The Gulf oil leak has given environmentalists a perfect opportunity to expose the insanity and greed mongering of deep sea offshore drilling and to show how the GOP "drill, baby, drill" philosophy is a major component of what created the country's worst environmental crisis in its history.
Nothing shows this opportunity more than a recent poll that shows 83 percent of the American people disapprove of the way oil giant BP has responded to the leak, which is gushing millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, killing wildlife, dirtying beaches, stopping fishing in some areas and hurting tourism.
The Oklahoman editorial page has argued recently this country needs more, not less, offshore drilling even given the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
But now, in an obvious contradiction, the newspaper is criticizing President Barack Obama for not having enough "righteous anger" over the crisis.
In an unsigned Sunday editorial, "Obama's cool detachment is hurting him as a leader" (June 13, 2010), the newspaper discusses a Wall Street Journal article that describes the president as an "alien" because apparently he's not yelling and screaming loudly enough about the Gulf disaster.
I have published another scorecard for the 2010 session.They run regularly during and shortly after each legislative session in The Edmond Sun newspaper. Highlighted bills include "opting out" of health care reform, funding rural ambulance services, requiring roofers to have insurance and loosening charter school sponsor requirements.
Brittany Novotny, a local attorney, is running for the House District 84 seat now held by the infamous Sally Kern, a Republican, who once created a national media firestorm when she said homosexuality was a greater threat to the country than terrorism.
Novotny has a well-organized campaign with an excellent web site, and she has already been walking the district. She didn't draw an opponent in the primary, which will allow her to focus on the general election. The general election will include an independent candidate, who could draw votes away from Kern. The bottom line is this: Novotny can win.
As oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico creating perhaps the worst environmental disaster in the country's history, The Oklahoman editorial page has this simple message: The U.S. needs more offshore drilling.
What else would you expect from a newspaper that worships energy corporations and serves as a propaganda arm for the GOP, right?
On Tuesday, The Oklahoman published an editorial, "Bold guess: Pickens heralding 2010 energy bill" (June 8, 2010) that discussed Boone Pickens' prediction that Congress will pass some sort of energy bill this year.
It's probably an understatement to argue that this has not been a great year for progressive Oklahoma Democrats so far.
No viable Democratic candidate has emerged to challenge U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn. Both Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson, trail U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin in polling. The Republican-dominated legislature continued its destructive, ideological spree at the state Capitol pretty much unabated and sometimes helped by conservative Democrats.
So it was fantastic news for progressives to learn that state Sen. Jim Wilson, a Democrat from Tahlequah, has announced he will challenge Blue Dog U.S. Rep. Dan Boren in the Second District Congressional Democratic primary.
Some will get offended and others will relish the controversy, but one of the most important local art events of this year starts Friday night in the Paseo District at the AKA Gallery, an event that has drawn advanced national and local media coverage.
On Friday, Marilyn Artus, an Oklahoma City artist, will unveil nine pieces she has titled "Our Lady of the Anti-Personnel Weapon and her Stepford Friends." The pieces, which are collages, depict the Virgin Mary holding weapons. Artus said, "The expectation to be pure is part of what I'm exploring. These pieces express so many of my thoughts on religion and on the complexities of being a woman."
As the Oklahoma legislative session wrapped up last week, U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn was pulling a typical political stunt by supposedly offering ways to offset funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan military occupations.
In the Senate, Coburn offered two amendments to the $60 billion War Supplemental Bill. Those amendments, which were voted down, would have frozen the salaries of federal workers, capped hiring of federal workers for five years, stopped funding for peacekeeping activities in Haiti and cut surplus funding for the Woman, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Here's a complete list of Coburn's proposals.
In 2005, more than 1,800 people died in Hurricane Katrina, which flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, causing epic proportions of destruction and displacing thousands of people.
Many suffering people thought the government's immediate response to the hurricane's aftermath in New Orleans was not quick enough, and former President George Bush was widely criticized for not realizing the scope of the disaster until later. Those are simply nonpartisan facts. People still disagree on whether Bush deserved the criticism or not.
Oklahoma simply can't afford to decimate its public education system with teacher layoffs, but apparently it's going to happen.
Oklahoma City Public Schools has announced it's not renewing the contracts of about 300 teachers next year because of state budget cuts. Tulsa Public Schools has said it won't renew the contracts of 286 teachers. Anecdotal evidence indicates teacher layoffs or eliminating teaching positions will be widespread throughout the state next fall.
Sendoff for the most radical anti-women legislative session in state history.
Press conference at 11:45, 4th Floor Rotunda, followed by rally on North Plaza.
Please share this info widely with all your pro-women friends, networks and lists.
URGENT THAT OUR SUPPORTERS COME OUT FOR THIS ACTION !!!
Wear pink!
As the Oklahoma legislative year ends, a session which saw numerous radical anti-abortion bills be passed, a group of activists that has been a steady pink-clad presence in the galleries during the final week will rally to collectively condemn the bills and to commit to future action against them and similar legislation.
For those who took part during the week, you had an impact, for those who were not able to participate, you still have a chance to be part of this historic campaign for reproductive justice in Oklahoma.
On Friday, May 28, supporters are asked to come -- wearing pink -- to the Capitol for the final time this session to be a living backdrop for a press conference at which medical professionals, religious leaders, political representatives and young people will address the bills and the growing movement for justice for women in our state.
Afterward, around 1pm, the group will move to the North Plaza for a rally where women and men will express their anger about the inherent contempt for all female Oklahomans embodied by the bills, as well as their determination to work to roll back these laws and preserve the rights, guaranteed by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court, to privacy and self-agency.
As the legialative session winds down, Planned Parenthood is begging for a PINK PRESENCE at the capitol on both Thursday and Friday, basically to bring some fear and doubt to some of these legislators about how safe they are.
Thursday and Friday --- the house and senate both are scheduled to open for business at 9. If you can afford any time at all, go to the Senate gallery (or the house, should they take up the override.)
Also visit legislators' offices. We plan to have (in the gallery) information and talking points for some of the worst reps' and senators' who have sponsored this awful legislation. See the attachment below for info on the anti-abortion bills and their sponsors.)
Friday --- we hope to have some other kind of event and will post info here when it is available.
The recent state budget deal still calls for significant cuts, but one-time money-federal stimulus funds and Rainy Day Fund money-helped avert a devastating catastrophe.
The $6.6 billion budget will mean 5 to 7 percent cuts for many state agencies in fiscal year 2011. This comes after huge cuts this fiscal year. Some agencies, such as Common Education, Higher Education, Public Safety, Corrections and Mental Health Services will receive smaller cuts, ranging from 0.5 to 3.3 percent.
When: Monday, 5/24 10AM
Where: OK State Capitol, Senate Gallery
Why:
Supporters of reproductive justice and women's rights in Oklahoma will gather -- WEARING PINK -- in the Senate Gallery as the final week of the legislative session starts, and the OK Senate considers whether to uphold or override Gov. Henry's veto of HB 3284, a draconian, intrusive, insulting and unconstitutional abortion reporting measure.
We are asserting the presence of Oklahomans who will not stand for the anti-women measures that have been coming from the Republican-led Oklahoma legislature. We are here, we are watching, we are organizing and we will be back next year in force!
Please join us, alert your friends and networks of advocates to this action, and join the Oklahoma Feminists group to stay informed and involved.
Even if you can't come, you CAN call your rep Monday AM, see action guide below for talking points and contact info.
Gov. Brad Henry's recent veto of the Statistical Abortion Report Act bill was another sensible and prudent move against a backdrop of extremist GOP-sponsored bills that have defined the 2010 legislative session.
House Bill 3284, sponsored by state Rep. Pam Peterson (R-Tulsa), would require women in Oklahoma to fill out a lengthy questionnaire before they receive an abortion. The information would then be published on a web site maintained by the state. The bill's alleged purpose is to collect research information about abortions, but it's really just another way to harass and intimidate women seeking the procedure.
I have published another scorecard for the 2010 session.They run regularly during and shortly after each legislative session in The Edmond Sun newspaper. Highlighted bills include a fee to fund Insure Oklahoma, open carry legislation and merit pay for teachers.
Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.
Some conservative political movements such as the "Tea Party" have criticized federal spending as being out of control. While spending is up, taxes have fallen to exceptionally low levels.
Can you imagine spending a quarter of a million dollars to stop average funding for Oklahoma school children?
That's exactly what the Association of Oklahoma General Contractors did when it recently contributed $250,000 to the One Oklahoma Coalition, which is working to defeat State Question 744, according to a report filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
(The report was also apparently submitted late. It was dated May 14, 2010. According to ethic rules: "For committees supporting or opposing ballot measures, reports must be submitted no later than the 10th day of each month to include all contributions and expenditures during the previous month.")
Here's part of Gov. Brad Henry's statement about his decision to veto House Bill 3354, legislation that would allow people here to openly carry weapons:
I'm a strong supporter of the right to bear arms and have earned an A rating from the NRA, but this measure does nothing to strengthen 2nd Amendment protections. We already allow trained and licensed Oklahomans to protect themselves by carrying concealed handguns, and it doesn't make anyone safer to wear a holster and display that weapon to the rest of the public. On the contrary, it makes it more difficult and dangerous for law enforcement officers to try to sort out the good guys and bad guys when they arrive at a crime scene.
Senate and House Democrats are threatening to hold up a budget agreement unless Republicans agree to a provider fee for hospitals that could bring the state millions of dollars in new Medicaid money.
The provider fee is a pragmatic, sensible proposal that deserves bipartisan support. It's unfortunate some budget negotiators apparently don't see it that way.
State Sen. Andrew Rice, an Oklahoma City Democrat, and state Rep. Scott Inman, a Del City Democrat, have led the public charge with the proposal, which is supported by the Oklahoma Hospital Association.
This is a community blog operated since 2006 by people dedicated to promoting and restoring progressive values in Oklahoma. A courageous band of patriots, we fight right-wing tyranny in one of the reddest of red states. Do you want to help by posting here? Do you want traffic back to your blog or site? We welcome posts written by liberals and centrist to conservative Democrats and Independents. Register above and start posting. Crossposting is allowed. Questions? Contact kurt.hochenauer@gmail.com.
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