Don’t eff with a town that’s in its third week of triple-digit temperatures. That might be the lesson for fast-food “West-Mex” chain Taco John’s after the social media brouhaha it got into with lovers of local favorite Iguana Mexican Grill. A note for would-be corporate spooks: Consider your timing. It’s the first week of August. […]
Commentary
Posted inNews
Why not, Oklahoma?
Bruce Springsteen wrote in “Glory Days” of an ex-baseball star stuck in the past and not looking forward. As Oklahomans, we cannot rest on the past. We have the legacy, resources and talent to mold our future. It takes commitment, focus and action. Peter Drucker wrote, “The best way to predict the future is to […]
Posted inNews
Elusive reform
What will it take to change the prevailing political mentality in Oklahoma when it comes to prison incarceration? In a recent media report, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Justin Jones called the current prison situation a “crisis” because of the disparity between the high number of inmates and low number of corrections staff, which has […]
Posted inNews
Commentary: Share the road
Most readers know that I’ve been fairly insistent in recent commentaries that Oklahoma City continue our upward momentum by investing in quality of life infrastructure. That insistence has now turned to advocacy following the recent deaths of two Oklahoma City bicyclists on metro streets. Alan Spencer and Clyde Riggs were struck and killed by motorists […]
Posted inNews
Why good people don’t run for office
Last month, candidates trekked down to the state Capitol, stood in line, got their picture taken by reporters, filed all the necessary paperwork and suddenly, they were a name on a ballot. Money spent, signs made and commercials bought. Campaign season is upon us, but by the attention the elections are getting, you might not […]
Posted inNews
Choosing a congressman
The 5th District congressional race could be decided prior to the general election in November. Because of the district’s registration and voting history, the next representative will most likely be a Republican. Among the seven Republican candidates for the seat, three appear to have the campaign funding and organization to be viable contenders. They are […]
Posted inNews
The city and the future
In May 2010, the Oklahoma City Planning Department kicked-off “planOKC,” a comprehensive planning process that will provide a new long-term vision for Oklahoma City’s growth and development. This is only our city’s fourth comprehensive plan in its more than 120-year history, and thus offers a unique opportunity to collectively envision the city we wish to […]
Posted inNews
Who loves Jesus most?
Did you know that you can buy Christian breath mints? If you don’t find that at least mildly amusing, it might be time to check yourself in to the “Home for People Who Take Life Too Seriously.” Christian breath mints. Like slapping a Bible verse on something and selling it in the church bookstore makes […]
Posted inNews
At what price?
What does it say about a state when it spends far more money on a per-person basis housing its prisoners than it does educating its children? Sadly, that has been the case in Oklahoma for years, and the message from many previous and current state leaders is simple and stark: Oklahoma is more interested in […]
Posted inNews
Reporting the truth with sensitivity and compassion
Between 140 and 160 law enforcement officers are killed in the line of duty in the United States every year, according to the group Concerns of Police Survivors (or C.O.P.S.). C.O.P.S. is a national nonprofit that provides resources for the surviving family and affected co-workers of a fallen police officer. My daughter, Stephanie, a licensed […]