17 August, 2010
We’ve got several state questions on the ballot this time. . .some you will care about, some you won’t. State questions often get overlooked during elections. Unless it is something really hot, it isn’t uncommon for people to read the questions for the first time when they enter the voting booth.
So, what questions are on the ballot?
744: States that the state must spend on education, per child, the same amount of money (on average) that the neighboring states spend. So if Texas spends $20 per student, and Kansas spends $10 per student, Oklahoma would have to spend at least $15 per student. Yes, I know there are other states that border us, but I wanted to keep the math simple.
Good or bad? The last line of the question reads: The measure does not raise taxes, nor does it provide new funding for the new spending requirements. That right there tells me what I need to know. This doesn’t raise taxes (good), but doesn’t provide funds to pay for this (bad). Good in theory, but where does the money come from? Gotta pay for that somehow. Charter schools are left out of the equation altogether.
746: Oklahoma Voter Identification Measure. Require voters to identify themselves with a photo ID (or voter ID card) when voting. Anybody who can’t produce such an ID has to sign a sworn affidavit saying they are eligible to vote, and only then could they cast a *provisional* ballot.
Good or bad? You’ll have to reach pretty far to find anything bad about requiring people to be who they say they are before voting.
747: Term limits for governor, lieutenant governor, state auditor, attorney general, state treasurer, labor commissioner, state schools superintendent, and insurance commissioner. Currently the governor is term limited to 8 *consecutive* years, but can run again after at least a 4 year break.
Good or bad? Again, I’m having a hard time finding anything bad about term limits. . .and I’m running for an office that is term limited! Public service should not be a career. It should be something people perform as a duty, and then go back to a productive occupation.
748: Change the redistricting commission setup. It would change the commission to include three (3) democrats and three (3) republicans, appointed by the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president pro tempore of the Senate. The Lt. Governor will chair the commissioner, but is a non-voting member.
Good or bad? Probably good. Right now, that commission is made up of the Secretary of Eduction, the Attorney General, and the State Treasurer. This puts more people on the board, and those people are selected by people more directly responsible to the people. That makes this a good thing, in my opinion.
750: Change the way the number of signatures needed to propose a state constitutional amendment is calculated. Currently the number is based on the last general election, which might be a Presidential election, which has a higher turnout. This will base that number on the last gubernatorial election, which generally has a *lower* turnout. So if 56% of Oklahomans voted in the last Presidential election, the number of signatures on a ballot petition is based on that number. If only 45% of voters voted in the last gubernatorial election, and this measure passes, the number of signatures required will be based on 45% rather than 56%. Lower percentage of voters means fewer signatures required.
Good or bad? In my opinion, this pulls power from the legislative branch and gives it to the people. . .which is a good thing. Might it make for a longer ballot? Might more “junk” questions make the cut? Probably so. But I’d rather have the chance to vote on them than *not* have the chance.
751: Makes English the official language of Oklahoma. All official actions of the state would be in English. . .except as required by the Feds.
Good or bad? This is America, learn to speak American, although I might make an exception for the Queen’s English.
752: Changes the makeup of the commission that nominates judges to fill a judicial vacancy. Currently there are thirteen (13) members, this measure would allow the President Pro Tempore to add one member, and the Speaker of the House to add the other member. Neither could be attorneys, nor could they have attorneys in their immediate family. They could, however, be from the same party. This commission nominates judges, and the governor must select one of those nominees to fill the vacancy.
Good or bad? Beats me. I’ll probably oppose this measure, just because I’m not sure what the change would do in reality.
754: This measure says that the legislature could not appropriate money based on any formula. In other words, the legislature couldn’t say “well, you got $5 in year one, $10 in year two, $15 in year three. . .so you get $20 in year four.”
Good or bad? If you will note State Question 744, Oklahoma would be required to appropriate money for education based on the average of the surrounding states. This bill would say we couldn’t do that. Further, it would curtail automatic budget increases. . .which is a good thing.
755: Constitutional amendment that says the courts must rely only on federal or state law when making rulings. Rulings cannot be based on International or Sharia law.
Good or bad? It has the scary title of the “Sharia Law” measure, but I’d support this measure even without the scary title. I do *not* want Americans tried under anything except American law. No International law, no Sharia law, no “world court” law.
756: Healthcare opt-out measure. In a nutshell, it says Oklahomans cannot be forced into a healthcare plan or system.
Good or bad? Good, but only as a push back against the federal government. The United States Constitution has a Supremacy Clause, which means that federal law trumps state law. . .which means this measure only has as many teeth as the feds allow it to have. Still, it is a push back, which makes it a good thing.
757: Change the percentage of surplus funds that go into the Rain Day Fund. Currently, 10% of surplus funds go into that fund, but if this measure passes, 15% will go into the fund.
Good or bad? You’ll have a hard time convincing me that we would be better off without increasing the safety cushion. If we get in a bind, and we *will* get in a bind, we’ll need as much cash in that Rainy Day Fund as we can get.
So there you go. A quick discussion of the state questions. It is a good slate of questions, and most of them limit the government rather than the citizens. If you are unsure, vote NO on the question. Honestly, if these were *really* important, you’d have heard about them and have an opinion. Voting NO leaves things the way they are.
12 July, 2010
A couple weeks ago, I had a lady ask me about House Bill 2998, a bill to keep “nonviolent offender mothers out of prison.” (NewsOn6, 15 Feb, 2010)
Short answer? I don’t like the bill, I don’t like the idea, and I don’t like the reasoning behind it.
Long answer? Well, it’s a really long answer, and it will sound harsh. Bear with me until the end, and I’ll soften my response some.
How many women in state penitentiary have a 100% clean criminal record *except* for the conviction for which they are serving time? I’d venture to say you’d be hard pressed to find many of those cases, which means that the women there have a history of criminal activity.
“Nonviolent offenders”. . .meaning “women convicted of drug charges.” So, a woman doesn’t have enough regard for her kids to keep from using drugs, but faced with prison time, will suddenly decide her kids are worth the effort to break the addiction.
This bill, according to House members, would save the State of Oklahoma money on incarcerations. Well, so would simply legalizing drug use and prostitution!
How about something more substantial. . .like the 1891 Caldwell v. Texas ruling which states, in part, that according to the Fourteenth Amendment “no State can deprive particular persons or classes of persons of equal and impartial justice under the law.” But suddenly, with this bill, we’re going to grant partiality to parents.
All that sounds pretty calloused of me, doesn’t it? As a conservative, my philosophy is based on logic and reason. . .as opposed to feelings. Nevertheless, let me try to soften my answer some.
Are there cases where both mothers and society will benefit from this bill? Yes there are. Are there community based rehabilitation programs that have a better than average (which is abysmal) success rate? Yes there are. Will some kids be better off having a mother in the home? Absolutely.
All of those are valid arguments, and none of them change the facts. Either we apply the law equally to all people, or we don’t. This bill says “we don’t.”
28 June, 2010
Today, SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) sent McDonald v. Chicago back to the 7th Circuit court and incorporated the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution against the states.
It’s a beautiful thing. . .and I wanted to put down on paper (or screen, as the case may be) my views on firearm ownership and use. I’m going to try to express how vehemently I embrace this freedom without putting myself into the “gee, that joker’s a total nutjob” category.
“. . .the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” I’m not sure how much more plain that could be.
Can you imagine the uproar if a city outlawed books or a state enacted a law stating that the citizens had to purchase a permit before attending church or voting? That’s exactly what has happened with firearms.
Are firearms different than religion or the press? It doesn’t matter. Firearms, books, and church are not the points. . .the point is the right. What makes one right more “right” than another one? What makes dirt from Oklahoma more “dirt-ish” than dirt from Texas? Dirt is dirt, and a right is a right. Well, since we are better in every way than Texas, our dirt is obviously superior, but you get the idea.
Does that make people uncomfortable? Without a doubt. A lady behind you at the Post Office wearing a firearm might give you pause. You might not even like it. Shoot, I don’t like books filled with bigotry, and I don’t like Muslim mosques that preach hate, but those are protected rights. Whether I like it or not is irrelevant.
“But John, what about machine guns and silencers?” Well, what about them? Both are perfectly legal in Oklahoma already. . .provided you pay the $200 tax on them. A tax on a right? Yup. You just *thought* the 24th Amendment made it unConstitutional to tax a right.
Gun free zones? Sorta like in Columbine, Virginia Tech, or the Amish school in Pennsylvania? Maybe they should be called “defenseless victim zones.”
There will always be crazies in the world. People who are willing to die in order to kill others. Nothing the government can do will change that. No shooter has gone to a building, hell bent on shooting someone, and been rebuffed by the “No Guns” sign on the door.
The 2nd Amendment is not about hunting. It is not about shooting clays. It is not about collecting. It is about self defense. Self defense on the individual level against other individuals, and self defense on the collective level against an oppressive government. There, I said it. The freedom to keep and bear arms is protection against the government. I pray it never comes to that, but being willing and able, if all other options are exhausted, is part of the American psyche.
I did not grow up in a household that had guns. Dad had but a single rifle as I was growing up. . .a .22 Mossberg. Now, my wife and I own, frankly, a whole lot more than the national average of firearms per household. The vast majority of them do not get used. . .but I own them as a symbol of freedom. I own them because I can. I can pick up the Caspian 1911 laying on the desk here next to me, hold it in my hands, and know that there are very few people in the world that have the freedom, if not the means, to do the exact same thing. That basic freedom separates us from the rest of history.
22 June, 2010
I wanted to start taking time to flesh out my views on various issues. It’s hard to know much about such things just from a piece of literature, or from a five (5) minute speech. I want you to know what I think, so you know what you are voting for when you vote for me.
How about starting with an easy one, one that everybody should have an opinion on. . .taxes.
In a nutshell, less is better. Higher taxes and bigger government go hand in hand. . .and I don’t appreciate either of them!
I’m an equal opportunity tax-cutter. I’m as much for lower taxes on income as I am for lower taxes on investments. All tax cuts help.
I remember awhile back listening to a couple politicians talk about a given tax, and how they were opposed to eliminating it because it would cut off a revenue stream for the government. I’m a whole lot less concerned about the government’s revenue stream than I am with *your* revenue stream.
You’ve heard people say “well, we’re only raising taxes on the rich.” That’s fine. . .until you define “rich”. No thank you. . .no class warfare for me. Just lower taxes on everybody!
Does this mean that sometimes services will be cut or scaled back? Yes, yes it does. It’s just a matter of deciding what services are really important. Fire departments? Essential. Creature comforts for prisoners? Not essential.
So there you go. . .given my druthers, I’ll oppose taxes every chance I get. If you think we should have higher taxes, you are welcome to send a check to the .gov for as much money as you want to. But don’t tell me that I need to send a check as well.
15 June, 2010
Prague Political Rally and Pie AuctionA big Thank You to the Prague Chamber for putting on an awesome rally and pie auction. . .and yet more free ice cream!
Pretty decent turnout, good weather, lots of good conversation. . .and my speech even turned out pretty decent.
14 June, 2010
Ice Cream and PoliticsSpent Saturday in Chandler. Far be it from me to turn down a chance at free ice cream!
Awesome time at the Ice Cream Festival. Really good turnout, amazing weather, lots of good people to talk to!
The Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday evening was a resounding success. Great turnout, great bunch of speakers. Everybody from Mary Fallin, candidate for Governor, down to Lee Doolen, candidate for County Commissioner were there to speak.
If you missed the Dinner, you missed a pristine opportunity to talk with all the GOP candidates. It’s not often you get a chance to talk face to face with the folks who make real policy in our government. Some are good politicians, some are good people, some are both. At events like this, it is easier to find out which group has which people in it.
8 June, 2010
Filing Day!Well, today was the day. . .
Headed down to Oklahoma City first thing this morning. . .I think I got to the Capitol just a few minutes after 8am. Worst part of the whole thing was fighting through the metal detector.
Wonderfully nice lady got me all signed in, got all the t’s dotted and the i’s crossed, and that was that.
No backing out now!
A huge THANK YOU to everybody who has helped get me here! Gonna be an awesome ride to November, and I’m really looking forward to it!
29 May, 2010
Chandler and Stroud alumni paradesA full day of parades!
Started off in Chandler, then over to Stroud. Lots of folks at both places.
Hot? Why yes, yes it was. . .and we walked both parades. But it was worth it! People are excited!
Put up a few pics from today.
4 May, 2010
Kolache FestivalHad a good time at the Kolahce Festival! Rained a bit in the early morning, but by the time things got underway, it was another gorgeous Oklahoma day.
First time to get to ride in a parade. Felt a bit silly at first. . .
Spent the afternoon at the booth. Got to talk to lots of people. It’s good to hear what people are concerned about. Several commented on immigration and education.
So what’s next on the agenda? Next “big” thing is the Lincoln Day Dinner in Chandler. I’ll even spend a few minutes behind a microphone. Hope I can keep people awake!
22 April, 2010
Campaign is underway. . .The campaign is underway. Moving forward. Making progress.
Been making all the legislative breakfasts. Good chance to talk to people, and get updates from the capitol on what is going on. Did you know there were something like 1200 bills filed in the House this session? I have a hard time thinking that there are 1200 things wrong with Oklahoma that the legislature needs to solve.
The budget is the elephant in the room. . .or *lack* of budget, as the case may be. Hard questions have to be answered about what needs funding and what can be cut back. As a limited government guy, I see less government income as a chance to make government more efficient and less intrusive.
Something that has surprised me a bit is how much elected officials are concerned about government income. I heard a gentleman recently speak against a particular tax cut because it would cut off a “revenue stream” for the State. That may well be true, but I’m more concerned about the “revenue streams” of people. But I guess it is easier for government to keep taking your money than it is for them to reorder priorities.
What is coming down the pike? I’ll be over in Prague for the Kolache Festival on 1 May. Gonna be in the parade, along with one of our German Shepherds, and then I’ll be at an info booth down by IGA for the rest of the day. Swing by and holler at me. Should have literature printed by then and plan to have free ice cold bottled water to soothe your parched throats.