Monthly Archives: July 2013

Letter To The Editor Talks Keeping Politics Local

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In a letter to the editor of the Tulsa World, reader C. R. Ayers of Tulsa talks about keeping politics local. The thought being that we have more control over what happens the closer the issues and leaders are. So why waste so much effort on national or out of state issues when we have more power in our cities and state? Here is the full letter:

We often are distracted. Distracted from our more important local issues. We focus too much on national issues instead, issues over which we have little control: Florida murder trials, abortion laws in other states, filibusters, presidential appointees, global warming, etc. All these puzzling issues are featured nightly on broadcast or cable news.

Someone once said, “All politics is local,” meaning all these troubling things come back down to where we live, to trying to resolve problems in our own little town before taking on the larger national issues.

Which is to say, there are enough priority issues here in Tulsa and our state to keep us busy for a while. There are issues that most of us sometimes gloss over or completely ignore. There are issues facing our governor. There are issues facing our Legislature, our U.S. senators and representatives. Our mayor and city council face issues as well. But our local politicians love pointing their fingers back toward our national leaders in Washington instead – locals absolving themselves from being part of any national problem.

I suggest we first bring our attention back to our local leaders and hold their feet to the fire. Are they working in our best interests? What do they really stand for? Are they beholding to out-of-state interests or to we the people in Oklahoma? We might want to fire some of the slackers and replace them. Then what might be resolved here locally could make a difference in the rest of the country.

Once again, we would like to ask that you keep the letters rolling. We love reading them.

 

Letter To The Editor Responds To NewsOK Voter ID Editorial

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In a letter to the editor, NewsOK reader Connor Bannon of Edmond responds to the recent editorial trying to defend Oklahoma’s Voter ID law using a North Carolina study. In this letter, Connor uses the evidence, or lack thereof, that Texas used in trying to justify its Voter ID law. Here is that letter in full:

Regarding “Overblown: N.C. study rebuts voter ID claims” (Our Views, July 25): Voter ID laws serve as clear examples of government solutions in search of nonexistent problems. Granted, the new laws don’t, as many on the left suggest, present an insurmountable challenge to individual voters. However, they do place an unnecessary burden upon many of our fellow citizens.

Voter fraud isn’t a problem that plagues any state. Consider the “prevalence” of voter fraud in Texas, a state that passed voter ID legislation similar to North Carolina’s. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot found that from 2002 to 2012, there were just 100 federal prosecutions and 50 state convictions for voter fraud. That would mean an average of 15 prosecutions and convictions per year. To put the number into context, Texas has a population of approximately 26 million and cast 7,962,799 votes in the 2012 election. This means voter fraud is committed, as a percentage of Texas votes, at a rate of 0.000188 percent, and as a percentage of the Texas population, 0.0000576 percent. The percentage of Americans struck by lightning annually is 0.000143 percent — greater than the occurrence of voter fraud as a percentage of Texans.

Once again, keep the letters rolling. We love reading them and love seeing them published.

NewsOK Editorial Uses North Carolina Study To Weakly Defend Voter ID Laws

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Voter ID laws are a contentious issue throughout the US. Supporters of the laws insist that there is a valid interest in protecting elections from fraud, while opponents of the laws claim that it disenfranchises some at-risk voters. What supporters of the laws neglect to show is exactly what harm is being prevented with these laws. Since they cannot point to an actual problem the law addresses, they have instead taken upon themselves to marginalize the complaints raised by opponents. This marginalization comes in two facets, direct attacks on the people complaining and dismissing their concerns. In an editorial in NewsOK, they manage to do both.

In this editorial, NewsOK attempts to use a study from North Carolina as evidence that Voter ID laws would not negatively impact voters. However, they instead resort to attacks on opponents and dismissing evidence of potential harm.

Passage of voter identification laws in Oklahoma and elsewhere prompted an outcry from liberal partisans. Critics claimed the laws would somehow “rob” legitimate voters, mostly Democrats, of the right to cast a ballot. Those assertions were always dubious. In the modern world, who doesn’t have a photo ID?

As you can see, this editorial has completely disregarded the complaints before even getting to the actual message of the editorial. This opening statement paints the rest of the editorial in a very negative light. Continue reading →

Revolving Door Of Politics Hits Oklahoma As Coffee Leaves To Head Pro-business Lobby

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Glenn CoffeeThe revolving door of politics is the phenomenon that sees people elected to public office leave those positions at some point to become key lobbyists of some of the largest lobbying organizations in the US. This phenomenon shows that there is a clear divide between what the electorate thinks politics should be about and what elected officials think it is about. But such revolving doors are not the sole domain of the Federal Government. It happens on a state level as well.

NewsOK is reporting that former Senate Leader and Secretary of State Glenn Coffee has been appointed to head the State Chamber of Oklahoma, the largest pro-business lobbying organization in Oklahoma. The organization cites his business and legislative experience in appointing him to this position. What this means is that because he knows a lot of people in the legislature and in the capital, he will be able to convince more people to vote for legislation desired by the organization and its members.

While such changes of employment are not illegal, it does show the buddy buddy relationship between the legislature and special interests. While there are many in the state legislature who want to weaken that relationship for the better, the majority, and especially the leadership in the Legislature, refuse to make those necessary changes. Even a simple rule allowing for official recognition of a “no gift” list, a list of legislators who refuse lobbyists’ gifts, cannot even make it to a floor vote. Why would any legislator want to make that change when the greatest lobbyist’s gift is that of a cushy job upon retirement from elected office?

Senator Inhofe And Representative Cole Have Raised Over $1Million Each For Reelection

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Federal Election Commission LogoLast week, I wrote that Governor Mary Fallin, despite not officially announcing her reelection bid, has been gearing up for the coming 2014 election. She is not alone. News 9 in Oklahoma City is reporting that Senator James Inhofe and Representative Tom Cole, of US House District 4, have both raised over $1million each towards their respective 2014 reelection bids.  According to data from the 2012 election, Tom Cole spent a little over $1million to win his reelection.

How does that compare to their counterparts in the other 4 Oklahoma House seats? We took a look at the Federal Election Commission campaign reporting tool to find out.  According to most recent data, James Bridenstein, of District 1, has raised $17,000; Markwayne Mullin, of District 2, has raised $117,724; Frank Lucas, of District 3, has raised $285,590; and James Lankford has raised $314,752. These are all a far cry from what Tom Cole and Senator Inhofe have raised, but that can change as election season approaches. Continue reading →

Founding Fathers Would Be Disappointed In U.S., Say Proud Americans

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It was only last month that we highlighted a Gallup poll which showed that only 10% of the US population are pleased with Congress. In that article, we lamented the fact that despite a history of low voter approval, Congresspersons often enjoy a 90+% reelection rate. But that disapproval rate is not the only thing working against Congress at this point.

A new Gallup poll shows that a record low number of US citizens believe the Founding Fathers would be displeased with the state of the US today. Only 27% of people polled believe that the Founding Fathers would approve of how the US is operating today. This is down significantly from the 2001 high of 54%.

Poll showing that 71% of US Citizens beleive the Founding Fatehrs would be disappointed in the US Continue reading →

Governor Mary Fallin Has Made Moves Toward A Reelection Bid; Who Will Oppose Her?

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Governor Mary FallinWhile Governor Mary Fallin has not officially announced her reelection campaign, she is plenty busy putting plans in motion. According to NewsOK, she is busy fundraising for her unannounced campaign and raising awareness of her record as governor for the last 3 years.

I haven’t set a specific date to kick off a re-election announcement, but I have been having some fundraisers across the state and we do have a campaign website up along with sending updated emails out to our current supporters.

That website is up and running and is full of information about her record and her plans. So even though she is not currently openly running, she is still working hard on that reelection campaign.

But what about her challengers? Are there any takers on who will oppose her in the coming 2014 election? Not according to anyone in the Democratic or Republican parties. Continue reading →

Remember What Independence Day Is Really About

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Declaration of Independence

As we gather with friends and family this coming July 4th, Independence Day, we need to remember what this holiday is truly about. It isn’t about barbecue, fireworks, beer, or even about a day off from work. It isn’t just some day in which we are allowed to handle and set off low density explosives around other people. It is a day in which our forefathers chose to become traitors and wanted men in order to free their fellow men, their families and friends, from the shackles of tyranny.

As we sit in our lawn chairs, around picnic tables, eating hot dogs and hamburgers, as we watch the beautiful and colorful display of mortars and rockets, let us remember the sacrifice and danger that those men took upon themselves so that we may be free to do so. We are not able to celebrate because our oppressors took pity on us and freed us willingly. No. We are here because a brave selection of our forefathers risked everything to take our freedom back and give it to us. Why did they do this? Because it was in their hearts and souls to do so.

As we sit around with friends and family, let us remember these brave men and those who fought along side them to bring us the freedoms we enjoy. But let us not forget that this fight from tyranny and oppression is never over. Continue reading →