• An Independent Journal of Commentary • AUGUST 2013 • VOLUME 45 NUMBER 8 • $2.50 BUBBLE TROUBLE

Test Mania Is Crippling Public Education. Two Of Oklahoma’s Best Teachers Explain How We Can Turn Things Around. ANNUAL EDUCATION ISSUE/Pages 22-30 Observations

www.okobserver.net Google-Eyed VOLUME 45, NO. 8 Why is the world’s best-known on-line search engine all Google-eyed PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton over Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator? Google, you may have heard, hosted a fund-raising luncheon in Wash- EDITOR Arnold Hamilton ington last month for the Senate’s most strident climate change denier, Sen. Jim Inhofe. FOUNDING EDITOR Frosty Troy Yes, the same Google known for the slogan A better web. Better for ADVISORY BOARD the environment. The same Google known for its investments in climate Marvin Chiles, Andrew Hamilton, research and renewable energy, including an Oklahoma wind-farm that Matthew Hamilton, Scott J. Hamilton, powers Google’s data center in Pryor. Trevor James, Ryan Kiesel, George Krumme, Robert D. Lemon, And the same Inhofe who, the day before fund-raising luncheon, took Robyn Lemon Sellers, Gayla Machell, to the Senate floor to assert – presumably with a straight face – that Bruce Prescott, Kyle Williams President Obama’s climate plan is designed “not to protect the Ameri- can people” but rather to “control them.” OUR MOTTO To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the There are strange political bedfellows. And then there is Google and Comfortable. Inhofe. “It’s embarrassing that a company that prides itself on innovation and OUR CREDO technology is associating itself with the extreme views of Sen. Inhofe, So then to all their chance, to all their shining golden opportunity. To all the who is unabashedly dismissive of climate science,” the League of Con- right to love, to live, to work, to be servation Voters’ Jeff Gohringer told the Washington Post. themselves, and to become whatever The fund-raiser – contribution levels ranged between $250 and $2,500 thing their vision and humanity can – attracted media coverage worldwide, but scant attention in Oklahoma. combine to make them. This seeker, is the promise of America. If you read the Washington Post, the UK Guardian or the Nation, how- - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe ever, you’d have learned that Google is just like so many other corpora- tions – it’s pro-environment sloganeering notwithstanding: It plays both FOUNDING PUBLISHER Helen B. Troy sides of the political aisle and works studiously to influence public pol- 1932-2007 icy, greasing the skids with big money. [ISSN 0030-1795] According to a written response from a Google spokesperson, reprint- The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is ed in various media: “We regularly host fundraisers for candidates, on published monthly by AHB Enterprises LLC, both sides of the aisle, but that doesn’t mean we endorse all of their 13912 Plymouth Crossing, P.O. Box 14275, positions. And while we disagree on climate change policy, we share an Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73125. CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275.

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2 • AUGUST 2013 Observerscope

Laurel: To state Rep. Seneca Scott, D-Tulsa, appointed to serve on two key panels: the White House State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Change and the National Conference of State Legislature’s Natural Resources and Infrastructure Standing Com- mittee.

We grieve the passing of our dear friend Bob Gresham, a tireless ad- vocate for peace and justice, gone at the much-too-young age of 59.

Dart: To State Superintendent Ja- net Barresi, celebrating a $1.2 mil- lion settlement with embattled test vendor CTB/McGraw-Hill. Celebrat- ing what? Nearly three-fourths of the penalty is to be paid via in-kind Hell hath no fury like state Rep. Laurel: To state Finance Director donations, only $376,205 in cash. Mike Reynolds scorned. Check out Preston Doerflinger, urging law- If divided equally the settlement his on-line hit job on Speaker T.W. makers to seriously review drilling would amount to a measly $700 Shannon at www.shannonforcon- incentives that annually cost the for each district. Chump change. gress.com. A damning dossier. state treasury hundreds of mil- lions of dollars. Oil and gas execs We’re No. 42! Thirty-three per- Laurel: To outgoing Corrections fainted statewide. cent of working-age Oklahoma Director Justin Jones, a truly nice adults ages 25-64 held two- or guy and a pro, driven from office by Term-limited state Rep. Joe Dor- four-year degrees in 2011, up one the state’s private-prison-backed man, D-Rush Springs, is eyeing a spot from 2010. National average elected elite. He will be sorely new office: Grady County Commis- is 38.7 percent. – Lumina Founda- missed. sioner. Donna Bebo, who mounted tion a valiant but unsuccessful bid to Heartbreaking: Out of 11,000 an- unseat GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Cole Laurel: To state Rep. Richard imals that entered Tulsa’s Animal in 2012, hopes to keep the HD 65 Morrissette, and Sen. Al McAffrey, Welfare Shelter last year, 7,000 seat in Democratic hands. both D-OKC, honored by AARP were euthanized. Believe it or not, for their work on the Josephine that’s a lower percentage than five Dart: To Speaker T.W. Shannon, Meade Anti-Hunger Act of 2013. years ago. who wouldn’t know a good idea if The bill was named for the grand- it bit him in the … well, you know mother of Morrissette’s excellent Dart: To new Tulsa World Pub- where. He rejected Rep. David Per- administrative assistant, Jacklyn lisher Bill Masterson, caving to ryman’s sensible request for an Brink-Rosen. noisy rightwingers who claim the interim study on passenger rail opinion section was too liberal. along the I-44 corridor. Former Secretary of State Glenn He’s killing Oklahoma’s most bal- Coffee and State Chamber Chief anced, thoughtful daily newspaper Alarming: As much as 80% of Ca- Fred Morgan remain attached at editorial page. ribbean coral is believed to have the hip. Morgan worked for Cof- been lost in recent years because fee when he was Senate president. Congratulations to Stephanie of climate change, pollution, over- Now Coffee works for Morgan as and Bruce Fraker, honored as 2013 fishing and degradation. A new the Chamber’s new general coun- Canadian County Democrats of the Catlin scientific survey will at- sel. Gov. Mary Fallin reports to Year at the recent BS & Beans din- tempt to quantify the damage. – UK both. ner in El Reno. Bravo! Guardian CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters

visit a sex therapist, undergo a cardiac stress test, and get their sexual partner to sign a notarized affidavit confirming impotency to get a prescription for Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs? The law should also require men who take the drugs to be continu- ally tested for heart problems, re- ceive counseling about possible side effects and receive informa- tion about pursuing celibacy as a viable lifestyle choice. In conclusion, wouldn’t it be great to legislate both women’s health and men’s health? I would call that “equal justice under the law.” Wanda Jo Stapleton Oklahoma City Editor’s Note: Wanda Jo Staple- ton represented south Oklahoma City as a Democrat in the state House from 1986-96.

Editor, The Observer: Editor, The Observer: nois, states who supported Abra- Sen. Harry Coates’ incredible ex- States where residents have filed ham Lincoln and the Union. pose [July, Observer] about Okla- secession petitions include Ala- Recognize the blessing! homa’s corrupt, mismanaged, bama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Frank Silovsky un-Christian and beastly prison Louisiana, Mississippi, North Car- Oklahoma City system tops the explosive news olina, South Carolina, Tennessee, articles Frosty Troy wrote in the Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, Mis- Editor, The Observer: Tulsa Tribune and that the late Bill souri, and Oklahoma. Isn’t it “special” that Oklahoma Duncan and I wrote in the Oklaho- The first 11 states comprised legislators, mainly Republicans, ma Journal 47 years ago. the Confederate States of America. voted to protect us women from The two fire-brand newspapers Slave states, Missouri and Ken- having to make those tough deci- that employed Frosty and me are tucky, remained loyal to the Union. sions about our bodies. These Re- long dead but their courage is Indian Territory [later Oklahoma] publicans have, thankfully, made worth remembrance. The only way supported the Rebels. these decisions for us and have the Journal’s coverage trumped Let them all go! They’ve been a written them into law. Frosty’s relentless prose was that pain ever since the Civil War end- For example, two such Oklaho- the late John Gumm, a fearless ed. ma laws are now before the U.S. world-class photographer, snapped Every one of these states pres- Supreme Court. One makes de- incredible behind-the-walls-telling ently receives at least $1.27 for cisions for women about the use pictures of gambling and lurid every dollar they send to Wash- of abortion-inducing drugs. The conditions “in State Prison.” ington. Think: “solving our money other requires women to undergo In 1966, Oklahoma’s prison sys- problems.” an ultrasound test [i.e., a probe up tem was equally bad as today’s. Af- After the above leave the hated the vagina] before getting an abor- ter reading Coates’ dandy update, I Union, the feds can relocate Forts tion. opine that it may not have been as Bliss, Hood, Sam Houston, Sill, I’m so thankful for not having corruption-oriented as today’s pri- Polk, Knox, Benning, Bragg, Leon- to make these decisions for my- vate prison operators handing out ard Wood and a host of others. The self. I propose that similar laws fat donations to politicians who large forts, like Sill, can be moved be passed in Oklahoma to protect support their outrageous, expen- where the feds are appreciated, men’s reproductive health. How sive businesses. Who would have like Michigan, New York and Illi- about a law that requires men to CONTINUED ON PAGE 45 4 • AUGUST 2013 Arnold Hamilton

Power Play

ov. Mary Fallin, empire builder? The question is anything but idle cock- tail musing. It’s actually quite serious after three years in which Fallin’s gubernatorial The governor might be well-served to consider two Gpowers expanded significantly. points as she seeks to quench this thirst: Consider: Her first year in office she worked with First, the pursuit of power often leads to politically the Republican legislative majority to gain the power risky over-reach. This seems to happen most when to essentially hire and fire state Board of Education one party controls all levers of government – as Re- members. publicans do now in Oklahoma. Consider: Her second year in office GOP colleagues If there’s one thing Oklahomans don’t like, at least engineered a constitutional amendment – approved historically, it’s when they sense an elected official by voters – that abolished the Oklahoma Human Ser- has gotten too big for their britches. High poll num- vices Commission, placing administrative control in bers today can evaporate tomorrow, in this era of ev- the hands of a governor-appointed agency director. er-shorter attention spans. Consider: Her third year in office she’s asked the Second, Republicans may control all statewide of- state auditor to review the state corrections depart- fices and both houses of the Legislature today, but it ment’s structure, including possibly abolishing its won’t always be that way. The pendulum will swing board and recreating it as a cabinet-level agency back. whose director is appointed by the governor. And when it does – when a Democrat again is elect- Consider: The governor also recently issued an ex- ed governor – Republicans may well wish they hadn’t ecutive order appointing 15-member task force to re- allowed Fallin to consolidate so much power in the view the Grand River Dam Authority, first step toward governor’s office. what could be an overhaul of the state-owned utility – increasing the governor’s influence. About the only time Fallin lost power was in 2012 when voters took her out of the pardon and parole Never Assume His request approved, the television news pho- process – a long overdue constitutional change that tographer quickly used a cell phone to call the will save the state money and reduce the political in- local airport to charter a flight. He was told a fluences that often cloud inmate releases. twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at Fallin’s pursuit of power may be business-as-usual the airport. in American politics, but it’s worth taking stock of Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane because it’s contary to the state’s populist tradition. warming up outside a hanger. Oklahomans long have been suspicious of too He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door much power in too few hands as evidenced by a state shut, and shouted, “Let’s go!” Constitution that was clearly designed to spread au- The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the thority around – lawmakers, boards, commissions. wind and took off. One of Fallin’s fellow Republicans, state Rep. Doug Once in the air, the photographer instructed the Cox of Grove, publicly lashed out at the governor over pilot, “Fly over the valley and make low passes so the GRDA power-play – a sure sign that even her po- I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.” litical teammates are becoming uncomfortable with “Why?” asked the pilot. the never-ending quest to amass more authority. “Because I’m a photographer for CNN,” he re- Fallin backers, of course, will argue that it is her sponded, “and I need to get some close up shots.” duty to be involved and deal with critical issues as The pilot was strangely silent for a moment. Fi- they unfold. nally he stammered, “So, what you’re telling me, True enough. But isn’t it interesting that oft-times is … you’re NOT my flight instructor?” –Thanks to when Fallin gets involved, she ends up with more Frank Silovsky for sharing this gem power?

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 5 Frosty Troy

Why Education?

ince I was educated by Benedictine nuns I The co-ed school brought a number of challenges. am often asked why I am so passionate about Included in these challenges was providing increased public education. Thanks to my ancestors it sports for boys, especially football and baseball, and courses through my blood. needing more classroom space due to increased en- SOklahoma City’s Mount St. Mary’s High School had rollment. its historical beginnings in 1884 when a group of five The challenges have been met to provide a school Sisters, including my greats aunts Sister Mary Cath- for young girls, co-education, Christian service learn- erine Troy and Sister Mary Francis Troy, arrived at Sa- ing, technology readiness and education, as well as cred Heart from Lacon, IL, on July 9, 1884, to educate the formation of a faith community composed of a young Indian girls. diversity of faith traditions. Some of the Sisters of Mercy came to Oklahoma Today, Mount St. Mary’s High School can boast of City in 1891 to open a school at St. Joseph’s Church. being a faith community, serving over 230 secondary Realizing the important role that Oklahoma City was school students and their families with mercy, com- due to play in the growth of the state, the Sisters had passion and an exceptional Christ-centered Catholic set about to acquire a suitable site for their school education. and motherhouse. The curriculum is comprehensive, including Ad- They began with 35 girls enrolled. As the work of vance Placement courses, technology and fine arts. the Sisters became better known, the enrollment in- The teachers are all certified, and work out of the creased. charism of mercy values. Thousands of graduates It didn’t take long for them to see the medical needs have influenced our city, state, nation and world. and they telegraphed their brother [my grandfather], Sister Mary Catherine Troy and those founding sis- Dr. Edward Henry Troy, associate dean of medicine at ters never dreamed of the lasting effect their vision the University of Michigan. and efforts would have. When he arrived in Indian Territory it didn’t take If you are ever at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds, long for him to see the medical needs. He telegraphed you will see a marble oblisk and on it the name: Mary his wife, Rose, to sell the house and come to Indian Francis Troy – one of the first women inducted into Territory. Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame. My grandmother packed up, kids and all, and She didn’t do it for fame or glory. Neither have I. headed to the Territory. Meanwhile, my grandfather – While Founding Editor Frosty Troy takes some thought the ideal site for a hospital was where the time off, we are reprinting some of his favorite col- railroads crossed at McAlester. umns. This first appeared in the Jan. 25, 2011 Ob- Mount St. Mary’s Academy was established as a pri- server. vate boarding school for girls and a novitiate for the Sisters of Mercy of Oklahoma. It functioned as the THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER novitiate until the time of the amalgamation of the Sisters of Mercy in the Union in 1929. For a brief period, 1925-28, the Mount was also a ju- Your Passport To Oklahoma’s Most nior college, the first in the city open to women. The Progressive, Socially Responsible college was an affiliate of the University of Oklahoma. And Intellectual Audience During most of this time girls from Oklahoma City had also been admitted as day students. Mount St. Advertising rates start as low Mary’s continued to function in this capacity until as $40 per issue. 1950, when at the request of Bishop Eugene J. Mc- Guinness, it opened its doors to coeducation. Call 405.478.8700 for details. 6 • AUGUST 2013 Supply-Side Hasn’t Worked. It’s Time For Middle-Out Economics. BY GENE PERRY n 2006, Gov. Brad Henry signed what may have ed to the theory of “trickle-down economics,” also been the largest tax cut in state history. In some known as “supply-side economics.” The idea is that ways, it mirrored the tax cut approved this year boosting incentives for wealthy business people [“job under Gov. Mary Fallin. The top income tax rate creators”] is the best way to grow the economy for all. Iwas ratcheted down over several years, with a final The trickle-down theory is still popular with politi- reduction depending on a revenue trigger. cians, even as it has been repeatedly contradicted by Yet the 2006 tax cut did something else – it in- empirical evidence and the historical record. creased the standard deduction to match federal lev- One reason for trickle-down’s longevity may be the els, which eliminated income taxes for some 45,000 absence of a simple alternative. A recent symposium low to moderate-income families and lowered taxes in Democracy Journal seeks to fill this gap. for Oklahomans at all income levels. In a series of articles, the authors outline a plat- In other words, lawmakers saw it as important to form of “middle-out” economics, based on the fact make sure that tax reduction was both bottom-up and that middle-class consumer demand is a much great- top-down. By contrast, the current governor and Leg- er driver of business expansion than wealth at the islature have pushed tax cuts that are entirely top- top. The basic reasoning is simple — any success- down. ful businessperson who wants to stay successful The tax cut as finally approved provides no tax re- will only hire more workers and increase production duction for 43% of Oklahomans, and middle-income when people are able to buy what the business wants families will see an average cut of just $39. At the to sell. That demand won’t continue if the average same time, 72% of the total tax cut will go to the American can’t obtain the skills, opportunities, and wealthiest 20% of Oklahoma households. ultimately, high wages to keep up this “virtuous cy- When confronted with this data, lawmakers retreat- cle.” THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 7 Middle-out economics also recognizes that the store the balance to what it was at the height of the most important “capital” for capitalism is the human United States’ prosperity. kind. As Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer write in their es- We should increase the minimum wage to match say on the true origins of prosperity, “We need more productivity gains. Average worker productivity has Americans to have the wherewithal – purchasing almost doubled since the 1970s, even as the real power, education, health security, access to capital value of the minimum wage fell by 21%. A minimum – to participate in economic life, whether as consum- wage increase will both boost the economy and help ers or as idea creators [that is, small businesspeo- make wages better match what workers are contrib- ple]. The more that happens, the better America does. uting. Middle-out economics, in short, allows capitalism to Middle-out economics also calls for reinvigorating operate at full capacity and full potential with our tal- job training to create a “middle-skill” workforce. The ent maximally deployed.” higher education system needs to do better at train- The symposium goes on to present several policies ing for the numerous jobs that require more than a for a middle-out agenda, including expanding access high-school diploma but less than a bachelor’s de- to paid time-off and family leave to support the next gree. generation. We need to counteract the rising inequal- Altogether, middle-out economics combines a ity not just in wealth, but also in access to the work- simple message with a coherent policy agenda that place flexibility needed for parents to be present in matches American values, and economic reality, their children’s lives. much better than the trickle-down alternative. Another middle-out policy could be to restore the – The author is a policy analyst for Oklahoma balance between labor and capital. The share of na- Policy Institute. An earlier version of this essay ap- tional income going to employee compensation has peared on the OKPolicy blog. You can sign up for OK plummeted in recent years, as the share going to cor- Policy’s e-mail alerts and daily news digest at http:// porate profits has increased. Tax reforms can help re- okpolicy.org It’s About Economic Opportunity, Not Bigotry

BY KATE RICHEY recent report by Oklahoma Policy Institute, rial. Building Equity: Closing the Opportunity Insisting that “personal choice” alone drives the Gap in Oklahoma, outlines large and persis- racial wealth gap leads to deeply pernicious conclu- tent gaps in wealth, income, and opportuni- sions. If our successes and failures are simply the tyA between Oklahomans of different races and ethnic sum of our choices, then wealth disparities by race backgrounds in our state. can only persist because most people of color make It explains how the gap was historically created, poor choices while their wealthier white counterparts presents data on the size and scope of the gap, and make wiser ones. proposes public policies to equip all Oklahomans Common sense tells us otherwise. The adult great- with the tools they need to have a better chance at grandchild of a turn-of-the-century oil billionaire can prosperity. inherit a vast fortune without lifting a finger. At the A recent Oklahoman editorial [Bigotry not to blame same time, the great-grandchildren of survivors of for Oklahoma’s shortcomings, June 24] takes issue the infamous Tulsa Race Riot inherit only memories with this report. of a vast fortune lost in a single day as hundreds of The authors do not dispute the evidence of a racial black homes, banks, and businesses were set ablaze wealth gap. Rather, they say people of color in Okla- by white rioters. homa have worse health outcomes, higher unemploy- To believe, as the Oklahoman editorial writers claim, ment, and less educational achievement because of that “those acts are now history, in every sense of “the impact of personal choices.” the word” is to choose to remain ignorant of the very Of course our choices shape our lives. But they cer- real and long-lasting effects of a history that enriched tainly do not shape our lives in the neat and predict- generations of Oklahomans by impoverishing others. able way suggested. People who make good choices Certainly we’ve made progress; individual people of often land in bad situations, and people who make color have risen to positions of power and achieved terrible choices reap unjust rewards. significant prosperity. But their success does not Life’s not fair – a lesson exasperated parents have erase the deep, population-wide effects of race-based tried to impart to their children since time immemo- asset stripping.

8 • AUGUST 2013 Oklahoma’s children continue to struggle with in- The obstacles to opportunity still faced by so many herited barriers – high-poverty schools, lack of ac- in our state matter for all of us, whatever the color of cess to playgrounds and grocery stores, police ha- our skin. rassment for minor or non-existent infractions. – The author is a policy analyst for Oklahoma Oklahoma’s future prosperity depends on us clos- Policy Institute. An earlier version of this essay ap- ing the gap. This is an increasingly diverse place to peared on the OKPolicy blog. You can sign up for OK live, and today almost half of the state’s population Policy’s e-mail alerts and daily news digest at http:// under five is comprised of children of color. okpolicy.org Meth Labs, Water Wars, Private Prisons And Health Care BY ROBERT JACKMAN

hat do meth labs, more water wars, and Oklahoma governor and one former governor, all the Fairy Job-Queen Governor with her in lock step with the Oklahoma Water Resources wish for private prisons, plus no health Board’s director and North Texans. Available surplus insurance for the poor all have in com- water became the accepted truth, without anyone mon?W Sadly, the short answer is: “Lobbyists running asking independent hydrologists or hydrogeologists Oklahoma, and chronic denials of reality by politi- this question: is that really true? [Answer – No] cians.” The bogus “Big Easy Money From Water Sales” On meth labs: In place of truth the drug company story was repeated and repeated by major press, and lobbyists weaved myths that are repeated time and easy to swallow by a general public being fed a series time again by paid propaganda push polls claim- of headlines about “no new taxes” and “Oklahoma ing “new laws requiring prescriptions to buy pseu- Water Wasted – Going to Gulf of Mexico.” doephedrine will be another government burden on But no one was listening to – nor was the press people!” Repeat something often enough and people quoting – water scientist’s warnings: “Better fact- believe it, and reality gets smothered. check this so-called Surplus Water Theory and review CNN reported Feb. 13, 2013 that “Tulsa County Is federal downstream Red River flow rights belonging Meth Lab Capital of USA.” From 2004-12, Tulsa Coun- to Arkansas and Louisiana!” Plus, check the costs ty had 979 contaminated meth lab sites. A Tulsa po- for pumping water uphill across the state from south- lice department meth expert said the only way to get eastern to western Oklahoma before jumping on that rid of meth is to get rid of pseudoephedrine by mak- band [water!] wagon. ing it prescription only. Denial of facts became delusion of the day, while But neither Dewey Bartlett nor Kathy Taylor, candi- Texas lobbyists passed out campaign contributions dates for Tulsa mayor, ever mentioned any problems to Oklahoma’s elected water traitors. Have they with meth labs! Award them both Masters’ Degrees in stopped? So the Great Oklahoma Water War flows on, Denial and check if they took campaign funds from thanks to the promises of polluted money for players drug manufacturers. on both sides of Red River. On water: Despite the June 2013 U.S. Supreme On private prisons: The Oklahoma Department of Court ruling against Texas forcibly taking southeast- Corrections’ excellent director, Justin Jones, recent- ern Oklahoma waters, the Great Oklahoma Water War ly resigned and a familiar story is heard again – poli- goes on and on. cymakers, including our governor, all slow dancing Hear what one Oklahoma state representative, Dr. up close with private prison lobbyists, put the Capitol Brian Renagar, a McAlester veterinarian, said in his Squeeze Play on him. Their myth: private prisons are recent release after the Supreme Court ruling: “I still great. But Mr. Jones knew better. see OK legislators using sale of this water to further Another big factor in running him off was that pri- their agenda to eliminate Oklahoma’s state personal vate prisons make large corporate political donations income tax. It’s clear to me they think playing income while prisoners and quality DOC officials don’t! tax roulette is necessary for them to stay in power in On Oklahoma health insurance issues: ObamaCare Oklahoma.” vs. Fallin’s NoCare is a classic example of a politician Oklahoma’s Water War was entirely unnecessary pursuing party loyalty rather than what can be done and very expensive to taxpayers. It started on a myth to help people who do not have the money to secure – a lie of so-called “surplus water” available in south- health services for themselves. eastern Oklahoma. Our governor and policymakers prefer maintaining The “Surplus Water Myth” started in early 1990s power over maintaining a healthy work force. Isn’t by numerous Oklahoma City officials, including an CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 9 The Cost Of Playing Politics

BY RICHARD L. FRICKER

memo circulating among state House Dem- Dear Members, ocrats details the number of unconstitu- I’ve summarized some bills passed and later deemed tional bills passed by lawmakers in recent to be unconstitutional by the courts. It’s interesting years that were challenged and overturned that many of the authors of these bills are still here, byA various courts. just recently left, or are still around in some capacity. The Republican majority harps constantly about From a March 4, 2010 Huffington Post article, Okla- tight budgets and the need to cut expenditures. Yet homa Supreme Court Tells Legislature: Stop Wasting it repeatedly enacts unconstitutional teabagger- and Money on Unconstitutional Laws: evangelical-driven legislation. “In a strongly worded ‘excoriation’ of the Oklahoma The result: the taxpayers end up paying dearly to state legislature, according to Stephanie Toti, a staff defend dubious legislation, either via direct costs attorney at CRR, the Supreme Court ruling calls the to the attorney general’s office or by hiring outside passage of these laws ‘a continuous failure to abide counsel. by the Oklahoma constitution.’ ‘We are growing wea- In the near future The Observer will be analyzing ry of admonishing the Legislature for so flagrantly not only the costs involved in passing ideologically- violating the terms of the Oklahoma Constitution.’ driven legislation, but also the campaign contribu- The Oklahoma Supreme Court goes on to state that tions received by those who sponsored these Consti- violating the OK Constitution over and over again in tution-challenged measures. relation to the single-subject rule [“Over the last two Here is the complete text of the internal House decades we have addressed the single subject rule Democratic memo: at least seven times”] is: “ ... a waste of time for the 10 • AUGUST 2013 Legislature and the Court, and a waste of taxpayer’s by requiring them to pay the costs of expert review in money.” violation of their constitutional right to access to the How much of our taxpayer dollars have been wasted courts as conferred in Article 2, Section 6 of the state defending unconstitutional laws? constitution. Just this past session the Legislature passed HB DECEMBER, 2012 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court 2032, which violates the “single-subject” rule in the ruled two of Oklahoma’s anti-abortion laws uncon- Oklahoma Constitution, and a legal challenge was stitutional. The OSC determined that both HB 2780 immediately filed, as expected. Oral arguments were and HB 1970 were unconstitutional because they vio- heard on July 9th. late the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1992 ruling in Planned How many dollars have been wasted fighting federal Parenthood v. Casey. HB 2780 [Rep. Billy/Sen. Sykes statutes, such as the ACA? – 2010] required that women had an ultrasound per- Recent legislation declared unconstitutional: formed and described to her within an hour before JUNE, 2013 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled having an abortion. HB 1970 [by Rep. Grau/Sen. Treat that a 2007 amendment [HB 1760 by Rep. Blackwell/ – 2011] prohibited off-label use of medications, in- Sen. Lamb] increasing sex offender level assess- cluding RU-486, to induce abortions. HB 1970 was ments which placed offenders back onto the registry defeated by a unanimous opinion from all eight judg- for life or retroactively, and without a hearing, was es and HB 2780 was defeated by seven of the judges. unconstitutional. This ruling resulted from the case One judge recused herself from the case of HB 2780 of Starkey v. Oklahoma Department of Corrections, because she had issued an injunction against the law filed by plaintiff James Starkey, who found his regis- in 2010. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is tration period extended retroactively. appealing this latter decision to the U.S. Supreme JUNE, 2013 – The Oklahoma Court of Civil Ap- Court. peals, after granting a rehearing to the Oklahoma Tax NOVEMBER, 2012 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court Commission, upheld its earlier ruling in January that unanimously ruled that the use of $25 million in state the deduction that treats out-of-state companies dif- bond funds to make improvements to a dam owned by ferently than Oklahoma firms is unconstitutional. the City of Tulsa is unconstitutional [SB 239 by Rep. The court held the Oklahoma law enacted in 2005 Miller/Sen. Mazzei – 2009]. The Court found that: “In [HB 1547 by Rep. Calvey/Sen. Gumm] as an econom- reality, the bonds appear to be nothing more than a ic and business development incentive violated the gift to the City of Tulsa and surrounding communities Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution by facially from the State. This type of gift is precisely what is discriminating against out-of-state businesses. The prohibited by the Oklahoma Constitution, Article X, appellate court directed that its ruling applies only Sections 14 and 15. Accordingly, the proposed bonds to the 2008 tax return of the company that filed the are unconstitutional.” Sen. Patrick Anderson, who appeal. argued this case before the Supreme Court, stated, JUNE, 2013 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck “In the future, I would hope that policy makers will down the Comprehensive Lawsuit Reform Act of 2009 pay closer attention to the state Constitution.” [HB 1603 by Rep. Sullivan/Sen. Coffee] as invalid un- MAY, 2012 – An Oklahoma County District Court der the state’s constitution. It was struck down due tossed out a law [HB 1970 by Rep. Grau/Sen. Treat – to the unique provision of the Oklahoma State Con- 2011] that put restrictions on drugs used to induce stitution under which the CLRA was held invalid: abortions. The court found that it is “an unconstitu- the single-subject rule. The “single-subject rule” is tional law in violation of the fundamental rights of an anti-logrolling provision that requires that “every women to privacy and bodily integrity,” guaranteed by act of the Legislature shall embrace but one subject, the Oklahoma Constitution. The state Attorney Gen- which shall be clearly expressed in its title.” This eral’s Office plans to appeal the ruling. Fallin spokes- means that every bill, with limited exception, must man Alex Weintz: “The governor is disappointed with be limited to only one subject matter. The provision the court’s ruling and supports the decision of the was enacted over a century ago. attorney general to appeal.” JUNE, 2013 – An Oklahoma law [HB 1603 by Rep. APRIL, 2012 – An attempt to change the Oklaho- Sullivan/Sen. Coffee – 2009] requiring plaintiffs alleg- ma constitution to define an embryo as a person is ing professional negligence to submit an expert af- unconstitutional, per the state’s highest court. The fidavit of merit with their petition is an unconstitu- Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a proposed tional “special law” that creates a special subclass amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would of persons, the state Supreme Court has ruled. The define a fertilized human egg as a person violates a state’s highest court ruled 7-2 that the affidavit re- 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision involving a Penn- quirement violates the prohibition on special laws re- sylvania case and “is clearly unconstitutional.” Sup- lated to judicial proceedings in Article 5, Section 46 porters of the personhood amendment are trying to of the Oklahoma Constitution. A special law is one gather enough signatures to put it before Oklahoma that confers a right or imposes a duty on some but voters on the November ballot. not all of the members of a class of persons. Section JANUARY, 2012 – The 10th Circuit Court of Ap- 19 also places an undue financial burden on plaintiffs CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 11 BUDGET BLUNDERS How Tea Party-Backed Speaker’s Foolish Fiscal Policies Harm State BY CAL HOBSON or many nothing is more boring than an ar- Carty, D-OKC, and since then whoever serves as lead- ticle about how Oklahoma’s state budget is er of the always rambunctious and often reactionary annually prepared by the people we elect to lower house can easily be as dominant as the gover- serve in our Legislature. Having been a par- nor or the Senate president pro tempore. Fticipant in writing 28 of them I understand that fact. Fast forward to 2013 when a new speaker ascended Although it’s true each governor submits every year to this remarkably powerful position. His name is his or her plan for the next funding cycle, such pro- Rep. T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton. He is our state’s first posals – regardless of party affiliation – are generally black leader of the House or Senate and is also a ignored by the leadership in both the Senate and the member of the Chickasaw Nation. House. One would think that genetic pedigree, plus his po- This reaction dates from the 1950s when, for the litical experience working for both former U.S. Rep. first time in history, the House of Representatives J.C. Watts, R-Norman, and current U.S. Rep. Tom elected their own speaker rather than rubber stamp Cole, R-Moore, would prepare him for the enormous the governor’s choice. That man’s name was J.D. Mc- task of shepherding 100 disparate state representa- 12 • AUGUST 2013 tives. examiner’s office, highway and bridge construction, Well, one would be wrong. He is rarely interested in higher education expansion and, yes, building torna- compromise, an ingredient necessary for democracy do shelters for our kids at school. to work; often puts political considerations ahead of Most glaring in the “no bond ever” category is sound policy; and is guided by a small minority of Tea Speaker Shannon’s demand to spend $60 million this Party adherents within Republican circles. year and another $60 million next year from the gen- Speaker Shannon’s most important responsibility eral fund to rehabilitate and rebuild much of the state is to shape the formulation of Oklahoma’s budget. Capitol building, a worthy and long overdue project. That entails making hard choices and in this he has However, the largest recipients of the fund being failed. raided are schools and health care services that have Following is how some of your money is being had their operating budgets slashed by 20% over the thrown down the drain by this powerful elected of- last three years. ficial and others. They all purport to be fiscal conser- Additional millions were also diverted over the last vatives but nothing could be further from the truth. two years to the Oklahoma Department of Trans- Your hard earned money is being wasted not just this portation. Since our state has the lowest diesel and year but in future ones as well. gasoline taxes in the country it should come as no In this column I’ll discuss the three most egregious surprise to anyone that our bridges are now ranked monetary decisions made during the 2013 session: as second worst in all of America after Pennsylvania. First and foremost of wrongheaded actions was to What Leader Shannon should have done, instead turn down billions of dollars earmarked to provide of hollowing out the state’s largest operational fund health insurance to 175,000 low-income Okies. for capital expenditures, was to author a large bond One hundred percent would have been paid by fed- issue for these and other pressing needs. eral outlays to Medicaid for three years and approxi- Two sources of funding the new bonds are readily mately 90% thereafter. Thirty other states have ac- available: [1] Projected growth revenues, primarily cepted the money that now will contain Oklahoma’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 forfeited share. For fiscal hawks who worry about the na- tional debt, and we all should, our rejected money can only be spent on Medicaid care elsewhere and the expenditures will begin as ED SHADID early as January 2014. Signup starts in Octo- ber because governors and legislators elected in other states have prepared methodically for For OKC Mayor the triggering of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. Returning now to Oklahoma, it appears what our leaders will do is roll the dice to see if a Launch Rally plan presented by the Leavitt Partners, a con- sulting firm based in Utah that was to be paid 6 pm, August 15, 2013 up to $500,000 to create the blueprint, will meet federal muster and be approved. Farmers Public Market Even if it is given the green light from Wash- ington – and there is considerable doubt about 311 S. Klein Ave., OKC 73108 that – the only winner in this scenario is the insurance industry. Their charges for coverage More, RSVP, Volunteer, Donate to the state and consumers will be at least 15% www.EdShadid.com 405.212.3068 higher than if Oklahoma had simply accepted the money through the long established and more reasonably priced Medicaid system. The reason for the disparity is simple. Medic- aid doesn’t have to turn a profit. Private insur- ance companies do. Second, the refusal by the speaker to autho- rize any new bonds, regardless of purpose, monetary savings, or critical need is simply in- comprehensible. Interest rates, low bond debt, capital needs, cash flow and available Rainy Day funds all dictate the wisdom of issuing bonds for innu- merable projects. They include a new medical Paid for by Ed Shadid for OKC

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 13 ‘PAY OR DIE’ Son’s Death Spurs Retired Prof To Urge Fallin To Think Outside Box On Healthcare

By RON DU BOIS

n open letter to Gov. Mary Fallin: position in two important books. One is State of Con- I have long been an advocate of universal fusion by Dr. Bryant Welch, a psychologist. On page health care paid for through public taxation 240 he writes: similar to that of every other industrialized “The private health insurance industry is a dinosaur nation.A I have long wondered why most Americans America can not afford to subsidize any longer. It has oppose a similar system since keeping everyone been too costly, too inefficient, and too inhumane. Its healthy saves a great deal of money. existence is not due to any divine principle such as a Other nations put health and hygiene at the top ‘free market economy’ or ‘private enterprise.’ Instead of the list of absolute necessities of a truly civilized it is an exploiter of America’s own immature attitude style of living. Yet the American mindset is stuck on towards government. As the health care debate so viv- the backwards notion that if you can’t afford it you idly illustrated, private health insurance is a symp- don’t deserve it. tom of that immaturity and does not fulfill any of the Recently I was pleased to discover support for my benefits attributed to private enterprise. 14 • AUGUST 2013 “We can curse the government all we want, but that In our “pay or die” system I lost my son to leukemia. will not facilitate efforts to develop a cost-effective In Canada life saving treatment would have been pro- system accessible for all, especially those most in vided without ever receiving a bill. That doesn’t mean need. For this we need collective national action. Our treatment is “free.” It means that Canadians are will- government is our collective national action.” ing to pay for the healthcare of their neighbors from The other is a book written by Chic Damback, Ex- birth to death through a system of taxation. If you ask haust the Limits. Chic is one of our own, a gradu- them “why?” the great majority would answer, “Be- ate of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. He cause I think it makes for a stronger nation.” played football for OSU. He served as president of ObamaCare, deeply flawed, is still a step in the right the National Peace Corps Association, was a nation- direction. Why are Americans irrational about adopt- al champion athlete and Olympic games official. He ing a healthcare system similar to that of every other is a world traveler with friends all over the world as industrialized nation? well as an award winning public speaker. His son was It would be well worthwhile to visit Canada for a born with serious kidney problems. few months to compare their humanistic system with On page 125 he writes: ours – the cruelest and the most expensive in the “As for the insurance industry and the U.S. health world. system I have nothing but contempt. I criticize the My son’s life would have been saved and his gifts to system, not the doctors, nurses and technicians. Oklahoma as a medical doctor realized. They do marvelous work. Not perfect, mind you, but I speculate the opposition to paying for “your their skills produce miracles. The insurance indus- neighbor’s healthcare” is due to a history of “rugged try, on the other hand, left us nearly destitute, and individualism” in which death was accepted as part they have made Kay’s [Chic’s wife] life miserable. of a frontier society. In today’s world every advanced They refuse to pay bills that are obviously appropri- nation in the world with the sole exception of the U.S. ate, and they make her fight over details. They waste recognizes healthcare as a birthright. ObamaCare, deeply flawed, is still a step in the right direction. Why are Americans irrational about adopting a healthcare system similar to that of every other industrialized nation? It would be well worthwhile to visit Canada for a few months to compare their humanistic system with ours – the cruelest and the most expensive in the world. time and impose emotional stress at every opportu- Our pioneering history and attitudes cast tremen- nity. dous power over our minds. We reject what every “Fortunately, end stage renal failure – kidney fail- other nation has ... namely healthcare for all paid for ure – is covered by Medicare regardless of age. Kai through public taxation. [Chic’s son] went on Medicare before he turned two. Pioneer attitudes are no doubt similar to those of Medicare, government run health insurance, made early preliterate societies when people faced illness the transplant and Kai’s survival possible. Unfortu- or starvation by simply waiting for death. Years ago nately, however, only the treatments directly attribut- I visited Ethiopia as a member of an OSU consor- able to Kai’s kidney function are eligible for Medicare. tium to East Africa; I learned that Ethiopians histori- Others are not, so we still have to wrestle with private cally and today face starvation by awaiting death by insurance. Our friends in other countries take pity stoically sitting in front of their “tuckles” – i.e., the on us for living in the U.S. with our miserable health- round mud huts with thatched roofs that is the typi- care financing system. They are right. Our system is cal Ethiopian house. pitiful. I can not understand why Congress refuses to I hope you will take these comments into consider- make Medicare universal. It works, and it costs far, ation. Fear, panic, and “gaslighting” rule the minds of far less than the current dreadful system. Finally, in so many. Continuing a failed policy hobbled by past 2010, we have modest reform in the system. It may notions benefits no one. protect against the problems we encountered, and it Despite its flaws the Affordable Care Act will im- will assure Kai access to insurance when he is on prove the lives of hundreds of thousands of Oklaho- his own. That relieves one of my greatest concerns. mans. The reform doesn’t go as far as I would wish, but I’m – The author, an Oklahoma State University pro- pleased to see some progress. “ fessor emeritus, lives in Stillwater

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 15 Six Things You Need To Know About ObamaCare BY KATHERINE SCHEIRMAN hould I buy my medicine or food? Should I go Acne, pregnancy, birth defects, asthma, heart dis- to the doctor or pay my rent? Will my son’s ease – these are just some of the many medical con- breathing get better if I wait another week or ditions insurance companies previously used to deny does he need medical care now? Do I risk my patients coverage. When you sign up for a new private Shealth or go into major medical debt? Is it too late health insurance policy through the marketplace, for me? any medical condition you or a family member has As a physician, with 636,000 people uninsured here cannot be used to deny you health insurance cover- in Oklahoma, I have seen far too many Oklahomans age or to charge you more. So if you’ve been denied face those decisions. Fortunately, many of these pa- before, try again this October. tients will be asking a different question this Octo- 4. All insurance plans will have to show the costs ber: Which is the best private health insurance policy and what is covered in simple language with no fine offered in the new marketplace for my family and me? print. The Affordable Care Act health insurance market- We’re all used to fine print – credit card contracts, places for individuals and small businesses will be cereal boxes, TV ads, and software updates – but up and running starting Oct. 1, but 78% of uninsured starting this October, we’ll be able to purchase pri- adults are unaware of their new options for insur- vate health insurance policies without having to deci- ance. pher any fine print. We all know signing up for health insurance can 5. Starting Oct. 1, you can go to www.healthcare. be frustrating, but come October, things will be very gov or call 1.800.318.2596 to find out what private different. Here’s what you need to know about the health insurance policies and financial assistance private health insurance policies that will be offered is available to you and your family and purchase through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces: the best policy for you. 1. All insurance plans will have to cover essential You can enroll in a new health insurance policy any benefits like doctor visits, hospitalizations, mater- time between October 2013 and March 2014, but if nity care, preventive care, emergency room care, and you enroll by Dec. 15, 2013, your coverage will start prescriptions. Jan. 1, 2014. You can sign up now for e-mail updates Having health insurance that doesn’t cover your and more information at www.healthcare.gov. medical needs just doesn’t make sense. Any policy 6. Unfortunately, our state has so far refused to ac- sold on the marketplaces will be there when you need cept Affordable Care Act money that was designed to it the most. You won’t have to weigh the costs and expand the Medicaid program for the lowest income benefits of seeking potentially life-saving medical Oklahomans. care. Those who make below 100% of the Federal Pov- As physicians, we’ll no longer have to worry wheth- erty limit are not eligible to purchase insurance in er or not our patients’ insurance will cover the treat- the new marketplaces. Neither are people who have ment they need to get and stay healthy. affordable, quality insurance available through their 2. You might be able to get financial help to pay for employers. But that leaves tens of thousands who a health insurance plan. will be eligible, so find out if you or your family mem- A quality private health insurance policy that will bers are some of them. be there when you need it will never be dirt cheap, but So, if you don’t have health insurance, please join there are steps being taken to make it as affordable me in checking out HealthCare.gov now and explor- as possible. Most middle-income Oklahomans will ing our new private health insurance policy options get federal subsidies that will help you pay for your starting Oct. 1. If you already have health insurance, health insurance premiums, if you qualify to buy it in make sure all of your friends and family members the marketplace, and your income is between 100% know about their new options. and 400% of the federal poverty level [approximately It’s time no American has to worry about big medi- $23,550 to $94,200 for a family of four]. In addition, cal bills or going into bankruptcy if someone in our insurance companies are required to spend at least family gets sick. That time begins Jan. 1, 2014. 80-85% of premiums on health care services [or their – Dr. Katherine Scheirman, state director of Doc- policy holders get rebates]. tors for America, is a retired Air Force colonel who 3. If you have a pre-existing condition, insurance served as chief of medical operations at Ramstein plans cannot deny you coverage. Air Base, Germany during the height of the Iraq War. 16 • AUGUST 2013 PUBLIC FORUM Government By Panic BY BOB AXWORTHY n The Music Man, Profes- sor Harold Hill was a grifter who knew the basics of a good con. First, create a cri- Isis: You’ve got trouble, trouble, trouble, right here in River City! Trouble! Crisis! Panic! And then, The Con. The GOP has been following these guidelines very well. They had such good results when they put the entire country into a panic mode [WMDs, get even with somebody, now, Now, NOW!], which conned us into a war that added $2.2 trillion to our national debt, that they tried it again with a monstrous National Debt Cri- sis! Trouble! Crisis! Panic! Stop spending! Austerity! The Con? Imagine, half of our legislature calls. Crisis! Their drones are tar- Improve the economy by cutting was ready to vote against a law geting us. Panic! The Con? Blame taxes on the rich and reducing that would allow our government Obama for the Patriot Act. “entitlements” to the workers. to continue to honor our fiscal Benghazi! How did Benghazi And then what could be better commitments. Now, that’s real happen? Trouble! Who’s at fault? than a real crisis? The sky really dedication, if not to your country, Crisis! Must be a cover up. Panic! is falling. Banks really are fail- then certainly to your political [And don’t mention our consulate ing. We’re losing our retirement party. in Karachi with 10 killed in 2002, money. We really might be going Then the budget crisis: Trouble! or in 2004 at our embassy in Uz- broke. Trouble! Crisis! Panic! Bail! Crisis! Panic! Cut entitlements! bekistan with two killed and nine Bail! Bail! now! Now! NOW! The Cut spending! Now! Now! Now! wounded, or Saudi Arabia in 2004 Con? Borrow another $700 billion Then The Con: more military, where eight lost their lives in our and bail out the banks! more tax cuts. consulate, or 2006 when the U.S. Remember the federal debt ceil- Since we’re on a roll, let’s hit Embassy was attacked in Syria ing? We’re going broke, our debt that poster-child of the Demo- and one was murdered, or the is higher than our statutory limit crats, Social Security. It’s going grenade in our Athens Embassy ... we have to increase the limit broke. Trouble! It will run out of in 2007, or the 2008 fire in Serbia, or we can’t pay our bills. Trouble! money. Crisis! Do something right or the Yemen bomb which killed Crisis! Panic! [Hey, the adminis- now while we have a national debt 10 ... all of these before President tration will need a bunch of GOP that is out of hand! Panic! Reduce Obama.] The Con: our incompe- votes to increase this limit. But benefits. now! Now! NOW! [Maybe tent administration! Or might we suppose we don’t go along! Yes, no one will notice that our Social have somebody out there who we know that George W. Bush had Security fund’s surplus won’t run doesn’t like us? to increase this ceiling several out for about 20 years! We might Well, River City folks, The Con times but now they need us to need to reduce benefits then, so ultimately got you a Boy’s Band. help pass the law. Our course is why not just go ahead and reduce What will the GOP Panic Program simple: no ... No ... NO!] Trouble! benefits now?] get us? They’ve done all this to Crisis! Panic! Disaster! The Panic Program continues. get back into the White House What good is the “full faith and The Obama Administration is in- and to get a majority in the Sen- credit of the United States” if we vading our personal lives. They’re ate. I hope it doesn’t work. can’t pay our bills! [Ho, Ho, Ho! I eavesdropping on all of us. Trou- – The author, a retired profes- wonder what the Democrats will ble! They’re reading our mail. sional engineer, lives in Okla- swap for our votes?] They’re listening to our phone homa City THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 17 PUBLIC FORUM Change Is Coming ...

BY SAM JONES

’ve been in broadcasting for campus, guns at the ready. could hear the clouds pass be- nearly 50 years ... almost half My wife and I had talked about it cause she knew how to listen. A a century. I’m old enough and decided to take our daughters couple of things happened recent- to remember a great many to see hate, up close and person- ly, that brought all this to mind. Ithings, some of you will never al. We did. And our children, now First, there was a Cheerios com- experience. adults, talk about it still. mercial on television that caught For example, I can remember But someone else attended my attention. A little girl is talk- signs over water fountains that that rally ... a friend of ours who ing to her Mom in the kitchen. said “whites only” or “colored owned a small bar-b-q restaurant. The mother tells her Cheerios are only.” Those same signs were on Robert McIntosh brought his good for the heart. Then we see public restrooms. I remember portable kitchen, the same one he her father asleep on the couch ... there were signs inside city buses always brought to the Little Rock Cheerios had been sprinkled on that read “colored step to the rear State Fair. his chest ... a good message. of the bus.” After the rally he gave away slic- But in this commercial, the I remember there were only es of his famous sweet potato pie mother is white ... the child is white faces in my grade school, and homemade lemonade to the mixed race and the father is black while a few blocks away, there Klansmen who crowded around ... an even more powerful mes- was another grade school with his portable counter. Course they sage. no white faces. Even the public had to lift the face covers under Then another television first: swimming pools were separate. their little pointed hats to eat it, Darius Rucker was supposed to Medical care, movie theaters, city but eat it they did. And the Na- sing the national anthem before parks, cafes, clothing and grocery tional Guard watched and waited. game three of the NBA champi- stores ... all separate. Oh ... did I mention that Rob- onship in San Antonio. The San As I grew up, those signs started ert McIntosh was black? In our Antonio Spurs were facing the Mi- to disappear. Across this country hearts he was a modern day Dan- ami Heat. Because of a scheduling of ours, separate but equal began iel who marched into the lion’s conflict, Rucker couldn’t make it. to go away too, but not without den. Robert made his point ... he So an 11-year-old boy stepped federal intervention. Fear and knew change was coming ... he in. He sang the national anthem ignorance were slowly losing their knew how to listen. “a cappella” and ... he nailed it. grip. Education played a major A few weeks later, I sat in the What was different? The young role. back of a nearly empty auditorium boy’s name is Sebastien De La This is the 50th anniversary of a with a woman who would speak Cruz and he was wearing his ma- little man named George Wallace, there, later that day. For about riachi outfit. then governor of Alabama, stand- half an hour, it was just the two Anonymous postings on the ing in the door at the University of us. Internet for the Cheerios ad and of Alabama, trying to deny admis- Rosa Parks talked to me about the young boy singing were nasty, sion to black students. that December day in 1955, when tasteless and heavy. So much so Today, there are people in our she refused the bus driver’s order that YouTube took them down. culture who are different. Oh, to give up her seat to a white pas- Turns out, this 11-year-old they look the same but the dif- senger. That refusal sparked the youngster was singing “his” ference is ... they can hear the Montgomery Bus Boycott which is National Anthem ... and it was clouds pass because they know considered to be the beginning of the same one you and I sing. You how to listen. the modern civil rights movement. see, he was born in San Antonio I remember during the 1970’s I remember very clearly toward and his father is a veteran of the when, through a loophole in the the end of our conversation, the United States Navy. law, the Ku Klux Klan was able to first lady of Civil Rights said, Young Sebastien encouraged obtain a permit to hold a demon- “Sam, change is never easy, but his fans to ignore the hatred and stration on the campus of the Uni- it’s coming. Yes sir, it’s coming.” said he would continue to live the versity of Arkansas at Little Rock. “And,” she said, “if you listen American dream. The National Guard was brought real hard, you can hear it.” Then, in a shot fired over the in and formed a ring around the I do believe she was one who bow of the faceless hate mon-

18 • AUGUST 2013 PUBLIC FORUM gers, the Spurs invited Cruz back Of course, various agencies are how to listen. to sing the National Anthem for on the scene doing what they can. What Rosa Parks said to me in game four. But what you may not know is the 70’s was true then and it’s Change is coming ... can you this: Thousands of people con- true now ... hear it? tinue to come to Moore at their “Change is never easy but it’s Finally, you already know about own expense, to do anything and coming. Yes sir, it’s coming. And the cross section of people for- everything to help the survivors. if you listen real hard, you can ever linked by death, destruction, And these “people” are Chris- hear it.” broken lives and loss in Moore, tians, Jews, Unitarians, Muslims, Begs the question ... can “you” OK, following the largest recorded atheists and agnostics. They are hear it? tornado in history. Surely you black, white, red, yellow, tan and – The author anchors Green know that dark clouds will forever brown ... straight and gay. They Country Perspectives, a weekly trigger fear and memories no one are people who can hear the show on RSU Public Television should ever have to live with. clouds pass because they know that included this editorial A Long Way To Go

BY FRAN MORRIS

You may have already observed, the summer issue of Democratic debate team debated whether then lost interest in further con- Left. It is called The Socialist or not we should favor the Taft- sideration of the 50th anniversary Roots of the March on Washingon Hartley Act. My two careers were of the Aug. 28, 1963 “March on [or, How Could Glenn Beck Miss in communications and children’s Washington.” I haven’t gotten Them?]. mental health – organized labor there yet. I remembered the Beck refer- is verboten in both in Oklahoma. I remember a lot about it be- ence – he held a Tea Party rally I belong to a credit union, but I cause a couple of close friends against affirmative action on the know that doesn’t count. were able to attend and I remem- 47th anniversary of the march Considering again the original ber their thoughts about the day. and said that if King were alive, he purpose of the 1963 march, there And I’ve been reading several would have been present support- is ample evidence that our current other accounts in various maga- ing his views. state government and business zine and newspapers. Puh-LEEZ! leaders are anti-union and anti- While I would never discount The two questions I continue to worker. And it is reported that any of the wonderful words spo- ponder are: unemployment for blacks remains ken that day by the Rev. Martin 1] When did Socialism become a more than double that of whites Luther King Jr., I’m surprised dirty word? across the country. how many journalists refer to Many of the historic march’s Socialism and labor unions the event as the “march for civil leaders called themselves “Chris- have become dirty words – not rights” or “the march for equal- tian Socialists,” which I’ve always everywhere but certainly here in ity.” thought just meant people who Oklahoma. The actual name was the “March believed and tried to live the way The 1963 march needs to be on Washington for Jobs and Jesus taught. remembered and celebrated. Dr. Freedom,” and it was initiated by 2] How did unions become the King’s beautiful words about a Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por- enemy? world free of hatred and racial dis- ters President A. Philip Randolph Especially in this state, I have crimination remain inspirational. and Walter Reuther, president of been verbally battered by usually- But I hope we will also remember the United Automobile Workers. It nice people because I’m a life some of the other speeches from then became a joint project with member of National Education that day – many from Christian the Southern Christian Leader- Association, which is not really Socialists who called for a full ship Conference. a union, even though the Daily employment economy, including a One of the best things I Disappointment has tagged it so public jobs program. read was an article by Joseph many times. I wish it were. We have a long way to go. Schwartz, a political science I’ve wanted to be a union mem- – The author, a longtime child teacher at Temple University, in ber ever since my high school advocate, lives in Oklahoma City THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 19 Cost CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 peals struck down Oklahoma’s ban on Sharia law, AUGUST, 2009 – Oklahoma state court judge Vicki declaring that the move violated the United States Robertson ruled that a state law [SB 1878 by Rep. Pe- Constitution. In November 2010, Oklahoma voters terson/Sen. Lamb – 2008] requiring women seeking approved a ballot initiative [created by HJR 1056 by an abortion to have an ultrasound within an hour of Rep. Duncan/Sen. Sykes – 2010] to prevent Sharia the procedure violates the Oklahoma Constitution. law from being used in the state, something that even Without reaching the validity of the ultrasound re- the measure’s defenders could not identify ever hap- quirement itself, the judge held that the law violated pening. Before the Oklahoma law could take effect, the Oklahoma constitution’s “single-subject” rule. however, a federal judge issued an injunction block- The law also included sections on requirements for ing the measure while courts considered its consti- abortion clinic signs, the administration of an early- tutionality. The 10th Circuit, in a 37-page decision, term abortion pill, and rules on lawsuits relating to agreed that Oklahoma’s Sharia ban violated the First abortions. Attorneys for the state have indicated that Amendment’s Establishment Clause and was there- they will likely appeal the ruling. fore unconstitutional. MARCH, 2009 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court SEPTEMBER, 2011 – A portion of a highly touted ruled as unconstitutional a three-piece bond mea- criminal justice reform measure [HB 2131 by Rep. sure [SB 1374 by Rep. Miller/Sen. Mike Johnson – Steele/Sen. Anderson – 2011] is unconstitutional, ac- 2008] that included construction funding for Tulsa- cording to an opinion by Oklahoma Attorney General area dams, the American Indian Cultural Center in Scott Pruitt. The new law said that if the governor Oklahoma City and conservation dams in rural ar- did not act within 30 days on low-risk, non-violent fa- eas around the state. The Supreme Court ruled that vorable parole recommendations made by the Pardon the legislation violated the Oklahoma constitution’s and Parole Board, the parole was deemed granted. “single-subject” rule, also known as “logrolling.” The opinion says that portion of the law is unconsti- Only funding for the cultural center was allowed to tutional because the Oklahoma Constitution grants move ahead. [In response, the following year the Leg- the governor the power to determine paroles and does islature passed single-issue bond bills for the Tulsa not place a time limit on exercise of that power. The project and the conservation dams – later also ruled opinion did not disturb other portions of the new law. unconstitutional.] JUNE, 2011 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court up- JANUARY, 2008 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court held a state immigration law [HB 1804 by Rep. Terrill/ struck down a law [HB 1728 by Rep. Harrison/Sen. Sen. Williamson – 2007] as constitutional except for Lerblance – 2005] allowing county assessors to base a section denying bail to illegal immigrants charged their property tax assessments on the total purchase with crimes. The court ruled 8-1 that HB 1804’s de- price for the land divided by the number of lots plat- nial of bail to illegal immigrants charged with felo- ted. The law allows the assessment to remain fixed nies or for driving under the influence was unconsti- until the buildings constructed on the land are sold tutional because it infringed on the authority of the or leased. The Supreme Court, in a ruling penned by trial judge. Justice Marian Opala, found the Legislature over- MARCH, 2010 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court de- stepped its authority in allowing the assessment to clared that an Oklahoma law [SB 1878 by Rep. Peter- remain frozen for an indeterminate length of time. son/Sen. Lamb – 2008] regulating abortion practice Though laws ruled unconstitutional are often applied and requiring ultrasounds for women seeking abor- retroactively, the Supreme Court saw fit to limit the tion violated the state constitution’s single-subject application of its ruling to future cases only so as not rule, saying it contained multiple subjects for legisla- to impose hardship or liability on public officials and tion. The high court struck down SB 1878, upholding taxpayers who applied the law in good faith. the August 2009 decision of Oklahoma County Judge JUNE, 2008 – The U.S. Supreme Court issued its Vicki Robertson, who ruled the multiple legislative opinion in the case of Kennedy v. Louisiana and ruled mandates in the law required separate bills to pass that the death penalty was unconstitutional for the constitutional muster. rape of a child. The move struck down death penalty FEBRUARY, 2010 – The Oklahoma County District laws in five states, including Oklahoma [SB 1800 by Court ruled that a law passed by the legislature in Rep. Fred Morgan/Sen. Nichols – 2006]. 2009 [HB 1595 by Rep. Sullivan/Sen. Lamb] that pro- SEPTEMBER, 2007 – After a preliminary stay hibited abortion based on gender and required an in- against HB 3004 [Rep. Fred Morgan/Sen. Coffee – vasive questionnaire for those seeking abortions was 2006], U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron issued a unconstitutional. The court ruled it addressed too permanent injunction on the bill that would classify many topics, and therefore violated the Oklahoma violent games in the same category as pornography. constitution’s “single-subject” rule. The bill was ruled to be unconstitutional in that vid- 20 • AUGUST 2013 eo games are to be classified as a form of creative fact-finding.” expression that is protected under the First Amend- DECEMBER, 2006 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court ment. HB 3004 revised the state’s definition of what ruled that requiring a malpractice claimant to file an is harmful to minors to include games with “inappro- affidavit of merit violated state constitutional provi- priate violence.” Under the law, no person, not even sions that guaranteed access to the courts and pro- a minor’s parents or guardians, would be allowed to hibited special laws [SB 629 by Rep. Adair/Sen. Fisher give or show them an inappropriately violent game. – 2003]. Retailers would also not be able to have such games MAY, 2006 – A federal judge struck down a two- on display where minors could see them, unless the year-old law [HB 1821 by Rep. Winchester/Sen. Smith lower two-thirds of the boxes were hidden behind – 2004] that prohibits Oklahoma from recognizing “blinder racks,” of the sort commonly used for sexu- adoptions by same-sex couples from other countries ally explicit magazines. and U.S. states. U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron JULY, 2007 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled ruled the measure violated due process rights under that a state law that prohibits workers’ compensation the U.S. Constitution because it attempted to break claimants from introducing testimony from their own up families without considering the parents’ fitness physicians was unconstitutional [SB 1x by Rep. Hi- or the children’s best interests. ett/Sen. Morgan – 2005 Special Session]. The court – Richard L. Fricker lives in Tulsa, OK and is a found that these “restrictions on the workers’ com- regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer. His pensation court ... attempt to predetermine the range latest book, The Last Day of the War, is available at of the adjudicative facts and impermissibly invade https://www.createspace.com/3804081 or at www. the judiciary’s exclusive constitutional prerogative of richardfricker.com. Blunders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 due to a very strong oil and gas industry and [2] the past session orchestrated by Gov. Fallin, Pro Tem- overflowing Rainy Day Fund now holding over $600 pore Bingman and Speaker Shannon. They proudly million dormant dollars of your money. point to the ones described above but numerous oth- Issuing low-interest bonds for turnpike, highway ers not discussed here are now new laws. Some are and bridge construction is exactly what former Gov. constitutional. Some aren’t. Frank Keating, Speaker Loyd Benson and President Conversely, Shannon went out of his way to kill Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor did in 2001. bills that would have allowed local governments to Such road work would also be a significant job cre- implement stronger smoking restrictions in res- ator for many of our citizens. taurants and also several that would have outlawed Third in the line of budget bungles is this year’s texting while driving which is especially prevalent much ballyhooed .25% reduction of Oklahoma’s 5.25% among teenage drivers. personal income tax. This reduction will amount to In closing, reducing a tax is by far the easiest thing about 35 cents a day for a family of four making ap- a governor and legislators can do. It took our three proximately $40,000 per year. top elected officials two years to pass one that will However, the cut doesn’t take effect until 2016 take effect in three years. while over $100 million of new fees, fines, assess- I can’t help wondering what the result would be if ments, and other tax gimmicks are the law today in- they tried something hard. cluding a 55% increase in the cost of renewing your – The author, a Lexington Democrat, served in the driver’s license. Oklahoma Legislature from 1978-2006, including There were other unfortunate decisions during this one term as Senate President Pro Tempore Four Issues CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 Gov. Fallin breaking her oath of office? She is not be- Many hard working Oklahomans’ good futures ing faithful to the people’s interests. She is delivering have been silently eroded by a sad, everyday reality: more push propaganda – or as cheerleader schools a growing culture of low wage work, food stamps and might put it, twisting and shouting reality away with minimal public health services. re-election campaigns myths. Not having a state government “Of The People, By Powerful lobbyists representing for-profit – not for- The People, and For The People” reminds you of the people – groups have joined with elected, self-inter- words Merle Haggard wrote in one of his songs: “Here ested, reality-rejecters to ensure that Oklahoma’s I go Again, Drinking Misery and Gin.” lower class, and what remains of the middle class, do – The author is a Tulsa geologist and expert on not own their future. Oklahoma water issues THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 21 BACK TO SCHOOL

Rx FOR SUCCESS Two Of State’s Premier Educators Offer Blueprints To Get Schools Back On Track

BY JOHN THOMPSON BY CLAUDIA SWISHER n 1983, my wife, Jocelyn, and I bought a small ears ago, near the beginning of my career, I house in central Oklahoma City a block from had a principal who made the point that stu- Harding Middle School. After the fall of Penn dent success depended on the relationship Square Bank and the rise of crack and gangs, between student, teacher and parent. He Iwe saw conditions in our neighborhood that we had drewY a triangle on the blackboard [yes, a real black- thought America had moved beyond. board!] and labeled each side. That image and its I helped the Harding assistant principal, the late symbolism have stayed with me. Barbara Outlaw, patrol the neighborhood for groups of For success, all three of us must share goals and truants. Those middle school students and I formed objectives, share communication, share honesty. A deep bonds as we played basketball, swam, gardened, strong partnership of the three doesn’t insure suc- CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 22 • AUGUST 2013 Thompson

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 hiked, camped, and engaged in project-based learn- “Your classroom rules are the last thing on Mar- ing. lene’s mind,” the assistant principal shouted. “Mar- Volunteering for “Saturday School,” I learned the lene’s mother does not care about your class.” first rule of teaching – listen to the kids and they will That evening a light went on as I returned home. teach you how to teach them. I once explained the The middle school building next to my home now carbon cycle, at first mostly to deaf ears, then coaxed houses two charter schools, including one that was compost into girls’ hands until one exclaimed, “so nationally ranked for educational excellence. that’s worm dookie ...?” After the screams, the stu- When my dog and I walk by, low income children of dents pulled the trick on their friends, and then re- color at these charter schools have no reservations taught the lesson to their friends. about hugging Amy. My previous dog had been just Those experiences prompted me to change careers as cute, but the students in the old neighborhood and teach high school. During the next decade, if I school, like the kids who had dropped out of that old thought I had a tough day teaching at John Marshall, school, had often cowered in fear when seeing him. I would loop around the Harding entrance, watch the The kids at the old Harding, like our students at gang bangers with their Rottweiler guard dogs pick- John Marshall and Centennial, had suffered trauma ing up their “little homies,” and remember that my beyond anything that outsiders could imagine. job was a breeze in comparison to middle school. Now, the toxic concentrations of poverty that I had In 2006, Hoover Middle School was moved into our seen on the streets during the worst of the crack building. Their faculty seemed even more energetic and gangs era and during the economic crisis of the than high school teachers. Middle school students 1980s ruled Centennial. The type of intense trauma were particularly cute when they would sneak up to found in my neighborhood during our city’s worst my class and peer in. I would always invite them in economic challenge since the “Okie Movement” of and introduce them to the high school world before the Great Depression was now in my middle school. sending them back. After 25 years of reform, we had found ways to get With some of my most frequent visitors, I would kids who had walked the streets during the day to toss them over my shoulder and carry them back to attend school, but we had not found ways to provide their classrooms. them with a high-quality education. It was more difficult playing basketball with middle My seniors saw the same thing. They once changed school kids. First, I was afraid to step on those little the assigned subject of an essay, turning it into critters. Second, at my age, I survived on the court a group project. They recorded the date of a class- by thinking ahead and anticipating my opponents’ mate’s killing, and mourned her inability to attend moves. There was no way of anticipating, however, a prom, graduate, or raise her son. They wrote that what eighth graders might do. growing up in violence had taught them lessons for Even at the end of my career at Centennial, I pre- combating it. ferred to walk down the middle school halls where I In the new millennium, “All teenagers should have could meet new kids. The seventh and eighth grade access to community centers. All students should hall, however, was worse than anything we could have field trips. All children should have access to imagine on the high school part of the building. extracurricular activities.” I often walked toward the middle school hall and The repetition of the word “all” was crucial. By defi- turned a corner to be hit by a wall of noise. It was nition, the extracurricular activities they advocated physically painful. Sometimes, I glanced at the were denied to failing students. Virtually by defini- stunned teachers, as tweens ran wildly, screaming tion, upperclassmen were better able to participate in and shoving, and took a different route. Other times, the school’s social activities, even though they would I lowered my head, leaned forward as if I was battling have been even more beneficial for the younger stu- a “blue norther” gale-force wind, and negotiated the dents who were struggling to find a way to join a com- pandemonium. munity. An incident in a faculty meeting crystalized my As my students understood, schooling must be de- impressions. An administrator started yelling at the fined as a team effort. That team effort must be a 21st middle school teachers saying they wanted the prin- Century version of a barn raising. cipal to deal with Marlene’s behavior [as I will call It is unlikely that educators, alone, could be physi- her.] The administrator had just met with her mother, cally or emotionally capable of sustaining the bat- who said that over the weekend a gang member held a tle against poverty. We must draw upon the diverse loaded gun to Marlene’s head, threatening to pull the strengths of our democracy. We must break down the trigger if she did not give up her brother’s location. CONTINUED ON PAGE 25 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 23 Swisher CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 cess, but the chances are better that together we can send a student into the world prepared to live a pro- ductive, satisfying life. Education “reformers” are working hard to destroy this triangle for their own purposes, but we know tri- angles are strong. Parents have been told their schools are failing, their children’s teachers are bad. They’ve been told they need a “trigger” to fire all their teachers and start their school over as a charter school. They’ve been used, as have teachers, as pawns in “reformers’’’ efforts to privatize our public schools and profit from state funds set aside to educate our students. Research shows parents may believe other schools are failing, but they, by and large, support their own schools. We believe in each other, and in the students we educate. Teachers know this narrative is wrong, and we have attempted to use our voices in this fight, to tell our stories, to rally for our students. I know from experi- ence that teachers are summarily ignored by policy- makers and are characterized as whiners, slugs [re- member Frank Keating?], pigs at the union trough. Our partnership is a triangle, and parents and stu- dents need to also find their voices. I belong to several groups online where the focus ter how close the reading score was. Doesn’t matter is public education. In one group, last spring, par- if the parents and teachers know a student can be ents told heartbreaking stories about their children’s successful in fourth grade. Doesn’t matter if the test angst over test preparation and tests. Children com- company has failed to deliver appropriate materials. ing home fatigued, stressed, sometimes in tears. All decisions have been taken out of the hands of Parents were sharing with each other, but they the professionals and parents who know these stu- needed to be sharing with policymakers, the same dents – the partnership triangle will be ignored. Stu- policymakers who have deftly characterized educa- dents will be failed. tors as money-grubbing, lazy, self-centered. A colleague and I attempted to engage the bill’s au- If teachers can’t be heard, maybe these powerful thor, Rep. Sally Kern, R-OKC, in a dialogue. We tried stories from parents and students will break through. to tell her standardized testing is not the best way to Changes in Oklahoma laws are barreling toward us measure proficiency, that students develop at differ- all. Our students’ lives and parents’ lives and teach- ent rates, that this bill [now a law] would create havoc ers’ lives will be impacted in completely unknown for our children. She responded by telling us it was a ways. Some have already begun to change the way positive bill [now a law], and would reduce the num- schools do business. ber of students receiving special education services. Because of the Achieving Classroom Excellence Teachers’ voices were ignored and marginalized. [ACE] graduation requirements we are now seeing We must empower parents’ voices in this debate. We students who have taken and passed all required must empower students’ voices. We are a partner- classes being denied their diplomas because of End ship. of Instruction test scores. High-stakes testing is already used to grade schools Families have had their privacy violated, and stu- across the state and will soon be part of teachers’ dents’ lives devastated. It’s time they speak up in de- evaluations. With the addition of Common Core, we fense of their children. can expect more assessment. It may be time for par- Another law will take effect next school year. Any ents to explain, in clear terms, what high-stakes as- third grader who doesn’t read at grade level on one sessment is doing to their children, holding policy test – one day in April – will be denied the opportunity makers accountable for their decisions. to move to fourth grade. Another triangle image I’ve heard describes the ef- Doesn’t matter what math scores say, doesn’t mat- fects of “reform” … Take our first triangle and flip it 24 • AUGUST 2013 Tulsa Area PLAC and the Oklahoma Central PLAC. Parents are reaching out to each other with facts and stories. Their mutual support and their compel- ling stories will be hard to ignore. I hear parents tell me they’re nervous to go up to the Capitol and talk to their legislators. They say they don’t know how to write an effective letter. They don’t know what to say. They’re busy raising their kids and don’t know how to stay informed and involved. I understand all these concerns, but I’m a teacher and I know how to support people as they learn new skills. I want to work with parents across Oklahoma. I want to use my training as a writing teacher to help parents find their stories and their voices. I want to help them flood the Capitol with the terrible reality of the damage education “reform” has wreaked and will continue to wreak on our children. I hope parents begin to use their parent voice and hold policymakers accountable, make them face fam- ilies affected by these laws, make them look into the eyes of a child whose education career has taken a legislated detour. I want to help capitalize on that strong partnership pyramid to bring balance back to Oklahoma educa- tion. – Claudia Swisher recently retired from Norman North High School after teaching for 39 years in three states. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and recipient of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Medal for Excellence in Secondary Education and on one of the points. Imagine all the corporate re- the Oklahoma Education Association Instructional formers, education foundations, the Billionaire Boys Excellence Award. Club, the testing corporations, the textbook corpo- rations, the private school owners at the top of this inverted triangle, eager to sell their wares, pushing Thompson down. Think of state legislatures continuing to write more and more laws, piling mandates on top of con- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 flicting mandates, eager to demand “accountability” of everyone but themselves, pushing down. silos that separate education from health, social wel- Think of school districts attempting to comply fare, and civic institutions. with these mandates, attempting to play the game At the same time, we must bring students out of that will show their schools in a positive light, pres- their school buildings and into the community. In do- suring schools and principals for results. Think of ing so, and by sharing our kids’ decency and wisdom principals aware their job security rests on results at with outside institutions, our entire society would their schools, pressuring teachers and parents and benefit. students. So, I dream of a time when Oklahoma City recog- Now, imagine that partnership of teacher, parent, nizes that schooling is an affair of the Heart, not a and student as the tiny point of the triangle, bearing narrow portion of the Head. the weight of all the reform. The entire reform trian- Especially for middle school, we need full-service gle demands that this personal relationship among community schools. And I know firsthand that few parents and students and teachers support all the things could be as rewarding as being a team member reformers and administrators by being collaborators. in a community middle school. Enough. Parents have strong voices … it’s time they – Dr. John Thompson, an education writer whose use them. essays appear regularly in The Huffington Post, cur- There are a few parent groups forming to raise rently is working on a book about his experiences awareness. The Oklahoma PTA attempted to speak in teaching for two decades in the inner city of OKC. He public remarks to the State Department of Education has a doctorate from Rutgers University and is the about the folly of the A-F grades. We also have two author of Closing the Frontier: Radical Responses in Parent Legislative Action Committees in the state, the Oklahoma Politics. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 25 Back To School: By The Numbers October 2011. They made up 32% percent of those SHOPPING attending school part time.

$8.5 billion The amount of money spent at family clothing stores 42% Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in col- in August 2012. Sales at bookstores in August 2012 lege in 2011. totaled $2 billion.

For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail estab- WORK STATUS lishments abound: In 2011, there were 28,128 fam- ily clothing stores, 7,093 children and infants cloth- ing stores, 25,448 shoe stores, 8,144 office supply 52% and stationery stores, 21,227 sporting goods stores, Percentage of students enrolled in college, who 8,407 bookstores and 8,625 department stores. worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 20 percent worked full time, year-round.

STUDENTS 3,068,911 Number of enrolled high school students who work 79 million less than full time, year-round; 145,740 students The number of children and adults enrolled in school in high school worked full time, year-round. throughout the country in October 2011 – from nursery school to college. They comprised 26.9 per- cent of the entire population age 3 and older. FIELD OF DEGREE

12 million PRE-K THROUGH 12 Number of people age 25 and over who held a bachelor’s degree in business in 2011. Business de- ENROLLMENT grees were reported by 20% of the population with a bachelor’s degree followed by education [14%], 77% science and engineering related fields [9%], social Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergar- sciences and engineering, which were not statis- ten who attended all day, as of October 2011. tically different from each other [8%]; biological, agricultural and environmental sciences [6%], and 73% other and liberal arts and history, which were not Percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who are en- statistically different from each other [5%]; psy- rolled in school. chology [5%]; literature and languages [4%]; computers, mathematics and statistics [4%]; vi- sual and performing arts [4%]; communications 25% [4%]; and physical and related sciences [3%]. Percentage of elementary through high school stu- dents who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2011. REWARDS OF STAYING IN SCHOOL LANGUAGES $81,761 11.8 million Average earnings of full-time, year-round workers Number of school-age children [5 to 17] who spoke 18 and older with an advanced degree [bachelor’s a language other than English at home in 2011; 8.5 degree or higher] in 2011. Workers whose high- million of these children spoke Spanish at home. est degree was a bachelor’s had mean earnings of $70,459. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma [includes GED COLLEGES certificate] was $40,634, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had $26,545 average 15% earnings. Percentage of all college students 35 and older in Source: U.S. Census Bureau

26 • AUGUST 2013 CASHING IN ON KIDS Corporatists On Relentless Quest To Monetize Education BY BRENDAN FISCHER ews Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has called lier by ALEC supporter Milton Friedman. public education “a $500 billion sector in In 1990, Milwaukee was the first city in the nation the U.S. alone that is waiting desperately to to implement a school voucher program, under then- be transformed.” governor [and ALEC alum] Tommy Thompson. ALEC NBut this “transformation” of public education – quickly embraced the legislation, and that same year from an institution that serves the public into one offered model bills based on the Wisconsin plan. that serves private for-profit interests – has been For-profit schools in Wisconsin now receive up to in progress for decades, thanks in large part to the $6,442 per voucher student, and by the end of the American Legislative Exchange Council [ALEC]. next school year taxpayers in the state will have ALEC boasts on the “history” section of its website transferred an estimated $1.8 billion to for-profit, re- that it first started promoting “such ‘radical’ ideas as ligious, and online schools. a [educational] voucher system” in 1983 – the same The “pricetag” for students in other states is even year as the Reagan Administration’s Nation At Risk higher. report – taking up ideas first articulated decades ear- In the years since, programs to divert taxpayer mon-

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 27 ey from public to private schools have spread across profit schools not bound by federal and state legal the country. In the 2012-13 school year, it was esti- requirements to meet a student’s special needs, as mated that nearly 246,000 students would participate public schools must. A proposal in Wisconsin would in various iterations of so-called “choice” programs have allocated up to $14,658 to a for-profit school for in 16 states and the District of Columbia – draining each special needs student. the public school system of critically-needed funds, • Send taxpayer dollars to unaccountable online and in some cases covering private school tuition for school providers through the “Virtual Schools Act,” students whose parents are able and willing to pay. introduced in three states, where a single teacher But promised improvements in educational out- remotely teaches a “class” of hundreds of isolated comes have not followed. “If vouchers are designed students working from home. The low overhead for to create better educational outcomes, research has virtual schools certainly raises company profits, but not borne out that result,” says Julie Mead, chair of it is a model few educators think is a appropriate for Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the young children. University of Wisconsin. “If vouchers are such a great • Offer teaching credentials to individuals with sub- idea,” after 20 years in effect, “they would have borne ject-matter experience but no education background fruit by now.” with the Alternative Certification Act, introduced in The ALEC education agenda also fits into the or- seven states. The bill is part of ALEC’s ongoing ef- Despite widespread public opposition to the education privatization agenda, at least 139 bills or state budget provisions reflecting American Legislative Exchange Council [ALEC] education bills have been introduced in 43 states and the District of Columbia in just the first six months of 2013, according to an analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy, publishers of ALECexposed.org. Thirty-one have become law. ganization’s broader attack on unions: by lowering fort to undermine unionized workers and promote a teacher certification standards and funneling public race to the bottom in wages and benefits for Ameri- money to non-unionized private schools, ALEC un- can workers. dermines teachers unions, which guarantee fair wag- • Require that educators “teach the controversy” es and working conditions and are a major political when it comes to topics like climate change – where force that have traditionally backed the Democratic the only disagreement is political, not scientific – Party. through the Environmental Literacy Improvement ALEC-influenced bills introduced in 2013 include Act, introduced in five states. legislation to: • Create opportunities to privatize public schools • Create or expand taxpayer-funded voucher pro- or fire teachers and principals via referendum with grams, using bills such as the “Parental Choice the controversial Parent Trigger Act [glorified in the Scholarship Act” [introduced in three states]. Under flop film Won’t Back Down], introduced in 12 states. many state constitutions, the use of public dollars First passed in California, a modified Parent Trigger to fund religious institutions has been rejected on bill was brought to ALEC in 2010 by the Illinois-based separation-of-powers grounds, but the ALEC Great Heartland Institute, which is perhaps best known for Schools Tax Credit Act, introduced in 10 states in controversial billboards comparing people who be- 2013, bypasses state constitutional provisions and lieve in climate change to mass murderers like the offers a form of private school tuition tax credits that Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. funnel taxpayer dollars to private schools with even • Create an appointed, state-level charter school au- less public accountability than with regular vouch- thorizing board through the Next Generation Charter ers. Schools Act, introduced in seven states, which effec- • Carve-out vouchers for students with special tively shields charters from democratic accountabil- needs, regardless of family income, through the “Spe- ity. The legislation “would wrest control from school cial Needs Scholarship Program Act” [introduced in boards, and likewise from the community that elects 12 states], which sends vulnerable children to for- those school boards,” Mead says, since it takes away 28 • AUGUST 2013 their power to authorize charters in the community. school privatization agenda in ALEC. Some of the for-profit corporations profiting from The 501(c)(4) American Federation for Children and the ALEC Education privatization agenda include: its 501(c)(3) wing the Alliance for Children, for ex- • “Amplify,” the newly-created education division ample, have brought an array of privatization bills to of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, parent company of ALEC and promoted the legislation across the coun- Fox News. News Corp is on the ALEC Education Task try. The groups were organized and are funded by the Force. In 2010, News Corp hired former New York City billionaire DeVos family [heirs to the Amway fortune; chancellor Joel Klein to run its education division, Richard DeVos has received the ALEC Adam Smith which includes the for-profit education company for- Free Enterprise Award.] merly known as Wireless Generation. The firm has AFC’s top lobbyist is disgraced former Wisconsin big plans for a specialized “Amplify Tablet” that would Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, who was convicted provide lesson plans, textbooks and testing to cash- of three felonies for misuse of his office for politi- in on new “Common Core” required state standards. cal purposes and banned from the state Capitol for • K12 Inc., the nation’s largest provider of online five years though the charges were later reversed and charter schools, where low-paid teachers manage as dropped as part of a plea agreement. Jensen repre- many as 250 students at a time and communicate sents the organization on the ALEC Education Task with their pupils only through e-mail and phone. Force and has brought AFC bills to ALEC for adoption The corporation, whose CEO Ron Packard received as “model” legislation. AFC spent at least $7 million $5 million in total compensation in 2011 [and owns electing privatization-friendly state legislators across around $24 million in shares], is on the ALEC Ed- the country in 2012, but reported far less to state ucation Task Force and its lobbyist Lisa Gillis has election authorities. chaired ALEC’s Special Needs Subcommittee. In addition to the DeVos family foundations, the According to a report in the New York Times, stu- Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation is one of the dents in K12, Inc. schools often perform very poorly, top school privatization funders in the country, and some K12 teachers claim that they have been en- spending over $31 million over the past 11 years pro- couraged to pass failing students so that the com- moting “school choice” nationwide, according to One pany can receive more reimbursement from states. Wisconsin Now; for decades, Bradley has also been K12 receives an average of between $5,500 and a major ALEC funder. The foundation has over $600 $6,000 for every student on its rosters – the same million in assets and is headed by Michael Grebe, amount that would be spent for students attending a Scott Walker’s campaign co-chair. brick-and-mortar school, despite K12 not having to Before Milwaukee became the first city in the na- pay for cafeteria, gyms, busing, or heat and air con- tion to implement a school voucher program, Brad- ditioning – and much of K12’s profits are spent on ley bankrolled the groups that laid the groundwork. advertising targeted at increasing enrollment, rather When the plan was challenged in Wisconsin courts, than on investments in education. Bradley funded its legal defense, which included hir- At K12’s Agora Cyber Charter School, which pro- ing Kenneth Starr – later known for pursuing Bill duces more than 10% of the company’s revenue, near- Clinton over Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky – to ly 60% of students are behind grade level in math, represent the state. nearly 50% are behind in reading, and a third do not Originally promoted as a program for Milwaukee’s graduate on time. low-income students of color to have access to pri- • Corinthian Colleges is a for-profit college chain vate education, the initial voucher program gained that operates campuses under names like Everest, support from some African-American leaders and Heald, and WyoTech, in addition to offering degrees was pushed by State Rep. Polly Williams, a Milwau- online. It has become notorious for aggressive re- kee Democrat. But last session, Wisconsin Gov. Scott cruiting practices and leaving students unprepared Walker broadened vouchers to families with higher for the job market and saddled with massive student incomes, and in the 2013-15 budget further expanded loan debts. the program. In Milwaukee, for example, where a Corinthian “They have hijacked the program,” Williams says. Everest campus was financed with $11 million in city “As soon as the doors open for the low income chil- bonds, just 25% of students found jobs and over half dren, they’re trampled by the high income,” she said. dropped out; the campus closed two years after it “Now the upper crust have taken over.” opened. Nationally, over 40% of Corinthian’s students The laws have been sold to poor and minority com- default on their loans, and only 60% of students com- munities as a way to close achievement gaps, but plete their coursework. there is little evidence of success: in Wisconsin, data In June, Corinthian disclosed that it is under inves- show that students receiving vouchers perform no tigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission better, and in some cases worse than those attending [SEC] and has been subpoenaed by California’s Attor- public schools. Cash-for-kids programs have shown ney General for its recruiting practices and financial similar results in school districts across the country. responsibility. Reports have also emerged in Milwaukee and else- An array of right-wing nonprofits also promote the where of for-profit schools registering students,

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 29 keeping them in class until just after the date where schools, police stations, hospitals, and other institu- enrollment is counted for funding purposes, and tions that serve as community anchors, while cherry then sending them back to public schools. In many picking and selling off the better institutions to pri- cases those students have special needs the voucher vate players. schools claimed they could not satisfy. And ALEC has played a key role in promoting this Six-year-old Trinity Fitzer, who has anxiety and gas- agenda. ALEC has sought to shrink the size of gov- trointestinal problems, was attending Milwaukee’s ernment by starving states of revenue, voucherizing Northwestern Catholic School in the 2011-12 term critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and on a voucher. privatizing all aspects of government, from education After a few months, Northwestern Catholic informed to foster care to pensions to prisons. Trinity’s mother that she was being “withdrawn” from When ALEC’s cash-for-kids model is put before the the school for “continuing behavioral issues.” The voters, it is resoundingly rejected. In 27 statewide school claimed that “withdrawal is the decision of the referenda on the topic, voters rejected vouchers on parent,” but Trinity’s mother said it was not her deci- average 2-1. But as long as ALEC “models” continue sion and “she didn’t have an option.” to garner bipartisan support facilitated by corporate Jane Audette, a social worker at Hawthorne El- campaign contributions or are slipped into state bud- ementary, a public school in Milwaukee, said the gets in the dead of night – ALEC will have continued school receives several “cast-off” students every year success with the “transformation” of the American from private schools like Northwestern Catholic. educational system into a profit-driven enterprise. “What has happened over and over with Milwau- The ALEC Education agenda not only “converts a kee’s Northwest Catholic is they will tell a parent, public good into something private,” says Mead, but ‘Your child needs more than we can give your child, private schools “don’t have the same responsibility so we suggest you go down the street to Hawthorne.’” [as public schools] to serve everybody, which dimin- And vouchers, testing, and school privatization ishes public access, oversight and accountability.” have in many cases been offered as a substitute for “There is that saying, ‘democracy is the worst form grappling with the persistent structural issues that of government, except for all the others.’ The public perpetuate achievement gaps. school system is the same way,” Mead says. “It has “What has been forced on our communities is not problems, and can be better, but has served us pretty reform at all: they are mediocre interventions,” said well for 150 years.” Jitu Brown, an education organizer for the Kenwood Editor’s Note: According to the Center for Media Oakland Community Organization who spoke at Net- and Democracy, five ALEC-sponsored education roots Nation in June. “The only reason that medioc- bills were considered in the 2013 Oklahoma Legisla- rity is accepted is because of the race of the children ture. Only one – HB 1385, the Parent Trigger Act – be- being served.” came law. The other four failed: SB 877, Alternative Brown puts the education reforms in the context Certification Act; HB 1674, Environmental Literacy of broader community disinvestment and auster- Improvement Act; SB 154, Founding Principles Act; ity measures: cutting social programs and closing and HB 1384, Parental Rights Amendment.

You Know You’re In A Redneck Church If ... 1. The finance committee refuses to provide 8. People think “rapture” is what you get funds for the purchase of a chandelier because when you lift something too heavy. none of the members knows how to play one. 9. The baptismal pool is a galvanized cattle 2. People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed watering trough. the 5,000, whether the two fish were bass or cat- 10. The choir robes were donated by [and fish, and what bait was used to catch ‘em. embroidered with the logo from] Billy Bob’s Bar- 3. When the pastor says, “I’d like to ask Bub- becue. ba to help take up the offering” and five guys and 11. The collection plates are really hubcaps two women stand up. from a ‘56 Chevy. 4. Opening day of deer season is recognized 12. Instead of a bell you are called to service as an official church holiday. by a duck call. 5. A member of the church requests to be 13. The minister and his wife drive matching buried in his four-wheel-drive truck because “It pickup trucks. ain’t never been in a hole it couldn’t get out of.” 14. The communion wine is Boone’s Farm 6. The choir is known as the “OK Chorale.” “Tickled Pink.” 7. In a congregation of 500 members, there 15. “Thou shall not covet” applies to huntin’ are only seven last names in the church direc- dogs, too. tory. – Thanks to Phil Neill for sharing this gem

30 • AUGUST 2013 SANCTITY OF LIFE? A Texas Baptist Explains What Lone Star Legislature Hath Wrought BY MARV KNOX y the time you read this, the Texas Legis- nancies into live births. lature probably will be close to passing a We can expect the mothers of a multitude of these bill banning abortions after the 20th week “extra” babies to be teens, unwed and/or poor. Those of pregnancy and including provisions that are the demographics of a significant proportion of Bwill cause most women’s health clinics that provide women who choose abortions. abortions to close their doors. Since the moral impetus for reducing, if not elim- An aside: Due to deadlines, the Independence Day inating, abortions is advocacy for life, then Texans holiday and the legislative process, this editorial should demonstrate our support for these babies. went to “ether” prior to adoption of the bill. But this When you examine many of our current practices and issue still matters because [a] lawmakers are all but policies, you understand why outsiders claim Texans certain to pass the abortion bill and [b] these propos- are more concerned about fetuses than babies, chil- als should become policy and/or practice, even if the dren and teenagers. “old” abortion laws still apply. Texas is among the nation’s leaders in child pover- With new abortion laws in place, Texans can expect ty, teen pregnancy, dropout rates and illiteracy. We’re a significant increase in the number of babies born also among the nation’s lowest-spending states on every year. That’s the whole point – to turn more preg- CONTINUED ON PAGE 39 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 31 Jim Hightower

Blessed Are The Rich

ne thing I’ve come to value in the last cou- But he’s not the only 1-percenter having utopian ple of years is the altruism and keen eco- visions for hard-hit Americans. For example, I can’t nomic insights of the fourth-richest man in begin to tell you how grateful America’s homeless America: Charles Koch. people are going to be once they hear about Andy OEven though Koch was raised rich and has now Kessler, who has been thinking long and hard about amassed a personal fortune of about $34 billion, he their plight, selflessly seeking ways to eradicate in- recently gave us a deeper sense of his true worth, tractable poverty. measured not in dollars, but in values. Kessler is a former hedge-fund whiz, which means “We want to do a better job of raising up the dis- he was in the business of making ... well, money. advantaged and the poorest in this country,” he de- Beaucoup bundles of it. But having seen his 16-year- clared. Excellent thought – FDR couldn’t have put it old son volunteer at a homeless center, he was moti- better! Noting that a big problem for the poor is that vated to develop a plan to solve homelessness – and the Powers That Be “keep throwing obstacles in their here it is: Stop dishing out soup to those people, and way,” Koch cut to the chase, saying, “We’ve got to shut down all those damn shelters! clear those out.” The homeless problem, he recently wrote in an op- Yes, Charlie, I’m with you! Clear out such barriers ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, stems from “all as the offshoring of middle class jobs, union bust- this volunteering and charitable giving” by do-good- ing, poorly funded schools and the lack of affordable ers like his son. Homeless folks ought to be work- health care, housing and child care. ing, he lectured, but they’re not, “because someone But, alas, that’s not at all what Koch had in mind is feeding, clothing and, in effect, bathing them.” as obstacles to be cleared out. Rather, he proposes Golly, Andy, I recall that Jesus said something to “help” poor people by eliminating – ready? – “the about our Godly duty to feed and clothe the needy – minimum wage.” Why? Because, explains this clue- and even to wash the feet of the poor. less son-of-the-rich, having a wage floor “reduces the But apparently, Jesus just didn’t grasp the essence mobility of labor.” of true morality. “Blessed are the rich!” is Kessler’s In case you don’t dwell in the plutocratic, narcissis- spiritual mantra. “Where does money come from ... to tic, Ayn Randian fantasyland where the Kochs hang help the unfortunate?” he asked. And yea, I say unto out, “labor mobility” is right-wing psychobabble for thee, the Holy Hedge-Funder answered his own deep social Darwinism. Remove all remnants of America’s question: It comes from “someone [who] worked pro- economic safety net, they coldly theorize [while wal- ductively and created wealth.” lowing in their nests of luxury], and the poor will be Thus, he sagely concluded, the answer to poverty, “freed” to become billionaires. to truly helping the poor, is not to pamper the tak- As Charles puts it, if the disadvantaged had no pro- ers, but to provide more tax breaks for the makers of tections in the workplace and no government pro- wealth [like him] – the ones who produce “good old- grams to ameliorate their poverty, they would then fashioned economic growth.” have to scramble just to live, thus freeing them from Wow, what a role model this guy is for America’s reliance on society’s helping hand. Freeing them to youth – including that misguided boy of his! Wouldn’t do what? Well, Koch says, they could then “start a you like to buy Andy and Charles for what they’re business ... drive a taxicab ... become a hairdresser.” worth ... and sell them for what they think they’re What a visionary he is! Where you and I might see worth? That would fund a whole lot of homeless pro- people trapped in debilitating poverty, Charles sees a grams. Brave New World of billionaire hairdressers! © Creators Syndicate 32 • AUGUST 2013 Look Out – Here Comes The New Border-Industrial Complex

ood fences make good neighbors,” goes the ey? Nothing constructive we might do with it? old adage. That civilizing thought refers to But I shouldn’t be too harsh on Washington, for such friendly structures as the beautiful both Republicans and Democrats are beginning to re- rock walls of New England, elegant split spond aggressively to economic needs. “It has been Grails in the South, iconic whitewashed pickets of the a tough time,” says one Washington insider, noting Midwest and even privacy fences in neighborhoods with relief that a new spending proposal “could help all across our country. out.” But the neighborly adage definitely did not con- Unfortunately, he and Congress aren’t referring to template the 700-mile, 20-foot-high, drone-patrolled, your tough times or helping out with your needs. No, electronically monitored fence of steel and razor wire no – they are rushing to the aid of the multibillion- that our government has erected across our nation’s dollar military-industrial complex. border with Mexico, from the tip of Texas to Califor- The government, you see, has not been getting our nia’s Pacific Coast. nation into enough wars to satisfy the insatiable ap- This thing is not a fence, but a monstrous wall of petite that Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and hostility, a deliberate affront to our Mexican neigh- other war profiteers have for government money. But bors. now they’ve spied a new place they can militarize As Sen. John McCain aptly put it in a recent debate with their high-tech, high-cost, razzle-dazzle weap- on immigration, our Land of the Free has constructed onry: yes, that border we share with Mexico. “the most militarized border since the fall of the Ber- In recent months, these corporate predators de- lin Wall!” ployed an army of lobbyists to Congress, armed with There are four big flaws with the theory that you mass campaign contributions. can “secure” a border [i.e., keep people from crossing Targeting the immigration issue, “border security!” it] by throwing up a big ol’ wall. First, it doesn’t work. is their battle cry. They’ve already conquered the Sen- A 20-foot wall quickly begets 22-foot ladders – people ate’s bipartisan immigration bill, stuffing it with $46 are innately inventive, and those determined to get in billion for goosed up militarization of the 2,000-mile or out will find many ways to do it. border. Second, walls create bigger problems than they re- They’ve literally turned the immigration bill into a solve, for they are deeply divisive. Our Mexican wall corporate honey pot. More drones! More electronic is ugly, both literally and in the unmistakable mes- gadgetry! More agents needing more weapons, night sage of contempt it screams nonstop at the Mexican vision goggles and other war toys! people. It’s generating bitterness toward us – and that Various corporate lobbyists put their specific wish turns neighbors into enemies. lists directly in the Senate bill. Rather than calling Third, that wall has physically ripped healthy rela- generally for the purchase of certain categories of tionships apart. For centuries, families, friends, busi- hardware, it mandates brand-name purchases. For nesses and cities themselves were thoroughly inte- example, the bill requires the Border Patrol to buy six grated into unified communities across the artificial airborne radar systems from Northrop at $9.3 million line drawn on a map. each and 15 Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky at Fourth, such walls are insanely expensive – so far, $17 million apiece. Washington has hurled tens of billions of dollars at What we have here is the emergence of a full-fledged this one to build, maintain and police it. Enforcement monster – a Border-Industrial Complex that literally alone costs $18 billion per year. In addition, states will tax us with an ever-expanding policy of perma- have dumped untallied billions into it. nent border war. Can these policymakers even spell w-a-s-t-e? Yet How long before they use the cry of “terrorism!” to the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly in June to militarize the Canadian border, too? And what after waste another $46 billion to build 700 more miles of that? My guess is they’ll want to seal off those pesky the hateful wall and double the number of militarized antiwar radicals in places like Vermont! border agents. Ultimately, they can fence all of us in. Or is it out? Is there no other need in our country for that mon- – Jim Hightower

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 33 The ‘Helping Hands’ That Are Helping Themselves

he word “help” is so uplifting, conveying our word from the language that Citigroup handed to the best humanitarian values. How odd, then, to members. see it used in this New York Times headline: This group of DIY bill-writers insists that nothing “Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial is amiss here – we’re not trying to gut the Wall Street TBills.” reform package passed just three years ago, they I’ll bet they did! We all know how altruistic, benefi- say, we’re simply trying to reach “a compromise.” I cent and kindhearted Wall Street lobbyists are – when was born at night, but it wasn’t last night! The 2010 it comes to helping themselves, that is. The article reforms were a compromise, and the American peo- explains that a small army of high-dollar influence- ple would like to see them made much tougher, not peddlers are not merely asking our lawmakers to free weaker. big banks from pesky rules that limit their reckless Wall Street, of course, feels entitled to snake inside, greed, but instead the lobbyists are helping to write assume the role of lawmaker and pervert the public the laws themselves. will. As one lobbyist puts it, “We will provide input if There’s that word again. In this case, “helping to we see a bill we have interest in.” After all, they just write” is a euphemism for “dictating” the language, want to help. turning the members of Congress into obedient ste- But why are our elected solons so willing to buddy nographers. up with such self-serving helpers? Here’s one mem- For example, one key bill that zipped out of the ber of Congress who finds the whole relationship dis- House finance committee in May is essentially a do- tressing: “It’s appalling,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-CT, it-yourself lawmaking product of Citigroup. In a con- talking about the money that special interests stuff cise 85 lines, it exempts big chunks of dangerously in the pockets of lawmakers. “It’s disgusting ... and it high-risk Wall Street speculation from any bother- opens the possibility of conflicts of interest and cor- some regulation. ruption,” he added. More than 70 of those 85 lines were penned by Citi- So, naturally, he promptly joined the disgusting group lobbyists with “help” from other banks. The system that has turned our Capitol into a wide-open committee even copied two key paragraphs word for CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 Mean Team Piles On Jobless Americans

ome on, team, let’s get mean!” to punish the jobless for ... well, for their joblessness. This is not the chant of rabid football fans, In this perverse universe, the conventional wisdom egging on their favorite team to crush the op- asserts that unemployment benefits and other pov- ponents. Rather, it’s the raucous war cry of erty-prevention programs are sapping our nation’s vi- Cfar-out right-wing ideologues all across the country tality by allowing “moochers” to live the Life of Reilly who’re pumping up Team GOP to pound the bejeezus and avoid work. out of America’s millions of unemployed workers. Far The GOP’s budget demigod in the U.S. House, Rep. from a game, this is real, and it’s a moral abomina- Paul Ryan, expressed this dogma in a fanciful hom- tion. ily deriding America’s safety net as “a hammock that I’ve been unemployed before, and I can tell you it’s lulls able-bodied people to lives of dependency and a misery – all the more so today, when there are far complacency.” This from a guy whose family’s wealth more people out of work than there are job openings. was gained from government contacts and who has This leaves millions of our fellow Americans mired in spent practically all of his adult life in the sweet- the debilitating misery of long-term unemployment. swaying hammock of congressional privilege, pres- But that’s not miserable enough for a feral breed of ently drawing $174,000 a year from Old Uncle Sugar. Ayn Randian political zealots who are lobbying Re- As ridiculous and just plain mean as this attitude publican governors, legislators and congress-critters CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 34 • AUGUST 2013 ‘Helping’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34 bazaar for buying and selling legislative favors. Democrats are sinking into it, too. With the admirable “It’s unfortunately the world we live in,” the Con- exception of Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, and a hand- necticut Democrat shrugged. Even though Himes ful of other Dems who stood with consumers, most is only in his third term, he’s become an aggressive Democrats on the committee joined every Republican trader in this bazaar, heading up fundraising for his member in May to do the bank lobby’s bidding. fellow Democrats in the U.S. House. Six days later, Himes’ fundraising operation ar- Why him? One, as a member of the committee that ranged for the seven freshmen Democrats on the oversees Wall Street, he can attract campaign cash committee, each of whom had stood with the bank- like honey attracts flies – especially when big banks ers, to trek up to the heights of Wall Street for a per- are lobbying furiously to get exemptions from legisla- sonal bonding session with the CEOs of Goldman tion that restricts some of their destructive profiteer- Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. Thus are forged the ties ing. Two, Himes has proven to be a trusted ally of the that bind. wheeler-dealer bankers, supporting their dereg bills. Hey, Democrats, don’t just deplore this corrupt sys- And three, he is one of them, having been made a mil- tem, stand with us to overthrow it. To learn how, go to lionaire as a Goldman Sachs banker. PublicCampaign.org. Republicans are totally in Wall Street’s pocket, but – Jim Hightower Mean Team CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34 is, it plays well in the insanity that now defines “the on hard-hit citizens who’re out of work. In a state debate” in Republican primary elections. So, state- with the fifth-highest jobless rate in the country, and after-state [as well as Congress] are succumbing to with no recovery in sight, the right-wing governor and this pound-the-poor, right-wing screed by frenetically Legislature recently whacked weekly unemployment slashing unemployment benefits. benefits by a third, leaving struggling North Carolin- Behind this faux-philosophical push are the smil- ians with a meager $350 a week to try to make ends ing barons of corporate America. Without jobless meet, while simultaneously eliminating millions of payments, you see, desperate millions will be forced consumer dollars that those families would other- to whatever low-wage, no-benefit, dead-end jobs the wise be putting into the state’s economy. Then, just barons design. to give the jobless another kick, the petty politicians What’s at work here is a profoundly awful ethical cut the number of weeks people can receive unem- phenomenon that has seeped into the top strata of ployment aid. American society: Our nation’s corporate and politi- This official minginess automatically disqualified cal elites have developed an immunity to shame. the state from getting $700 million a year for long- It has become morally acceptable in those lofty cir- term jobless payments from the federal government. cles to enrich themselves while turning their backs Yet Gov. Pat McCrory issued a cockamamie, Kaf- on the rest of us. Even more damning, they feel free kaesque claim that the gut-job ensures that “our citi- to slash America’s already tattered safety net, leav- zens’ unemployment safety net is secure,” while pro- ing more holes than net for the workaday majority of viding “an economic climate that allows job creators Americans who’ve been knocked down by an ongoing to start hiring again.” economic disaster created by these very elites. Yeah, we’ll all hold our breath until those “job cre- For a look at how shameful these privileged powers ators” get going. Meanwhile, the GOP wrecking crew have become, turn to North Carolina. Until recently, doled out a fat tax break for the corporate elites – for this Southern state maintained a fairly moderate gov- doing nothing. Take from the poor, give to the rich: ernment with a populist streak, taking pride in its backward Robin Hood. If ignorance is bliss, McCrory educational system and other public efforts to main- must be ecstatic. tain a middle class. No more. A shame-resistant po- Meanwhile, his shameless immorality has un- litical leadership has recently taken hold, consisting leashed a growing storm of weekly demonstrations of corporate-funded Tea Party extremists who loathe known as “Moral Mondays.” For information about the very idea of a safety net. this remarkable citizens’ uprising, link to the North The new bunch has been gutting everything from Carolina Justice Center: www.ncjustice.org. public schools to health care, and now they’ve turned – Jim Hightower

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 35 ‘ALL IS NOT LOST’ People Power Can Rescue America From Malignancy Of Greed And Apathy

BY BOB BEARDEN

he encryption on the Statue of Liberty on wildest dreams. Ellis Island reads in part, “… Give me your Why? Because they wanted to be free. Free to wor- tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearn- ship as they chose. Free to join a union if they chose ing to be free; the wretched refuse of your to. Free to give their children rights and freedoms Tteeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest that they had never enjoyed. Free to enjoy the fruits tossed to me I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” of their labors. Free to learn more through a public For generation after generation we took these education. Free to cultivate their better natures. Free homeless, huddled masses yearning to be free, gave to pursue the more noble things in life such as jus- them refuge from hopelessness and tyranny and tice and the common good. Free to be all that they made them our own. They in turn brought their cus- could be. toms, culture, their inventiveness, their work ethics And now, some 237 years later, this noble experi- and, yes, even their religions, or the lack thereof, to ment in freedom – yes, freedom of choice, freedom our shore and enriched our nation beyond anyone’s from want and tyranny – is being co-opted by those 36 • AUGUST 2013 who either don’t understand what that encryption And then there are those among us who would have stands for or they just plain don’t care. us believe that racism, bigotry and hatred have been They are telling us we don’t work hard enough. eradicated from our shore and that all the laws in They are telling us that being poor is something peo- place to prevent the fostering of racism, bigotry and ple want to be because they are lazy and shiftless and hatred are no longer needed. That now all are equal don’t want to work. They are telling us that it’s all under the law even as they pass laws that restrict a right to be greedy and not care about our neighbors. woman’s right to make a personal choice. Even as That our government of the people, by the people they pass laws to restrict the right of seniors, stu- and for the people doesn’t really stand for the com- dents and minorities to vote. mon good. That the common good is what the rich It is a myth. Racism, bigotry and hate still have a few or the corporate world tells us it is and it isn’t hold on this nation and its people and they are palat- something that our government of the people, by the able. Want, need and hunger are the boon compan- people and for the people should be concerned with. ions of hate, bigotry and racism, and they are palat- hey say that our government is bad and that able. it wasn’t meant to promote the general wel- Corporate greed presides over and encourages fare or secure the blessings of liberty for our- lawmakers from the federal government all the way selves and our posterity. They say that those down to municipalities to write laws that take from Twho now come to our shore seeking a better life must the poor and give to the rich. Laws that restrict the be sent back where they came from. They say that it rights of the average citizen to have their say in our is wrong for workers to want a living wage. They say democracy. that it is not a function of government to provide our After 237 years we, the people, are no longer in children with a free and quality education. They say charge of our own destiny. Our government no longer that only those who can afford to pay should have consists of ensuring domestic tranquility. health insurance. e are told that our government shouldn’t They would have us believe that it’s OK to rape be in the business of promoting the gen- Mother Earth. That it’s OK to spoil our soil and our eral welfare nor securing the blessings of water sources if it keeps us addicted to fossil fuels. liberty. We have become slowly and sure- They say that climate change is a cruel hoax. That lyW a government of the corporation, by the corpora- despite all the evidence that our polar caps are melt- tion and for the corporation. So help us God! Amen! ing, our glaciers are disappearing and our aquifers Can anything be done to change what is happening are drying up nothing needs to be done. to our world? Yes, it can. But it will take, like Marga- They pit us against each other and ourselves all in ret Mead said, a “small group of thoughtful, commit- the name of corporatism and capitalism and tell us ted, citizens” to make that change a reality. that it’s our fault that our jobs are disappearing to All is not lost, but until we quit listening to those Third World countries because we are the ones who who would have us believe nothing can be done and are greedy and want too much. start a new movement in which the people rise up to They tell us that we have to learn to live on less and give re-birth to our founders vision of what our nation work even harder so that they, the deciders, can have should be, nothing will change. more and that when they have more we will eventu- Our elected representatives must be led by a popu- ally have more, too, as it will begin someday to trickle lar groundswell from the grassroots. They are so en- down and we will thank them for being so generous. grained with the status quo that they can only con- Corporations aren’t inherently bad or evil, but they tinue to do as they have been doing for the past 30 are now totally consumed with the “bottom line.” It years which is to campaign for re-election on a plat- is no longer about serving Americans and the com- form that simply keeps them in office whereby they munity, it’s the profit margin as the only factor that deliver the status quo. matters. It is not a hopeless cause but we must mobilize, And right now corporations are enjoying profits organize, march, picket and speak out. As Thomas that are obscene. They take from workers and the Paine said of the American Revolution, “These are communities in which they live and operate and do the times that try men’s souls!” little or nothing to give back. The souls of our citizens are being tried and we can And the notion that corporations are people is sim- only redeem our souls by banding together and tell- ply asinine. They are not people and they never were ing those who would control and dictate to us what nor should they ever be. To arrive at the notion corpo- our way of life ought to be, that no we will not follow rations are living breathing things is outrageous. For them down that path. the Supreme Court to give credence to such a notion Apathy is a malignant cancer that eats at our lives is sheer and utter idiocy. and is trying to steal our sacred honor. We cannot let Corporations have always had their place in our na- that cancer continue to grow! tion’s society, but making them into the super hu- – The author is a member of the Central Oklahoma mans to which the Supreme Court decision “Citizens Community Forum and chair of the Board of Trust- United” elevated them is just plain wrong. ees for the Central Oklahoma Labor Federation

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 37 Ten Ways Manning Changed The World BY JUAN COLE radley Manning was found guilty of 20 counts, including espionage [despite the lack of evidence for intent to spy and the lack of evidence that his leaking ever did Bany real harm]. Whatever one thinks of Manning’s actions, that we deserved to know some of what he revealed and that his revelations changed the world are undeniable. 1. Manning revealed the collateral murder video of a helicopter attack in Iraq on mostly unarmed non- combatants [though some of those struck may have been armed], including two Reuters journalists, whose cameras were taken for weapons, and chil- Illustration by DonkeyHotey dren. The army maintains that the video does not tion is “overwhelming.” This degree of corruption, show wrongdoing, but the killing of unarmed jour- which has shaken the whole banking system and nalists is a war crime, and the callousness of video caused U.S. funds to be massively misused, is still a gives an idea of what was going on in Iraq during the factor in our decision of whether to stay in Afghani- years of the U.S. occupation. When the Bush Admin- stan in some capacity after December 2014. The U.S. istration asked the Iraqi parliament for permission public is in a better position to judge the issue with to keep a base in the country, the parliamentarians these documents available. said, absolutely not. The U.S. military was forced to 7. Manning revealed the degree of authoritarianism withdraw from Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011. and corruption of the Egyptian government of Hosni 2. Manning revealed the full extent of the corrup- Mubarak, which was subsequently swept away. tion of Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidin Ben Ali, add- 8. Manning revealed that hard-nosed realist, for- ing fuel to the youth protest movement of late 2010, mer Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, was against which translated the relevant U.S. cables into Arabic. striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities because Manning contributed to the outbreak of powerful it would only slow their program down slightly, but youth movements demanding more democratic gov- would inevitably cause Iranians to be angry and mo- ernance in the Arab world. bilized in the aftermath. 3. Manning revealed to the U.S. and Yemeni publics 9. Manning revealed that the Israeli authorities had the secret drone war that Washington was waging in a secret plan to keep the Palestinian population of that country. That the cables show then-dictator Ali Gaza on the brink of food insecurity and poor health, Abdallah Saleh acquiescing in the U.S. strikes on his in among the creepiest military operations in history: country probably played into the movement to remove “Israeli officials have confirmed to Embassy officials him as president, which succeeded in early 2012. on multiple occasions that they intend to keep the 4. He revealed that then Secretary of State Hillary Gazan economy functioning at the lowest level possi- Clinton ordered U.S. diplomats to spy on their United ble consistent with avoiding a humanitarian crisis.” Nations counterparts. The UN spy requests included 10. Manning’s act of courage encouraged hackers cables that “demanded detailed intelligence on the to leak the e-mails of Bashar al-Assad and his wife, UN leadership including forensic detail about their showing their jewelry buys in Europe and gilded communications systems, including passwords and style of life while al-Assad’s artillery was pounding personal encryption keys,” foreshadowing later rev- Homs and other cities with no regard for the lives of elations of extensive U.S. spying on even allies like noncombatants. In fact, Manning inspired numerous Germany via the NSA. leakers, including some who blew the whistle on PLO 5. His leaks show that then-Sen. John Kerry pressed corruption and willingness to give away most of Je- Israel to be open to returning the Golan Heights to rusalem to Israel, and, likely, Edward Snowden, who Syria as part of a peace negotiation. This item sug- revealed to us that our government has us all under gests that Kerry might be more of an honest broker surveillance. in the current negotiations than some observers give – The author is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Pro- him credit for. fessor of History at the University of Michigan 6. Revealed that Afghanistan government corrup- © JuanCole.com 38 • AUGUST 2013 Sanctity

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 child poverty, teen pregnancy, dropout rates and il- provide basic-parenting skills. Churches particularly literacy. Some people attribute these maladies to de- can provide these. pendence on government, the product of a so-called Changes in tax laws to benefit intact two-parent welfare state. If that were true, then their incidence families. would be higher in states that spend the most on Stronger incentives, as well as financial require- child welfare, anti-poverty programs and education, ments, for fathers to remain in homes with mothers not the least-spending small-government states, like and their children. Texas. Changes in the penal codes so nonviolent offend- Ironically, conservative states composed of high- ers of numerous crimes make appropriate restitution er percentages of Bible-believing Christians – from but are not locked up and removed from their homes. Texas across the South – suffer the blights of child Research shows the No. 1 factor related to promiscu- poverty, teen pregnancy, dropout rates and illiteracy ity of girls and violence of boys is absence of a father much more promiscuously than their more secular from their home. counterparts. Those are the states many Texans and • Nutrition. Secure and strengthen public- and pri- Southerners call “pagan” and “dark.” vate-sector programs that ensure no child in Texas This disparity is an affront to the name of Jesus. goes hungry. These changes need to accommodate Small wonder unbelieving outsiders doubt the com- programs for infants and preschoolers, as well as passion of Christ and the credibility of Christians. We school-age children, not only during school sessions, often treat people Jesus called “the least” worse than but also holidays and summer. unbelievers do. • Education. Multiple changes will be required, in- If Texans’ conservative moral values prompt our cluding … state to implement one of the nation’s most stringent Expanded Head Start programs, to give young chil- abortion codes, then we should accept the responsi- dren in at-risk families greater opportunity to learn bility for all those babies we will bring into the world. early and prepare for school. We need to do right by them. Parental training, so moms and dads understand That means both enacting better laws and public the educational system, the requirements of schools programs that protect women and children, make and how they can help their children learn. For some, certain no child goes hungry and ensure our young expanded adult literacy and remedial adult education people receive quality education. is needed. Churches can play a huge role. And don’t dare claim that’s the job of the church, Tutoring for children at all levels. Churches must and the state should butt out. The church has demon- provide the people-power to make this possible. strated its unwillingness to rise to the occasion, and Modification of middle school and high school cur- the enormity of the task is about to multiply. Maybe riculum to expand vocational training and broaden less than 10 congregations in the entire state come vocational options. Our state economy increasingly anywhere near caring for all the poor people in their will depend upon well-trained workers who did not community. Others lag far behind. Most don’t try. attend college. Moreover, a central task of Christian citizenship is These are just a few ideas. If we all turn our hearts public advocacy for the weakest and most vulnerable and minds toward unconditional compassion and and championing the common good. care for the all the baby Texans, we will develop more If we’re going to take care of babies spared from and better responses. abortions, here’s where we start: We must start now, before they are born. • Adoption. Streamline laws and practices to make – The author is editor of the Baptist Standard, the Texas adoptions simple and inexpensive. A mother weekly news-journal for Texas Baptists since 1888 who carries her baby to term should know without Editor’s Note: Knox’s column was published July 8, a doubt that child can be placed in a loving “forever” just before the Texas Legislature, meeting in special family who will treasure and nurture it as their own. session, approved a measure that effectively bans Churches can support this by creating a culture all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requires of adoption – adoption as ministry – that provides a abortion clinics to become ambulatory surgical cen- ready and willing supply of families who receive chil- ters and mandates that doctors performing abor- dren. tions have admitting privileges at a hospital within • Parenting. At-risk families of these children need 30 miles of the clinic where they are performing the the help of a variety of steps. They include … procedure. Governor Good Hair – Rick Perry – signed More classes and other learning opportunities to the odious bill into law on July 18.

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 39 Books For Science Junkies, Climate Science Explained BY TERENCE MCDOWELL

PLOWS, PLAGUES, AND PETROLEUM By William F. Ruddiman Princeton University Press 232 pages, $14

lows, Plagues, and Petroleum is an inter- for those hypotheses that survive close scrutiny, the esting book for two reasons: It is about the “synthesis” [refining or reshaping of the hypothesis important topic of climate change and the into a form that addresses the criticisms and satis- author’s narrative illustrates how scientific fies a wider range of observations.] Ptheories are conceived, researched, published, and At this point, usually years later, the hypothesis tested by other scientists who try to disprove the new may come to be called a “theory.” idea. Ruddiman’s hypothesis was challenged in 2004 on While Dr. Ruddiman was a professor in the Depart- two fronts. Both of these challenges led to further ment of Environmental Sciences at the University of research and helped him refine and strengthen the Virginia, he encouraged an undergraduate student to original concept. In the last 10 years there has been research a mystery that had puzzled him a few years numerous follow-up efforts to test various aspects of earlier: the hypothesis. Why had methane levels in the atmosphere risen These new contributions have had two results: First, over the last 5,000 years when everything we know the weaknesses of natural explanations of the Holo- about natural controls of methane predicted that a cene greenhouse gas increases have become clearer. drop should have occurred instead? Second, new research has addressed the most seri- In 2001 they published a joint paper in the peer-re- ous criticisms of the early anthropogenic hypothesis. viewed literature attributing the anomalous methane These studies have provided plausible answers to trend to human activities. all of the major criticisms. The hypothesis appears to After retiring in 2001, he began working on a simi- be well on its way to “theory” status. lar mystery about CO2 levels. CO2 began rising about While searching for causes of several rapid drops 8,000 years ago even though natural factors again in CO2 levels and subsequent rapid rises in the last predicted a drop. 2,000 years, Ruddiman found that some occurred In 2003 he published a paper about his new data on during plagues that caused significant drops in glob- the early human effects on climate and summarized al population. But correlation does not prove causal- it as a working hypothesis. A hypothesis is an un- ity. How could plague and other pandemics cause the proved theory tentatively accepted to explain certain drops in CO2? facts or to provide a basis for further investigation. After further research he made another hypothesis His hypothesis was that early human farming start- that major pandemics are likely to have brought de- ed raising CO2 levels about 8,000 years ago and the forestation to a complete halt in the afflicted areas cultivation of rice in China starting about 5,000 years based on historical evidence that reforestation ac- ago caused methane levels to increase. Also, these tually occurred rapidly. As a result, the global mean greenhouse gases stabilized the climate by prevent- rate of deforestation would drop, and atmospheric ing the usual slow decline in global temperature lead- CO2 levels would follow. ing to a new ice age. These findings provide a possible answer: both the Most new scientific ideas follow a typical sequence. cooler intervals and the simultaneous population After the “thesis” comes the “antithesis” [evaluation losses are independent responses to pandemics. and criticism by the scientific community], and later, Pandemics cause large population losses for obvi- 40 • AUGUST 2013 ous reasons, but they also cause CO2 reductions that contribute to cooler climates. Population losses do correlate with colder intervals, but they are not caused by them. The common causal factor here is disease. Besides being a microcosm of how scientific knowledge pro- gresses, the real value of the book to a science junkie like me is the way climate science is presented in an understandable format. Dr. Ruddiman presents a lot of data in each chapter, but he ex- plains how the data was collected and interpreted. The end of chapter summaries help keep the reader focused on the big picture. This allows the reader to see how greenhouse gas- es affect the climate on regional and global scales. The contextual presentation of the data leaves little doubt that hu- mans are affecting the climate and have been doing so for thousands of years. It’s also clear that the rap- id increase in greenhouse gases in the last two centuries is much larger than in past glacial cycles. The effect of these increases is im- possible to predict accurately. The author thinks the single most effective thing that can be done about global warming is to invest in technologies that will re- duce carbon emissions, especially those that will come from the 200- year supply of coal we will eventu- ally burn. Investments in alternative ener- WHY WAIT? gy sources also makes good sense, but such sources seem likely only Now you can subscribe to The Oklahoma Observer to delay the burning of our fossil at the Full Circle Books checkout counter fuels by a few decades, rather than and receive your free book certificate on the spot! replace them entirely. This issue is both complex and IMPORTANT RESTRICTIONS To take advantage of this offer, visit Full Circle Books, where you can subscribe to The Oklahoma Observer at the checkout unpredictable. Perhaps delaying counter and receive your free book certificate immediately. You also may subscribe to The Observer using the coupon on page 3 of this issue or by visiting our web site www.okobserver.net. You then will receive via U.S. Mail a certificate from Full Circle Books for a some of the future warming will free book [$20 limit]. The certificate is not transferable and must be presented in person at Full Circle Books in order to receive your give us more time to find a tech- free book. No facsimiles, printouts or photocopies will be accepted as a substitute for the original Full Circle certificate. This book nological fix. And if the warming offer is for new subscribers only. Not valid with any other offer. arrives more slowly, maybe it will not reach quite so high a peak a few centuries from now. GO GREEN! But just now, real solutions seem to be either expensive or just Read The Observer On-Line optimistic dreams for the future. – The author is a retired clinical chemist living in Edmond www.okobserver.net

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 41 A Book Is Better Than A Box Of Chocolates

BY RALPH NADER

ummer is an ideal season for jolting your myriad present and deferred costs, colossal risks, mind into action by expanding your read- and institutional insanity around this uninsurable, ing horizons. So shut off the computer and national security danger, this posterity poisoning the television, put away the various gadgets, and dictatorial technology – all designed just to boil Sclose your e-mail and pick up a good book. water. As he demonstrates, there are many better There are plenty of entertaining choices for your renewable and efficient ways to produce electricity reading pleasure, but the following titles are ones that the people are already using to displace the utter that I have enjoyed. They all address the serious pur- madness of nuke power plants, that even Wall Street suit of justice/happiness side of the written word. won’t finance without a 100% Uncle Sam guarantee. 1. Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers’ Markets, 4. Contagious: Why Things Catch On, By Jonah Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm, By Forrest Berger [Simon and Schuster, 2013]. Pritchard [Globe Pequot Press, 2013]. Sure, this fast paced little book concentrates on This is the personal story of a 21-year-old college how products, online content and some news catches graduate who, against his family’s advice, took over on and spreads. As a marketer, you’ll love this read- part of the family land in Virginia and, in less than 20 able volume. But as a fretting citizen, you’ll also see years, turned it from a working farm making only $18 ways to become stronger with your message and your in profit in the previous year into a bustling organic activities. For the impatient, Berger has it down to farm/community that is making an expanding family “six principles of contagiousness” you can put into farming livelihood worthy of wider emulation. practice. 2. Why Jury Duty Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to 5. No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Vi- Constitutional Action, By Andrew Guthrie Ferguson ruses, By Peter Piot [Norton, 2012]. [NYU Press, 2013]. This clinical microbiologist has been there – in the I remember when Andrew was born. His mother most dangerous African hotspots to the executive di- gave him lots of attention, while also, then and now, rectorship of UNAIDS. He’s warning us that the real directing the Pension Rights Center. The time was mass terrorists are those we cannot see with the na- very well spent. For Andrew grew up to become a ked eye, until, that is, their ravages eat their victims lawyer, a public defender, teacher and now an author alive. This is a wakeup call to adopt the priorities who urges you not to be one of the too many citizens and resources that can disprove Louis Pasteur of the who under-appreciate and avoid the greatest civil in- 19th Century who was heard to say “Gentlemen, it is stitution of Anglo-America law – the jury. This is a the microbes who will have the last word.” brilliant and motivating plea to please serve when 6. Our Commonwealth: The Hidden Economy That summoned. Makes Everything Else Work, By Jonathan Rowe 3. Nuclear Roulette: The Truth About the Most Dan- [Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013]. gerous Energy Source on Earth, By Gar Smith, Er- These are the last concrete, inspiring, challenging nest Callenbach, Jerry Mander [Chelsea Green, 2012]. words of the late Jonathan Rowe who practiced what Civic Leader and editor emeritus of Earth Island he preached but also preached what he practiced Journal needs a whole documented book to cover the in Point Reyes Station, CA [population 350]. Public land, public airwaves, the air, the water, the oceans, the Internet, Oklahoma Friends Meetings (Quakers) the sun and more human-made commons are what these brief and Friends believe there is MEETING FOR WORSHIP SCHEDULE AND CONTACTS clear essays cover. Rowe describes that of God in everyone. OKLAHOMA CITY: Wesley Methodist Church, 1401 NW 25 (at Classen), west entry. Worship the emerging movement to protect They cannot prove this, Sunday evening at 7pm. FMI 405.632.7574) the vast commonwealth owned by but when they act as if STILLWATER: Sunday morning. Call 405.372.4839 the people. Gird yourself to see na- TULSA: Sunday afternoon. Call 918.743.6827 ture and human ingenuity in a very it were true, their trust different light. A whole new world NORMAN: Sunday morning. Call 405.321.7971 is justified. could come into focus. KAIAMICHI WORSHIP GROUP (SE OK): Monthly. - Author unknown Call 918.569.4803. 7. American Canopy: Trees, For- CONTINUED ON PAGE 47 42 • AUGUST 2013 Observations Better Information, Better Policy Oklahoma Policy Institute provides timely and credible CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 information, analysis and commentary on state policy issues. interest with Sen. Inhofe in the employees and data See our latest issue briefs, fact sheets and blog posts at: center we have in Oklahoma.” The Post reported that Google’s corporate dona- tions are pretty evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. But it also noted that Google was the largest donor to the annual fund-raising event for David Blatt, Director n 918.794.3944 n [email protected] the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank backed by the energy industry and known for pushing back against global warming concerns. In fact, Google spent $18.2 million on lobbying last year – eighth most in Washington. Even more than defense giant Lockheed Martin. Like so many pols, Inhofe clearly is more than happy to take Google’s money even if they couldn’t disagree more on climate change. After all, Google’s cash fills the coffers just as easily as the Koch Broth- ers. But that’s the problem. Big money dominates the American political system. Let’s face it, Lou the Bar- ber or Sharon the Shop-owner can’t quickly, if ever, get face time with a member of Congress or a state legislator. But well-heeled lobbyists can, especially if TOM and SHERRI their clients also write sizeable campaign checks – which they routinely do. GOODWIN Google and Inhofe can claim they’re just playing Cheyenne, OK the game, by the rules. And they are. But the game and the rules are rigged. And that encourages an en- vironmentally conscious firm like Google to get into Readers and supporters of The Observer bed, politically speaking, with a dim bulb like Inhofe. for over 30 years and counting. Democracy Suspended? It was all but ignored in the U.S., but former Presi- dent Jimmy Carter raised eyebrows worldwide re- cently when he expressed dismay over the NSA spy- ing scandal, saying: “America does not at the moment have a functioning democracy.” The 39th president’s pointed remarks at an Atlan- ta event were not covered by mainstream American media, but were reported by Der Spiegel, the German newsmagazine. It’s not the first time Carter sounded the alarm over the NSA’s data gathering activities. In June, he criti- cized the program that was leaked to the public by former U.S. intelligence analyst Edward Snowden. “He’s obviously violated the laws of America, for THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER which he’s responsible, but I think the invasion of human rights and American privacy has gone too Your Passport To Oklahoma’s Most Progressive, far,” Carter told CNN. “I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has Socially Responsible And Intellectual Audience been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to Advertising rates start as low the public notice has probably been, in the long term, as $40 per issue. beneficial.” Amen. Call 405.478.8700 for details. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 43 Observerscope

11701 N. MacArthur Blvd. Oklahoma City, Ok. 73162

[405] 721-3252 springcreekbc.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Dart: To EMSA’s board, awarding CEO Steve Wil- liamson a 6% raise after a state audit revealed “un- warranted and extravagant” spending by the ambu- lance service for Tulsa, OKC and 14 surrounding cities. Unconscionable!

A sign recently spotted in St. Louis: The Last Time A Republican Cared About You Was When You Were A Fetus!

Laurel: To Gov. Mary Fallin for finally acknowledg- ing what’s been obvious all along – the state’s Lake Texoma deal with Pointe Vista Development stinks. Stay tuned. This is fixin’ to get interesting.

With kickoff of football season near, consider this: 308,962 concussions were diagnosed in high-school athletes in 2011-12. – Consumer Reports

Dart: To Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, joining the GOP temper tantrum over the state Supreme Court’s tort reform ruling. The judicial selection process isn’t broken; state lawmakers, including attorneys like Jolley, simply need to follow the law.

Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s PR machine now includes former gubernatorial press secretary Aaron Cooper as his new Director of Public Affairs to “pro- vide assistance and guidance on communications, community relations and public affairs issues.”

Laurel: To Oklahoma’s ACLU, helping Sooner Tea Party co-founder Al Gerhart fight blackmail charges. Gerhart is a world-class knucklehead, but his vow to embarrass Sen. Cliff Branan is protected speech, pure and simple.

Dart: To Gov. Mary Fallin, refusing to include Insure Oklahoma on a special session agenda. She’s willing to help big money interests demanding tort reform, but not 8,000 working poor who’ll be losing their health care at year’s end.

U.S. Reps. Earl Blumeanaur, D-OR, and John Cony- ers, D-MI, are proposing a temporary ban on “neonic- otinoids.” Scientists believe the insecticides are to blame for bee “colony collapse disorder” – 45% of U.S. colonies were lost between 2012 and 2013. 44 • AUGUST 2013 Letters

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 okea.org believed that the system would get worse? Only those who voted against Gov. Frank Keating, the affable guy who launched “private” prisons funded with taxpayer dollars. Back in the “olden days,” the worst case was that “somehow” and “allegedly” the late state Sen. Gene Stipe of McAlester made money out of the prison with such schemes as a set-up where inmates were paid to donate blood. That was one of the typical attacks that the Daily Oklahoman regularly launched against Stipe but never really proved. In reviewing Stipe’s career, this observer opines that the crafty senator did many more wonderful acts – such as killing stupid bills with attacks by using Oklahoma Retired Educators’ Association his droll sense of humor and defending justice – than he possibly could have gained from hosting the hor- The only organization rible prison in his district. Stipe was a rags-to-riches that works for guy constantly re-elected by his neighbors and often indicted by federals but who fought for decent fund- Retired Educators ing for all correctional and educational initiatives and efforts. 405.525.2230 Back to 1966: the late Republican Gov. Dewey Bartlett harnessed Troy’s and my righteous [of course] 800.310.2230 reporting to create a state Board of Corrections that, www.orea.org unfortunately over the years, failed to correct much, if anything. An ugly mentality about crime and corrections long has haunted the American society that honestly be- lieves the prisons should punish and, if any money is left, to perhaps rehabilitate or prevent criminals. The same politicos who applaud expenditures up to $1 million or more to execute one among many kill- ers also seem to be the ones who rebel at spending a few thousand dollars to hire professional counselors in schools to spot and correct potential criminals at an early age. In those days, Frosty and I agreed that quality, am- ply funded schools and colleges are the best deter- rents to crime. In modern times, a few more legisla- tors like Coates railing against the corrupt system also could help. Joseph H. Carter Sr. Monkey Island Editor’s Note: Joseph H. Carter Sr. is former direc- tor of the Will Rogers Museum and author of four books, including Never Met A Man I Didn’t Like: The Life and Writings of Will Rogers and I Heard JFK’s Death Shots. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 45 Editor, The Observer: Cumulus Media is the second largest owner of ra- dio stations in America. They also operate a number of radio networks. They’ve made a major announce- ment that is good news for the non-intellectually challenged crowd. Faced with unprecedented advertiser backlash, Cumulus Media announced that at the end of the year both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity will be dropped from their stations. As a cautionary note, once that change is imple- mented, millions of sheeple may be spotted wan- dering around in a zombie-like state, empty of their source of daily indoctrination, and powerless to for- WORSHIP AT MAYFLOWER CHURCH mulate independent thought on a host of issues. Kenny Belford For religion that is biblically responsible, Tulsa intellectually honest, emotionally satisfying, and socially significant. Services at 9 and 11 a.m. Editor, The Observer: Full church school. Our great and compassionate congressman from Broadcast 9:30 a.m. on KOKC AM 1520 Oklahoma, Rep. Frank Lucas, has been found taking rd Located on NW 63 Street, farm subsidy money. I don’t know who was surprised one block west of Portland, 405/842-8897. by this, but they must have been living in La-La Land somewhere. Dr. Robin Meyers, Minister Rev. Chris Moore, Associate Pastor This is the same compassionate, Republican, con- Mayflower Congregational Church servative who had the great wisdom to determine that 3901 NW 63 Street, Okla. City, OK 73116 those Okies who were unable to meet their monthly needs, and provide adequate food for their families, were nothing but “takers” who contributed nothing Embracing the Fatherhood of God to society, and did not need other taxpayers providing and the Brotherhood of Man them food stamps to help feed their children. This is so typical of our current crop of officials. They beg for your votes and promise you gold, plenty The Urantia and riches if they are elected. Then, when they get to DC they immediately join the “great I Am Society” Book Society and completely forget about those people back home. Especially all those who do not have the wherewith- 405-722-0866 all to make sizeable contributions to their continued www.okub.org good fortunes in office. Study groups held on Sunday, Tuesday Congressman Lucas and his fellow “great I Am’s” or Wednesday at 8 p.m. make damned sure that they are exempt from the laws they pass. They could not even tell you what is provided for in the bill. They have underlings give them a “gist” of what is in the bill, but they never read them. [Evidenced by many comments made by Lucas, Rep. Tom Cole, Sen. Jim Inhofe and others in public statements.] In a recent Town Hall meeting, a representative of the people indicated he could not understand why the public held him and his fellow compassionate conservatives in such low esteem. This from the representative who has voted against every bill that was aimed at helping his constituents, children, poor and anyone they label “takers.” If only they could spend one month living as the common folk have lived. It is the Lucases in DC that give all such a bad name. Read The Observer On-Line Pat Thompson www.okobserver.net Midwest City

46 • AUGUST 2013 Editor, The Observer: they have to sacrifice even more to preserve the cor- According to the Government Accountability Office, porate wealth. there is a five-story building in the Cayman Islands They are asking the Republicans in Washington to called the Ugland House that is home to 18,857 cor- lower any and all help to the low-paid Americans. The porations. The amount the many corporations are problem is that the Republicans are heeding their re- holding in off-shore accounts is estimated at $1.6 quest. trillion. An illustration of this is the tax breaks for Exxon- Corporations now pay less than 7% on average in Mobil was $4.1 billion between 2008 and 2010, while taxes, while they used to pay anywhere from 30% to the company paid no taxes at all in 2009. 91% in the past. In another study by the Economic Policy Institute, It is noted that the Bank of America committed the average CEO pay from 1978 is up 867% compared fraud, was bailed out by the government, and then to a 5.4% gain by the average worker. paid no taxes on its $4.4 billion profit. According to We are told that we can no longer afford Social Se- the Economic Policy Institute, in 2000 the average curity, that we pay into all our working lives, while if CEO was paid 383 times more than the average work- the corporate tax loopholes were closed it would pay er. Back in 1965 CEO’s were paid only about 20 times for Social Security 10 times over. more that the average worker. Why are the American workers still voting for these According to the greed of those freeloading, tax Republicans? They need to be put out of office. dodging corporations, and the highly overpaid CEOs, George M. Kesselring they are telling the ordinary American worker that Muskogee Books CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42 ests and the Making of a Nation, By Eric Rutkow on business rampages, what’s our excuse? Some of [Scribner, 2012]. the big/progressive/populist changes by average peo- They’re all around us. We either take them down, or ple over a century ago came before the wide use of take them for granted. Rutkow does not. In his imagi- the telephone, electricity, motor vehicles on smooth native book, you tour with him and savor just what highways and other instant means of retrieving and trees and forests have meant to our country’s history communicating information symbolized by the Inter- – and will mean for our future. Author S.C. Gwynne net. Read this book for the answer. We have no ex- calls the book “a wonderful magic. He takes the most cuse is what I think. obvious of things – trees – and weaves an astound- 10. A recent oldie that merits revisiting – Daniel ing and complex narrative that ranges across Ameri- Berrigan: Essential Writings [Orbiz, 2009]. can history, from Johnny Appleseed to Henry David A Jesuit priest, poet and ardent peacemaker, who Thoreau, from Franklin Roosevelt to John Muir. You paid the price, Father Berrigan truly walked his talk. come away thinking that this country was, well, built Imprisoned for civil disobedience against the War Ma- out of trees.” Note Rutkow does not neglect climate chine, he came back again and again, shaming pros- change. ecutors and judges alike, with his powerful books, 8. Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Elec- diaries, poems and homilies. It seems that Berrigan’s tion Complex is Destroying America, By John Nich- faith and witness came down to his practiced religion ols and Robert W. McChesney [Nation Books, 2013]. and the belief that reality is truth and truth is real- There they go again. These advocates do not give ity. These writings will touch your conscience and up. Nor should we. Events have proven their prior expand your cognition. works as understatements. With the mighty help of 11. Another oldie – Take it Personally: How to Make five corporatists on the U.S. Supreme Court, corpora- Conscious Choices to Change the World, collected tions and their wealthy bosses are “radically redefin- by Anita Roddick, Founder of the Body Shop [Harper ing our politics in a way that, failing a dramatic in- Collins, 2001]. tervention signals the end of our democracy. It is the Selections by many change advocates, including world of Dollarocracy.” The authors show ways out of me, are in this book. But its genius, colorful layout, this dictatorial compression chamber. Assuming that gripping photographs, searing posters against injus- is, you become indignant enough. tice, memorable quotations and pungent insights are 9. The Rich Don’t Always Win: The Forgotten Tri- tributes to the late, great Anita Roddick who, in moral umph Over Plutocracy that Created the American terms, turned the business of business upside down. Middle Class, 1900-1970, By Sam Pizzigati [Seven You can digest Anita’s activating nutrition minutes Stories Press, 2012]. at a time and you’ll want even more. It waits for you, Veteran Labor Journalist Pizzigati challenges us however impatiently. with the question: If our forebears took on plutoc- Did someone once say a book is better than a box racy to uplift most Americans and strengthen laws of chocolates? THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 47 SYRIA: NOT OUR WAR A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives has introduced legislation to prohibit the Obama Administration from intervening militarily in Syria without explicit Congressional authorization:

H.R. 2494, introduced by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Gibson (R-NY), Rick Nolan (D-MN), and Walter Jones (R-NC), would block U.S. military intervention in Syria without an affirmative vote of Congress.

S. 1201, identical legislation in the Senate, has been introduced by Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM), Rand Paul (R-KY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Lee (R-UT).

Ask Oklahoma Congress Members to support and/or co-sponsor these bills.

Letter to a Senator Letter to a US Representative US Senate US House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

Senator Tom Coburn (OK) D-1: Jim Bridenstine (Tulsa) D-3: Frank Lucas (W. OK) snipr.com/ecoburn snipr.com/ebridenstine snipr.com/elucas DC Tel: (202) 224-5754 DC Tel: (202) 225-2211 DC Tel: (202) 225-5565 DC Fax: (202) 224-6008 DC Fax: (202) 225-9187 DC Fax: (202) 225-8698 OKC Ofc: (405) 231-4941 Tulsa Ofc: (918) 935-3222 OKC Ofc: (405) 373-1958 Tulsa Ofc: (918) 581-7651 D-2: Markwayne Mullin (Musk) D-4: Tom Cole (Nor & SW OK) Senator Jim Inhofe (OK) snipr.com/emullin snipr.com/etcole snipr.com/einhofe DC Tel: (202) 225-2701 DC Tel: (202) 225-6165 DC Tel: (202) 224-4721 DC Fax: (202) 225-3038 DC Fax: (202) 225-3512 DC Fax: (202) 228-0380 Muskogee Ofc: (918) 687-2533 Norman Ofc: (405) 329-6500 OKC Ofc: (405) 608-4381 Tulsa Ofc: (918) 748-5111 D-5: James Lankford (OKC) snipr.com/elankford DC Tel: (202) 225-2132 DC Fax (202) 226-1463 OKC Ofc: (405) 234-9900 Alert prepared by The Peace House www.PeaceHouseOK.org