Since I will be dressed in camo this week and hopefully concealed from the deer and maybe even politics, here is a reprint of one of my old favorites that if you have not seen, I hope you will enjoy. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
What ever happened to strike anywhere matches? I happened upon this little clandestine plot and I am not sure who is responsible but I think it could be the commies or maybe even terrorist, or at the very least those forces within our government that think we are too stupid to make our own decisions. Who ever is responsible I would like to take them to task.
As a young child I remember my great uncle, who kinda served as my grandfather in my formative years, always striking a match on the seat of his pants. If you are old enough to remember black and white TV then you remember the pose, you hike your leg and reach around and strike that wooden kitchen match on the seat of your britches. They are called friction matches, they have the little white sulfur tip and you can strike them anywhere. You didn’t have to have the box or anything like that. A pill bottle full of these little wonders could be kept in the tool box or by the burn barrel or just about anywhere. Who out there doesn’t remember the little tin box on the wall in Granny’s kitchen? It held a whole box of these little wooden wonders and it was gravity fed. They just fell to the bottom in the little tray, always at the ready to light the stove or the pilot light on the floor furnace and I don’t remember anybody’s Granny being in any kind of jeopardy because of this ignition source. High cholesterol from all that fried chicken was more of an issue but I don’t ever remember an obituary where a kitchen match was the culprit. Kitchen matches were so common and so simple, but I challenge you to try to find them and I think you will see what I mean. I think that you will be surprised how scarce they have become. I know you are probably thinking," My goodness Don, get a life" but here’s how I got to this point.
The conversation occurred quite by chance as a bunch of guys were gathered at a friends house watching Texas Tech beat the stuffin’ out of our beloved O-State Cowboys. As the score became more lopsided the conversation veered towards what it should be this time of year, deer camp. This same group used to make an annual pilgrimage to Southeast Oklahoma during deer season and sometimes we even hunted. But the camp and the comradery were what we really enjoyed. My friend Rod Smith asked "has anybody seen any strike anywhere matches lately?" and we all said "well sure, you can get them anywhere" and he said "No, no you can’t. I’ve looked at the dollar stores, Wal-Mart and even the grocery store; I think they have been taken off the market." Well friends and neighbors, in the twenty-first century you know what we do…we Google it. So when I got home the first thing I did was do a quick little search for strike anywhere matches. Interesting what you find out when you Google. Apparently this is not a local problem, this may be global. There is an entire chat room devoted to this very subject, with people from all walks of life bemoaning the difficulty of finding this very common household product. There is even talk of these matches being outlawed in some states. You guessed it, liability issues. I hope I don’t find out that the office of Homeland Security has determined in its infinite wisdom, that the strike anywhere match is now to dangerous too be sold on the open market, but I think it has.
I don’t remember if the terrorists used these in 9-11 or not but I kinda doubt it. There is even talk in these chat rooms about these matches having Hazmat designation, which means they are considered hazardous material, which I believe boarders on the insane. I remember as a child we used to make stink bombs out of an ink pen, a simple bobby pin and one of these matches. I don’t believe anybody ever died or lost an eye or had any kind of permanent scars from the lowly friction match but I do remember an upset teacher or two. But, somebody somewhere in a big fancy office, who probably never lit a match on the seat of their pants, decided for us that these were too dangerous for the American public.
Now I know that I should use this space to discuss this week in Oklahoma politics but I can’t let this go without at least a little rant about big brother protecting us from ourselves. I challenge you to go shopping, and try to find these matches. I did find a source at a small hardware store, I bought the last three boxes and told them to order me a case and I would buy them all. And I think I will keep them under lock and key and hope my name hasn’t been flagged by the secret agents in the U.S. Government or the "double naught spies" that ‘ol Jethro used to talk about on the Beverly Hillbillies. I bet ‘ol Jed Clampett could light a match on the seat of his pants. I promise I am not going to over throw anything, I just want to light my burn barrel with friction matches in a little water proof pill bottle that I keep down by the shop.
The funny thing is, some would argue that they have been replaced by the these new fangled long stemmed lighters but I am here to tell you whoever designed that little gem is an idiot, they light about three times and then you throw them away. But I am sure that we are much safer. But I promise you we went backward not forward, kinda like "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." I know this seems like a little thing but I think it shows how silly we can get when we start having discussions on safety.
Notice I didn’t tell you where my source was, it’s my own little honey hole, like a secret bass pond or a secret grove of trees where the big buck hangs out. You can torture me, but I ain’t talking. So if you find any strike anywhere wooden matches you better buy them before the government totally outlaws them, for your own good. My goodness what’s next, the round toothpick? God help us. Kinda makes me want to eat paste and run with scissors just to make sure I am still alive, I am such a rebel.
If you would like to contact me, while I’m at the Capitol, please don’t hesitate to call 800-522-8502 or send an email to donarmes@okhouse.gov .
And here’s a little something to think about, as you go down the road:
"The sky never falls all at once – it’s always a little at a time." -Don Armes
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
So Long, Dad.
As most of you know by now, my dad passed away last week marking the end of an era for our family. I cannot say it was not without some degree of relief. Not so much for us but for him, because for the last year, his health had declined dramatically. My dad was a Navy veteran. He joined up when he was 17 and spent two years on an aircraft carrier and then a destroyer in the sea of Japan during the Korean War. He was just a regular guy but he did his part to keep the war ships in operation and I am proud of his service to our country. My dad’s name was Donald Caz Armes. His father, my grandfather was Marion Caz Armes. The name Caz had to be from somewhere back in the family. Everybody I have talked to said “what a cool name”. But, my middle name is “Lee”. I guess he thought “Caz” was an awful thing to name a kid. I remember a lot of the old timers in my family referring to my grandfather as “Caz”. My dad and his brother always called him “Pop”.
My dad’s life was far from a storybook. He and my mom divorced when I was very young, in fifth grade. For many years, my sister Laura and I were not around my dad much. But, for the final part of his life, I realized that there can always be a rebirth. It is never too late to work on a relationship. Dad lived in Ft. Worth and was Head of Security for the Tandy Corporation. He had been in the security business for a number of years and had spent time with the Pinkerton Agency as wells as Guardsmark Security. During his time in Texas, he remarried and I have a half sister from that union named Melissa.
About 15 years ago he had a heart attack and almost died. That could have been the end of his story, but in reality that was the beginning. After recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, he moved to Oklahoma and spent 15 years as “Grandpa” to my girls. He helped us clerk auctions, was a great deal of help to me in taking care of cattle and was a pretty good hand on a tractor, as well as a good herdsman helping his granddaughters with their livestock show projects. When Dede and I went to work for the Bank of Elgin and were hired to open a new branch in Cache, Oklahoma, dad became the currier for The Bank of Elgin which evolved into what is now Liberty National Bank. It was a great job for a semi-retired guy because he made the rounds with each day’s work from each bank branch and usually got off early enough to be Kelsey’s ride home. She would get out of school and meet him at the bank and they would come home and take care of the animals together. When we moved into Western Comanche County, he came with us and lived on the farm right next door. He was an integral part of our family. I hope that the last chapter of his life was, for the most part, happy. As with most people’s lives, there were ups and downs. I know that his final years he shared with us on our farm on Pecan Creek were good ones. He spent many mornings watching a flock of wild turkey crossing the yard or watching a little band of deer make their way through the mesquite trees and living what I hope was a pretty good life. His life was pretty simple but I hope that I was able to honor him by providing him a home and a sense of family. I know that when he died, he did not die alone. He died around a family that loved him and he will be missed. He spent the last six months at the Lawton Veteran’s Center pretty much confined to a scooter but at least for a while, was able to get around and visit and even got to do a little fishing, which was probably the one thing that he thoroughly enjoyed. I was so glad we had a facility like the Veteran’s Center that was able to care for him and provide some quality of life to an old Navy veteran with a bad heart. I know that he was always proud of me. When I had my first campaign in 2002, he took the camper shell off his pickup and welded up a frame and carried a “Don Armes” sign with an American flag in the back of his Ford Ranger. I had scheduled a time this past session for my dad to serve as Veteran of the Week. My only regret is that I did not do that sooner, because he got sick and was not able to attend. That was really the beginning of the end as his health continued to decline. I had made up my mind that this year he would be there, even if he had to come in his scooter. But it wasn’t to be. Monday, I hope we made up for it as we laid him to rest at the Ft. Sill National Cemetery. A small trio of Navy men expertly folded the flag that was draped over his coffin and handed the flag to me while a young bugler played taps. One of the neat things about where his final resting place will be is that his gravesite will be right East of Ronnie Jeff Glover’s front pasture and he will always be looking over a pasture full of really good cattle which is actually kind of fitting because the last years of his life were overlooking our pasture and I think that was when he was the happiest.
For me, there is a sense of peace that I was able to provide a place and a family for my dad. I hope that I was a good son and was able to honor his life by caring for him at the end of it. Our family was very grateful for all the support of our community and friends. We will forever be indebted to all those who uplifted us at the passing of Donald Caz Armes. So long, dad. May God rest your soul.
"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich". -Colonel Potter
My dad’s life was far from a storybook. He and my mom divorced when I was very young, in fifth grade. For many years, my sister Laura and I were not around my dad much. But, for the final part of his life, I realized that there can always be a rebirth. It is never too late to work on a relationship. Dad lived in Ft. Worth and was Head of Security for the Tandy Corporation. He had been in the security business for a number of years and had spent time with the Pinkerton Agency as wells as Guardsmark Security. During his time in Texas, he remarried and I have a half sister from that union named Melissa.
About 15 years ago he had a heart attack and almost died. That could have been the end of his story, but in reality that was the beginning. After recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, he moved to Oklahoma and spent 15 years as “Grandpa” to my girls. He helped us clerk auctions, was a great deal of help to me in taking care of cattle and was a pretty good hand on a tractor, as well as a good herdsman helping his granddaughters with their livestock show projects. When Dede and I went to work for the Bank of Elgin and were hired to open a new branch in Cache, Oklahoma, dad became the currier for The Bank of Elgin which evolved into what is now Liberty National Bank. It was a great job for a semi-retired guy because he made the rounds with each day’s work from each bank branch and usually got off early enough to be Kelsey’s ride home. She would get out of school and meet him at the bank and they would come home and take care of the animals together. When we moved into Western Comanche County, he came with us and lived on the farm right next door. He was an integral part of our family. I hope that the last chapter of his life was, for the most part, happy. As with most people’s lives, there were ups and downs. I know that his final years he shared with us on our farm on Pecan Creek were good ones. He spent many mornings watching a flock of wild turkey crossing the yard or watching a little band of deer make their way through the mesquite trees and living what I hope was a pretty good life. His life was pretty simple but I hope that I was able to honor him by providing him a home and a sense of family. I know that when he died, he did not die alone. He died around a family that loved him and he will be missed. He spent the last six months at the Lawton Veteran’s Center pretty much confined to a scooter but at least for a while, was able to get around and visit and even got to do a little fishing, which was probably the one thing that he thoroughly enjoyed. I was so glad we had a facility like the Veteran’s Center that was able to care for him and provide some quality of life to an old Navy veteran with a bad heart. I know that he was always proud of me. When I had my first campaign in 2002, he took the camper shell off his pickup and welded up a frame and carried a “Don Armes” sign with an American flag in the back of his Ford Ranger. I had scheduled a time this past session for my dad to serve as Veteran of the Week. My only regret is that I did not do that sooner, because he got sick and was not able to attend. That was really the beginning of the end as his health continued to decline. I had made up my mind that this year he would be there, even if he had to come in his scooter. But it wasn’t to be. Monday, I hope we made up for it as we laid him to rest at the Ft. Sill National Cemetery. A small trio of Navy men expertly folded the flag that was draped over his coffin and handed the flag to me while a young bugler played taps. One of the neat things about where his final resting place will be is that his gravesite will be right East of Ronnie Jeff Glover’s front pasture and he will always be looking over a pasture full of really good cattle which is actually kind of fitting because the last years of his life were overlooking our pasture and I think that was when he was the happiest.
For me, there is a sense of peace that I was able to provide a place and a family for my dad. I hope that I was a good son and was able to honor his life by caring for him at the end of it. Our family was very grateful for all the support of our community and friends. We will forever be indebted to all those who uplifted us at the passing of Donald Caz Armes. So long, dad. May God rest your soul.
"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich". -Colonel Potter
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
It's Finally Over
I don’t know about you, but it took a lot of Maalox to get me through this election cycle. Every two year cycle it seems like it gets uglier and uglier. It very well could be me and my perspective. Being inside politics, I personally know most of the people. It is hard to watch when good people get beat up and it makes it even harder when you know the other guy is lying. Yes, I said it out loud. In this new political environment, I am an old guy. So, maybe I grow weary and less impressed with political rhetoric and yes, with the lies. We, as a society, are a strange bunch. We say how much we hate negative campaigning but we pay big money to watch UFC fights and cage matches and football and we like sports like bull riding and stock car racing and we do not seem to be phased by blood and gore. It seems like this new generation kinda likes “smash mouth politics”. We act civilized but are we really? There is always the dynamic when there is a male/female race. It seems okay for a man to hit a man but I do think it makes, even the toughest of us, a little queasy for a man to hit a woman.
I have learned a lot more in the last few years about politics than I ever really wanted to know. It is interesting when you are actually in it how much more you pick up when watching races. A candidate very seldom goes negative unless they are behind. How do they know they are behind? From polling data. They pay for a consulting firm to poll their district, county or state. They disseminate that information, analyze it and if they find themselves behind, out comes the negative. It was interesting to watch some of the statewide races this year as some of the negative attacks occurred and some candidates chose the high road. As you are reading this, political agencies all over the state and nation will be crunching numbers and looking at results and analyzing the numbers to see what worked and what did not work because in two years, they will have to do it again. As normal people go back to their lives, these political guys will be strategizing on how this new generation of voters reacted to these attacks, as well as how successful the responses, whether positive or negative, affected the outcome of the election. I do want to commend our gubernatorial candidates for a fairly clean contest. But, from there down ballot, it was ugly.
We always say that it is hard to get good people to run for office. While I think that we have cleaned up government quite a bit in the last few years, I also know from having been involved in my own race as well as others, that when people see an election cycle like we have just seen, it makes it really hard to get quality people to put their name on the line and open up their life to the public knowing that there are going to be ugly things said about them all in the name of politics, which seems to be okay, except that it’s really not. All of us, whatever your walk of life, were raised better. We were not taught that it is okay to bad mouth others. In fact, most of us were taught that if you do not have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. It seems that in the political arena, we forget our raising. An issue or an open seat gives us a green light to try to pulverize another human being. I’m sorry, but I just cannot accept that and I don’t think any of us should. I realize it is a pipe dream for me to think that anything is really gonna change or that we are gonna learn to play nice, especially when nice guys finish last a lot of times. It is a tough, ugly, hurtful business. If I do nothing else in my tenure a legislator, I hope that I educate my constituents and friends to look beyond what you read and to think and study the people who ask to be your public servants. Learn as much as you can about candidates and issues before you make your decisions.
I have heard it said that the only time negative campaigning works is when you are behind, ahead, or just even. It is true and I guess, shame on us for letting that be. Now it’s time to put the knives up and get to work. There are a lot of ruffled feathers to be smoothed and a lot of wounds to heal. To use an old cowboy phrase “some of the gashes need to heal up and hair over” because in two years we will do it again. God help us.
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” –Earnest Benn
I have learned a lot more in the last few years about politics than I ever really wanted to know. It is interesting when you are actually in it how much more you pick up when watching races. A candidate very seldom goes negative unless they are behind. How do they know they are behind? From polling data. They pay for a consulting firm to poll their district, county or state. They disseminate that information, analyze it and if they find themselves behind, out comes the negative. It was interesting to watch some of the statewide races this year as some of the negative attacks occurred and some candidates chose the high road. As you are reading this, political agencies all over the state and nation will be crunching numbers and looking at results and analyzing the numbers to see what worked and what did not work because in two years, they will have to do it again. As normal people go back to their lives, these political guys will be strategizing on how this new generation of voters reacted to these attacks, as well as how successful the responses, whether positive or negative, affected the outcome of the election. I do want to commend our gubernatorial candidates for a fairly clean contest. But, from there down ballot, it was ugly.
We always say that it is hard to get good people to run for office. While I think that we have cleaned up government quite a bit in the last few years, I also know from having been involved in my own race as well as others, that when people see an election cycle like we have just seen, it makes it really hard to get quality people to put their name on the line and open up their life to the public knowing that there are going to be ugly things said about them all in the name of politics, which seems to be okay, except that it’s really not. All of us, whatever your walk of life, were raised better. We were not taught that it is okay to bad mouth others. In fact, most of us were taught that if you do not have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. It seems that in the political arena, we forget our raising. An issue or an open seat gives us a green light to try to pulverize another human being. I’m sorry, but I just cannot accept that and I don’t think any of us should. I realize it is a pipe dream for me to think that anything is really gonna change or that we are gonna learn to play nice, especially when nice guys finish last a lot of times. It is a tough, ugly, hurtful business. If I do nothing else in my tenure a legislator, I hope that I educate my constituents and friends to look beyond what you read and to think and study the people who ask to be your public servants. Learn as much as you can about candidates and issues before you make your decisions.
I have heard it said that the only time negative campaigning works is when you are behind, ahead, or just even. It is true and I guess, shame on us for letting that be. Now it’s time to put the knives up and get to work. There are a lot of ruffled feathers to be smoothed and a lot of wounds to heal. To use an old cowboy phrase “some of the gashes need to heal up and hair over” because in two years we will do it again. God help us.
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” –Earnest Benn
Friday, October 29, 2010
State Questions
With elections coming up in less than a week, I thought readers might like to have a brief synopsis about each state question that will appear on the ballot. I have listed the 11 state questions that you will be voting on in a few days. Many have asked me my opinion on certain ones so I want to make it clear which ones I will be voting ‘yes’ on and which ones I think deserve a ‘no’ vote. To make it simple, I plan on voting yes to every state question except 744 and 750. As discussed in previous articles, I believe SQ 744 is an all-around bad idea for everyone involved. I strongly encourage you to vote ‘no’ on this one. I will also vote ‘no’ on SQ 750. I fear that requiring less signatures to get a question on the ballot would make it too easy for animal rights groups, and people against our way of life in Southwest Oklahoma, to attack animal agriculture or sportsman activities like hunting and fishing. I will vote ‘yes’ on every other question except for these 2, which could both have devastating effects. Please take a look at each state question below and read the summary of what each one represents.
SQ744- A yes vote would mandate the state spend up to $1 billion more per year on common education to meet a regional average. This would be done by raising taxes 32% statewide, or cutting all other state agencies and services by at least 20% each.
SQ746- A yes vote makes voters show proof of identity-voter ID.
SQ747- A yes vote would make all state-wide elected offices have a term limit of 8 yrs, except Corp. Comm., which would be 12 years.
SQ748- Every 10 years redistricting is done by the legislature; if they fail to act then a commission does the job. A yes vote changes the number of people on the commission from 3 to 7, and makes it bi-partisan, with the Lt. Governor as the non-voting chairman.
SQ750- A yes vote would require less signatures on the initiative and referendum petitions. The least election with the Governor on the ballot, instead of the last election with the President on the ballot would be used to determine the signatures needed.
SQ751- A yes vote makes English the common language of Oklahoma.
SQ752- A yes vote modifies the Judicial Nominating Commission, which recommends candidates to the Governor to appoint. Currently, it is made up of 12 (6 non-lawyers appointed by the Governor & 6 lawyers appointed by the OBA.) This measure adds 2 non-lawyer members appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate.
SQ754- A yes vote would ensure that the appropriations and budgeting process set up by the Oklahoma Constitution stays the way that it currently is. It would stop any unions or government agencies from demanding that they be funded in a different or higher way.
SQ755- A yes vote forbids Oklahoma courts from using Sharia (Islamic) or international law to decide cases in our state courts.
SQ756- A yes vote allows OK residents to opt-out of Federal health care.
SQ757- A yes vote increases rainy day fund from 10% to 15% of certified funds from the previous years state budget.
Please take advantage of your right as an American citizen and cast your ballot on Tuesday, November 2nd. Remember, one vote really can make a difference. See ya at the polls!
If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call
1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear.” – President John F. Kennedy
SQ744- A yes vote would mandate the state spend up to $1 billion more per year on common education to meet a regional average. This would be done by raising taxes 32% statewide, or cutting all other state agencies and services by at least 20% each.
SQ746- A yes vote makes voters show proof of identity-voter ID.
SQ747- A yes vote would make all state-wide elected offices have a term limit of 8 yrs, except Corp. Comm., which would be 12 years.
SQ748- Every 10 years redistricting is done by the legislature; if they fail to act then a commission does the job. A yes vote changes the number of people on the commission from 3 to 7, and makes it bi-partisan, with the Lt. Governor as the non-voting chairman.
SQ750- A yes vote would require less signatures on the initiative and referendum petitions. The least election with the Governor on the ballot, instead of the last election with the President on the ballot would be used to determine the signatures needed.
SQ751- A yes vote makes English the common language of Oklahoma.
SQ752- A yes vote modifies the Judicial Nominating Commission, which recommends candidates to the Governor to appoint. Currently, it is made up of 12 (6 non-lawyers appointed by the Governor & 6 lawyers appointed by the OBA.) This measure adds 2 non-lawyer members appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate.
SQ754- A yes vote would ensure that the appropriations and budgeting process set up by the Oklahoma Constitution stays the way that it currently is. It would stop any unions or government agencies from demanding that they be funded in a different or higher way.
SQ755- A yes vote forbids Oklahoma courts from using Sharia (Islamic) or international law to decide cases in our state courts.
SQ756- A yes vote allows OK residents to opt-out of Federal health care.
SQ757- A yes vote increases rainy day fund from 10% to 15% of certified funds from the previous years state budget.
Please take advantage of your right as an American citizen and cast your ballot on Tuesday, November 2nd. Remember, one vote really can make a difference. See ya at the polls!
If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call
1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“The margin is narrow, but the responsibility is clear.” – President John F. Kennedy
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Let's Stay On the Issue.
It seems the farther I get into my legislative career, the more of a fighter I become. I do not know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. One thing I have learned in my political career is that one of the best ways to keep from talking about the real issue is to cloud that issue with negatives. State question 744 is still exactly what it was when it was first introduced several months ago. It is a very bad idea embraced by some well-meaning folks who have been sold a really large bill of goods. I have said before and stand by my statement that SQ 744 may well cause the biggest wreck that we have seen in 20 years. Most of the folks that are trying to sell you on 744 and get you to vote yes have never had to struggle with the state budget. I can tell you from eight years of experience through good and bad times that the state budget is a puzzle with many pieces, all of which have to be placed together for it to work. I can also tell you that, as a former teacher as well as a current legislator, I have seen this argument from both sides. I can tell you that if this were a good idea and a fiscally prudent move, Governor Brad Henry would be the first in line to support it. The fact that Governor Henry has come out in opposition to SQ 744 should speak volumes. Governor Henry’s legacy will be that he was the “education governor” and he is opposed.
We have got a state full of good teachers that care very much for our children and take their jobs very seriously. None of my comments are intended in any way, shape or form to disparage the very important job that they do. But, the members of the out-of-state campaign team, whose full-time job is to try to convince you that 744 is a good idea, are not residents of Oklahoma but employees of the NEA who have poured 3 million dollars into our state to buy very pretty, well done television ads to convince you to vote yes. When it is over and the dust settles, they will board airplanes and head back home and we, the citizens of Oklahoma, will be left to sort out the mess. I do not begrudge teachers wanting more money for education or even higher pay. Few could argue that good teachers are not worth more. But, should 744 pass, dramatic budget ripples will look more like waves as the severe cuts to everything else in the state budget occur to meet this mandate. 744 will cost the state of Oklahoma an additional $800 million dollars that must be cut from other important functions of state government. The fact is that it will cost an estimated $1200 dollars from every man, woman and child in Oklahoma in increased taxes just to cover the cost. Right now, the ads are attacking the legislature saying that we pay ourselves more than any other legislature in the region. Let’s set the record straight on who decides what legislators make. In Oklahoma, legislative pay is set by a compensation board. We, as legislators, have no say in how much we are paid and legislative pay has not been increased in over 10 years. Many confuse the Oklahoma state legislature with Washington. Here is what a state representative or senator makes. The annual salary is $38,400. The median income for a teacher in the state of Oklahoma is $43,000. That is not the beginning teacher or the veteran teacher, but the median. Had I remained in the education business as a 12-month ag teacher, I would now make over $50,000 a year. In those attack ads, they also claim that legislators only work four months out of the year. There are many unseen duties of a legislator that many may not be aware of. I never had to back up to get a paycheck as a teacher. I have never had to back up to get my paycheck as a legislator. It is like saying teachers get off at 3 o’clock. We know that is not true also. Teachers work many extra duties and spend a great deal more time than their nine month contract to get the job done right. I have a great deal of respect for the job that educators do and have been a proponent of education since my first election in 2002. I have stood for teachers and public education and have a voting record to substantiate that. In fact, the first bill that I carried as a state representative was to support fundraising efforts in many schools called raffles. I thought it was logical and made sense and was something that would help, especially in small schools.
It would be very easy, given the recent “hit pieces”, for me to come out sluggin’ but that is not my goal. My goal is to convince you that a yes vote for 744 could be a fatal mistake for Oklahoma. Most of the tax credits that are referred to in this latest negative campaign have been done away with and tax credits alone are not evil, especially when they do things like help Goodyear to expand and increase the amount of high paying jobs that expansion will provide. Not to mention, that at some point Goodyear will even pay more property taxes on their expanded plant, which will further support education. My biggest fear is that if 744 passes and we have to cut an additional $800 million from other agencies throughout the state and the awful things come to pass, we have been told that teachers that teachers will have the biggest black eye they have ever had. So, if you want sales tax to go up by 35 percent, just vote yes on 744. Remember that the increase asked for by 744 will require us to spend $120 million more for education than we spend on the entire public safety sector of the state budget. Some of those evil tax exemptions that they speak of are things like the child care exemption and agricultural exemptions. Those special interests that are attacked in these very high quality commercials are you. It is okay to vote no on 744. It does not mean that you do not care about kids.
"Money often costs too much." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
We have got a state full of good teachers that care very much for our children and take their jobs very seriously. None of my comments are intended in any way, shape or form to disparage the very important job that they do. But, the members of the out-of-state campaign team, whose full-time job is to try to convince you that 744 is a good idea, are not residents of Oklahoma but employees of the NEA who have poured 3 million dollars into our state to buy very pretty, well done television ads to convince you to vote yes. When it is over and the dust settles, they will board airplanes and head back home and we, the citizens of Oklahoma, will be left to sort out the mess. I do not begrudge teachers wanting more money for education or even higher pay. Few could argue that good teachers are not worth more. But, should 744 pass, dramatic budget ripples will look more like waves as the severe cuts to everything else in the state budget occur to meet this mandate. 744 will cost the state of Oklahoma an additional $800 million dollars that must be cut from other important functions of state government. The fact is that it will cost an estimated $1200 dollars from every man, woman and child in Oklahoma in increased taxes just to cover the cost. Right now, the ads are attacking the legislature saying that we pay ourselves more than any other legislature in the region. Let’s set the record straight on who decides what legislators make. In Oklahoma, legislative pay is set by a compensation board. We, as legislators, have no say in how much we are paid and legislative pay has not been increased in over 10 years. Many confuse the Oklahoma state legislature with Washington. Here is what a state representative or senator makes. The annual salary is $38,400. The median income for a teacher in the state of Oklahoma is $43,000. That is not the beginning teacher or the veteran teacher, but the median. Had I remained in the education business as a 12-month ag teacher, I would now make over $50,000 a year. In those attack ads, they also claim that legislators only work four months out of the year. There are many unseen duties of a legislator that many may not be aware of. I never had to back up to get a paycheck as a teacher. I have never had to back up to get my paycheck as a legislator. It is like saying teachers get off at 3 o’clock. We know that is not true also. Teachers work many extra duties and spend a great deal more time than their nine month contract to get the job done right. I have a great deal of respect for the job that educators do and have been a proponent of education since my first election in 2002. I have stood for teachers and public education and have a voting record to substantiate that. In fact, the first bill that I carried as a state representative was to support fundraising efforts in many schools called raffles. I thought it was logical and made sense and was something that would help, especially in small schools.
It would be very easy, given the recent “hit pieces”, for me to come out sluggin’ but that is not my goal. My goal is to convince you that a yes vote for 744 could be a fatal mistake for Oklahoma. Most of the tax credits that are referred to in this latest negative campaign have been done away with and tax credits alone are not evil, especially when they do things like help Goodyear to expand and increase the amount of high paying jobs that expansion will provide. Not to mention, that at some point Goodyear will even pay more property taxes on their expanded plant, which will further support education. My biggest fear is that if 744 passes and we have to cut an additional $800 million from other agencies throughout the state and the awful things come to pass, we have been told that teachers that teachers will have the biggest black eye they have ever had. So, if you want sales tax to go up by 35 percent, just vote yes on 744. Remember that the increase asked for by 744 will require us to spend $120 million more for education than we spend on the entire public safety sector of the state budget. Some of those evil tax exemptions that they speak of are things like the child care exemption and agricultural exemptions. Those special interests that are attacked in these very high quality commercials are you. It is okay to vote no on 744. It does not mean that you do not care about kids.
"Money often costs too much." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Monday, October 18, 2010
I Think I Need a Hobby
Throughout my life, I have had to overcome my lack of intelligence with work ethic. One of my standard responses when someone asks how I am has always been “pretty good for an old guy”. When the person says “you’re not old” I have always responded “no, but I am high mileage”. I really cannot remember a period of time in my life when I did not work at more than one thing at the same time. An old friend of mine used to say about me “he knows a thousand ways to make a hundred dollars”. Dede and I married in 1984 and I took my first ag teaching job and I knew that I needed to make extra money. So, with our very first tax return of our married life, I invested in auction school. In addition, I helped people around where we lived by plowing, working cattle, work at night at the co-op, clipped club calves and anything I could do to make a few extra bucks to stretch what was a meager beginning teacher salary in those days. One of the things that I did for over ten years was every Monday night I worked at Southwest Auto Auction and made a hundred bucks a week breathing car exhaust, opening hoods and auctioneering. I learned early in my life that there are lots of ways to earn a little extra walkin’ around money. I have never rested on my laurels and have always been willing to do extra duties to supplement my income. Most recently, those skills that I have learned over the years have come in pretty handy and have become increasingly important as I became a legislator. Even though people think we are overpaid, it has become quite a struggle since my income went down in order to become a public servant.
My most recent endeavor has been a little enterprise that we call Snake Creek Cattle Company that my partner Clyde Hill and I have had going for a little over a year. We purchased and rebuilt an old chuck wagon and have been hiring out to do events and providing a little cowboy flavor that people really seem to enjoy. One of my oldest friends Terry Davis, who has been a Lawton fire fighter for over 20 years has been an integral part of that little side business. Several times over the last little while, the three of us have loaded our little dog and pony show and headed out to cook for groups who have come to visit and have introduced them to beef, beans, homemade biscuits and Dutch oven cobbler. It has been lots of fun but we are also learning that it is a ton of work. Usually by the time we get loaded and head home, we feel like the wagon itself has run over us. We have had some fun groups. Our first official cooking job was last year when the Lawton Chamber of Commerce hosted weapons experts from all of the NATO countries around the world. It is fun to watch people stare in amazement as you create a meal with no electricity with firewood and cast iron Dutch ovens. It is almost as though we are doing magic tricks when really, it is nothing more than an old cooking style developed in the Old West out of necessity to keep cowboys fed as they moved cattle in the days before trucks and trains. This last week has been extremely busy as we cooked brisket and trimmings for over 60 people from this year’s Leadership Oklahoma class that made their annual stop at Ft. Sill to learn about the military presence in Oklahoma. It was really kind of cool to cook right in the historic Ft. Sill quadrangle among the officer’s quarters and prepare a meal using historic cooking methods in a setting so rich in military history. By the time you read this we will have set our wagon and pitched our fly at the Museum of the Great Plains and cooked ribeye steak and fixins’ for The Society of Military Widows who have made their trek back to Lawton-Ft.Sill hosted by the Lawton Chamber of Commerce. They wanted something a little different and the Chamber folks thought that the chuck wagon would be a nice touch. We hope to dazzle them with a little bit of cowboy cookery and hopefully make their stay in Lawton memorable.
And by the way, I did manage to do a little auctioneering over the weekend at the Tulsa State Fair. I served as auctioneer for the short horn and Simmental futurity sales at Tulsa. I guess I better put off the search for a hobby because I think I have got a pretty full plate. I have friends who work normal jobs and have weekends off, but I don’t know what normal is. I know that all the little things that I do will make a few extra dollars. I have a daughter that hopefully will graduate from OSU in December and maybe will give us a little financial breathing room because right now it seems that anytime I make a check of any size, it goes straight to Stillwater. But, our youngest daughter is not too far behind so I guess in the meantime, I will live by the old adage “nobody ever drowned in their own sweat”. I am lucky to enjoy good health and the ability to work, so while I have that blessing, I guess we will just enjoy it because there are lots of folks out there who can’t.
“The daily grind of hard work gets a person polished.” -Unknown
My most recent endeavor has been a little enterprise that we call Snake Creek Cattle Company that my partner Clyde Hill and I have had going for a little over a year. We purchased and rebuilt an old chuck wagon and have been hiring out to do events and providing a little cowboy flavor that people really seem to enjoy. One of my oldest friends Terry Davis, who has been a Lawton fire fighter for over 20 years has been an integral part of that little side business. Several times over the last little while, the three of us have loaded our little dog and pony show and headed out to cook for groups who have come to visit and have introduced them to beef, beans, homemade biscuits and Dutch oven cobbler. It has been lots of fun but we are also learning that it is a ton of work. Usually by the time we get loaded and head home, we feel like the wagon itself has run over us. We have had some fun groups. Our first official cooking job was last year when the Lawton Chamber of Commerce hosted weapons experts from all of the NATO countries around the world. It is fun to watch people stare in amazement as you create a meal with no electricity with firewood and cast iron Dutch ovens. It is almost as though we are doing magic tricks when really, it is nothing more than an old cooking style developed in the Old West out of necessity to keep cowboys fed as they moved cattle in the days before trucks and trains. This last week has been extremely busy as we cooked brisket and trimmings for over 60 people from this year’s Leadership Oklahoma class that made their annual stop at Ft. Sill to learn about the military presence in Oklahoma. It was really kind of cool to cook right in the historic Ft. Sill quadrangle among the officer’s quarters and prepare a meal using historic cooking methods in a setting so rich in military history. By the time you read this we will have set our wagon and pitched our fly at the Museum of the Great Plains and cooked ribeye steak and fixins’ for The Society of Military Widows who have made their trek back to Lawton-Ft.Sill hosted by the Lawton Chamber of Commerce. They wanted something a little different and the Chamber folks thought that the chuck wagon would be a nice touch. We hope to dazzle them with a little bit of cowboy cookery and hopefully make their stay in Lawton memorable.
And by the way, I did manage to do a little auctioneering over the weekend at the Tulsa State Fair. I served as auctioneer for the short horn and Simmental futurity sales at Tulsa. I guess I better put off the search for a hobby because I think I have got a pretty full plate. I have friends who work normal jobs and have weekends off, but I don’t know what normal is. I know that all the little things that I do will make a few extra dollars. I have a daughter that hopefully will graduate from OSU in December and maybe will give us a little financial breathing room because right now it seems that anytime I make a check of any size, it goes straight to Stillwater. But, our youngest daughter is not too far behind so I guess in the meantime, I will live by the old adage “nobody ever drowned in their own sweat”. I am lucky to enjoy good health and the ability to work, so while I have that blessing, I guess we will just enjoy it because there are lots of folks out there who can’t.
“The daily grind of hard work gets a person polished.” -Unknown
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Baby Boomers and Health Care
My whole life, I have heard people speak of the “baby boomers”. According to the United States Census Bureau, baby boomers are considered a generation born in years ranging from 1946-1964. For whatever reason, there was a population explosion in our country during that time that lasted almost 20 years. America, being the land of entrepreneurs, has tried to get ready for baby boomers to become elderly and no surprise to anyone, they are doing just that. You become painfully aware of this phenomenon when you have a family member in the hospital. It is evident as you see the rise of nursing homes and veterans facilities and it really drives the point home when you try to find a parking place at almost any hospital. I spent all last week at Comanche County Memorial with my dad who had been struggling to get over a minor hernia operation, when in reality is not minor for someone in their late 70s who already deals with a host of other health issues. That hernia surgery might be minor for me in my late 40s but it certainly was not minor for dad. As I tried to handle my daily work of my legislative and auction and real estate business, it has been a real challenge as we dealt with getting in and out of a hospital parking lot. As I thought about that, I realized that parking is nothing in comparison to the bigger picture which is “how do we care for this aging population”?
I was born in 1961 and they consider the last official year of the baby boom to be 1964. I am fortunate as I approach 50 to enjoy good health. I can tell you, as I watch my father struggle, that I will never be a smoker. I am not saying that I have never smoked but there is nothing like dealing with declining health of a lifetime smoker to illustrate what that vice can do. We are a lot better nowadays at preventative medicine and we know a lot more than we did 40 years ago in dealing with diseases like cancer, heart issues and a myriad of other ailments. The fact remains, we are still somewhat responsible for our own health and we have to help the health care system help us. It is amazing when you think about it that our health care system in this country can even come close to dealing with the sheer volume that the baby boom generation has placed before it. In addition to the challenge, it is also a big business. You could almost pick any single issue out of the health care discussion and write an entire book. It is so complex and so in-depth that it is a mind boggling situation. Americans in general tend to think that “ObamaCare” as it has been dubbed is certainly not the answer. A lot of that stems from the old work ethic that former generations were raised with. Kind of like the old adage, “you don’t work, you don’t eat”. I would have to say that I agree; people do need to pull some of their own weight. I think we can all agree that there are some situations where folks need a leg up. I, as well as most of you, do not think that socialized medicine is the answer, although many would argue that we are already there.
There is no way that I can really address this whole issue in this limited space. The problem is ever-growing and as my generation approaches 50 and my parents’ generation live in their twilight years, it is something that we need to think about and find some answers to because it is here and it is real. Any of us are but an accident or a heart attack away from being in a hospital bed for an extended period of time. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers from constituents, neighbors, Facebook friends and others as we struggle to get my dad over this health issue. It is always tough and I can say that he has had good care from an overburdened system who is trying to win a poker game with a pair of threes. They were dealt a tough hand but, as the old saying goes “a winner is someone who bites off more than they can chew…and chews it”. I think healthcare has got a pretty full plate. Thank God for doctors and nurses who go to work everyday knowing that they are never going to win them all, but they keep trying, and they win more than they lose. In the meantime, as I was deep in thought about this week’s column, that guy just got my parking place!
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I'll tell 'ya how to stay young: Hang around with older people” -Bob Hope
I was born in 1961 and they consider the last official year of the baby boom to be 1964. I am fortunate as I approach 50 to enjoy good health. I can tell you, as I watch my father struggle, that I will never be a smoker. I am not saying that I have never smoked but there is nothing like dealing with declining health of a lifetime smoker to illustrate what that vice can do. We are a lot better nowadays at preventative medicine and we know a lot more than we did 40 years ago in dealing with diseases like cancer, heart issues and a myriad of other ailments. The fact remains, we are still somewhat responsible for our own health and we have to help the health care system help us. It is amazing when you think about it that our health care system in this country can even come close to dealing with the sheer volume that the baby boom generation has placed before it. In addition to the challenge, it is also a big business. You could almost pick any single issue out of the health care discussion and write an entire book. It is so complex and so in-depth that it is a mind boggling situation. Americans in general tend to think that “ObamaCare” as it has been dubbed is certainly not the answer. A lot of that stems from the old work ethic that former generations were raised with. Kind of like the old adage, “you don’t work, you don’t eat”. I would have to say that I agree; people do need to pull some of their own weight. I think we can all agree that there are some situations where folks need a leg up. I, as well as most of you, do not think that socialized medicine is the answer, although many would argue that we are already there.
There is no way that I can really address this whole issue in this limited space. The problem is ever-growing and as my generation approaches 50 and my parents’ generation live in their twilight years, it is something that we need to think about and find some answers to because it is here and it is real. Any of us are but an accident or a heart attack away from being in a hospital bed for an extended period of time. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers from constituents, neighbors, Facebook friends and others as we struggle to get my dad over this health issue. It is always tough and I can say that he has had good care from an overburdened system who is trying to win a poker game with a pair of threes. They were dealt a tough hand but, as the old saying goes “a winner is someone who bites off more than they can chew…and chews it”. I think healthcare has got a pretty full plate. Thank God for doctors and nurses who go to work everyday knowing that they are never going to win them all, but they keep trying, and they win more than they lose. In the meantime, as I was deep in thought about this week’s column, that guy just got my parking place!
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I'll tell 'ya how to stay young: Hang around with older people” -Bob Hope
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