Maybe because the same legislators who have to approve the bill know that one out of 10 might be the one who's job will be eliminated. Banz wants to  wait on an updated

Census and redistricting, but by waiting 10 years most current legislators would become term-limited, thus keeping their jobs safe.

Downsizing never achieves its intended purpose without some pain.

We are all for smaller government, but not in name only.

Carry One Carry All
During a three-day span last week I discovered several missed calls at my home.

When I searched the Caller ID lo and behold the calls were from the NRA. Not just one attempt to reach me, but twice daily over a three day period.

Their callers did not leave a message. So, who knows what they were wanting to tell me.

Enlistment or lobbying are the likely two choices.

On an NRA note, a bipartisan bill is being considered by Congress. Republican Cliff  Stearns from Florida and Democrat Heath Shuler of North Carolina have co-authored the bill.

If passed and signed into law, it would give hard-working Americans who have permits to carry a firearm in their home state the right to carry their weapons when the cross state lines. Many states have voluntarily agreed to honor conceal and carry permits from other states there currently is not federal law blessing it.

 Sounds like a feasible idea, Let's see how far up the food chain it travels.

Left, Right or Straight Ahead

We begin this blogging journey with politics in mind. The hope is to provide commentary, insights and a bit of humor as we look at politics in here in Rogers County, Oklahoma, across the state of Oklahoma and around the nation.
It is political season, or so it seems.

Local-Loco
Claremore City councilors cannot decide if it really, really wants a new hotel. At its most recent  Monday  night session, the elected officials were divided on whether or not to give additional incentives to lure the developer of a Hampton Inn to come to town.
Councilors who have put the brakes on the incentives don't want to look like they are giving away the store. Those on the other side are tired of other sister communities, i.e. Catoosa and Owasso, from getting new business.
It's time for Claremore councilors to decided if they want new businesses or not. At this point in the city's history, giving away more incentives might be just what is needed to send a message to developers that Claremore wants new business.
This isn't being conservative, but in the long run Claremore will be able to catch up in the economic development race. Remember, it's sales taxes that make the world go around.

Too Early Risers

Last week Markwayne Mullin tossed his hat into the Congressional District 2 race. Only weeks before Dakota Woods made his political debut. Muskogee's George Faught is running for the seat.
On Monday, former state representative Wayne Pettigrew began a three-day journey across District 2.
 The 2nd Congressional District spans 26 counties from the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma to the Red River border with Texas. It has been a stronghold for Democrats
Registered Dems have outnumbered Republicans 65 percent to 26 percent. Nearly 27 percent of the state's Democrats reside in the current district, which will change only slightly under the new district map approved by the Legislature earlier this year.
Not a single Democrat has had the nerve to jump in the race being vacated by Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election in 2012.
The election is 14 months away, so those in the race now are looking to raise campaign war chests.
With the unpopularity of President Obama, most Republicans believe they can regain District 2 and have a clean sweep of red for Oklahoma's national legislative office holders.

Ponzi Rick

The crowded field of presidential hopefuls for Republicans have allowed newcomer Texas Gov. Rick Perry steal all the oxygen in the room.
In his first debate, Perry called the Social Security program a "ponzi scheme" for which he received serious pressure in Monday night's Republican/Tea Party Debate.
Michelle Bachmann and Mitt Romney both bruised up Perry.
When asked about how he would reform Social Security, Perry said with lots of conversation.
Romney said that's what we are doing here at the debate.
Still no specifics on how Perry will change Social Security, if elected president.

Selling It

Obama is out selling ice to Eskimos this week. He revealed his $464 Billion jobs plan, which he says is totally paid for, but no one is really buying it.
It is just a makeover of another stimulus, which average Americans cannot afford, so they won't be buying it either.
When Congress takes up debate on the bill, it will be interesting to see if any piece of Obama's American Jobs Act will be approved.
For now, we'd say No Sale.