$1.50

25,000 Blue Chip Readers

VOL. 39, NO. 5 An Independent Journal of Commentary MARCH 10, 2007 McCain, Guiliani and Gingrich The Adultery Trifecta By Frosty Troy

The Grand Old Party that bleats forced an up or down vote on Bush’s In 1995, a mistress from that period, of U.S. troops. constantly about “family values” has judicial nominees. Anne Manning, told Vanity Fair’s Gail Guiliani is for a woman’s right to three acknowledged adulterers lead- Giuliani and Gingrich face a more Sheehy: “We had oral sex. He prefers choose, a ban on assault weapons and ing the field for the GOP presidential difficult challenge. Both conducted that modus operandi because then he pro-civil unions – all anathema to the nomination. well-documented affairs in the last can say, I never slept with her.” Christian right. Sen. John McCain [affair, divorce], decade – while still in public office. Gingrich obtained his first divorce As mayor he refused to meet with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Giuliani informed his second wife, in 1981 after forcing his wife, who had African-American leaders even after [affair, divorce, affair, divorce], and for- Donna Hanover, of his intention to helped him through graduate school, New York City cops fired 41 bullets mer New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani seek a separation in a 2000 press con- to haggle over the terms of the divorce into an unarmed innocent Haitian [divorce, affair, divorce, affair, nasty ference. while she was in the hospital recover- man. divorce]. Giuliani marched with his then-mis- ing from uterine cancer surgery. Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly According to the New York Times, tress, Judith Nathan, in New York’s In 1999 he was disgraced again, are Guiliani fans, with Limbaugh call- the religious right is searching des- St. Patrick’s Day parade, an acknowl- having been caught in an affair with a ing him a “strict constructionist” who perately for a candidate they can sup- edgment of infidelity so audacious 33-year-old congressional aide while has potential. port. that Daily News columnist Jim Dwyer spearheading the impeachment pro- In 2000, George W. Bush’s allies The two-timing trifecta form the compared it with “groping in the win- ceedings against President Clinton. went well beyond raising McCain’s af- most maritally-challenged crop of dow at Macy’s.” He had her on the House payroll for fair – they smeared him in advance of presidential hopefuls in American po- His wife accused Giuliani of serial $55,000 a year. the South Carolina primary, claiming litical history. adultery, alleging that Nathan was The thrice-divorced Giuliani, who he had fathered an illegitimate black Previously a self-confessed adulter- just the latest in a string of mistress- once lived with a gay couple, is the child. er had never sought the presidency. es, following an affair the mayor had first choice among Oklahoma Repub- This strategy helped to deliver Bush Certainly, other candidates have been had with his former communications licans. the key primary victory and the nomi- dogged by sex scandals. director. He was not the hero of 9/11; to the nation. It wasn’t until 2000 that McCain, He moved one of his mistresses contrary, his errors and neglect cost McCain is trying to woo the re- emboldened by Clinton’s survival, be- into the mayor’s mansion while his police and firefighters their lives. ligious right after criticizing them came the first confessed adulterer to wife and children were still there. Read details in the new book, With- harshly during the 2000 campaign. have the nerve to run. The most notorious of them all is out Precedent, The Inside Story of the James Dobson of Focus on the Family Now, just a few years after infidelity Gingrich, who ran for Congress in 9/11 Commission. said under no circumstances would was considered a deal-breaker for a 1978 on the slogan, “Let Our Family Both McCain and Giuliani are fierce he support McCain, and he is critical presidential candidate, the party that Represent Your Family.” He was re- supporters of the war in Iraq and both of Giuliani for his adulterous past. presents itself as the arbiter of virtue ported cheating on his first wife at the have endorsed the surge. Gingrich has Mitt Romney’s problems are nu- may field an unprecedented triple- time. not and calls for a timely withdrawal merous. He’s a serial flip-flopper and header. is strongly opposed by the Southern McCain was married and living with Baptist Convention leadership be- his wife in 1979 while, according to cause he is a Mormon. the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof, The SBC has declared Romney’s re- “aggressively courting a 25-year-old ligion a cult. Knowing he has a prob- woman who was as beautiful as she lem with evangelicals, he is relent- was rich.” lessly courting them. McCain divorced his wife, who had The National Journal’s poll shows raised their three children while he 25% of respondents say they could was imprisoned in Vietnam, then ran not vote for a Mormon. Now he is pro- for office with his new wife’s family life and anti-gay marriage but as gov- money. ernor of Massachusetts he was just McCain is on record calling Pat the opposite. Robertson and Jerry Falwell “agents Asked by Newsweek about his flip- of intolerance.” But last year he spoke flop, he replied, “I would rather talk at Falwell’s graduation ceremony at about jihad, Iran and China.” Liberty University. Two other announced candidates, He is wooing John Hagee, the tel- ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee evangelist who wants to close the and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, are public schools. social conservatives but neither has He enraged evangelicals when he caught fire. voted against a constitutional amend- How ironic that many of the sup- ment that would have banned gay porters of the Republican Trifecta marriage. are bitter critics of the Bill Clinton He also blocked the “nuclear op- sex scandal. It all depends on whose tion” in the Senate that would have “family values” you’re talking about. Observations Bad Bill The last bill that ought to become tricts graduated 100%. Most were in law this session of the Legislature is the 90s. one to arm judges. Dank is a typical rightwing Repub- The law-and-order Senate approved lican – he knows the price of every- Senate Bill 145, allegedly to provide thing and the value of nothing. Small further protections for the state’s schools are far better for faculty and courthouses by allowing judges to students. They also send a higher per- carry firearms while on the job. centage to college. Author is Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa. Yes, Oklahoma has 540 districts It would allow for the carrying and use for 620,000 students. The main way of weapons in courtrooms by district, to save money is to eliminate dozens associate district and special district of state and federal un-funded man- judges. dates, including the sorry No Child The measure provides that the ad- Left Behind. ministrative director of the courts As Dank was issuing his press re- maintaining freedom of religion for Children in low-tax states are more would maintain a list of judges who lease he was voting in the House for the individual.” likely to suffer from poor prenatal would fall under the blanket of the yet another un-funded mandate, Free- Try this one, a statement of the care, early death, child abuse and new law. dom Week. principle that “fear of the Lord is teen incarceration than are children Judges would also be required to ob- He claims consolidation would not the beginning of wisdom and knowl- in higher-tax states. Duh! tain a self-defense license before car- “hurt local community identity, or edge” and support for the teaching Higher tax states invest in child and rying a concealed weapon into their even kill the hometown football team of creationism and the posting of the family programs, according to data courtroom. The measure now moves or the school mascot.” Ten Commandments and “In God We contained in the new book, Home- to the House for consideration. He doesn’t spell out how this is Trust” in all public schools. land Insecurity ... American Children Know why this is a bad idea? possible. He needs to work to break Anybody remember when Tulsa was at Risk. Because it’s voluntary, the judges up Tulsa and OKC districts where fail- the home for Oklahoma’s most intel- The top 10 higher-tax and bottom you don’t want armed are precisely ure is rampant. ligent people? Those days are long 10 low-tax states for children were the judges who will be armed. He ran for office promising school gone, which is why no county elects ranked, reflecting a stark and often consolidation – where is his bill? more loons than Tulsa County. life-and-death divide in the prospects for millions of American children. Dumbo Nine of the top 10 higher tax states Loons rank in the top 20 for overall child Freshman state Rep. David Dank, A Way Out well being, with six of the states in R-OKC, wants to consolidate Okla- The inmates were running the asy- the top 10. homa’s rural schools despite the fact lum when the Tulsa County Republi- Sixty three percent of the public By contrast, seven of the 10 lowest that they are the state’s most academ- can convention was held. The planks wants all U.S. troops home from Iraq tax states, including Oklahoma, rank ically successful schools. in their platform ranged from the ludi- by the end of 2008. Another 54% said in the bottom 20 states for overall He bemoans the fact that Picher- crous to the stupid. they would vote to cut off funding for child well being, with four in the bot- Cardin school patrons refused to close They call for repealing the federal the escalation if they were in Con- tom 10 states. the school. He said such patrons ex- income tax in favor of a more equi- gress. One in five children goes to bed emplify “a stubborn resistance to the table tax. Baloney! The income tax is With the support of House Speaker hungry in Oklahoma. long-overdue, common-sense restruc- based on ability to pay – the fairest tax Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, Rep. John Murtha, Despite the fact that we are a low turing of our public schools to assure of them all. D-PA, has a plan that would both in- tax state, The present governor, Brad more efficiency and better educations They call for better teacher pay but crease support for the overstretched Henry, and two of the last three legis- for our children.” they want to do away with tenure, U.S. military and block Bush’s Iraq latures have cut taxes more than $900 Dank replaced his term-limited wife turning the public schools into the ol’ buildup. million. in the House. She was another public plantation where Massa rules. Rightwingers – including our two Lots of lip service but the bottom education critic. Calling for the repeal of the Okla- U.S. senators – swiftly attacked line is that neglect of children is a po- The irony is that he says nothing homa Lottery and banning of casi- Murtha’s proposal, which he will in- litical way of life in Oklahoma. about his home district – Oklahoma no gambling are among the nuttier troduce next month, claiming that it City Public Schools. planks because there is no way either is a “slow-bleed” plan that hurts the He should do a little research before will happen. troops and aids the terrorists. Data Needed he shoots his mouth off. OKC schools Calling for turning the country into Are you sick of the Republican mud- last year graduated 60%, Tulsa gradu- a rightwing religious camp can be slinging? They defend two cowards After Oklahomans voted to expand ated 69%. The state average is 82.4%, found in the platform. Support for in the White House who could have legal gambling, Oklahoma began a with rural schools far outranking ei- “agendas that are pro-family and pro- served but didn’t, yet anyone who dif- lottery in the fall of 2005. Since then ther metropolitan area – 81 rural dis- mote Judeo-Christian values ... while fers is suddenly aiding terrorists. some state agencies and a problem As Americans now recognize, the gambling organization have fought to real injury to our forces comes from raise awareness to gambling addic- sending them into a brutal civil war tion and to provide counseling for at- with inadequate equipment and ex- risk gamblers. tended deployments. Based on national statistics, 1% www.okobserver.net It is the Bush Administration that to 3% of the population suffers from has chosen to ignore the situation on gambling addiction. FOUNDING PUBLISHER • Helen B. Troy [1970-2006] FOUNDING EDITOR the ground in order to push a danger- That’s 78,000 Sooners, but no spe- Frosty Troy [ISSN 0030-1795] [email protected] ous, unpopular policy – with an eye cific research has been conducted The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is published 405.525.5582 on an oil bonanza. in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Asso- the 10th and 25th of each month, except July 25th and Dec. As American Progress President ciation for Problem and Compulsive 25th, by AHB Enterprises LLC, 13912 Plymouth Xing, P.O. Box PUBLISHER and CEO John Podesta and Senior 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals postage Beverly Hamilton Gambling is pushing for the accurate paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73125. 405.478.8700 Fellow Lawrence Korb note, Murtha’s figures for Oklahoma, plus more edu- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Oklahoma actions are the “beginning of the real cation of the public on the issue. Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. EDITOR vote that is good for the country, Indian gaming is required to pay the SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-Year [22 issues] $30. Send check to Arnold Hamilton The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK [email protected] troops, and Congress.” Mental Health Department $250,000 a 73113-0275. Online: Visit www.okobserver.net to use a credit 405.478.8700 It can’t come a moment too soon. year and the Oklahoma Lottery Com- card. The civil war in Iraq is not worth mission must pay the first $500,000 UPDATE ADDRESSES: Please notify us at least two weeks ART DIRECTOR/WEBMASTER one more American life. before your move to ensure uninterrupted service. E-Mail to Kyle Williams in unclaimed prizes each year. Yet the [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 14275, 405.478.8700 $500,000 is no guarantee. Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. OUR MOTTO: To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfort- There was only $46,500 in un- LETTERS TO EDITOR: E-mail to [email protected] or able. claimed prizes last year. mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. OUR CREDO: So then to all their chance, to all their shining A Disgrace SPEAKERS BUREAU: To book Founding Editor Frosty golden opportunity. To all the right to love, to live, to work, Not only do we need accurate data Troy for your Chamber banquet, convention or other gather- to be themselves, and to become whatever thing their vision Oh, no! Not another black eye for on this vital issue, Oklahomans need ing, contact Helen Troy for rates and availability. Telephone: and humanity can combine to make them. This seeker, is the Oklahoma for the way children are to be educated to the fact that gam- 405.525.5582. E-Mail: [email protected]. U.S. Mail: P.O. Box promise of America. treated. 53371, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3371. - Adapted by Thomas Wolfe bling isn’t always fun and games. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 2 Observerscope

If you needed another reason to Laurel: To Rev. Charles Murphy, pas- oppose flaming hypocrite Sen. John tor of St. Philip Neri Church in Mid- McCain, he has just been endorsed west City, named Clergy of the Year by by Frank Keating. Takes one to know Associated Catholic Charities. one. Retired General Tommy Franks, one Laurel: To the Community Ac- of the men who persuaded Bush to tion Project of Tulsa, doing the best invade Iraq, is moving back to Kiowa, state government research. Remem- OK, apparently planning a run for of- ber when the Legislature used to do fice on the GOP ticket. that? Dart: To pathetic George W. Bush. A Former state Sen. Cal Hobson, one declaration creating a treaty banning of the finest legislators in state histo- cluster bombs has been adopted by ry, now heads Adult Executive Train- 48 nations. Bush was one of only four ing for the OU College of Continuing countries voting no. Education. Dart: To Rep. Sally Kern, R-OKC, for Laurel: To Rep. Wallace Collins, D- A covenant marriage bill is wend- her ill-fated bill to penalize legislators Norman, for a bill to require a defibril- Dart: To a pair of morons writing for ing its way through the Legislature, for the 2006 special session. Even lator in every public school. Seldom the sorry Oklahoma Council of Pub- strongly supported by Republicans. It GOP members helped kill this bill. a year passes that an athlete doesn’t lic Affairs, mocking OSU for a study requires counseling before marriage Without the special session, teachers die during practice or a game. showing the university has a $2 bil- and lifetime commitment based on a would not have gotten a $3,000 raise. lion impact on the state’s economy. signed, notarized statement. It elimi- In an obvious attempt to hamper At- Typical. nates no-fault divorce. Some members of the House are torney General Drew Edmondson’s le- still pushing more tax cuts, ignoring gal action against poultry polluters, a The Washington Monthly [March Laurel: To Oklahoma’s Indian tribes the fact that Oklahoma has 650,000 bill by Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, issue] did a two-page spread on lud- which contributed more than $6 mil- citizens with no health insurance, in- would legally declare that manure is dite Jim Inhofe. Using his own quotes lion in gaming revenues to charitable cluding 146,000 children. Sen. Tom not hazardous waste. without comment, the article made and municipal causes in 2006. Adelson, D-Tulsa, has a bill to cover Inhofe look like the ignoramus that another 42,000 children. he is. Why is the U.S. Supreme Court Dart: To the greedheads in the oil whining that they need a pay raise? Laurel: To Sister Barbara Joseph, industry pushing again for tax exempt Laurel: To Rep. Marian Cooksey, R- They deserve a pay cut, having heard honored by the Social Ministry of status for production equipment, a Edmond, for her House Bill 1021 to only 88 cases last year. Edmond’s Saint John parish, for her killer proposal for schools and local crack down on human trafficking. It work with the homeless. governments. It’s HB 1485 by Rep. still exists, from prostitution to forced Dart: To Fox “News” that could no Dennis Adkins, R-Broken Arrow. labor. longer attack the science on global For the 17th year in a row OU is first warming so they launched a personal nationally for the number of freshman Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, says The nicotine in cigarettes has in- attack on Al Gore. Fox is neither fair National Merit scholars – 140. Princ- it’s not over yet – the death of her SB creased 11% since 2000. Tobacco nor balanced. Gore was at OU March eton Review listed OU as one of the 425 to require insurance companies companies have also tweaked ciga- 1, drawing the biggest audience ever top 10 universities in academic excel- to cover mental health as well as gen- rettes to require many more puffs. for a speaker. lence. eral health. [Center for Disease Control] Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor should fo- Dart: To the Senate Rules Commit- Laurel: To the Senate Appropria- Dart: To Fox News’ Brit Hume, call- cus on terrible streets before spend- tee for killing the bill that prohibited tions Subcommittee for killing Sen. ing Rep. John Murtha, a highly deco- ing millions on a river project. Har- out-of-state circulators of initiative James Williamson’s bill calling for rated combat veteran, senile. Hume vard is a disgrace. petitions. How many scandals will it vouchers. He called them “scholar- dodged service in Vietnam by hiding take? ships” – a rose by any other name. out in college – just like Dick Cheney Laurel: To the Department of Correc-

and Tom Cole. tions for opening a handicapped ac- Betcha didn’t know that of the 12 cessible prison serving 262 inmates. million undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma Democratic Party Vice- The Muskogee Phoenix broke the It was made possible by federal funds, America, 1.5 million are Asians. How Chair Ben Odom has competition in story that Gore’s Sequoyah Fuels not our tax-cutting Legislature. come illegals other than Mexicans are the race to replace Chair Lisa Pryor. was forced to suspend shipments of never mentioned? He is Dr. Ivan Holmes who managed depleted uranium. Nevada authori- Shame on Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R- Lloyd Fields’ successful race for La- ties found low-level radioactive waste Moore, for saying 74% of those polled Laurel: To OETA station manager bor commissioner. leaking from steel shipping contain- favor the ban on pit bulls. Only 12% of Bill Thrash for 50 great years in Okla- ers. those in the poll want them banned. homa broadcasting, a key player in Lawyers will again head both the turning OETA into the best TV pro- House and Senate in the Legislature. gramming in the state. Harrah’s House Speaker Lance Cargill will be joined by a new Senate leader, Charles Laster of Shawnee. Latest poll figures are in. Among Oklahoma Democrats, Sen. Hillary Laurel: To Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, Clinton is favored by 40%, with Ed- D-Ardmore, killing five of the six bills wards and Obama 16% and 15%, re- designed to put roadblocks in the way spectively. The GOP voters support of safe, legal abortions. Giuliani by 37% with Huckabee a Yes, I want a one-year subscription [22 issues] for $30.00. distant second at 14%. [American Re- Teen pregnancies cost taxpayers search Group] $9.1 billion last year despite the fact Name: that girls having sex at 17 or younger Dart: To Rep. George Faught, R- dropped from 62 births per 100,000 to Muskogee, for his bill to make English 22. [USA Today] Address: the official state language, branding Oklahoma with a badge of intoler- Dart: To two-thirds of the candidates ance. Tribal leaders are furious about for public office last year who failed City: State: Zip: the proposal. to fully comply with state ethics rules regarding disclosure of contributors’ Please make checks payable to: “The Oklahoma Observer” Somebody who can talk slow enough occupations and employers. Clip and mail to: The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK should tell Brian Hobbs of the Okla- 73113-0275. If you prefer to pay using a credit card, visit us on-line at www. homa Council of Public affairs that Oklahoma ranks fourth nationally okobserver.net. Oklahoma ranks 47th in combined lo- in the rate of free and reduced-price cal, state and federal taxes. breakfasts – 183,000 students. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 3 Letters

Editor, The Observer: our coasts better by keeping our Navy Open letter to Sen. Mike Johnson: nearer our shores. Senator, you lied to me. Fifteen men All of the above, I am sure, would and women from Oklahoma City were cost less than sending our forces in a recent Appropriations Committee overseas to fight a war that we never meeting, Oklahoma State Senate. should have started in the first place. We went to the Capitol to oppose SB If you really want the U.S. to be 714, being heard for the first time. At philanthropic [as we should] or even the proper time, I stood and raised my better Christians, bringing the troops hand to speak on behalf of those of home would show the world who we us who cared enough to attend this really are. public meeting. We are not killers or bullies. There pro-family and promote Judeo-Chris- damn, dim closet. But you, as acting chair, refused are numerous countries in the world tian values.” Translation: Provide leg- Ever feel the nauseating palpitating to recognize me and explained later that suffer from lack of food, poor islation that strips gays of any legal pounding of the ticker when signing that I could not participate in my gov- sanitary conditions – in many cases rights, including protection from hate the registered epistle from the Infer- ernment because of “the rules.” Not a total lack of hope. We could help crimes, and also to end sex education nal people? If so, crank the jalopy, true! them. and family planning in Oklahoma. head over, down, or out to Okie town, The Senate rules say: “No person I seem to remember the Bible sug- • “Support for the teaching of cre- or Tulsey town to meet with an agent. shall address the committee unless gests [actually mandates] us to help ationism and the posting of the Ten They’re genuinely courteous people first recognized by the chair for that and love our neighbor. I also remem- Commandments ... in all the public doin’ their job. Conduct a rescue-and- purpose.” ber the old saying, “You can catch schools.” Translation: Turn schools search operation for receipts, little During my 10 years as a member of more flies with honey than with vin- into Christian churches and eliminate and large, of the previous 50 years. the Oklahoma House of Representa- egar.” This type of reasoning may help the need for any of our children to as- Appeal to a higher power of choice – tives, I never saw such a dictatorial cause many of our so-called enemies sociate with anyone who might be dif- better, get a good accountant [Bob Ne- practice executed in any committee. to become our friends and allies. ferent, including Muslims, Agnostics, whart was one; he wisely switched to Wanda Jo [Peltier] Stapleton I do not think the above thoughts or Hindus, children of same sex parents, comedy, a 180 turn] give gifts of grati- Oklahoma City actions could be called “cutting and [and maybe they really mean Jews as tude [the CPA knows they’re bribes]. running.” well]. Then appeal, kneeling, each week, Editor, The Observer: Glenn A. Folmsbee • At the same time eliminating the to another higher power. Think not Forward this message to Edward Norman separation of church and state found of suicide – this, too, shall pass. Insa- Vineyard of Enid. I thought his arti- in the U.S. Constitution, “opposition tiable Uncle Sam needs the money to cle in the latest issue was very good Editor, The Observer: to any law that would inhibit freedom continue fighting the world! EXCEPT Edward was forgetting that What an interesting platform the lo- of speech in relation to school mas- Cecil Acuff Oklahoma has 50 state parks, 99 state cal GOP has come up with this time. cot names.” Translation: Ignore the Perkins trails, 135 lakes that cover 100 acres Interesting in the sense of what is not feelings, rights, dignity and heritage or more. Apparently no one but you included – there are no planks for the of anyone so long as they are in a mi- Editor, The Observer: and I seem to be aware of the good, public good or welfare. nority. Everyone who is fortunate enough true Oklahoma. Those planks that might have ad- I hope this exercise in plain speech to not live in Oklahoma City should They are too busy trying to “mimic” dressed needs for bridges and streets, will help all of us understand what holler AMEN! If those “elected” OKC or out-do Texas, Arkansas, and even law enforcement, and education – stuff GOP values really look like. officials are indicative of the quality Colorado! that common folk might need are no- Colin Smith of that city government, it is very un- This year of celebration we should where to be seen. Sand Springs derstandable why they cannot grasp push and repair the natural advantag- In an attempt to shed light on an the implications of how to transport es we have. I do wish Oklahoma would artful exercise in obfuscation, let me Editor, The Observer: citizens in the future. quit trying to out-do by mimicking attempt to paraphrase some of the Put yourself in an Iraqi’s shoes. What do they think will happen other states. I have lived in Missouri Tulsa County Republican planks in You invade their country, occupy when gasoline is at the price of dia- and Texas and I still love Oklahoma plain language. it for four years, and continue to de- monds, gold and/or not even pro- best. • “Limitation of teacher tenure and stroy it. And they want to kill you? duced anymore? Have they the brain Alice F. Gambill support for open student transfer.” They want you out of their country; cells necessary to envision anything Stillwater Translation: We want to fire all the ex- they want you out of their lands. Pe- but semi-trucks on concrete ribbons perienced teachers before they reach riod. Leave. of un-maintained highways? Editor, The Observer: retirement and replace them with new This line that we fight them over Or is it possible they can’t think I am very much against the war in hires at a lower salary, and generally there or fight them over here is a con past their bank accounts? Why do Iraq, but I also very much wish to sup- end support for public schools and line. I will say that the longer we stay voters seem to mark their ballots for port our troops. teacher retirement funds. there, the more likely it is to happen. the small-minded candidates? What better way to support them • “Support of reasonable environ- Why were we “messed with?” Can’t they read their resumes in- than to bring them all home now. In- mental regulations including those Because “we messed” with the gov- stead of listening to their lies? If the cidentally, this would be a better way to protect Oklahoma’s watershed.” ernments and economies of probably citizens of OKC would cancel their to protect Americans from terrorists, Translation: Stop the attorney gen- one-fourth of the nations on the plan- subscriptions to the local daily paper, if need be. eral from suing the chicken proces- et. Dedicated to Molly. it might help them see the truer pic- We could build a strong air defense sors that are destroying our lakes and Jim Stodola ture of their city! system against any type of missile streams, who hire the lobbyists, that Corinth, TX Darla Sparks sent our way. We could defend our wine and dine the Republican legisla- Yukon borders better if we had our troops tors, and give them cash. Editor, The Observer: home in the U.S. We could protect • “Support for agendas that are March 8, 1913 – a date to remember Editor, The Observer: (?), birth of the Infernal Internal Rev- My name is Dean Smith and I live enue Service. Wanna forget about it? in Paris, France. My wife and I were Frosty Troy’s Forget about it! given a copy of your January 25th edi- Gentle readers become frenetic, fu- tion of the Observer. We enjoyed it im- rious, and un-un-un-gentle in March. mensely. Heroes, Outlaws & By April Fool’s day, they concede We certainly wish there were hun- – done already been made to feel fool- dreds more newspapers like yours in ish by the Infernal people. the U.S. Funny fellows The rich-and-richer are on the I suppose those papers wouldn’t be Want a pungent, humorous speech wheel of fortune to the Fortune 500. as insightful as yours without people The poor-and-poorer are on the gerbil like you heading them up. from one of America’s best speakers? exercise wheel going nowhere fairly I’d enjoy meeting you in person fast. some day but I doubt it will happen. I Frosty covers 50 years of Oklahoma’s The posh people have CPAs to ad- just wanted to let you know how happy vise of the abundant tax shelters here we are knowing there are still people crazy political scene. and abroad. The penurious people are like you watching out for America. Call Helen Troy 405.525.5582 for modest rates audited and penalized for the one lap- Dean and Donna Smith But Hurry! Frosty’s calendar fills fast top, old table, and folding chair in the Paris, France THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 4 Frosty’s Notebook Al Gore It came as no surprise that the ignorant Daily Disappointment editorial page would trash Al Gore on global warming. Apparently 7,000 who gathered at OU to hear him take the issue seriously. Where are the editorials educating the public to probably the worst disaster this world has ever faced? If they won’t believe Gore, how about NASA scientists who reported last October that the hole in the ozone is the biggest ever, stretch- ing over nearly 11 million square miles? In Antarctica, local ozone depletion at some altitudes frequently exceeded 90%, and often reached up to 99% during the Antarctic winter in the period after 1980 compared to earlier decades, the researchers said. In the Arctic, the losses occasionally peaked at 70%, and some losses of 50% were seen in the mid-1990s, when temperatures were particularly low, but the scale and scope of the problem was much less than what was seen in the North- ern Hempisphere. The U.S. government scientists who conducted the study said that there was an almost complete absence of ozone in certain atmospheric air samples taken after 1980 compared to earlier decades. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was based on more than 40 years of ozone readings from polar observation sta- tions and balloon-borne measuring mechanisms. Gore has been an unrivaled herald on global warming – something that even I keep hearing that Christy Gaylord Everest has improved the paper but I fail President Bush has come to embrace. So does OU President David Boren, who to see any progress from the Neanderthal editorial writers. They are anchored introduced Gore. somewhere to the right of the John Birch Society. Gore’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize has brought outcries from the If you haven’t seen Gore’s prize-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, usual suspects – right-wing radio and TV talk show hosts, religious nuts, and the check it out and judge the facts for yourself. Meanwhile, we await the glowing ed- kind of people who read and believe the Daily Disappointment editorials. itorial supporting the nomination of Rush Limbaugh for the Nobel Peace Prize. Making College Affordable Guess which high school graduate is more likely to go to college: the ill-pre- becoming more diverse. pared student who is financially well-off or a high-achieving student from a low- At the heart of the problem are growing inequities in how financial aid is ap- income family? portioned. There are fewer state resources, and the stagnant federal policy on According to a new study, they have pretty much the same chance – and that student aid has not kept pace with soaring tuition. ought to be an embarrassment to the American educational system. The universities also bear responsibility for decisions that divert money from The sad story of the obstacles low-income and minority students face in en- low-income students who can attend college only if they receive financial assis- rolling and graduating from college has been documented in two recent reports stance. by the Education Trust. In a bid to enhance their prestige by becoming more selective, public universi- The Oklahoma Legislature is considering raising the $50,000 family cap on ties are using financial aid to compete for high-income students who are able to free tuition to $75,000. go to college without assistance. At the same time, OU tuition has increased 90% in recent yars, with OSU up Consider that the average institutional grant aid to students from families 74%. earning more than $100,000 a year was higher – at $3,823 – than the $3,691 Giving the lie to a perception that there has been progress in widening educa- awarded to students with family incomes of less than $20,000. tional opportunities, the Education Trust, an independent research and advoca- It also is likely that the larger issue of how to make college more affordable for cy organization, shows greater disparities between the haves and the have-nots more people will be on the national agenda in the Democratic-controlled Con- than there were 30 years ago. gress. It rightly takes aim at federal, state and college policies and practices. Par- Among priorities unveiled by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-MA, are proposals to ticularly troubling is the group’s finding that the nation’s flagship universities, increase federal Pell Grants and to close loopholes in student loan programs that generally the oldest and most prestigious public campuses, are becoming less end up enriching lenders at student expense. accessible to low-income and minority students. An estimated 400,000 students each year aren’t able to attend a four-year col- Or, in the words of Education Trust Director Kati Haycock, America’s top pub- lege because of financial considerations. lic schools are getting “whiter and richer” as high school graduating classes are That’s a waste that should not be tolerated. Conflict? Bless The Baptists A member of the Legislature who has a personal or private interest in any I went to McAlester to see my brother Bernard on Feb. 18. It was my first trip measure or bill, proposed or pending in the Legislature, shall disclose the fact since the ice storm hit my hometown. I was startled to see that the clean-up was to the House of which he is a member, and shall not vote thereon. – Section 12, barely underway. Article V, Oklahoma Constitution Piles of limbs and splintered trees were everywhere. The city was trying to cope Senate Bill 824, pushed by the Oklahoma Medical Association, and designed to but the job was obviously overwhelming. So much for FEMA. overcome a Supreme Court ruling that nullified some of Oklahoma’s tort reform Luckily, my niece Cynthia had a working floor furnace so they endured for six law as unconstitutional won approval of a Senate committee. days as hermits without electricity. The storm upset my brother, who was recov- The author? Sen. Susan Paddock, D-Ada, who is married to a physician. If that ering from a stroke. isn’t a direct conflict of interest, what is? On the sixth day the most wonderful thing happened. A knock on the door. A The measure approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee would require peo- man asking if they wanted the broken limbs cleaned up. How much money did ple suing any professional such as a doctor, lawyer or accountant to get an ex- he and his crew want? pert in that field within 60 days of the filing of the lawsuit to certify that the “Nothing,” he replied. “We’re Baptists from Mississippi. This is what we do.” lawsuit has merit or it will be dismissed. And do it they did. They worked for hours on Bernard’s big trees, placing the The legislation resulted from a December state Supreme Court decision that residue in neat piles on the curb. ruled unconstitutional a provision of a 2003 tort reform law that required a per- These are nameless American heroes who will never get their pictures on page son suing a medical professional to get an expert in the field to say in an affidavit one. They are real Christians, going quietly along, living the word, not just mum- that the lawsuit had merit. bling it. The Court said, in effect, that the provision was asinine since it would be try- ing the case before one individual before the case ever went to court. Lawsuits were reduced by 40% during the period when the law was in force, ac- cording to Dr. Carl Hook, president of Physicians Liability Insurance Co., which writes 70% of medical malpractice insurance for doctors. Of course, there are fewer lawsuits – the law virtually locks the courthouse door for all but the affluent. If it passes and is signed by the governor, expect a challenge. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 5 GOP’s Prescription Starve Schools, Feed The Tax Cut Fever By Arnold Hamilton It didn’t take House Republican leaders long to reveal what’s really atop their 2007 legislative agenda. They fast-tracked a $60 million cut in state income taxes at the same time Oklahoma school superintendents begged them to keep their promises to fully- fund last year’s state-mandated $3,000 teacher pay raise and related costs. With a $58 million hole in common education funding, local school leaders say they may have no choice but to cut faculty positions and programs and increase class sizes. Further, the delay in promised funding creates a nightmare scenario as dis- tricts scramble to develop their 2007-08 budgets. “At this point it looks like a total disaster,” said Glen Elliott, superintendent at Burlington. sanship? Said Clinton Superintendent Perry Adams: “If you want to buy a pencil, you’ve Consider this: Not a single GOP state representative dared show up at a recent got to come and see me and I’ll reach into my pocket and probably go down to Capitol news conference in support of school superintendents who were begging Kmart or Wal-Mart and get one.” – literally – for state lawmakers to keep their promises to provide the long-over- THE NEED IS REAL, IMMEDIATE due funding. School superintendents aren’t crying wolf. In recent years, common education REPUBLICANS M.I.A. SINCE LAST YEAR funding has dropped from 39% of the state budget to 35%, despite newly gener- The absence was hardly surprising. Republicans did not participate in an in- ated lottery funds and pay hikes aimed at eventually lifting state teachers to the terim study that generated Rep. Jerry McPeak’s Honesty in Funding Education regional average. Act [HB 935], either. Moreover, public school operating funds slashed during lean economic times It would have provided the $58 million that schools need, but McPeak said [2002-03] were never restored when oil and gas revenues began gushing into House GOP leaders told him the bill would not be heard. state coffers, creating record surpluses. Schools have been forced to dip into al- “This bill was worked on all summer by school administrators from across ready lean operating budgets to cover last year’s under-funded state mandates. Oklahoma and representing a variety of school districts,” said McPeak, D-War- “I look at this as money that’s owed us – it’s a bill,” said Adams, noting his dis- ner. “It was non-partisan. trict needs $900,000 to pay for the state mandates. “This is money that’s needed “No one knew what political party anyone belonged to and it makes no differ- now. It’s not needed next year. It’s overdue. It was owed last year.” ence. Now that session has started, folks inside the Capitol are making it politi- As he tightens the noose around state government spending, Rep. Randy Ter- cal. rill, R-Moore, likes to point out his tax cuts are from surplus revenue – not from “This is not honest or open government. You either keep your word or you slashing current programs. don’t.” HOW ABOUT PAYING BILLS FIRST? House Education Committee Chairman Tad Jones, R-Claremore, questions the This is a classic state Capitol shell game. Terrill’s $60 million tax cut is almost need for $58 million. When the under-funding was discovered last year, he said, exactly what’s owed Oklahoma’s public schools for an un-funded mandate, for education officials indicated only $21 million was needed to pay the over-looked existing programs. expenses. What happened to the Republican ideal of pay-as-you-go? Are they now em- During the interim study, McPeak said he demanded a bottom-line, no-fluff- bracing pay-who-you-want? included figure from school superintendents. Their painstaking review put the House Republicans are ambivalent about public education. It is true that some figure at $58 million. genuinely work to improve public schools. Others, though, hope to torpedo the “It’s a crime,” said Rep. Ray McCarter, D-Marlow, who previously served 18 system, ushering in a theocratic world of church and home schools. Some even years as a school superintendent. “This is a leadership deal. If we can get it to delight in annoying an educational establishment they view as an evil cabal of the floor … it’ll pass almost unanimously even with the leadership voting for it. intellectual elites, union sympathizers and Democratic loyalists. But it’s not going to get to the floor unless the leadership decides that it goes Still not convinced public education is a casualty of simmering House parti- there. That’s where the holdup is.” Religious Right’s Marriage Meddling By William R. Chace House Bill 1026, by Rep. John Wright, R-Broken Arrow, is a farce to say the • It is apparent that Rep. Sally Kern, R-OKC, did a scientific study visiting with least, and specifically it is a Fundamentalist Gift of Gab. “a lot of women who have the idea if a marriage does not work they can get a di- Neither the federal nor state government has the right to legislate on the sub- vorce.” Rep. Kern, where are your checks and balances in this scientific study? ject of covenant when speaking of religious covenant – the Judeo-Christian cov- I, for one, will not participate in this religious right that has gone terribly wrong enant. – and offers such a sad bill regarding what constitutes a marriage, which is the The excellent book, The Liberating Bond, by Wolfgang Roth and Rosemary constitutional right and ecclesiastical right only of ordained clergy and judges Radford Ruether, reflects the following: and legally-appointed authorities. “The covenant is one of the great illuminating paradigms of existence that RELIGIOUS RIGHT DOESN’T HAVE ANSWERS comes from scriptural revelation. It illuminates life with God and each other. It is The Religious Right has been in existence for a long while and yet, I remind valid for whoever adopts it and seeks to live truthfully out of its mandate.” you, if you have the answers to the variables in our society reference to marriage, God is a covenant-making and -keeping God, and we make and break God’s why haven’t you solved this problem of divorce? covenant. However, God never breaks covenant with His people, children. Solve the problem of paradigm shifts, and perhaps you will solve the problem COVENANT MARRIAGE ISN’T STATE’S BUSINESS of divorce. Citing the book, The Liberating Bond: The bottom line, the state of Oklahoma has no legal nor religious authority to “If marriage is to be a just or fair covenant, it must be a covenant of mutuality begin mandating things such as covenant marriage. I understand the word “op- – not advantage on one side and disadvantage on the other; not submission on tion.” However, it is subterfuge. one side and dominance on the other.” • Is John Wright a trained theologian and therapist? He can obviously distin- The biblical covenant is stated! Oklahoma legislators cannot change this bibli- guish “fickleness of a feeling” and obviously knows that marriage is based on cal mandate. You may put something on paper, but you will not solve the prob- decision. lem. • This whole process is a farce. There aren’t many trained clergy who are thera- How many state legislators have been divorced? Do a percentage and you will pists. see the larger complexities and the difficulty in dealing with paradigm shifts in • It’s a paper chase. society. • Who designed and wrote the pamphlet called “Guide for Covenant Marriag- Will this marvelous House Bill 1026 be retro-active and applicable to all House es?” and Senate members who have been divorced? I don’t know whether I am en- • The statement: “A divorce will be granted ... only ...?” This is an excellent raged or outraged regarding your explicit audacity. Perhaps both! recipe for escalating violence in those households. – The author, who lives in Medford, is in his 42nd year of United Methodist • So the state of Oklahoma has the legal right “to deny divorces?” ministry. He holds degrees from Oklahoma State University; the Perkins School • Litigation is a very real possibility. A class-action lawsuit, I presume? of Theology at SMU in Dallas, and Phillips Graduate Seminary in Enid. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 6 Speaker Champions Arts In Education Legislation to boost arts education programs in Oklahoma schools by creating public-private partnerships is wending its way through the Legislature, thanks to House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah. “As we focus on economic development, it’s absolutely crucial to create the right conditions for a thriving quality of life in Oklahoma to attract and retain the best and the brightest,” he said. “I want every Oklahoma child to have a world- class education, not just the privileged few. “Exposure to visual arts, especially during our children’s youngest school years, is crucial to intellectual development. It can even help students with other subject areas like math. If we’re going to foster a talented and capable workforce, creating more arts programs is one piece of the puzzle.” The House Arts and Culture Subcommittee passed both HB 2102 and HB 2104 with overwhelming bipartisan support. THEY ARE PART OF A SLATE grams have just dropped out in many schools. The two measures are part of a slate of measures introduced by Speaker Cargill “Those children who don’t have access to visual arts programs are not given to boost Oklahoma’s economy by continuing to make the state a more livable the opportunity to grow academically. When you have hands-on experience in and attractive location. the arts, there’s a host of critical thinking skills, teamwork skills, discipline and HB 2102 seeks to help Oklahoma schools establish arts programs, and provide follow-through that a child develops.” public-private dollars to train 100 new art teachers across Oklahoma. HB 2104 “We have to tackle these concerns on both fronts, by encouraging teachers in would give free museum admission to minors statewide in an effort to provide all the arts and by encouraging schools to develop programs,” said Cargill. Oklahoma children access to the state’s cultural offerings. HB 2102 would match state dollars for every private dollar raised to provide Cargill said the Oklahoma Arts Council [OAC] has identified a lack of certified scholarships to teachers who choose to become certified arts specialists [with a arts specialists and a lack of visual arts programs in schools as two of the big- requirement to teach in Oklahoma public schools]. gest hurdles to fostering quality arts programs across the state. The measure would also develop a partner program to provide incentives for OAC executive director Betty Price has indicated that many areas of the state, schools that currently lack a visuals arts curriculum. particularly in northwestern and southeastern rural areas, lack school arts pro- “By creating a public-private partnership in this area we can better prepare our grams. children for the 21st Century marketplace, where they will be competing not just PREPARING CHILDREN FOR FUTURE SUCCESS with other Oklahomans but with entrepreneurs from around the world,” Cargill “This prepares children for future success,” said Price. “Art and music pro- said. Teachers’ Pension System Addressed Will this be the legislative session that finally addresses the deplorable condi- “In West Virginia, they finally got to the point of no return. They didn’t want to tion of the state Teachers’ Retirement System? Two bills aimed at shoring up the cut the budget, and they didn’t want to raise taxes, so they ended up borrowing system are now in the works. $4 billion. Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, is the author of the measures, each of which would “As a sad result, 10% of their general budget every year goes just to making substantially reduce the 49% un-funded liability rate in the system within the their interest payments. Those are about $700 million a year. Fortunately, if we next two decades. Combined, the bills would accomplish that feat in about half take action now, we still have time to avoid those scenarios.” the time. The system is the third worst pension system in the nation. It is funded at 40%, with $7 billion in liabilities. SB 1092 was approved by the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee. ODOT’s Crosstown Estimate Mazzei explained the measure would increase the monies that the state, in com- bination with the school systems, puts into TRS. Is Way Off The Mark IF THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE The increased employer contribution would be contingent upon available state Oklahoma City’s Crosstown Expressway – sold by the Oklahoma Department dollars to cover that cost. Currently, the rate is 8% for common education em- of Transportation [ODOT] as costing $236 million, all from the federal govern- ployers, as well as two-year colleges and state agencies in the system. ment – will actually cost in excess of half a billion dollars, says North American Four-year universities and colleges currently contribute 7.05%. Transportation Institute Executive Director Tom Elmore. “Under SB 1092, the rate will be increased to 8.7%. That will infuse the re- State taxpayers would likely get stuck with a fair portion of the bill. tirement system with $36 million a year, which will grow as teacher salaries “ODOT’s most recent number, $557 million, is probably still low,” Elmore said. increase,” Mazzei said. “There is absolutely no reason to believe the experts at ODOT didn’t understand “This adjustment could get the teacher retirement system on the path to being what the real cost would be from the outset; we certainly did – but our concerns around 80% funded in 20 to 25 years.” were dismissed by ODOT officials as ‘alarmist.’ The second measure, SB 1119, was approved by the Senate Finance Commit- “As it works out, we and our associates were the only ones telling taxpayers tee. That measure would raise the dedicated stream of revenue from income and the truth. sales tax collections to pour additional money into TRS. “This is ‘gotcha politics’ in the vein of the Capitol Dome scandal,” Elmore said. MEACHAM’S EXCELLENT IDEA “We allowed many of the same people who are really behind the ‘new Crosstown’ “SB 1119 incorporates an excellent idea from Treasurer Scott Meacham to take to get away with forcing us to pay the balance of the needless Capitol Dome proj- the dedicated level from 4.5% to 6.5% by fiscal year 2011,” Mazzei said. ect. Promises were glibly made and just as glibly broken. “That will pour an additional $27 million a year for each half a percent incre- “Once such projects are underway to the extent that they figure there’s no go- mental increase. Over time, that additional infusion will get the teacher retire- ing back, the real numbers and real funding prospects begin to be told. They’ve ment system up to an 80% to 81% funded level in about 18 years.” successfully deceived us at that point. Mazzei said if both measures were enacted, it would produce a huge stimulus “We’re on the hook, then, they think, and there’s no going back. This is govern- into the system that could help TRS reach an 80% funded rate in approximately ment by fait accompli for the benefit of the special interests at the massive and 10 to 12 years. ongoing expense of the public. “That would be incredible. Such immediate progress should probably improve “What happened with the Capitol Dome is exactly what’s happening with the our state’s bond ratings which would ultimately save even more dollars,” Mazzei new Crosstown, but the cost will be astronomically higher. The largest part of said. that cost will be the loss of the Union Station rail yard and the badly needed WILL OKLAHOMA HONOR ITS PROMISE? transportation options it embodies.” “But more than that, it will ensure that we will honor Oklahoma’s promises The highway project would irreparably cripple Oklahoma City’s Union Station to thousands of men and women who dedicated their lives to education in our whose terminal building was purchased by Metro Transit in 1989 with a federal state.” transit grant to be the region’s transit center. ODOT and even the State Historic On the other hand, if lawmakers and the governor fail to take definitive action, Preservation Office said the new Crosstown would have “no negative effect” on Mazzei said the result would be a nightmarish risk, not only for retired teachers, the station. but for the economy of the entire state. “We were right,” Elmore said. “They plainly, simply lied. We warned that the “We could find ourselves in a position of having to drastically cut areas of the highway project involved moving potentially heavy rail freight traffic off the 70- budget, or face huge tax increases which would devastate the economy and drive year-old Robinson and Walker underpasses to inherently dangerous at-grade capital out of the state,” Mazzei said. crossings further south on these arterial streets.”

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 7 Credit Card Crunch Protecting Students’ Personal Information Three cheers for measures protecting college students from credit card solici- tors and the identities of higher education financial donors. House Bill 1307, by state Rep. Ben Sherrer, D-Pryor Creek, would prevent state universities from releasing students’ personal information to commercial solici- tors without the student’s prior consent. House Bill 1384, by state Rep. Terry Ingmire, R-Stillwater, would allow state universities and colleges to keep confidential the identities of financial donors and prospective donors. Sherrer’s measure would require on all enrollment forms an option for the 92% of state university students owned at least one credit card by the end of student to consent to his or her personal information being released by the uni- their sophomore year and carried an average balance of $2,607. versity upon request. The study also found that two of the most significant factors influencing the If the student does not OK the release, his or her personal information could students’ decisions to sign up for the cards were on campus pre-approved solici- not be released by the university. tations from credit card issuers and general mail solicitations from banks and STUDENTS OWE AVERAGE OF NEARLY $3,000 other financial institutions. Studies have shown that American college students carry credit card balances THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT MONEY of nearly $3,000 and half of those students have at least four credit cards in their According to the study, most issuers did not ask the students about their ex- wallet. pected salaries upon graduation or appear concerned about the students’ ability In Oklahoma, a student’s personal information is automatically subject to the to repay their debt. state Open Records Act with no requirement to obtain the student’s consent, The study reported that approximately 30% of students who had the ability to and credit card lenders and banks are inundating students with access to easy pay off their debts still reported anxiousness that affected their ability to concen- money. trate on studies or take part in extracurricular activity. Unfortunately, part of the problem stems from college-sponsored credit cards, The same number reduced their academic load and took a job to pay off the with the schools raking in part of the fees. debt. About 57% of students with less ability to pay off the debt reported the A 2003 study by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education found that same concerns. ‘Scum Of The Earth’ Bill Wins Approval Rep. Rebecca Hamilton’s “scum of the earth” bill increasing the penalty for and antepartum hemorrhage. battering pregnant women passed out of a House subcommittee. “Domestic violence during pregnancy,” Smith said, “is a focused attack that “A society that tolerates people who beat up pregnant women has serious puts not one life, but two at risk.” problems and I’m glad my colleagues agree,” said Hamilton, D-OKC. “We must THEY ARE LIKELY TO DIE FROM ASSAULT end the plague of violence against women and this bill is an important step in She noted that the Journal of the American Medical Association recently re- that process.” ported that pregnant women and mothers of newborns are more likely to die as House Bill 1897 would make physical abuse of a pregnant woman a felony. a result of domestic violence homicide than any other causes. Under the bill, anyone convicted of beating a pregnant woman would face a mini- In addition, pregnant women are 60% percent more likely to be beaten by a mum sentence of three years in prison. partner than non-pregnant women, Smith said. Anyone attacking a pregnant woman in an attempt to cause a miscarriage Another Hamilton bill that would increase state protection of battered women would face a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and abusers convicted also awaits a vote in the House Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. multiple times would face at least 10 years in prison. House Bill 1901 would require law enforcement officials to arrest individuals WHY SHE TITLED THE BILL who violate a victim’s protective order. Under current law, the police are not re- “I call this my ‘Scum of the Earth Bill’ for obvious reasons,” Hamilton said. quired to arrest those who violate protective orders. “The number one cause of death for pregnant women is murder, usually at the Hamilton filed the bill in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring the hands of the father of the baby. Constitution does not require police to enforce victim protection orders. “Many times, this is in reprisal because the woman has refused to get an abor- Hamilton has filed both measures in past sessions, but they did not receive a tion. The batterer can be charged with murder if the woman dies, but that doesn’t vote. help either the mother or her baby very much.” “I believe my colleagues will pass these bills into law if they’re given the chance House Bill 1897 has been endorsed by the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domes- to vote on them,” she said. “Hopefully this year, with the new emphasis on bipar- tic Violence and Sexual Assault, Catholic Charities and the Oklahoma Confer- tisanship, will be the year they get that opportunity. ence of Churches. ‘’These laws are designed to stop the kind of men who beat and kill the moth- Marcia Smith, executive director of the anti-violence coalition, noted that there ers of their own unborn child – often because the mother refuses to abort the are a wide range of serious complications and injuries that occur as the result baby. of physical abuse of a mother: loss of the baby, early onset of labor, pre-term de- “Both of these measures are critical to fostering a culture of life in Oklahoma livery of a low-weight infant, fetal bone fracture, rupture of the mother’s uterus, where women and unborn children are given the protections they deserve.” Honoring Library Freedom Fighter Miss Ruth Brown was Bartlesville’s librarian for over 30 years, from 1919 to quested a field investigation – carried out by other brave Oklahoma librarians. 1950, when she was fired for allegedly being a Communist. We honor her spirit. Her actions helped change minds and laws and reshape This was during the McCarthy era when the fear of Communism caused a back- the future. Miss Ruth Brown was a righteous woman. lash of censorship and repression, and the Jim Crow segregation laws that de- An upcoming memorial celebration at the Bartlesville Public Library features nied blacks equal access were still in force. a week-long series of informative events, culminating on Sunday, March 11, 2 In reality, Miss Brown lost her job because of her determination to promote p.m., with the unveiling of a bronze bust of Miss Brown by local Native American equal rights for blacks, not only at the library but also at churches and busi- sculptor Janice Albro. nesses. The bust was made possible by the donations of more than 200 “Friends of Fearless champion of intellectual freedom in a fearful world, she was ahead of Miss Brown” who wished to bring her back to the library. her time in her quest for truth and justice. A special lobby display designed by Cindy Bray of Barking Dog Design Group As a librarian, she believed in universal access to the wisdom – and the foolish- of Dewey, OK will highlight Miss Brown’s life and work. ness – of the ages. In addition, Miss Brown’s 1948 Chevy, which is being restored by Duke Epper- As an activist for civil rights, she relentlessly challenged the racial taboos and son of Duke’s Accessories [also in Dewey] will be on hand. legal inequities of her time, stating that she “simply wanted to live as a Christian The unveiling ceremony March 11 will feature music by members of Bartles- in a democracy.” ville’s Greater First Baptist Church choir. She and her friends established the Committee on the Practice of Democracy This celebration is partially funded by a grant from the Allied Arts and Humani- in Bartlesville in 1946. This was the first CORE affiliate group – the Congress of ties Council of Bartlesville. Racial Equality – south of the Mason-Dixon Line. This memorial event is the Oklahoma Centennial Year contribution of Wom- Miss Brown is nationally recognized as the first librarian in the U.S for whom en’s Network, in collaboration with the Bartlesville Public Library, to celebrate the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association re- Women’s History Month. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 8 Fallin Criticized For Ducking Constituents By James Nimmo With the attempt by U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin to expel a peaceful group of 30 con- stituents from her office, she has shown that she, too, is infused with the psy- chological dilemma of other Bush Junta supporters – they blame others for the lack of judgment they themselves should have exercised. Fallin supports the troops in far-flung places. She demonstrated this by attend- ing a “Vets for Victory” rally earlier this month at the Oklahoma Capitol. Yet she is squeamish about attending a meeting in her own Oklahoma City of- fice with constituents who wanted to talk with her about the escalating violence and commitment of America’s resources to the Iraq Civil War. In spite of the knowledge that an appointment had been requested days in ad- vance by the Moveon.org leader, Darla Sparks, Fallin choose instead on that day to go to another county in the congressional district to open a satellite office. SHE BROOKS NO DIFFERING OPINION own circle of war supporters, yet she flinches from meeting face-to-face with real “Representing the people of Oklahoma’s 5th Distract” is at the top of Fallin’s people who have suffered directly from the stupidity of this Iraq Civil War. congressional website, yet if you have a view that differs from hers, you’re obvi- She clearly wanted to avoid the cameras and faces that would expose her fawn- ously at the bottom of her appointment book. ing observance of the Bush Junta’s surge, aka escalation. Fallin blames inexperienced staff for the “misunderstanding.” In the end, Fallin blamed overwhelmed staff for the order to evict those wanting As an eyewitness to this event, I heard Becky Chapo, property manager of to exercise their Constitutional right to petition their government for redress of the building containing Fallin’s Oklahoma City office, take it upon herself to be grievances. spokesperson for Fallin by saying “Ms. Fallin orders all of you to leave the build- PEACEFUL GROUP IS EVICTED ing.” What I saw was a nervous receptionist moved to tears, made nervous by soft- Is Ms. Chapo on the Fallin payroll? spoken people wanting to participate in democracy. For this, Fallin’s staff wanted Fallin is a member of the new Anti-Terrorism Caucus in the House. us removed from the building. Quoting from her own news release: “We face a very real and very grave threat What about the cascades of tears being shed daily by loved ones for their dead from terrorism,” Fallin said. and wounded in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries yet in the cross hairs of “I look forward to working with all the members of this important caucus, re- the Bush Junta. gardless of their party, to better understand the ideology and motivation behind Why won’t Mary Fallin consider removing that source of sorrow from the lives terror attacks.” of millions? SHE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO HER CONSTITUENTS Can it be that those people gathered in her office were the REAL representa- Fallin can fight terrorism in the halls of Congress, but not visit with her voters tives of the people of the 5th District of Oklahoma? in her own office? How better to understand a subject than listening one-on-one Is that why Ms. Fallin chose to be away from the meeting, avoiding the truth, with people who daily endure the strains and heartache of a war that was started just like her president avoids the truth? on lies. When will America dispose of these people who rule by whim instead of law? She can talk about terrorism as an objective topic, in the safe confines of her – The author lives in Oklahoma City Inhofe Wins Globie Award For Stupidity More than 20,000 of you voted in our first ever Global Warming Globie Awards In the category of Worst Performance by a Corporation or Corporate Official, and the totals are in. the winner is ... Thanks to all our online supporters for voting and making the first-ever Global ExxonMobil, earning 55% of the vote in this category, making the oil giant the Warming Globie Awards a great success. We had a lot of fun tallying the votes and second biggest vote-getter of this year’s Globie Awards. reading through your comments. We hope you had fun, too. In spite of recent softening in its corporate rhetoric against global warming So, without further ado, here are this year’s winners: action, ExxonMobil wasn’t able to obscure its decade-long and multi-million dol- In the category of Most Egregious Contribution to Public Ignorance and Denial, lar public relations campaign to undermine the scientific consensus on global the senior senator from the state of Oklahoma, Sen. James Inhofe. warming. This was a narrow four-way split, but with 38% of the vote, Sen. Inhofe bested former Bush Administration official Philip Cooney by more than 2,000 votes. By calling global warming the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on humankind, ‘Open Democracy’ Webcast Sen. Inhofe has solidified his legacy as one of the leading global warming deniers of our time. STATE AND LOCAL WINNER Offered At OKC Library In the category of Best Performance by a State or Local Official, the winner by Access to government information, including the effect of government sup- a nose is ... pression and manipulation of scientific information on public health and safety, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels for spearheading a national effort to organize will be the focus of a panel discussion webcast free for the public at the down- America’s cities to cut carbon dioxide pollution 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. town Oklahoma City library on March 13. The “U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement” has been signed by 393 mayors “Closed Doors; Open Democracies?” is scheduled for 7-8:30 p.m. in the 46th representing over 57 million Americans. Star Auditorium on the fourth floor of the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, This one was a real squeaker with Mayor Nickels edging California Gov. Arnold 300 Park Ave. Schwarzenegger out by fewer than 30 votes out of roughly 20,000 cast in that Speakers include Francesca Grifo, senior scientist and director of the Scientif- category. ic Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Rick Piltz, former Congratulations Mayor Nickels and thanks for your leadership. senior associate, U.S. Climate Change Science Program, who blew the whistle on In the category of Best Performance in the Corporate World, the clear winner the Bush administration’s manipulation of scientific reporting related to global is ... warming. US-CAP, our new partnership with 10 Fortune 500 companies and three other The program is organized by OpenTheGovernment.org and is part of national national environmental organizations, earned nearly 50% of the votes cast in this Sunshine Week activities spotlighting the public’s right to know what its govern- category. ment is doing. This new partnership launched to jointly call for immediate, effective global Freedom of Information Oklahoma Inc. and the Metropolitan Library System warming legislation in Congress represents a real game changer in our global are sponsoring the local webcast of the program, originating from the National warming campaign. With the rest of the vote split between the other three nomi- Press Club. nees, this was a clear win. “Oklahomans can hear from national experts how the suppression of scientific ‘AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH’ IN LANDSLIDE information for political purposes is endangering our health, safety and environ- In the category of Best Film, Documentary, or Website Focusing on Global ment,” said Dr. Joey Senat, FOI Oklahoma Inc. president and an Oklahoma State Warming, the winner in a landslide is ... University associate journalism professor. An Inconvenient Truth, the blockbuster global warming documentary by for- FOI Oklahoma Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization educating the public mer Vice President AI Gore. No real surprise. With 82% of the vote in this cat- and elected officials about openness in government and the rights guaranteed by egory, this was the single biggest vote-getter of this year’s Globie Awards. the First Amendment. No need for a recount here! For more information, contact Dr. Senat at 405.744.8277 or via e-mail at joey. [email protected]. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 9 New Farm Bill Is Full Of Reforms Six months ago, it was an even bet whether there would be a new farm bill in 2007. Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas predicted there would be. The big commodity farmers – movie actors, millionaires, etc. and the interest groups that represent them – were hoping that Congress would simply extend the 2002 Farm Bill, a regressive pork barrel for big agriculture. These hopes have now been disappointed. Mike Johanns, the Secretary of Ag- riculture, has unveiled his proposals for a new farm bill, which on the whole seem too good to be true. Johanns apparently doesn’t want to protect entrenched subsidies. He has a very strong desire to improve the environment. The question is whether Con- gress will listen to him or to the lobbyists. The problems with the current farm subsidy system are legion. At home, it drives small farmers out of business and compromises the environment. Abroad, rocket. it penalizes third-world farmers and jeopardizes international trade talks. The bill could also turn out to be one of the administration’s more innovative Johanns aims to change much of that, first by ending payments to farmers energy initiatives. Implicitly recognizing that corn ethanol needs no more subsi- with an adjusted gross income above $200,000. dies, it offers incentives to grow grasses that could be turned into another fuel There will also be money for small farmers and growers of specialty crops, called cellulosic ethanol. loans and grants to poor rural communities and help for young farmers who There is much to applaud in this bill. Then again, there was much to like about want to get started in an industry that has grown gray with age. the last farm bill, and we know what happened to that. NEW FARM BILL WOULD PROTECT ENVIRONMENT The Republican Congress left many of the old subsidies intact and failed to aid The bill also calls for $7.8 billion over 10 years to help protect the environment the conservation programs. – which makes it the most generous conservation program the Bush Administra- Will the new Democratic Congress have the good sense to reverse the policies tion has offered in the last six years. that have done so much damage to rural America, and in doing so offer hope to The bill would make it easier for farmers to enroll in conservation programs its small farmers? and protect conservation acreage from the urge to plow it up when prices sky- Time – and lobbying – will tell. House OKs Bad Reading Program Silly Sally Kern is at it again. The Oklahoma City Republican representative is It is becoming increasingly clear that the Bush administration has been sacri- pushing a bill to require K-3 teachers to be trained in a reading program that has ficing the education of children to financially benefit a select group of loyalists proven anything but a success. and donors. The people who have profited from Reading First include top Education De- CREW has filed suit to force the Department of Education to come clean about partment officials, as well as former Secretary Rod Paige. He allowed specialists the extent to which cronyism and corruption have permeated the Reading First to improperly encourage state and local officials to spend billions of dollars in panels, potentially depriving our nation’s highest risk children of the best pos- federal grant money with a small group of companies. sible reading materials. In educating state and local officials about the department’s Reading First Don’t any members of the Oklahoma House do their homework? The bill grant program, officials loaded expert panels with speakers who overwhelmingly passed 93-9, proving anew that political illiteracy is alive and well. preferred products from a handful of educational companies. “It sounded like a sales job,” one attendee complained in comments to the Cargill’s Plan department. “Why are certain approaches disregarded?” asked another. “We did not get the whole picture,” wrote a third. THEY IGNORED THE LAW State Government The department is barred from interfering with curriculum decisions by state and local education officials, but Paige and his cronies ignored that mandate as the Bush Administration looked the other way. Is Way Too Large The department appointed certain advisors to help state and local officials A centerpiece measure in the Oklahoma House Republican majority’s plan to make spending decisions with their grant money, despite the fact that they had ensure greater state government accountability and efficiency passed the House. financial ties to the companies whose products were under consideration by The measure now heads to the state Senate for consideration. those officials, according the Office of Inspector General in the Department of “In this centennial year for Oklahoma, we have an opportunity to take the poli- Education. tics out of the state budget process and save taxpayers more money,” said House Department officials failed to “adequately assess issues of bias and lackof Speaker Lance Cargill, author of House Bill 2100. “This measure will go a long objectivity,” the report concluded. way toward achieving that goal. Reading First is a multi-billion-dollar grant program that was supposed to “It’s time to add an independent voice to the process so we can cut down on boost reading efforts for underachieving young students. waste, duplication and inefficiency in state government. We’ll see tremendous It has been plagued with accusations of bias, improper political influence and savings from this plan over time.” fraud. The Inspector General has mounted six separate investigations into the The measure would create a comprehensive effort to crack down on govern- matter, and lawmakers have called for hearings to look into the scandal. ment waste and inefficiency by establishing an independent panel to review state The Inspector General [IG] has released another in a series of reports highly agencies every eight years, with the first set of recommendations presented to critical of the Reading First program, part of the Bush Administration’s signature the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2008. “No Child Left Behind Act.” MODELED AFTER FEDERAL PROGRAMS FAR FROM ITS ORIGINAL GOAL Modeled after similar efforts at the federal level, the Commission on the Ac- The program was originally intended to provide funds to states for reading countability and Review of State Agencies [CARSA] would examine opportunities initiatives under the theory that there were more effective ways to teach children for consolidation and streamlining of duplicative state agencies. to read. There are currently 99 agencies and departments in Oklahoma’s state govern- The department set up Reading First panels, which made recommendations to ment. the secretary regarding how the money should be disbursed to states seeking “We know that efforts to consolidate agencies are highly political in nature,” the funds. To date, the department has disbursed billions of dollars under the said Cargill. “What we’ve seen at the federal level is an effort to de-politicize program. these decisions and base them on sound economics and wise fiscal policy. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington [CREW] is in litigation “Over the past few decades, the size of Oklahoma’s government has grown dra- against the department over its unlawful implementation of the Reading First matically. This is an additional tool that lawmakers can use to streamline state program. government. It will help to eliminate the political cherry-picking that protects Last September, the Inspector General issued a report about Reading First de- waste and inefficiency in state government.” scribed as “searing” by the New York Times. The recommendations of the commission would require an up or down vote by The IG found that the training programs set up by the department to educate the state Legislature, and lawmakers would not be allowed to amend the panel’s states about the Reading First program violated the prohibition against control- proposals. ling individual school curricula by promoting specific reading materials and in- In addition to HB 2100, Cargill has also authored House Bill 2111 to eliminate structions to the financial benefit of companies such as McGraw Hill and Voyager nearly 20 state boards and task forces that have been inactive for years or dupli- – headed by top Bush Administration donors. cate other state entities. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 10 PUBLIC FORUM Time To Be Smart On Crime, Not Just Tough By Pat Galloway “Life is a stage and we’re all players on it.” There’s far more truth here than most realize and is especially true in the ju- dicial system. Our modern courtrooms are filled with “les miserables” and “les actors.” The only person sworn to tell the truth is the accused. These producers, directors and actors take the sworn statements of the ac- cused, weave their version of the crime around those facts and come up with a Hollywood scenario that in many cases is simply not the truth. This goes on and on in courtrooms throughout this country daily. The saddest part of this occurrence is that many of the accused are the mental- ly challenged. The prison population is exploding today with those unfortunates Until we rid ourselves of the “Lock em up and Throw Away the Key” mentality who suffer from mild to severe mental illness, and the many poor who cannot that was introduced to Oklahoma by Gov. Keating, and still remains the prevalent afford legal representation. issue with many district attorneys, prosecutors, and judges today, our prisons At one time, we had hospitals where those diagnosed with mental problems will remain over-crowded and in great need. could be admitted for medication, observation and treatment. While Frank Keat- LOGIC GIVES WAY TO POLITICS ing was governor of Oklahoma, many of our facilities for the mentally challenged Too many people are involved in making life decisions that affect entire fami- were closed and often these unfortunate people ended up on our streets. lies and communities based on political motivation and not on any kind of logi- STATE TRADING TREATMENT FOR PUNISHMENT cal human reasoning. In too many instances today we are seeing sick people going to prison instead For the first time in many years, we have a director overseeing the Department of diverting them into effective management and healing programs. of Corrections who has the heart and qualifications to make a positive difference It is an established fact that Oklahoma locks up more women than any other in our prison system. place in the world. It is also documented that more than 70% of those women are Justin Jones is qualified and experienced in every phase of corrections and mentally challenged. prison administration, having served in almost every capacity. He has extensive At the present time we have more than 25,000 men and women incarcerated in know-how in dealing with incarceration and the many facets of that industry. our state. County jails are bulging with inmates awaiting transfer to Lexington to Since he took over as director a year ago, he has made constructive changes be assessed before entering our prison system. Sadly, many are re-entering for to best utilize the budget and eliminate as much expense as possible without the second, third and fourth times. compromising safety of inmates and staff. If those repeat offenders were accurately evaluated, we would discover alcohol CURRENT SYSTEM WASTES TAX DOLLARS and substance abuse and the mentally disturbed in the revolving prison door in While we are seeking ways to cut prison costs, we must start looking at more Oklahoma. effective means of handling this growing problem. Locking up non-violent, sick Other states facing these same challenges have pulled their heads out of the people for the rest of their lives is not a wise way to spend our limited state sand and are coming to grips with the real problems of chronic addiction and funds. the varying forms of mental illness. They are beginning to share some positive Other states have started Restorative Justice programming in the areas of drug reports. and alcohol treatment. Since utilizing educational, therapeutic community, AA, TIME FOR EFFECTIVE, HUMANE ALTERNATIVES faith-based, vocational, and re-entry programs, many are reporting positive re- We owe it to our future generations to find practical ways of dealing with these sults, and less recidivism using these alternative measures. issues that are more effective and humane than just simply locking people up for We have non-violent offenders spending too many years in prison at taxpayer’s more and more years to keep them off the streets and out of our communities. expense because of mistakes made while under the influence of drugs or alco- Because of the horrific over-crowding that is plaguing our prison system and hol. Then we have the mentally challenged who are not diagnosed, attempting to the yearly begging for more funds to run this department, there has been rheto- medicate themselves with any substance they can find. ric coming out of the new Legislature about doing a total shake-up in our state There are far more effective and less costly solutions to this over-crowded Department of Corrections. prison dilemma than building more prisons to lock up more and more of our I personally think that would be a great idea. The problem with this concept sick and poor. is that even though there are issues in D.O.C. that need to be addressed, many Write, visit and call your senators and representatives and encourage them of the critical and most pressing problems occurred before the department ever to get off the old “tougher on crime” and start introducing “smarter on crime” received these inmates. solutions. Our sentencing system is badly flawed and the big “shake-up” should also It will take courage and conviction to change old political habits, but it can be include judges, district attorneys, lawyers and all those lobbyists and agencies done. with political and financial ties to our prison system. – The author lives in Oklahoma City Tulsa Garden Needs $15 Million From State Supporters of the Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden in Tulsa’s Osage Oklahoma City’s museums and attractions as well as explore other parts of the Hills are asking state lawmakers for $15 million to develop what experts regard state. as one of the nation’s finest botanical garden sites. PUBLIC, PRIVATE FUNDS ALREADY COMMITTED “We believe it is time for lawmakers, who have generously appropriated money The Oklahoma Centennial Commission gave the garden $1.2 million last year, to boost the economy in Oklahoma City, to focus on Tulsa,” said Pat Woodrum, and Tulsans have already made major contributions. In 2005 they approved a executive director of the garden, located seven miles northwest of downtown bond issue that, with matching money, will provide $44.7 million for sewer and Tulsa. water service to the site, improved streets and extension of the Gilcrease Ex- “The perfect opportunity is to invest in the botanical garden, a permanent, pressway, which eventually will pass near the garden’s entrance. always changing treasure that will educate, entertain, and produce multiple re- Fundraising is underway and land has been donated. turns for the entire state far into the future.” In addition to a boost in the economy and tourism, the state will benefit from PICTURESQUE, 215-ACRE SITE education and research. Educational opportunities will begin with pre-schoolers The setting for the garden is 215 acres of rolling prairie and woodlands. Sixty and extend to mature adults. acres will be transformed into a world-class botanical garden with 15 major gar- The garden has five educational partners: Oklahoma State University, Tulsa dens and more than 60 smaller ones. Community College, Tulsa Technology Center, University of Oklahoma and Uni- The crown jewel will be a 17-acre lake and two islands of oriental gardens. versity of Tulsa. Planning has begun for on-site college credit courses. The remaining 165 acres will be left in a natural state to preserve the Cross ‘A LIVING LABORATORY’ Timbers, an ancient forest unlike any in the world. The garden will be a living laboratory where researchers can delve into the Architects with Marshall Tyler Rausch, one of the most prestigious botanical mysteries of the Cross Timbers forest and prairie, develop new plant varieties garden designers in the nation and creator of the garden’s Master Plan, say the and uncover new uses for plants in medicine and industry. site is one of the best they have seen for a botanical garden. Research is already underway. Last year, university botanists began collecting, With construction, new jobs and an expected 400,000 visitors a year, the gar- identifying and cataloging the land’s 400-plus trees, shrubs, grasses, vines and den will put millions of dollars into the economy. It will be a destination point for wildflowers. people from all over the world, and many who visit the garden may not otherwise The botanists also are charting walking trails, and the first segment will be come to Tulsa. While visiting, they will have the opportunity to see Tulsa’s and dedicated at a centennial celebration Sept. 8 and 9. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 11 BOOKS “The unchecked Water: A Catalyst depletion of this finite natural For World War III? resource will have By Mike Nobles near catastrophic Water, or more precisely the lack thereof, is increasingly gaining the attention results.” of the world’s political leaders, policy planners, scholars and press. Indeed, many experts believe the situation is so acute it has moved from one of concern to that of crisis and that such scarcity will be the catalyst for World War III. In fact, the Bolivian government’s efforts to privatize the water system in that country’s third largest city resulted in riots, deaths, and general chaos and are referred to as “The Water War.” In the United States the issue of water scarcity is just now being viewed as something other than a local problem readily solved by technology. Not only is citizenry that many consider to be the first victory against corporate globaliza- water scarcity a major issue for communities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles tion in Latin America. but, closer to home, numerous Oklahoma communities are facing water short- The Bolivian political officials sold the city’s water supply to the U.S. based ages and the state has begun a five-year study of the problem. Bechtel Corp. The subsequent astronomical rise in water prices was the catalyst Not surprisingly, a flurry of books is beginning to appear addressing this issue that precipitated a public uprising against the corporation and the notion that from every conceivable angle. As usual, most are not worth the reader’s time or water is not a public resource but a private commodity available to the highest money. Most, but not all. I have selected a handful of titles that address the issue bidder. It is a chilling story of what can happen when transnational corporations from a number of perspectives and that I can recommend in good conscience. gain control of a water supply and apply the notion of strict privatization to this There are others, to be sure, but these caught my attention for their readability, life giving resource. Some suggest the actions by the citizens of Cochabamba are timeliness, and overall content. a template for future efforts worldwide to insure an adequate water supply to the citizenry. OGALLALA BLUE Water and Life on the Great Plains THE GREAT LAKES WATER WARS By William Ashworth By Peter Annin W.W. Norton & Company Island Press 309 pages, $26.95 336 pages, $25.95 This is a must have book for anyone concerned about the depletion of a natu- ral resource that has allowed the Great Plains to become America’s breadbasket. It is estimated that 90% to 95% of the fresh surface water in the United States It contains, or once did, 30% of all ground water used for irrigation in the United is contained in the Great Lakes. More than 40 million people, Americans and States and was thought to be an inexhaustible supply of fresh water. The Ogallala Canadians, live in the Great Lakes Basin. Eight so-called Great Lakes states aquifer, an irreplaceable underground water supply running from central Texas – Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wis- to southern South Dakota in one direction and from eastern Colorado into west- consin plus the Canadian Province of Ontario – have borders on the Great Lakes. ern Iowa in another, is being depleted at an alarming rate. For more than 100 years there have been controversies surrounding endless In the last 50 years, Americans have used 11% of the aquifer’s reserves which diversion schemes such as the proposal to dam the James Bay and divert water translates into roughly 150 trillion gallons of water. across the Midwest and Southwest. Such diversion efforts and unregulated water What to do? Any rational observer will recognize that the continued unchecked withdrawals have sufficiently alarmed scientists and water managers to the point depletion of this finite natural resource will have near catastrophic results. The they warn such diversions could cause the Great Lakes to end up like Asia’s Aral reason I favor this book is the author, in addition to providing a comprehensive Sea, which has lost 90% of its surface area and 75% of its volume since 1960. history of the aquifer through interviews with geologists, hydrologists, farmers, This book traces the 100-plus years of diversion efforts and political schemes activists, and entrepreneurs, offers a clear and readable explanation in a narra- that over the years have proposed sending Great Lakes water from Akron, OH, to tive fashion of the proposed solutions to managing and protecting this precious Arizona. It also examines the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Water Resources asset. A first rate, timely book on a subject of vital importance and concern. Compact, an unprecedented agreement signed by all eight Great Lakes governors in December 2005, which finally recognizes the “... waters of [the] Basin are a TRIBAL WATER RIGHTS precious, public national resource ...” and attempts to systematically address Essays in Contemporary Law, Policy, and Economics the social, economic, and ecological issues that impact this national treasure. Edited by John E. Thorson, Sarah Britton, and Bonnie G. Colby This is a must-read, behind-the-scenes, on-the-ground look at the myriad con- The University of Arizona Press troversies and battles raging over water issues in the Great Lakes region. It also 304 pages, $50.00 proves that serious water issues are not just located in the western U.S. Perhaps the most contentious issue involving Indian tribes in the arid western United States is water. It is as serious an issue as is the issue of smoke shops, GLOBALIZATION, WATER, AND HEALTH state taxes, and retailer concerns in our area. The potential for this being a hot Resource Management in Times of Scarcity button issue has always been there but not until relatively recently has it helped By Linda Whiteford & Scott Whiteford muddy the water and create one of the thorniest legal issues in the country. In School of American Research Press 1908 the United States Supreme Court ruled in Winters v. United States that 336 pages, $29.95. when Indian reservations were established, sufficient water to fulfill the- pur Any reader familiar with this publisher, based in Santa Fe, will expect a schol- poses of the reservations was implicitly reserved and thus tribes had senior or arly, thorough, comprehensive treatment of the subject in this book. They will priority water rights. For decades, until the late 1970s, the tribes did little to not be disappointed. exercise their water rights and non-Indian water users had little difficulty using This book is comprised of contributions from leading anthropologists that Indian water for their own purposes. When intense competition for limited and address a number of worldwide water-related health issues the editors contend dwindling water supplies developed the tribes, with federal assistance, began to “... cause children to die and adults to sicken.” It is not for the faint of heart or claim their rightful water rights and, at least in the West, the rest is history. those looking for a touchy-feely treatment of an issue that is viewed by many as This book, a bit on the scholarly side, presents an in-depth look at the myriad a major threat to world stability. and complex issues that arise in Indian water rights disputes. Legal scholars and The essays address disparities in water-related health issues ranging from ac- Indian water rights practitioners as well as experts in the fields of law, econom- tions of the World Bank and International Development Bank to multinational ics, public policy, and conflict resolution have all contributed to this compre- corporations and agribusinesses to local communities and national govern- hensive treatment of the status of Indian water rights issues and their historical ments. Indeed, the management, sale, and conceptualization of water and its evolution. While this issue is particularly acute in the western states, I suspect it impact on human health worldwide are presented in clear, unambiguous terms. will surface in the near future in our area when the importance of water becomes The subject of the creation of water scarcity should be of particular interest and a priority and Native American rights are considered. will surely increase the reader’s awareness of a situation that is almost unbeliev- able in its potential impact on world health and stability. COCHABAMBA! This book is not a light read. It will require a careful reading and time for re- Water Wars in Bolivia flection and thought. If the reader is willing to provide the time, this book will be By Oscar Oliverra in collaboration with Tom Lewis worth the effort. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. South End Press In reading these timely books I was reminded of the closing sentence in Nor- 160 pages, $16.00 man MacLean’s classic, A River Runs Through It: “I am haunted by waters.” We This is the story of the privatization of the public water supply in the town of may all be before the end of this century. Cochabamba, a Bolivian city of 600,000 residents, and the resulting revolt of the – The author, cofounder of A Gathering of Writers, lives in Tulsa THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 12 Theories About King George’s Moles By Edwin E. Vineyard Our unelected [not counting elections in Florida first and Ohio second] presi- dent has just had two “moles” removed from his temples. The Militant Moderate was anxious to research more deeply into the event, fearing that there was more to this than met the eye. He recalled the eloquent and disturbing testimony of none other than Ven- ezuela president Hugo Chavez, saying that he smelled smoke and sulfur around the environs of the rostrum where Mr. Bush had spoken at the United Nations Assembly hall. While not much credence is generally given to those statements by Chavez, one does begin to wonder about whether these growths removed from Mr. Bush’s temples could have been the beginnings of a pair of horns. This would explain much for those among us who are believers in spirits, de- surgical removal of these named growths on the left side of Mr. Bush’s head, mons, and personifications of Satan. Also, those among us who are very much Secret Service personnel protecting the Speaker and the Majority Leader have into prophecies, either the Bible or Nostradamus, might have concern. been alerted. REDNECKS, RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS AND RICH There is yet another theory, advanced by some who recall the first presidential We are not sure that Mr. Bush fits the prophecy about the anti-Christ, but he election. has shown himself to be a highly attractive personality to segments of our soci- Who can forget the mysterious rectangular lump in the back of Mr. Bush’s coat ety – corporate business, the very rich, religious zealots, and rednecks. during that first debate? That was never explained publicly, although it was vis- And, Mr. Bush’s foreign policy certainly has been one in search of an Armaged- ible to all of us. don somewhere in the Middle East. Suspicious pundits in the media tabbed it to be a “prompting device” to help However, upon further research, the Militant Moderate finds that both these the candidate electronically with cues to overcome his information gaps. growths were on Mr. Bush’s left temple. That undermines the theory above. HOW BUSH’S BRAIN WORKS The fact that these were on the “left” side seems bizarre. Yet several theories Could this so-called surgery for removal of moles really be a subterfuge for are possible to explain that condition. the removal, change, or implantation of nanotechnology devices by which Mr. One might be that his left brain is showing some exterior signs of internal Cheney and Mr. Rove control Mr. Bush’s thoughts and actions? deterioration, while his right brain has been strained by challenge. It might be, Coming just now, there appears to be a sinister aura around this. Sure, it also, that these are simply symbolic of all his afflictions which come from “the seems simple, almost casual reporting of something akin to an everyday event. left.” But who knows? FOR A REPUBLICAN, THE SCARIEST OF MOLES Let this be a warning to the neo-cons in and around the White House. We are The rumor is that one of those moles had been named “Pelosi,” and the other watching you! We know that nothing you do is ever just as it appears. was named “Reid.” That rumor has not been validated. Nevertheless, since the – The author, aka The Militant Moderate, lives in Enid Conventional Wisdom Debunked Framers Derailed GOP ‘Contract’ By Danny Adkison Al Franken, the liberal political satirist, described him as “evil” mostly on the What most people don’t know is that over 90% of congressional incumbents grounds that he had helped design the Contract With America. You probably re- running in the general election in 1994 won. That’s not a typo – they won. How is member the Contract With America even though you may not remember the man this possible? How could Republicans take control of Congress for the first time to whom Franken was referring. His name is Frank Luntz. in 40 years and yet at the same time over 90% of the incumbents in Congress I first met Luntz on the campus of Georgetown University. One summer we win? were colleagues, both teaching American national government. Franken, who did OPEN SEATS TELL REAL STORY not know Luntz well, also described him as very ambitious. The answer is “open elections.” In open elections there is no incumbent run- In fact, Luntz subsequently got a teaching position at American University but ning [for a variety of reasons]. It is almost impossible to predict in any election apparently was unable, in spite of a lawsuit, to retain the position and went on to year how many open seats there will be. There were a large number of them in work as a political consultant [or some such title] for such political celebrities 1994. as Ross Perot, Newt Gingrich, and Trent Lott. What matters most [in terms of determining victory] in open seats is money. I hadn’t thought about Luntz for years, but recently he figured prominently The candidate who can massively overspend his or her opponent has a high in a Washington Post op-ed piece. The piece was authored by Robert Novak, the probability of winning. Republican candidates are usually the ones in this posi- veteran right-wing editorialist. tion. It seems that some important Republican leaders are now treating Luntz as This is the primary explanation for why Republicans managed to control Con- persona non grata. It has reached the point such that, as Novak notes, after being gress after the 1994 elections. invited seven years in a row to speak to the annual national Republican retreat, It wasn’t some “shift to the Right on the part of American voters, or some 1ide- this year Luntz was snubbed. ological earthquake” [even though Republicans would have you believe this] that Adding injury to insult, Luntz supposedly delayed publication of his new book explained what happened in 1994. Likewise, it wasn’t Democrats or a few Repub- in order to put his thoughts down for what ails the Republican Party and what lican mavericks who derailed the Contract With America. It was our Framers. they ought to do about it. That’s right. Our Framers designed the Senate to be different from the House. REPUBLICANS LOST THEIR WAY 1994 is a good example of their design at work. The House quickly adopted Gin- We get a glimpse of Luntz’s analysis in Novak’s op-ed piece. It seems that grich’s Contract With America. The Senate never did. Why? It has to do less with Luntz believes that Republicans were on the right track in 1994 but have since who won those elections and the personalities involved [and who was listening lost their way. to whom] and more with the design of the Constitution. Comparing 1994 Republicans with the ones that just lost control of Congress IMPETUOUS HOUSE, DELIBERATIVE SENATE in 2006, Novak quotes Luntz as saying, “The Republican Party that lost those The Framers knew that members of the House [given how they were elected historic elections was a tired, cranky shell of the articulate, reformist, forward- and their length of terms] would act impetuously. The Senate [for the same rea- thinking movement that was swept into office in 1994 and on a wave of positive sons], just the opposite. The Framers described the Senate they were designing change.” as providing the “cool and deliberate sense of the community.” This is hardly innovative stuff. Conventional wisdom would concur that in In an earlier era, the failure of the Senate to adopt the Contract With America 1994 Republicans won control of Congress for the first time in 40 years because would have been blamed on party politics. But in 1995, the Republicans con- the country was experiencing a political earthquake. trolled both houses of Congress. Just add to this that the Republican “reformist revolution” was derailed by What stopped the flawed Contract With America was a structural design in our Bush and Iraq, and you’ve got Luntz’s analysis in a nutshell. constitutional system that forces senators [regardless of their party affiliation] Furthermore, Luntz reflects fondly on the Contract with America, which sym- to act in a more responsible, thoughtful, deliberative manner. bolized the “new era” Republicans were going to usher in. That, too, has been This explanation, relying as it does on realism and the design of the Framers, is lost because, well, among other things, Republicans stopped listening to Luntz not the type Luntz supplies, but here’s to hoping anyway that Republicans next and his likeminded ilk. year invite him back to speak at their retreat. Except that Luntz and conventional wisdom are both wrong. – The author teaches constitutional law at Oklahoma State University THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 13 Journalism Hits The Rock Bottom By Sheila Samples “Journalism is not a profession or a trade. It is a cheap catch-all for ... misfits – a false doorway to the backside of life, a filthy piss-ridden little hole nailed off by the building inspector, but just deep enough for a wino to curl up from the sidewalk and masturbate like a chimp in a zoo cage.” – Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas If the Bush Administration and the U.S. mainstream media are united on only one issue, it’s an absolute refusal to rock the political boat as they sail merci- lessly through the seas of corporate profit on the good ship Terrorbush. For the most part, each group is an incurious lot – undead creatures who nei- ther care, nor dare, to glance over the side of the ship at the bloated, swirling bodies in the blood-red water below. From the beginning, their mission has been to perform so fantastically against a backdrop of such violent, explosive madness on so many fronts that we watch hypnotically but do not see – listen intent1y, but do not hear. They are very good at what they do. WHERE IS THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING? As Americans continue to be killed in Iraq, we are inundated with a variety of devastating news – all of which literally beg for broad, investigative reporting heats up. from those whom the late, great Molly Ivins laughingly referred to as “alert guard- San Diego prosecutor Carol Lam was bounced for bringing California Republi- ian watchdogs of democracy.” For example ... can Randy “Duke” Cunningham to justice for taking $2.4 million in bribes. • A bleak National Intelligence Estimate was released, which stated flatly that According to Salon’s Joe Conason, Lam “is still pursuing important leads in what is going on in Iraq is much worse than a civil war and there is little chance that historic case. Cunningham is supposed to be cooperating,” Conason says, that Bush’s escalation of 20,000-50,000 troops will do anything but fuel the “but if Bush replaces her [Lam] with a partisan stooge, he may be able to keep fire. his secrets.” The media’s initial interest quickly faded when Vice President Dick Cheney HE ADMITS THEY FORCED THEM OUT called the report “hogwash,” and announced that he and Bush had the power to In his usual Cheshire manner, Gonzales admitted the resignations were forced, do whatever they wanted, and neither the Congress nor the people could stop but “declined to comment on details of the cases.” them. • The old news surfaced briefly of the Pentagon loading 363 tons of $100 bills • Bush appointed Adm. William Fallon to head Central Command [CENTCOM] onto pallets and flying them aboard military planes to Iraq where they were hand- – a Navy man to run the ground wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Formerly with ed over to the Iraqi government with no accountability. NATO as Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans and Policy for Supreme Allied Command- That’s $4 billion, or 726,000 pounds of stash – with an additional $8.8 billion er, Atlantic. that also disappeared about the time U.S. “Viceroy” Paul Bremer mounted up and Fallon has a history of high-tech war game tomfoolery that provokes the enemy headed for the border. to attack. With U.S. carrier attack groups bumping into each other in the Persian • Then, there’s the Scooter Libby Blame Plame Game trial wherein Libby and a Gulf off the coast of Iran, who you gonna call? gaggle of journalists are wildly pointing fingers at each other in a hilarious effort BOEING SUPPLIED TORTURE PLANES to cover their treasonous asses about who told whom what and when – while the • Nat Hentoff writes in the Village Voice that the giant aerospace Boeing is “sup- noose tightens slowly around Dick Cheney’s neck. plying the CIA with the planes to transport the shackled, blindfolded, drugged Great entertainment, but of course no in-depth research and investigation into passengers for interrogation in foreign torture chambers.” matters of consequence, such as what “dark side” activity was going on at the Hentoff credits The New Yorker’s Jane Meyer with breaking the Boeing story highest levels in order to take us to war. in October, wherein she quoted a former Jeppesen [Boeing subsidiary] employee Personally, I never believe anything anybody called “Scooter” tells me – unless who was told by a top official, “We do all of the extraordinary rendition flights his last name is Rizzuto. – you know, the torture flights … It certainly pays well. They” – the CIA – “spare REPORTERS WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND no expense. They have absolutely no worry about costs. What they have to get You’d think that the mainstream media would bump into each other in their done, they get done.” haste to cover one or all of the above. But no. C-Span alone carried the intermi- • The Pentagon’s Inspector General [IG] Report confirms what we have known nably long Senate debate-about-the-debate. for nearly five years – we were catapulted into war with Iraq on a pack of mali- There were three toothless, non-binding resolutions addressing Bush’s ongo- cious, treasonous lies, ing involvement in Iraq – while six U.S. helicopters were brought down by enemy They were dreamed up by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith fire, while the Bush neocons were back at their old game of manipulating intel- and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who were obviously following ligence to justify a war on Iran. The silly, somnolent scriveners chose instead to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s order on 9/11 to “sweep it all up – things overdose on the “Air Pelosi” scandal. related or not” to justify an attack on Iraq. Reporters clambered aboard the Swift Boat with their Republican “unnamed ‘ALTERNATIVE’ INTELLIGENCE REPORTS sources,” and went full throttle at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for daring to • In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Acting IG Thomas request a plane large enough to fly from Washington to California without refuel- Gimble acknowledged, albeit in bewildering doublespeak, that Feith’s office had ing. indeed “developed, produced and then disseminated alternative intelligence as- The story quickly went from “Air Pelosi” to “Pelosi One.” It went from, “The sessments on the Iraq and Al-Qaeda relationship which included some conclu- new speaker of the House is apparently asking for a big travel upgrade” to “the sions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the intelligence community, San Francisco Democrat is abusing the perks of power by attempting to com- to senior decision-makers.” mandeer a fancy jumbo-size military jet with a ‘distinguished visitor compart- Gimble plowed on with an admission that Feith “was inappropriately perform- ment with sleep accommodations.’” ing intelligence activities of developing, producing and disseminating that should THEY SHRIEKED FOR ANNA NICOLE SMITH be performed by the intelligence community.” The reporters-cum-repeaters rounded out the jam-packed 10-day news period • Given that more than 600,000 Iraqi civilians have been slaughtered, more either shouting that all destructive weapons in Iraq come from Iran – or curled than two million families are broken and displaced, and more than 3,300 coali- up on the nation’s sidewalks shrieking in ecstasy about Anna Nicole Smith. tion troops [3,123 of them Americans] have been blown to bits, Gimble’s limp The U.S. media are beneath contempt, and can never redeem themselves for concession that what these creatures did in manipulating intelligence to go to the damage they have wrought on this republic by their fawning allegiance to a war was neither “illegal or unauthorized” is almost as bizarre as the media refus- band of crooked, war-mongering fools. ing to investigate such criminal activity. By sinking to reading scrubbed-clean White House press releases, by re- WMDs WERE A MADE-UP STORY linquishing all pretenses of honesty, values and integrity in order to ingrati- Almost as bizarre as Wolfowitz’s grinning admission in Vanity Fair two months ate themselves to the ravenous corporate beast, their members are little more after the attack, “We settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction, because than “enablers” who cannot remember why they became journalists in the first it was the one reason everyone could agree on.” place. Almost as bizarre as the American Enterprise Institute’s Michael Ledeen, who W.C. Fields once said, “There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must boasted in 2002, “We do not want stability in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even take the bull by the tail and face the situation.” That time is now. Saudi Arabia ... The real issue is not whether, but how to destabilize.” Molly Ivins was right – it’s time we hit the streets, beating on pots and pans and • Attorney General Alberto Gonzales suddenly fired seven U.S. attorneys and take our country back. Our first stop should be at the source of our country’s replaced them with Republican insiders. One of them is Timothy Griffin, who problems – the shallow and destructive corporate media. previously worked for Karl Rove and for the Republican National Committee. – The author is an Oklahoma writer, a former civilian U.S. Army Public Infor- He will head to Arkansas – just as the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign mation Officer and a regular contributor for a variety of Internet sites THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 14 Social Security Targeted Again By Martha Burk It’s like Freddy Krueger, the monster from Nightmare on Elm Street – George W. National women’s groups are lining up behind her. While we’re at it, we should Bush’s proposal to privatize Social Security is b-a-a-a-ck again, refusing to die. add a caregiver credit for years spent at home with small children, and possibly It’s right there front and center in the new budget on the White House website. increase the credit if each spouse takes a turn. Ever delusional and ever loyal to Wall Street, George W. proposes diverting some The Republicans are big on family values, so this one ought to be a no-brainer payroll taxes to private accounts. for them. Give the man credit for stubbornness. He must have slept through the debate One last message for W: The stock market didn’t bring us a national retirement in 2005, when his plan was soundly trounced in the court of public opinion and system with guarantees we can’t outlive, payments that are indexed to inflation even his own party, solidly in the majority, couldn’t muster support. and benefits that help the middle and lower earners more than the rich. OK, George, let’s go through this one more time. Privatizing Social Security is That came to us courtesy of a forward-looking government that takes less than a nightmare of an idea. It is a particularly bad idea for older women, who depend 1% of the funds collected to administer the largest benefit program in America. on the system more than men. I’ll take it over Freddy Krueger and the nightmare anytime. Social Security is women’s main retirement. Without it, an astonishing 59.2% – The author is a political psychologist and director of the Corporate Ac- would live in poverty in their old age. countability Project for the National Council of Women’s Organizations WOMEN EARN LESS That’s because women earn less throughout their lives, get a big fat zero added to their Social Security tally for every year they spend out of the workforce tak- ing care of kids or elderly parents and have lower and fewer private pensions to fall back on when retirement day comes. The White House rhetoric on privatizing Social Security reads like the title of one of those get-rich-quick books like Success In The Stock Market In Two Minutes A Day. We’re all smarter than the professionals, we’re all going to make the wisest decisions about where to invest, and we’re all going to retire rich. This year’s pitch seems particularly aimed at young people. But it doesn’t ad- dress what happens if grandma’s investments go the way of Enron. Are the kids willing or able to write a check every month to cover the shortfall? Under privatization, widows and divorced women would probably lose the most. Social Security now protects both groups with guaranteed benefits based on spousal earnings, even if they tended home and hearth while hubby went out to work. TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE REQUIRED Ten years of marriage are required for divorced spouse benefits; a widow con- tinues to draw her husband’s benefit. You can’t lose or outlive these payouts. But the White House is not talking about who, exactly, would own a privatized retirement account invested in the stock market. Is it something to be fought over in a divorce, like the family dog or the televi- sion set? Could a husband die and leave the account to someone other than his wife? Women are also the majority of caretakers when a spouse dies and leaves young children, who receive Social Security checks until they reach 18. Many single parent families couldn’t make it without this feature, but the Bush budget doesn’t tell us what would happen to survivor and disability benefits in a privatized system. THE SANER SIDE OF CAPITOL HILL Meanwhile, on the saner side of Capitol Hill, women are talking about some real changes to Social Security that would strengthen retirement. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, is poised to introduce a bill to reduce the qualify- ing marriage period for drawing divorced spousal benefits to five years, reflecting today’s marital reality. Creationism Trumps Park Service Science National Park Service employees from across the country are concerned that Bush political appointees are taking the national parks in a new, dangerous di- rection. In a series of recent decisions, the National Park Service has approved the dis- play of religious symbols and Bible verses as well as the sale of creationist books giving a biblical explanation for the Grand Canyon and other natural wonders These moves all emanate from top Park Service political appointees over the objections of park superintendents, agency lawyers and scientists. A number of fundamentalist Christian and socially conservative groups are claiming credit for these actions and touting their new direct and personal ac- cess to Bush Administration officials. Grand Canyon employees are not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature due to pressure from Bush Administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces, more More Information: 405.524.5577 www.peacehouse.org than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on Endorsers Include: The Peace House, OK Veterans For Peace, OK Committee sale at the park, according to documents released by Public Employees for Envi- for Conscientious Objectors, OCCC Advocates of Peace Club, Episcopal Peace & ronmental Responsibility. Justice Commission, Joy Mennonite Church, Central OK Stonewall Democrats, “In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Ser- Peace Education Institute, Social Justice Committee First Unitarian Church vice is under orders to suspend its belief in geology,” stated PEER Executive Di- rector Jeff Ruch. “It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is no comment.”

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 15 Gulf Veterans Face More Budget Cuts The Bush Administration plans to cut funding for veterans’ health care two years from now – even as badly wounded troops returning from Iraq could over- whelm the system. Bush is using the cuts to help fulfill his pledge to balance the budget by 2012. Budget cuts are taking their toll, with the Walter Reed scandal the obvious re- sult. After an increase sought for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing rapidly – by more than 10% in many years. White House budget documents assume consecutive cutbacks in 2009 and 2010 and a freeze thereafter. The proposed cuts are unrealistic in light of recent VA budget trends – its medical care budget has risen every year for two decades and 83% in the six years since Bush took office. That is sowing suspicion that the White House is simply making them up to services budget – winning a big increase in Bush’s proposed 2008 budget – can make its long-term deficit figures look better. absorb a 2% cut the following year and remain essentially frozen for three years UNREALISTIC ASSUMPTIONS? in a row after that. “Either the Administration is willingly proposing massive cuts in VA health “It’s implausible,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, said of the budget projections. care,” said Rep. Chet Edwards, D-TX, chairman of the panel overseeing the VA’s The White House made virtually identical assumptions last year – a big in- budget, “or its promise of a balanced budget by 2012 is based on completely un- crease in the first year of the budget and cuts for every year thereafter to veterans realistic assumptions.” medical care. Edwards said that a more realistic estimate of veterans’ costs is $16 billion Now, the White House estimate for 2008 is more than $4 billion higher than higher than the Bush estimate for 2012. Bush figured last year. In fact, even the White House doesn’t seem serious about the numbers. It says GETTING SHORT-TERM ESTIMATES WRONG the long-term budget numbers don’t represent actual administration policies. The VA has been known to get short-term estimates wrong as well. Two years Similar cuts assumed in earlier budgets have been reversed. ago, Congress had to pass an emergency $1.5 billion infusion for veterans health The veterans’ cuts, said White House budget office spokesman Sean - Kev programs for 2005 and added $2.7 billion to Bush’s request for 2006. elighan, “don’t reflect any policy decisions. We’ll revisit them when we do the The VA underestimated the number of veterans, including those from Iraq and [future] budgets.” Afghanistan, who were seeking care, as well as the cost of treatment and long- The number of veterans coming into the VA health care system has been rising term care. by about 5% a year as the number of people returning from Iraq with illnesses or The budget for hospital and medical care for veterans is funded for the cur- injuries keeps rising. rent year at $35.6 billion, and would rise to $39.6 billion in 2008 under Bush’s GULF VETERANS CASELOAD budget. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans represent almost 5% of the VA’s patient case- That’s about 9%. But the budget faces a cut to $38.8 billion in 2009 and would load, and many are returning from battle with grievous injuries requiring costly hover around that level through 2012. care, such as traumatic brain injuries. The cuts come even as the number of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan All told, the VA expects to treat about 5.8 million patients next year, including wars is expected to increase 26% next year. 263,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. In Bush’s proposal to balance the budget by 2012, he’s assuming that spending The White House budget office, however, assumes that the veterans’ medical on domestic agency operating budgets will increase by about 1% each year. Dear Sooner Republican Reps Mistreatment Of Vets Your Fault An open letter to Republicans in the Oklahoma congressional delegation: By the way, stop sending bills to collect parts of the signing bonuses of the I would like for you to read Dana Priest’s stories in the Washington Post about injured because they didn’t finish their tour. SHAME!! what is being done to outpatients at Walter Reed. No more excuses, like the ever – Karen Webb, Moore popular, “we didn’t plan for this because we thought it would be a cake walk.” No permanent, temporary or occasional tax cuts for anybody, until every sol- dier at Walter Reed is treated in the way you would like your cowardly sons and Support The Troops? daughters – who aren’t getting shot at – treated. There is no excuse for a soldier with severe head injuries to be given a map and Not The U.S. Army told to find where he needs to stay during outpatient care. When the Senate next debates whether to debate the Iraq war, members would There is no excuse for a soldier to be put in Building 18 or any other building do well to visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center, just five miles to the north. that is not in tip-top shape and definitely no mold or holes in the ceiling of their There they can run a stark reality check on how the country is failing the war’s shower so they can see into the shower above. wounded despite all those Capitol orations about unstinting support of our fight- This is worse than outrageous. A soldier has to fill out 22 forms to get out- ing troops. patient care and on top of that a lot of the liaison people are injured soldiers as As fine as the surgery wards have been through a five-year torrent of battle ca- well. sualties, Walter Reed has seen the shameful growth of a parallel village of almost A soldier has to prove he was in Iraq because his paperwork has been mis- 700 traumatized and maimed outpatients. placed or not kept up. A soldier has to prove his brain damage was caused by be- Far too many of these souls wait lost and wasted, abandoned by the post’s and ing hit with a falling transport door – and is told it is a preexisting injury because the Army’s shambling bureaucracy. he was learning disabled. This outpatient world has become a holding ground for desperation and dys- function, according to a Washington Post investigative report. HE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY If you took him in that condition then it is your responsibility. I don’t think Some drift away unnoticed, AWOL, while others huddle in their rooms, de- you people get it; you say you support the troops, but you lie. pressed and forgotten. The scenes uncovered range from slumlord conditions They should be in need of absolutely nothing because you put them in harm’s in one residential building to drug abuse and suicide among desperate patients way. Don’t even mention tax cuts, not now, not until you fix this fiasco you put caught in a Catch-22, where psychologically damaged veterans are put in charge these people in. of fellow sufferers. I have a suggestion to make. Why not assign each soldier going into outpatient A staff sergeant who had his eye and skull shattered in Iraq stumbled about af- care at Walter Reed his or her own personal congressman. ter his release from a surgical recovery room. He was handed a map and ordered You damn well better treat them exactly as you would your own kids. to find his way across the sprawling post to the outpatient unit. They say at any given time there are about 900 patients and that would be just After he found his room he sat for weeks like some accidental tourist, with no two each, but then there will be more because you blood-thirsty people are creat- doctor appointments nor official concern. ing more as we speak. “Shouldn’t they contact me?” he wondered. Get it done, NOW! Oh, and until you can prove you really support the troops, no The Army brass are promising to rush repairs and extra personnel. But the more idiotic bills about who can marry who, or putting the Ten Commandments shameful neglect at Walter Reed is more proof of how America’s leaders – despite anywhere. all the rhetoric about unlimited support for the troops – are failing the nation’s You have no idea what compassion means and obviously these are “the least warriors in this disastrous war. of these” so you would happily do this to Jesus. © The New York Times THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 16 Right-Wingers Repent, But Not The Times By Joe Conason While finance and technology are rapidly reshaping our media, undermining printed words and exalting digital screens, the nation’s major newspapers con- tinue to exercise enormous political influence. Their news reports and editorial opinions still shape the ideas and themes behind every night’s television cover- age. But the great power of the dailies isn’t always used wisely, especially because “liberal” newspapers have so often proved easy prey for right-wing manipulation, as they were during the Clinton era and most of the Bush era. Unfortunately, we can expect such manipulations to be repeated – as The New York Times illustrated on page 1 of its Feb. 19 edition, with an article headlined “As Clinton Runs, Some Old Foes Stay on Sideline.” According to that report, the snarling perpetrators of what Hillary Clinton so not “supposed.” Eight years and tens of millions of dollars later, the indepen- famously called “this vast right-wing conspiracy” have been housebroken. dent counsel grudgingly conceded that he had found no criminal wrongdoing in WINGNUTS SOFTEN ON HILLARY? Whitewater by the Clintons. That was the same conclusion reached years earlier Christopher Ruddy, a journalist who now edits the conservative Newsmax.com in a nonpartisan investigation by the Resolution Trust Corporation [to which The Web site – and earned a certain reputation by insinuating that the Clintons were Times gave scant attention]. responsible for the death of their friend and counsel, Vince Foster – told the pa- With the assistance of the Times’ editors, not to mention their zealous coun- per that both he and his patron, Richard Mellon Scaife, have since “had a rethink- terparts at the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, the right-wing net- ing” about Hillary and Bill. work financed by Scaife succeeded in crippling the Clinton White House and “Clinton wasn’t such a bad president,” said Ruddy. “In fact, he was a pretty nearly bringing it down. good president in a lot of ways, and Dick [Scaife] feels that way today.” Although Only when impeachment loomed did the Times nervously back away from the the Pittsburgh billionaire didn’t comment directly, Mr. Ruddy went on to compli- consequences of its stupid crusade. To this day, the paper’s editors have never ment Sen. Clinton for moderating her ideology and image. admitted they were wrong about Whitewater. They have confessed serious error Leave aside for a moment the patent insincerity of Ruddy’s remarks [obvious on many things, from the Wen Ho Lee affair to the hyping of Iraq’s weapons of to anyone who examines his Clinton-bashing Newsmax Web site]. More plausible mass destruction, but Whitewater remains a sacred cow. and yet more astonishing was this: “Mr. Scaife, reclusive heir to the Mellon bank- COMING SOON: ‘SWIFTBOATING’ HILLARY ing fortune, spent more than $2 million investigating and publicizing accusa- All this ancient history matters now because, like everyone else, America’s tions about the supposed involvement of Mrs. Clinton and former President Bill newspaper editors are prone to repeat the errors they forget. To read Newsmax. Clinton in corrupt land deals, sexual affairs, drug running and murder.” com, where former Clinton consultant Dick Morris holds forth incessantly on Certainly Scaife invested millions to portray the Clintons as crooks and worse. the grave peril posed by Hillary, is to understand that the right will attack her as He spent plenty of that money to publicize the “supposed involvement” of the vigorously as ever should she win the Democratic nomination next year. Clintons in “corrupt land deals.” Already, Mr. Morris and assorted other characters from the old Clinton drama TIMES NEVER ADMITS WHITEWATER MISTAKES are preparing films and books to re-enact their vendetta, and Scaife and Ruddy But so did the Times, which more than any other news organization bears can be relied upon to promote those efforts, as they have consistently done for responsibility for the phony Whitewater scandal and the runaway independent- the past several years. No doubt the “Swiftboaters” who so scurrilously and prof- counsel probe that led to President Clinton’s impeachment. And now, on its front itably smeared Sen. John Kerry’s war record in 2004 will join the fun. page, in a single sentence, the paper of record effectively disowned hundreds The question is whether America’s leading newspapers can overcome their and perhaps thousands of articles, editorials and columns that once framed the aversion to being labeled liberal and expose smears from either side of the spec- trivial, unprofitable and long-dead Whitewater investment as a matter of immedi- trum without amplifying them. With Sen. Clinton leading the polls, an honest ate public concern. reassessment of mainstream journalism during the Clinton years is overdue. In the Times, their guilty involvement was treated as something established, © Creators Syndicate The Gospel According To Molly There is the mainstream press and then there was Molly Ivins, who always Great State.” [Nov. 25, 1996] swam against the tide, and who died January 31 at 62 after a brave battle with • breast cancer. Molly was ... well, rather than tell you what Molly was ... why “I know what kind of governor this guy has been – if you expect him to do for don’t we just show you? A Molly Ivins sampler: the nation what he has for Texas, we need to talk.” [Jan. 3, 2000] • “The bill to make English the Official State Language came to naught, which We could go on, but as Molly might have said, “Well, sheesh.” is just as well since we’d have had to deport the entire state leadership if it was © The Nation passed. Clements [the governor of Texas] … said he knows the NCAA has a hard task and he ‘commensurates’ with ‘em and he hopes they ‘secede.’” [Aug. 15/22, 1987] • Cheney’s Build-A-War “Former Congressman Tom Loeffler is now the Reagan Administration’s new point man ... for lobbying on aid to the contras. Loeffler … is the guy who thinks Workshop Revealed you get AIDS through your feet, as we learned when he wore shower caps on his while on a trip to San Francisco, lest he acquire the disease from the bathroom It took far too long, but a report by the Pentagon inspector general has finally tile.” [Aug. 15/22, 1987] confirmed that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s do-it-yourself in- • telligence office cooked up a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda to help justify an “In the line of journalistic duty, I attended the God and Country Rally featuring unjustifiable war. Phyllis Schlafly, Pat Robertson and Pat Boone, and am filing a worker’s compen- The report said the team headed by Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense sation claim against The Nation.” [Sept. 14, 1992] for policy, developed “alternative” assessments of intelligence on Iraq that con- • tradicted the intelligence community and drew conclusions “that were not sup- On the State Attorney General [Jim Mattox]: “He’s so mean he wouldn’t spit in ported by the available intelligence.” your ear if your brains were on fire.” [Feb. 7, 1994] Feith certainly knew the Central Intelligence Agency would cry foul, so he hid • his findings from the CIA. “I have always claimed that being a literate Texan is like being bilingual.” [July Then Vice President Dick Cheney used them as proof of cloak-and-dagger meet- 3, 1995] ings that never happened, long-term conspiracies between Saddam Hussein and • Osama bin Laden that didn’t exist, and – most unforgivable – “possible Iraqi coor- “We are also pleased to announce the re-election of Sen. Drew Nixon of Car- dination” on the 9/11 attacks, which no serious intelligence analyst believed. thage: Nixon is the fellow who was found by Dallas police in a car with not one The inspector general did not recommend criminal charges against Feith be- but three prostitutes. He explained he thought they were asking for directions.” cause Rumsfeld or his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, approved their subordinate’s “in- (Nov. 25, 1996) appropriate” operations. The renegade intelligence buff said he was relieved. • There is no comfort in knowing that his dirty work was approved by his boss- “We also elected some railroad commissioners, who more or less – mostly less es. All that does is add to evidence that the Bush Administration knowingly and – regulate the oil bidness, and that makes as much sense as anything else in this repeatedly misled Americans about the intelligence on Iraq. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 17 Rudy’s Ridiculous Rhetorical Rants By Susan Estrich In the last presidential campaign, Republicans delighted in attacking John Kerry as a flip-flopper. They took every effort by Kerry to explain his voting re- cord and turned it into a crude somersault. The fact that he was both for and against the war was the biggest laugh line of all. Now the joke’s on them. Mitt Romney makes Kerry look like a model of consis- tency. Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to have it both ways make Kerry seem like a man of uncommon fortitude. Is this the best Republicans can do? Appearing on Larry King Live, former New York City Mayor and longtime abor- tion rights supporter Rudy Giuliani refused to say whether it would bother him if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade. “I don’t think it would hurt me or help me,” he said. Given his age and gender, that is both true and beside the point. Abortion is not a pressing issue for 60-year-old men, speaking personally, but it is an impor- tant issue for the Supreme Court and for many voters. Was he really trying to say he didn’t care? Nor has the former New York mayor found his footing in dealing with the war. LESSONS IN RUDY-SPEAK John Kerry’s efforts to put himself on both sides might have been a laugh line, “It would be a matter of states making decisions.” What decisions? Asked but what about Rudy’s? whether his recent stated preference for “strict constructionists” as judicial ap- Last year, Giuliani was unrelenting in arguing that Democrats who opposed pointees meant that he would be picking those who do not support Roe, Rudy the war in Iraq did not understand the war on terror. Now the former mayor is was even more obtuse: “I don’t know that. You don’t know that.” taking on nation-building and claiming the Bush administration didn’t know So what does he know? how to wage the war the right way. “I would remove Saddam Hussein again,” he What is his point in invoking “strict construction” as a standard for judges? If told Larry King. “I just hope we’d do it better and we’d do it in a different way.” it doesn’t mean no Roe, what does it mean? Whatever you want? NOTHING BUT MUSH Imagine if Republicans were to catch Hillary playing these kinds of games. Same war only better and different? Come again? They’d eat her for lunch, claiming she was avoiding tough questions; that she “There was a real doubt as to whether we could do this nation-building,” he would say anything, believed in nothing, cared about no one. said of the effort to rebuild Iraq, and “we’re not going to do it.” So what are we Et tu, Rudy? going to do? AT LEAST MITT ADMITS FLIP-FLOPS Plainly, Rudy isn’t ready to answer. “I’m running,” he told King, as he had im- At least Mitt Romney has owned up to changing his positions on abortion and plied earlier to Sean Hannity. King pressed, “Do you make a formal announce- gay rights now that he’s changed the audience of potential voters who will decide ment, or is this it here, right now?” The former mayor’s response? “I guess you his fate. You can accuse him of opportunism, but at least you know where he do one of these things where you do it four times or five times in a day.” stands. Not so the former mayor. Is Rudy above such mundane matters as having a platform and positions on Mr. Giuliani sells himself as a tough guy, a straight shooter, the crime fighter issues, not to mention having to make a major speech? who led New York out of the darkness. But ducking and weaving on issues that Rudy is in, but he isn’t really running, at least not yet. He’s playing. The only many people care passionately about – even if he doesn’t – is hardly the MO of a question is how long this game will last. straight-shooting tough guy. It insults people on all sides of the issue. © Creators Syndicate On Picking Our Next President By Bill Maher New Rule: There’s more to being smart than just not misspeaking. The world acted like Grandpa just yelled out the “N” word at a ball game. is a complicated place. Sometimes it all feels like a runaway train of violence, Before the war began, it was Al Gore who got it right, who spoke unequivocally resentment and insecurity – sort of like a family reunion at Ryan O’Neil’s place. about not making this bad choice, a choice that 77 Senators voted for. Which is why for this next election, we need to pick the smartest candidate, But during the debates of 2000, Al Gore sighed! We can’t have a sigh-er for not the dullest one who simply never had a verbal gaffe and said a wrong word president! That’s why I think every candidate has to come out NOW, and say or or phrase. do the stupidest thing they possibly can, and get it out of the way. We’re a superpower, not a drinking game. It has to be about leadership, not just GAFFES CANDIDATES MUST MAKE hitting your buzzer first and remembering to phrase your answer in the form of • Chris Dodd must tell the religious right to take their abstinence programs a question. and go back to Hymentown. A couple of weeks ago, Sen. Joe Biden hit the ground flopping when he de- • John Edwards must be caught hiring an illegal alien to wash his hair. scribed Barack Obama as articulate and clean. • Sam Brownback must be caught having sex with his wife that is not for pro- If you think he’s a racist, then you’re not really thinking, you’re just playing creational purposes. Gotcha. Yes, the remark was cringe-worthy – it always is when someone old and • Hillary Clinton must mispronounce South Carolina “Mouth Vagina.” out of touch says something creepy – even a Chinaman knows that. • Barack Obama must tell people he’s, quote, “bigger than Jesus.” IRAQ WILL BE BROKEN UP • Rudy Giuliani has to declare at a press conference that he’s cheating on his However, when it comes to the most important ISSUE of the day, last year, Joe wife, but it’s OK because he’s undergoing cancer treatment and he can’t get an Biden was out ahead on calling for an Iraq broken into three countries – and that erection anyway. He did? is what’s going to happen, no matter how much surging George Bush does. • John McCain must be caught with a Filipino bar girl with an Adam’s apple. I say fine, so what if Iraq gets broken up, it’s a made up country anyway, there’s The sad thing is, all of those could really work. Does John Kerry really think only been an Iraq since 1932 – it’s seven years younger than Paul Newman. the troops are stupid? No, Karl Rove thinks you’re stupid. The people in it hate each other so much, and are now in such a, shall we say, A BOTCHED JOKE BRINGS DEFEAT “intense” phase of the revenge cycle, that they’re only going to be able to start If a botched joke or a sigh or a brain-fart is enough to derail you from a wise breathing again if they live in different countries – which they’re already moving choice, he’s kinda right. . to, on their own. Does this mean that Joe Biden or Howard Dean should automatically be presi- So, the guy who got this right, he can’t run, because we’re a very sensitive dent – of course not. But the next time something really bad happens, remember people, and he said a black man was clean, and we care more about a one second it might have something to do with our election process having turned into an verbal brain-fart than we do about who has the right answers. episode of Survivor at the Apollo – one note that’s a little off key, and the Sand- KERRY HAD THE RIGHT ANSWERS man comes out with the hook. The guy who had the right answer on terrorism in 2004 was John Kerry—he So disqualify the smartest leaders because they may have caused you a so- said fighting terrorism was primarily an intelligence and law enforcement opera- cially awkward moment, but next time another painful disaster is visited upon tion, which doesn’t sound macho in elections, but is true. us, perhaps because we weren’t being led by the best and the brightest, you’ll He can’t be in the debate, either, because he’s a crappy comedian. He screwed know why: up a joke about our troops! Hit the road jack. It’s because the black guy on Grey’s Anatomy said “Fag!” And by the way, if Howard Dean has been a virtual Nostradamus on predicting what would happen we’re going to choose our presidents by which one never misspeaks, how did we in Iraq from the beginning. But he screamed once. He said “yee-ha” publicly! end up with the Chimp we have now? He screamed louder than a crowd of people screaming at him, and the media – The author is host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 18 Why Teachers Need Union Protection By Diane Ravitch We live in an era when leaders in business and the media demand that schools function like businesses in a free market economy, competing for students and staff. Many such voices say that such corporate-style school reform is stymied by the teacher unions, which stand in the way of leaders who want unchecked pow- er to assign, reward, punish, or remove their employees. Some academics blame the unions when student achievement remains stag- nant. If scores are low, the critics say it must be because of the teachers’ con- tract, not because the district has a weak curriculum or lacks resources or has mediocre leadership. If some teachers are incompetent, it must be because of the contract, not be- cause the district has a flawed, bureaucratic hiring process or has failed to evalu- ate new teachers before awarding them tenure. BRING THEM TO THEIR KNEES iron fist. These critics want to scrap the contract, throw away teachers’ legal protec- MISEDUCATING NEW PRINCIPALS tions, and bring teacher unions to their collective knees. Many new principals have been trained in quickie programs of a year or less, It is worth recalling why teachers joined unions and why unions remain im- which try to teach them to think like corporate leaders. Many of the graduates of portant today. Take tenure, for example. The teacher unions didn’t invent tenure, these new principal programs have little classroom experience, and some have despite widespread beliefs to the contrary. none at all. Many of them lack the judgment and knowledge to make wise deci- Tenure evolved in the 19th Century as one of the few perks available to people sions about curriculum and instruction or to evaluate seasoned teachers. who were paid low wages, had classes of 70 or 80 or more, and endured terrible Furthermore, to the extent that New York City, where I live, is the wave of the working conditions. future, then teachers will need their unions more than ever. In New York City, un- In late 19th Century New York City, for example, there were no teacher unions, der mayoral control, the mayor – a businessman – and his chancellor – a lawyer but there was already ironclad, de facto teacher tenure. Local school boards con- – selected a new curriculum in reading and math. trolled the hiring of teachers, and the only way to get a job was to know someone They also insisted that all teachers across this system of 1.1 million children on the local school board, preferably a relative. adopt exactly the same pedagogical style [the “workshop model”], and they mi- Once a teacher was hired, she had lifetime tenure in that school, but only in cromanaged teachers’ compliance with tight, sometimes daily supervision. that school. In fact, she could teach in the same school until she retired without As it happened, in the contract negotiations of 2005, the UFT successfully a pension or health benefits – or died. added language to the contract that specifically protected teachers from being TENURE WAS NOT PORTABLE punished because of: “a] the format of bulletin boards; b] the arrangement of One problem with this kind of tenure was that it was not portable. If a teacher classroom furniture; and c] the exact duration of lesson units.” changed schools, even in the same district, she would lose her tenure in the UNIONS REMAIN NECESSARY school where she was first hired, and she would have to go to the end of the line The union is thus necessary as a protection for teachers against the arbitrary at her new school. exercise of power by heavy-handed administrators. In our school systems, as in Pay for teaching was meager, but it was one of the few professional jobs open our city, state, and federal governments, we need checks and balances. Just as to women, and most teachers were women. Pay scales were blatantly discrimina- the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government all act as checks tory. Teachers in the high schools were paid more than those in the elementary on each other, we need checks and balances in our school systems. schools. It is unwise to centralize all power in one person: the mayor. We need indepen- Male teachers [regardless of where they taught, though almost all were in high dent lay school boards to hire the superintendent and to hold open public dis- schools] were paid more than female teachers, on the assumption that they had cussions of administrative decisions, and we need independent teacher unions a family to support and women did not. to assure that teachers’ rights are protected, to sound the alarm against unwise I would like to remember some of the forgotten heroes of the movement to es- policies, and to advocate on behalf of sound education policies, especially when tablish fair and equitable treatment of teachers in New York City. administrators are non-educators. First, there was Mazy Murphy. She started teaching in the Brooklyn schools In the current climate, when it is in vogue to select non-educators to admin- in 1891. Ten years later, in 1901, she got married. That was a mistake. When she ister school systems, it is vital that teachers have a voice. School reform cannot got married, the Board of Education charged her with gross misconduct and fired possibly succeed when teachers – who are on the front lines of implementation her. – are left out of the decision-making process. TEACHERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO MARRY WHEN REFORM CANNOT SUCCEED Teachers were not allowed to marry. She sued the board. She lost in the lower If there is no buy-in, if teachers do not willingly concur with the orders handed court, but then won in the state court of appeals, which ruled that marriage ‘’was down from on high, then reform cannot succeed. If administrators operate by not misconduct” and ordered the Board of Education to reinstate her. stealth and confrontation, then their plans for reform will founder. Second, there was the Interborough Association of Women Teachers. They cannot improve what happens in the classroom by humiliating and boss- They started a campaign in 1906 to wipe out the salary differentials between ing around the teachers who are in daily contact with the children. male and female teachers. Only in an atmosphere of mutual respect can administrators and teachers pro- Their slogan was “equal pay for equal work.” When the state legislature passed duce the kind of partnership that will benefit students. And administrators can- the Association’s bill for equal pay, it was vetoed by the governor. These stalwart not achieve this collaborative atmosphere unless they are willing to talk with female teachers finally won pay equity in 1912. and listen to the leaders chosen by teachers to represent them. Then there was Bridget Pexitto, a veteran teacher of 18 years in the Bronx. The essentials of good education are the same everywhere: a rigorous curricu- She took advantage of the new right to get married without losing her job. But lum, effective instruction, adequate resources, willing students, and a social and then she got pregnant. That was a mistake. The Board of Education fired her on cultural climate in which education is encouraged and respected. charges of “gross negligence by being absent to have a baby.” – The author is Research Professor of Education at New York University, a HE FOUND 14 PREGNANT TEACHERS senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the Brookings Not only that, the Board ordered the superintendent of schools to discover Institution, and was Assistant Secretary of Education under President George whether there were any other pregnant teachers in the city’s schools. He some- H. W. Bush. how did a visual inspection of the city’s teachers and found 14 of them, and they were promptly suspended from teaching. Bridget Pexitto fought the decision in state court and was eventually reinstat- Trevor Helpline ed with back pay by the state commissioner of education. Forerunner to the United Federation of Teachers [UFT] was the New York City Teachers’ Union, which was founded in 1916. It was known as Local 2 of the American Federation of Teachers. Its purposes were to fight for improved sala- 866-4-U-TREVOR ries, to fight against “oppressive supervision,” and to defend the rights of teach- ers like Mary Murphy and Bridget Pexitto. 24/7 suicide prevention/crisis Today, the UFT and other teacher unions around the country continue to play important roles in protecting the rights of teachers, especially in the current confidential help for climate of school reform. There’s a common view among corporate-style reformers today that the way to gay and questioning teens fix low-performing schools is to install an autocratic principal who rules with an

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 19 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, MARCH 10, 2007, PAGE 20