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2015 OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE Sinking Ship of State As Governor Pledges More for Vital Services, Lawmakers Scramble to Plug $300 Million Revenue Hole

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2015 OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE Sinking Ship of State As Governor Pledges More for Vital Services, Lawmakers Scramble to Plug $300 Million Revenue Hole • An Independent JournAl of CommentAry • FEBRUARY 2015 • VOLUME 47 NUMBER 2 • $2.50 MAYDAY! Can Vital State Services Be Rescued? 2015 LEGISLATVE PREVIEW Pages 10-21 Observations www.okobserver.net Straight Shooter VOLUME 47, NO. 2 PUBLISHER Beverly Hamilton State Auditor Gary Jones doesn’t get near the credit he deserves as one of Oklahoma’s finest, most honorable public servants. EDITOR Arnold Hamilton Yes, he’s a rock-ribbed Republican. Yes, he’s ultra-conservative to his FOUNDING EDITOR Frosty Troy core. But he is no ideologue. He has a keen brain and he uses it – in an effort to help make Oklahoma, and its government, better and more ef- ADVISORY BOARD ficient. Marvin Chiles, Andrew Hamilton, If the GOP-dominated Legislature truly cared about transparency and Matthew Hamilton, Scott J. Hamilton, Trevor James, Ryan Kiesel, rooting out corruption, it would fully fund Jones’ office and turn it loose. George Krumme, Robert D. Lemon, The Powers That Be, though, are afraid what Jones would find – and Gayla Machell, Bruce Prescott, when he did, that he wouldn’t play ball to protect the sacred cows gorg- Robyn Lemon Sellers, Kyle Williams ing themselves at the taxpayers’ trough. OUR MOTTO Jones’ clear sense of right and wrong and fair play was on display re- To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the cently on Facebook when he repeated something he’s said many times Comfortable. before and since: “Oklahoma lawmakers’ pay should be the same as the beginning pay of a teacher.” OUR CREDO So then to all their chance, to all their We don’t begrudge lawmakers being well paid for their often around- shining golden opportunity. To all the the-clock service, but why would they be valued above teachers – who right to love, to live, to work, to be are only helping educate and shape our future generations? themselves, and to become whatever Consider this: A first-year Oklahoma legislator makes $38,400, a rook- thing their vision and humanity can combine to make them. This seeker, ie teacher $31,600. And this: Oklahoma is 48th in teacher pay, 14th in is the promise of America. legislative pay. - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe Gov. Mary Fallin and state lawmakers routinely pay lip service to FOUNDING PUBLISHER teacher pay raises, yet take steps to ensure the money isn’t available to Helen B. Troy fund them. Their priorities have been far different: tax cuts that dispro- 1932-2007 portionately benefit the rich and questionable tax breaks that line the [ISSN 0030-1795] pockets of Oklahoma’s corporate elite. The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is It is true that Jones has a dog in this fight – his wife is a teacher in published monthly by AHB Enterprises LLC, Cache. But that doesn’t discredit his notion that legislative and teacher 13912 Plymouth Crossing, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73125. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-Year [12 issues] $40. Send check to The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Online: Visit www.okobserver.net to use a credit card. UPDATE ADDRESSES Yes! Please send me a one-year subscription for only $40. Please notify us at least two weeks before This special offer includes my certificate for a free book courtesy your move to ensure uninterrupted service. of Full Circle Bookstore [a $20 value]. See page 41 for details. E-mail address changes to subscriptions@ okobserver.net or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. LETTERS TO EDITOR E-mail to [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113- 0275. 2 • FEBRUARY 2015 Observerscope We mourn the passing of staunch Observer supporter James Laza- lier, longtime Rose State College professor and former Cleveland County Election Board president. He was 81. Laurel: To Journal Record editor Ted Streuli, for an editorial call- ing state Rep. Sally Kern what she is: a bigot. He minced no words, a refreshing contrast to editorials frequently appearing in the state’s largest dailies. OK Democrats named David Scott as interim executive direc- tor, succeeding Trav Robertson. Scott, a member of the Choctaw Nation, is believed to be the only Native American serving as a state Democratic Party ED. Dart: To Rep. Kevin Calvey, R- When will the State Chamber Dart: To Sen. David Holt, R- OKC, seeking to strip DAs of au- break its silence on Rep. John Ben- OKC, proposing even more tax thority to prosecute state officials nett’s anti-Muslim hate speech? cuts – .1% annually for 20 years for public offenses. How did this It’s not only bad for business – it’s until the state’s top rate reaches nitwit get returned to office? morally reprehensible. 3%. He must be chugging Grover Norquist’s Anti-Government Hat- Fool’s errand: Former state Su- Dart: To Gov. Mary Fallin, blam- erade. perintendent Janet Barresi poured ing ex-Corrections Director Justin $1.3 million of her own money Jones for the state’s high incar- Save The Date: The 36th annual into her failed re-election bid. She ceration rate. She bailed on the Friends of the Metro Library Sys- didn’t even get out of the primary. first Smart on Crime proposals tem book sale is Feb. 21-22 at the because she feared being labeled OKC State Fairgrounds. Laurel: To the Humane Society Soft on Crime. of the United States, pushing back Laurel: To the Oklahoma PTA, hard against Attorney General For Valentine’s Day, you can hon- working to double the number at- Scott Pruitt’s grandstanding. He’s or an ex by adopting a San Fran- tending this year’s pro-education playing to a deranged base that cisco zoo’s cockroach or scorpion. rally at the Capitol on Mar. 30. regards HSUS as a radical animal We can think of some Oklahoma Lawmakers would ignore 50,000 rights group. lawmakers who fit the bill. marchers at their political peril. Unconscionable: 61% of Oklaho- Laurel: To Sen. Anthony Sykes, Our friend Jody Harlan shares ma public school students are in killing the infamous “hoodie” a classic billboard message: “Be- poverty – fourth highest rate in the bill without a hearing. A sign the ing cremated is my last hope for a nation. Do the state’s policymak- adults are once again in charge at smoking hot body.” ers know – or care? the Capitol? Dart: To 10th U.S. Circuit Appeals Johnson Bridgwater is Sierra Lord, help us: Tea Party hero Dr. Judge Jerome Holmes, whose eth- Club’s new OK director and chief Ben Carson headlines the Oklaho- ical compass sorely needs to be re- lobbyist. Wish him luck – the lege ma Christian Home Educators gala calibrated. He should have recused is full of climate change deniers Feb. 10 in OKC. Top sponsorships himself from a murder case appeal and anti-science fundamentalists. are $21k, proving yet again dollars since he declared in a 2002 op-ed don’t equate to sense. the convict “deserved to die.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER • 3 Letters Council of Public Affairs. As most everyone knows, one of the goals of OCPA is to undermine and shutter our public schools. The lady’s solution to teacher shortages? Break up the “mo- nopoly” of the “education estab- lishment” by “expanding school- choice opportunities.” Dr. Warcholik’s research some- how doesn’t mention that Okla- homa public school teachers’ pay ranks 48 in the U.S., at $44,373, well below the national average of $56,103, which seems just fine with our “business friendly” tax- cutting governor, Mary Fallin. People should know that the OCPA purports to be a “think tank” which aspires to imitate the Heri- tage Foundation. Both are motivat- ed by Social Darwinism, a theory formulated by Herbert Spencer, 19th Century philosopher whose mantra is that “the strong sur- Editor, The Observer: erything. It would compare to giv- vive.” For Spencer, the white Euro- Preston Doerflinger, secretary ing all the feed to a special pen of pean race was superior to others, of finance for Gov. Fallin, was ar- heifers to learn that none will have and therefore destined to rule, as rested for having control of a ve- a calf. Guess what – we still have a nature intended. hicle while under the influence of feed bill. Their principle is “why drain re- alcohol. In the case of Oklahoma, Pres- sources from the strong to support The governor continues to have ton Doerflinger still has to come the weak?” If we keep our schools confidence in Doerflinger’s good up with a balanced budget after under-funded, we can squeeze the work as cabinet secretary of fi- giving hundreds of millions to big life out of them and eventually nance and director of the State oil. Preston Doerflinger has been “drown them in the bathtub,” a la Office of Management and Enter- sent on mission impossible! Grover Norquist. prise Services. Perhaps Doerfling- Gov. Fallin was right – don’t fire However, the consequence is er is the only one smart enough Preston. Get him a designated that many of our fine Oklaho- to grasp the magnitude of Okla- driver. ma teachers are moving to other homa’s financial problems, or they Jerry Ellis states which will truly reward their would all be drunk. Valliant talent. For four years Oklahoma has Editor’s Note: Jerry Ellis, a Val- Although Charles Darwin never given hundreds of millions of dol- liant Democrat, formerly repre- promoted Social Darwinism, it lars in tax breaks to the oil and sented District 5 in the Oklahoma looks like the OCPA and Gov.
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