All Steven Gray wanted was to be properly trained as an airline ramp agent for Delta and Northwest Airlines at Will Rogers World Airport. The Oklahoma City resident just wanted to know the correct procedures for below-wing aircraft handling, like marshaling planes, loading baggage and boarding passengers. But apparently, Gray was asking too much from […]
Scott Cooper
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Would a commission proposed in State Question 748 depoliticize redistricting or create a new set of problems?
While some questions appearing on the state ballot this November are getting lots of attention ” like State Question 744 mandating increased funding for education ” there are other, lesser-known questions that could have great impact down the road. One is State Question 748, which would change the rules concerning legislative and congressional redistricting. Currently, […]
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Would State Question 747’s term limits for a host of statewide offices weed out bad apples or lessen institutional wisdom?
Have term limits worked well enough to implement it for all state-elected offices? Those who like term limits have a simple answer: yes. For that side of the argument, it’s all about incumbency. “The power of incumbency gives voters less of an opportunity,” said Brian Downs, executive director of Oklahomans for Responsible Government. “It brings […]
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Ralph Nader says Oklahoma’s regression from its progressive roots to the country’s most restrictive ballot access laws is ‘criminal’
Once upon a time, Ralph Nader really believed Oklahoma stood on the forefront of the progressive movement. “As someone who worked with Sen. Fred Harris, I thought this would be a renaissance,” Nader said, in the office of local Green Party candidate Dr. Ed Shadid before a Sept. 9 speech in Oklahoma City about election […]
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New poll shows Oklahomans don’t have very favorable view of mainstream media, with some exceptions
A recent survey of Oklahomans’ views of broadcast news finds perception meets reality as political views dictate viewer choice, with one exception. SoonerPoll.com asked 500 registered voters across the state for their thoughts about mainstream media, including selected cable news channels. Some of the results are hardly surprising. When it comes to the mainstream press, […]
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This boulevard is on a diet
contend getting a finalized plan all can agree on should not be too difficult. Like merging onto the interstate: Just go with the flow. Stretching out How important is the new boulevard to OKC’s future? See if this is hard to interpret: “The new Boulevard would join some of the most memorable streets in the […]
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With marching orders from the Oklahoma City Council, the MAPS 3 board turns its attention to the senior wellness centers
The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board wanted to send a message to the Oklahoma City Council: We hear you loud and clear. At the council’s Aug. 17 meeting, several councilors were upset that the advisory board had focused too much attention on the new convention center to be built from MAPS 3 funds, and hardly […]
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What the heck is going on with the new convention center?
It was the least popular, most expensive, but heaviest emphasized project in MAPS 3. And now, it is becoming a controversial aspect of the city’s future. Last December, Oklahoma City voters approved sending 1 cent for every dollar of purchases into a special coffer for projects city leaders said would continue to move the community […]
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Exec stresses Oklahoma City, Tulsa cooperation in children’s education
The executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation urged leaders in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to work together to help better educate children. Speaking before Thursday’s large crowd at the Cox Convention Center for “2010 Oklahoma State of the Schools,” Ken Levit laid out the similarities ” and challenges ” between the state’s two […]
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The Oklahoma County Juvenile Justice Center seeks grant money for monitoring bracelets
Every weekday morning, Larry Hicks looks at the daily rap sheet and sees a familiar theme: Too many kids, not enough beds. As director of the Oklahoma County Juvenile Justice Center, Hicks continuously has to find ways to keep the center’s population below its maximum occupancy count of 80. One idea that was working involved […]