Who’s to blame? Donald Smith (Commentary, Letters, “No war,” July 16, Oklahoma Gazette) wishes to remind those of us with “short memories” that the United States sent troops into Iraq at the order of George W. Bush. I wish to refresh his memory and ask him if he remembers 9/11. Does he remember which Middle […]
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Uphill battle
Oklahoma Democrats are still in rebuilding mode. An electoral thrashing in 2010 left the party in shambles, and 2014 is a year to try to hold ground and maybe pull off a miracle or two. Outnumbered by Republicans 108- 41 in the Legislature and holding no statewide seats, the best-case scenario for Democrats this year […]
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What are Oklahoma progressives to do?
Prominent Democrats with clear name recognition have yet to announce candidacies for major statewide offices, such as governor. People involved in our political scene point to the negative impact President Barack Obama’s sheer existence will have on his same-party candidates in Oklahoma. The GOP here has demonized the president to the point of absurdity, but […]
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Not our war
The Assad government is ruthless and has killed thousands of civilians, but the Obama administration said poison gas used by government forces would be the “red line” for action. A United Nations finding published by Reuters showed that poison gas was used by rebel forces, not government forces, so that line has yet to be […]
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Brake dancing with facts
State employees, including the corrections officers and state troopers who protect us, haven’t received a pay raise since 2006, but our country-club Republicans allocated $7 million to needlessly remodel Capitol legislative offices, including a conference room “complete with a catering area and offices.” We incarcerate over 26,000 people (27 percent for drug offenses), costing hundreds […]
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Touting marriage: Why knot?
Using Census Bureau data, researchers Patrick Fagan and Nicholas Zill have determined that only 4 in 10 Oklahoma teenagers (ages 15 to 17) have grown up in an intact married family (i.e., with both their birth mother and their biological father legally married to one another since before or around the time of the teenager’s […]
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Payback politics?
Credit: Brad Gregg Even as recovery operations began May 20, Roll Call quoted Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, as saying disaster spending should be offset with spending cuts elsewhere, dredging up ugly memories of the earlier struggle to pass disaster relief spending for Hurricane Sandy victims. The GOP was accused of cold-heartedness after House Speaker John […]
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Miracle on 23rd Street: a tax cut
The long-expected agreement on this year’s scheme proposes to drop Oklahoma’s personal income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent effective Jan. 1, 2015. The net effect will be to provide a family of four earning about $40,000 an additional 50 cents a day in their pockets. This is not even “trickledown” economics, it’s […]
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Marriage equality is up for grabs
The Supreme Court justices (in that very same Supreme Court building) are presently considering California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage. They are also considering the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Interestingly, attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies jointly filed the federal lawsuit that brought […]
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Whole lotta crazy going on
How about this simple analogy: Republicans, with super majorities in the House and Senate, are like children who suddenly find themselves in a free candy store. They’re gorging. “Will it eventually make them sick?” ask hopeful progressives. Democrats call it a whole lot of crazy going on. “Excuse us,” argue Republicans. “Aren’t we simply fulfilling […]