Oklahoma Gazette Letters to the Editor: Bloat and potential scandal

After reading the commentary by Linda Terrell (”Changes at DHS threaten progress,” July 4, Oklahoma Gazette), I located House Bill 2300 as passed and found disturbing issues that look like business as usual. While much of it can be considered reasonable, it abolishes outside oversight of child care activities, abolishes a biannual audit of activities and establishes a new program that gives the appearance of funneling taxpayer dollars into an already selected pocket.

The OK Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents Program has a long list of qualifying factors for the successful bidder that doesn’t include such things as national recognition of workers, programs or training — but does include a number of established factors, including an already existing relationship with the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

Since there is $1,500 a year per child plus other “appropriate assistance” at stake here in one of the most incarceration-inclined states in the nation, this may add up to real money. Since this is a new program with no new taxes to cover it, other underfunded programs will probably be shorted further.

The Republican/tea party coalition came into power talking about how much they were going to change things. The greatest observable change is the bloat in the size of the problems and the potential for scandal.

—Clinton Wiles, Oklahoma City