• AnnUAL EDUCATIOn ISSUE • AUGUST 2016 • VOLUME 48 NUMBER 8 • $5.00 ‘Life In This Hallway Is Killing Me’ A Devoted Teacher Describes The Challenges Inside Oklahoma’s Cash-Strapped Public Schools Back-to-School Special Report Begins on Page 18 Observations www.okobserver.net Trickle Down Trump VOLUME 48, NO. 8 What is it going to take to drive a stake into the heart of the long-ago PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton discredited theory of Supply Side economics? EDITOR Arnold Hamilton It failed spectacularly during the Reagan years – so much so that George H.W. Bush referred to it as “voodoo economics.” It failed in Kan- DIGITAL EDITOR MaryAnn Martin sas. It’s now failed in Oklahoma. FOUNDING EDITOR Frosty Troy Yet, the Koch Brothers, their stink tanks like the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs and, yes, even Republican presidential nominee Donald ADVISORY BOARD Trump refuse to give up the notion that cutting taxes for the wealthiest Marvin Chiles, Andrew Hamilton, 1% somehow magically causes government coffers to overflow and fat- Matthew Hamilton, Scott J. Hamilton, Trevor James, Ryan Kiesel, tens the bottom lines of the least among us. George Krumme, Robert D. Lemon, Actually, it’s a theory better described as “tinkle down” economics – Gayla Machell, Bruce Prescott, a reverse Robin Hood that alleged billionaire Trump wants to pursue if Robyn Lemon Sellers, Kyle Williams elected in November. OUR MOTTO Why pursue a strategy that doesn’t work for the vast majority of Amer- To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the icans? Greed. Comfortable. Consider this: Trump’s proposal to eliminate the federal income tax would be a $7.1 billion boon for his family, according to Third Way, OUR CREDO So then to all their chance, to all their a Washington-based think tank. Moreover, Trump’s plan would add an shining golden opportunity. To all the estimated $10 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, the Urban- right to love, to live, to work, to be Brookings Tax Policy Center noted. themselves, and to become whatever We’ve seen this movie before. As it entertains and enriches the silk- thing their vision and humanity can combine to make them. This seeker, stocking crowd, it devolves into a horror flick for the middle class and is the promise of America. poor. - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe Look at Oklahoma: Billion-plus budget hole this year, at least $600 million next. Vital state services woefully underfunded. Tax breaks and FOUNDING PUBLISHER Helen B. Troy corporate welfare disproportionately benefiting the wealthy elite. 1932-2007 Mad-as-hell Oklahomans casting an anti-establishment vote for Trump might be well to familiarize themselves with an old, but applicable [ISSN 0030-1795] The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] phrase: cutting off your nose to spite your face. is published on the first Wednesday of each CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 month by AHB Enterprises LLC, 13912 Plym- outh Crossing, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals postage paid at Edmond, OK and additional entry office. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-Year [12 issues] $40. Send check to The Yes! Please send me a one-year subscription for only $40. Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, This special offer includes my certificate for a free book courtesy Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Online: Visit of Full Circle Bookstore [a $20 value]. See page 41 for details. www.okobserver.net to use a credit card. UPDATE ADDRESSES Please notify us at least two weeks before your move to ensure uninterrupted service. E-mail address changes to subscriptions@ okobserver.net or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. LETTERS TO EDITOR E-mail to [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113- 0275. 2 • AUGUST 2016 Observerscope Dart: To OK County DA David Dart: To the Daily Disappoint- Aug. 11 is deadline for medical Prater, endorsing preacher Paul ment, stooping to new low with marijuana supporters to gather Blair in SD 41 GOP runoff because its puff piece on owner Philip An- enough signatures – 66,000 – to he won’t “compromise the tenets” schutz’s Sea Island, GA resort get the issue on the November bal- of his faith. Blair uses his pulpit as – solidifying its designation as lot. Visit okforhealth.org for more a platform for hate speech. America’s Worst Newspaper. details. State Supreme Court Justice We note the passing of Oklaho- The Oklahoma Democratic Party Steven Taylor is retiring at year’s ma’s first black state senator, E. has new digs – 3700 N. Classen end. Appointed to the high court Melvin Porter. What a remarkable Blvd. Suite 100 in OKC. Former in 2004 by Gov. Brad Henry, Taylor legacy – civil rights sit-ins, NAACP Gov. David Walters is co-hosting a spent 33 years on the bench. president, 22 years in Senate and housewarming party Aug. 11 from passage of OK’s Anti-Discrimina- 5-7 p.m. Laurel: To Rep. Jason Dunning- tion Act. ton, D-OKC, and Sen. Kyle Love- “It is easy to boo, but it is harder less, R-OKC, announcing they will Laurel: To Planned Parenthood’s to look your kids in the face dur- re-introduce their equal pay for Tamya Cox, honored recently with ing a Donald J. Trump presidency.” women bill next session. It came Oklahoma Religious Coalition on – Sen. Bernie Sanders, responding oh-so-close to becoming law this Reproductive Choice’s Faith and to boos from California delegates year. Freedom award. Bravo! when he urged they work to elect Hillary Clinton Former Senate President Mike Senate President Pro Tem-to-be Morgan now serving an 18-month Mike Shultz, beware: Theocrat-in- Oklahoma carbon king Harold sentence at federal prison in Ar- chief Paul Blair isn’t even GOP SD Hamm as Donald Trump’s energy kansas for his bribery conviction. 41 nominee, but Capitol insiders secretary? Money can buy lots of He also surrendered his law li- say he’s already inquiring whether things – but not respectability. cense. a freshman can be elected pro tem. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters speaking] be glad that the Re- publicans are going through tri- als and tribulations of a type we need not worry about. But actu- ally their problem is a one shot deal; if Trump loses [which is most peoples’ hope], they will merely regroup and carry on as if nothing happened. Unfortunately, our Democrats have a serious problem which is systemic in nature – and won’t easily be fixed. I see the Democrats as being broken up into two groups – I’ll call the first group “True-Blue” Democrats. These are the people who believe in “Old-fashioned Pol- itics,” i.e. the average person gives a small amount to the politician of his/her choice [a la, Bernie Sand- ers]. Editor, The Observer: or hoping to get elected would say. This group consists of most of To my generation: 1968 was a Could his original intent have us Democratic voters, plus a very year of assassins, ramped up war been to pitch in a million dollars few at the upper levels [people in Vietnam, racial tension and ri- or so, get a lot of personal public- like Bernie, Elizabeth Warren, and ots, cops being shot and Czecho- ity, and then go back to trying to Alan Grayson – there are others slovakia being invaded by the Sovi- increase his bank account with who are close to this definition: et Union. We elected Richard Nixon some type of self-promotion, using Sherrod Brown, Pete Fazio, Marcy as POTUS. That led this country to his campaign as the focal point? Kaptur and a few others]. Laos and Cambodia wars, Arab oil If he is half as smart as he wants The second group I’ll call “Dem- embargo, Watergate and the loss of us to believe, he must realize he licans” [because in their actions Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. is in so deep that there is no way they are half Democrat – half Re- Now comes 2016 and the Re- he could ever extract himself from publican]. My reasoning for this publican convention in Cleveland. the abyss he is in. Virtually all his split definition occurs because Now comes Donald Trump, a con comments are antithetical to what they firmly believe that the only man with no moral values and a any valid candidate would utter in way to win elections is to do what thousand times more narcissistic public. the Republicans do – accept “su- than Nixon! Somehow, we are in the middle per-pacs” and all other big money Seriously old people? Have you of a major league scam he is per- sources wherever you can find forgotten the friends you lost? petrating – with the whole US of A them. Almost all “top” Democrats Think about the grandchildren set to be the victim. fit this category [including Bill, you will lose under this insane If by some quirk of fate he should Hillary, and Barack]. You can see bastard! get elected, our governmental sys- the results in the 15½ years of Steve Hoffman tem would be in dire peril and sub- Bill’s and Barack’s presidencies. Oklahoma City ject to collapse. But who knows? If Both of them followed some Re- we could get through the rebuild- publican type strategies – especial- Editor, the Observer: ing process successfully we pos- ly in the financial and trade areas. These thoughts have been rico- sibly could get a government that Up till now, this split has been a cheting around in my alleged mind actually works.