Commentary
Dr. Ed Shadid
The most critical lesson of the downtown boulevard debate is that diversity of thought (itself a function of the sum total of our experiences) through maximum public participation, along with the utmost transparency to aid in deliberations, leads to better decision-making.

Commentary
Rep. Doug Cox
Jane is in the emergency room complaining of stomach pain. This is her third ER visit in two weeks. She is worried about losing her job because of the missed time.

Commentary
John Thompson
There is a lot wrong with the Oklahoma City Public Schools, but the blame game is not a solution. OKCPS, largely made up of low-income students (88 percent), earned a D in the Oklahoma Department of Education A-F school grading system. But the state also earned a D for improving outcomes for low-performing students. To serve our children and help those who struggle, we must stop blaming individuals and address systemic problems that have stymied all urban school systems.

Commentary
Kate Richey

For nearly 50 years, Medicaid has provided basic medical care to the poorest and most vulnerable Oklahomans. While Medicaid is the state’s primary safety net health care provider, many of the state’s poor are not currently eligible. The vast majority (93 percent) of those covered now under SoonerCare/Medicaid are children, seniors, disabled adults and pregnant women.

Commentary
Marilyn Davidson
Our public schools are the most important resource in our community — they truly should be the heart and soul of every community. As parents, we should care about what happens in our schools, and as taxpayers, we should be able to access schools for community use.

Commentary
Joey Senat
Gov. Mary Fallin doesn’t want you to know what advice her 14 Cabinet members give on running the state.

Commentary
Bill Bleakley
Tuesday is election day for choosing the chair and two members of the Oklahoma City Public Schools School Board. Many believe the school elections are set in the middle of winter and not in conjunction with regular elections to subdue voter turnout and strengthen the political power of education special interests. The usual voter turnout in these elections proves them right.

Commentary
Mike Brake
The renewed push to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Oklahoma takes the same misguided approach used by other states, including California. If, indeed, there is legitimate therapeutic value in pot — a contention with limited anecdotal evidence — setting up an ad hoc network of authorized growers and dispensers is the wrong way to go. Medical pot, if it’s ever legalized, should undergo rigorous clinical trials and be carefully regulated like every other drug

Commentary
Dr. Dana Stone
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”

Commentary
Mary Ellen Jones

In her State of the State address, Gov. Mary Fallin is to be commended for the inclusion of mental health when talking about health and for proposing increased funding for mental health programs. Mental illness is a medical condition of the brain, an organ of the body, and should be treated like any other organrelated malady.