Ah, the simpler days. Before cable, smart phones, internet and all those modern day “must haves”. We had three channels from an antenna, four if you were lucky and if your parents would let you stay up you could watch Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show. They had a bit that they called Carnac the Magnificent and of course Johnny would be at the desk with a big goofy lookin’ turban and his character was Carnac, a soothsayer or predictor of the future. He would hold an envelope up to his head and he could always tell what was in it. Of course it was all in fun and like most comedy of those days it was simple clean and funny. I wish there was such a guy that could tell us when the drought of 2011 will end.
I can’t count the hours that I’ve spent on the phone the last few weeks trying to help producers through the mind field of government regulations that surround the agriculture business like size regulations for semis hauling hay and what to do about crop insurance and the seemingly non- sensical regulations laid out by the Federal Risk Management Agency. And lest you should loose interest at this point don’t forget if you eat, you are involved in agriculture.
So whether you are a producer or consumer this is gonna’ affect us all. There are several tough spots as we try to plan for whatever the future is. The most immediate concern is with irrigated cotton producers in my district who are scared to death to shut off irrigation wells even though we know the cotton will have dismal yields at best if any at all. Their fear is that if they shut off their wells their insurance will not pay and before you start saying the government shouldn’t be helping with that you need to understand what their input costs are. My closest neighbor raises some dry land cotton and I knew cotton seed had escalated over the last few years by leaps and bounds and I just asked him out of curiosity one day, what does it take to fill your planter before you go the field? His answer reminded me why I don’t grow cotton. He said twenty four thousand dollars, just to fill the seed boxes on his cotton planter. No chemicals, no tillage, just seed boxes. I think you can see the need for risk management. He’s a medium sized producer. We have to remember that someone has to grow the cotton for the fabric we all depend on. It’s gotten to the point where no matter what crop you grow, if you do it without insurance you are insane or just so rich it doesn’t matter.
As natural resources chairman I’m in pretty constant contact with not only the State Ag Department but also the soil conservation folks whose money we appropriate and I think without a doubt they believe, and I agree with them, this drought is worse than the dust bowl. The difference is the conservation practices put into place over several generations have made a difference in whether the soil blows or stays in place. We don’t have a Carnac the Magnificent to tell us when this drought will end we’ve been running irrigation wells putting a very fragile water table at risk just to meet requirements that the RMA requires. The next thing that we’re going to do which flies in the face of everything we’ve learned from the dust bowl is that were getting ready to plow where wheat stubble or remnants of a cotton crop remain and till that soil without any knowledge of where we’re going with this drought because the insurance companies say we have to. I don’t think they are trying to be malicious, it’s just that RMA tells us what those practices need to be and they regulate the crop insurance industry. We know that if this drought continues and we plow wheat ground in preparation betting on the come, not knowing whether it will rain or not, about the first good blue norther that blows in about 90% of our topsoil is gonna’ be in Texas. So the dilemma continues. In a normal year with some sub soil moisture we wouldn’t give a second thought to dropping a plow in the ground and getting’ after it but we are in uncharted waters. Very few people alive today have ever seen a drought of this magnitude. In the meantime we’ve been in contact with the Ag Commissioner and we’ve had Congressman Cole down here in the epicenter of the drought on a windshield tour. Congressman Lucas who is also in a very influential position as House Chair of Agriculture in Washington D.C. has been kept up to speed on the situation. The Congressman is also no stranger to agriculture as he is also involved in the farming and ranching business in N.W. Oklahoma. So I guess my plea is if you’re out and about at the feed store or the co-op or the coffee shop and Carnac the Magnificent shows up ask him “When the heck is it gonna’ rain?” We kind of need to know.
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 and email to donarmes@okhouse.gov.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand
miles from the corn field. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Should FFA be a Sacred Cow?
What you are getting ready to read may not affect your community or you directly but save for the grace of God there could go any of us.
I got some disturbing news last week that the Lawton public schools would be cutting one of the Ag teachers in what has been one of the largest FFA chapters in the state for a number of years. The position being cut will be the horticulture teacher at Eisenhower High School. Now you might wonder why that would matter since I graduated from McArthur High School back in ‘79 and spent part of my Ag teaching career at Lawton High school and my daughter is in FFA out at Cache High School. But as I thought about it the FFA family in southwest Oklahoma is very intertwined. I’ve gotten calls from all over southwest Oklahoma about this potential cut to the program and I think everyone’s concern is very valid. And the basic concern is this: once you cut a program, even a small piece of a program it’s very hard to get it back. A great many of the people whose kids are in FFA in outlying communities were at one time FFA members when they were young. So everyone is concerned whether they live in Lawton directly or are alumnus of one of the best Ag programs in the state.
This ball started rolling with the resignation of Jeff Durham who was a former Lawton FFA member himself and was also the head of the department. I’m not completely sure what the situation was but it seemed like there was some bad blood between he and the administration at Eisenhower High School. His untimely exit created a hole that the administration of the high school as well as the superintendant at Lawton decided not to fill. Now to fully understand the Lawton FFA you have to understand that all three schools in Lawton are one combined FFA chapter. For instance, when I taught at Lawton high, I was in charge of cattle and if a kid attended Eisenhower or McArthur, they would attend class under whichever teacher was stationed at that school. And then if they showed cattle, I was the supervisor of their livestock project. Back in the old days under Marvin Bicket, who by the way, started the program in 1943, the teachers actually rotated from school to school, which exposed those FFA members to all three teachers. As the horticulture program was added, in later years, and the number of teachers went to five, the rotation became a little cumbersome and so teachers remained on their campus and each had responsibility for either a greenhouse or a certain species of livestock.
Now as I said before it may be strange to some why anyone would be concerned outside of the boundaries of their school district. Except when you start looking at the family tree of the Lawton FFA. I graduated in 1979, my main Ag teacher at McArthur was Jay Woodward who is from the Indiahoma community but also has reentered the teaching profession and is now the Ag teacher at Geronimo. Jay is obviously concerned because he has spent a great many years teaching in the Lawton program and is still very active as an Ag teacher. My daughter is the President of the Cache FFA this year, which I’m very proud of by the way, but I’m a product of the Lawton FFA and was taught not only by Jay Woodward but also Marvin Bicket and Ron Long. Three men that had a great deal to do with the development of a young kid from a broken home with plenty of excuses to go wrong.
Another interesting side bar, the new young Ag teacher at Cache is a lady by the name of Lindsay Thomas. Lindsay Thomas’ mother Melody and I, as well as Denise DeMastus, who has been the familiar face as the crossing guard at Cache for years, are all three former Lawton FFA members and we all spent many hours traveling to livestock shows together. And that’s just one class. We were the’79 models. So just that small illustration, I hope helps you understand how far reaching the tentacles of the Lawton FFA actually are. That’s just a couple of communities where people live that were once Lawton FFA members. I could write 30 pages of that family tree and show you why there’s great concern all over southwest Oklahoma about one seemingly very small position at one of the high schools. I think most realize that once you go downhill it’s hard to back up.
At the time I’m writing this article I’m just trying to answer some questions as best I can to those who have been calling. Many are concerned and I share that concern a great deal. I’m not sure what the final outcome will be but I have a feeling and I know the reason we’ll be told will be budget cuts. I could complicate this more by adding the how the state money flows to Ag chapters from Career Tech but that really would complicate things more than they need to be. The issue is an administrative decision to cut a teacher from a very viable and tradition rich program. Which from a budget standpoint probably makes sense. I don’t really think this is a call to arms although I know that could be effective. I guess at the time I’m writing this I’m trying to decide whether or not I’m willing to die in this ditch. I’d be interested in your input.
And here’s a little somethin to think about as you’re goin down the road.
No one can whistle a symphony it takes a whole orchestra to play it.
H. E. Luccock
I got some disturbing news last week that the Lawton public schools would be cutting one of the Ag teachers in what has been one of the largest FFA chapters in the state for a number of years. The position being cut will be the horticulture teacher at Eisenhower High School. Now you might wonder why that would matter since I graduated from McArthur High School back in ‘79 and spent part of my Ag teaching career at Lawton High school and my daughter is in FFA out at Cache High School. But as I thought about it the FFA family in southwest Oklahoma is very intertwined. I’ve gotten calls from all over southwest Oklahoma about this potential cut to the program and I think everyone’s concern is very valid. And the basic concern is this: once you cut a program, even a small piece of a program it’s very hard to get it back. A great many of the people whose kids are in FFA in outlying communities were at one time FFA members when they were young. So everyone is concerned whether they live in Lawton directly or are alumnus of one of the best Ag programs in the state.
This ball started rolling with the resignation of Jeff Durham who was a former Lawton FFA member himself and was also the head of the department. I’m not completely sure what the situation was but it seemed like there was some bad blood between he and the administration at Eisenhower High School. His untimely exit created a hole that the administration of the high school as well as the superintendant at Lawton decided not to fill. Now to fully understand the Lawton FFA you have to understand that all three schools in Lawton are one combined FFA chapter. For instance, when I taught at Lawton high, I was in charge of cattle and if a kid attended Eisenhower or McArthur, they would attend class under whichever teacher was stationed at that school. And then if they showed cattle, I was the supervisor of their livestock project. Back in the old days under Marvin Bicket, who by the way, started the program in 1943, the teachers actually rotated from school to school, which exposed those FFA members to all three teachers. As the horticulture program was added, in later years, and the number of teachers went to five, the rotation became a little cumbersome and so teachers remained on their campus and each had responsibility for either a greenhouse or a certain species of livestock.
Now as I said before it may be strange to some why anyone would be concerned outside of the boundaries of their school district. Except when you start looking at the family tree of the Lawton FFA. I graduated in 1979, my main Ag teacher at McArthur was Jay Woodward who is from the Indiahoma community but also has reentered the teaching profession and is now the Ag teacher at Geronimo. Jay is obviously concerned because he has spent a great many years teaching in the Lawton program and is still very active as an Ag teacher. My daughter is the President of the Cache FFA this year, which I’m very proud of by the way, but I’m a product of the Lawton FFA and was taught not only by Jay Woodward but also Marvin Bicket and Ron Long. Three men that had a great deal to do with the development of a young kid from a broken home with plenty of excuses to go wrong.
Another interesting side bar, the new young Ag teacher at Cache is a lady by the name of Lindsay Thomas. Lindsay Thomas’ mother Melody and I, as well as Denise DeMastus, who has been the familiar face as the crossing guard at Cache for years, are all three former Lawton FFA members and we all spent many hours traveling to livestock shows together. And that’s just one class. We were the’79 models. So just that small illustration, I hope helps you understand how far reaching the tentacles of the Lawton FFA actually are. That’s just a couple of communities where people live that were once Lawton FFA members. I could write 30 pages of that family tree and show you why there’s great concern all over southwest Oklahoma about one seemingly very small position at one of the high schools. I think most realize that once you go downhill it’s hard to back up.
At the time I’m writing this article I’m just trying to answer some questions as best I can to those who have been calling. Many are concerned and I share that concern a great deal. I’m not sure what the final outcome will be but I have a feeling and I know the reason we’ll be told will be budget cuts. I could complicate this more by adding the how the state money flows to Ag chapters from Career Tech but that really would complicate things more than they need to be. The issue is an administrative decision to cut a teacher from a very viable and tradition rich program. Which from a budget standpoint probably makes sense. I don’t really think this is a call to arms although I know that could be effective. I guess at the time I’m writing this I’m trying to decide whether or not I’m willing to die in this ditch. I’d be interested in your input.
And here’s a little somethin to think about as you’re goin down the road.
No one can whistle a symphony it takes a whole orchestra to play it.
H. E. Luccock
Thursday, August 18, 2011
THERE IS HOPE
Last week, about mid week, we finally got a whiff of cooler weather. It was about the time the rodeo kicked off which, for some reason, seems to be a time that the weather cycle always, at least tries, to change. A big front blew through, changed the wind direction and some of us even got some rain. The official Armes gauge which is the one I live and die by showed half inch. Summer is by no means over but at least we know that this high pressure dome might not be welded on top of us. We’re still in a drought, still got lots more hot days ahead and yes kids, school will be open soon. That little change of weather, I believe, actually perked everyone up and boy did we need it. That little brief respite will pale in comparison to the first good rain we get, when that happens, but the important thing is we may be close to breaking this strangle hold that mother nature seems to have on our part of the world and as they say “it aint’ over till it’s over” but I’ll guarantee ya at some point its coming. I’ve talked to people all over this part of the country especially farmers and ranchers and they are all pretty down but its coming guys and its going to look different. Before you global warming folks all start tuning up and arguing that we’ve killed our planet with hairspray and cars just remember that some parts of the United States are dealing with mud. I had a couple of bulldogger friends that rested some horses at my house during last week’s rodeo and they said that up in Kansas they were dealing with a muddy arena so it’s not everywhere but it is our reality here. Speaking of rodeo, what a great show the Lawton Rangers put on this year. With a record hot summer and a tough economy those guys cowboyed up and brought it. No reason to doubt them because they’ve been bringin’ it for 73 years now. One thing I did happen to see as I was visiting with Charlie Throckmorton the announcer was the number of scratches on the entry sheets. Those guys can travel thousands of miles and not make a check and with fuel as high as it is it makes it tough for them to travel and if they don’t draw well they almost can’t afford to come, even so a large number still made it to the Rangers Rodeo this year. So I hope everyone got to go out and enjoy one of the biggest events we have here in Southwest Oklahoma.
By the time this hits the paper and your mailbox, the kids will be headed back to school and before we know it it’ll be Fall fair time and we’ll look up and it’ll be cooler, people will be out moving, buying and selling, swapping and trading, and the wheat drills will be rolling in anticipation of next years wheat crop. We’ve got some rough waters ahead but if we get a little bit of rain and some wheat starts coming up this country will look good again.
In the political arena Congress is in recess, but at least they hammered out somewhat of a budget deal, and the fact that no one seems happy may indicate that it wasn’t too bad. I think most Americans just want them to handle it and get things done and try to stay out of our lives as much as they can. On the State level the budget seems to be looking up and I really believe as we come out of the doldrums of this extra hot summer, business across the state will pick up as people get out and about. We’ve seen the State revenue flatten over the last few weeks and I can’t help but think some of that has to be heat but I’m optimistic about fall and of course all of you sportsmen know what September 1st means, it’s almost dove season and if it continues to be dry they’ll be easy to spot, just find what’s left of a water hole and I think you’ll find birds. So even though we’ve been through the toughest summer I can remember, I have to think that there is hope.
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:
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern
By the time this hits the paper and your mailbox, the kids will be headed back to school and before we know it it’ll be Fall fair time and we’ll look up and it’ll be cooler, people will be out moving, buying and selling, swapping and trading, and the wheat drills will be rolling in anticipation of next years wheat crop. We’ve got some rough waters ahead but if we get a little bit of rain and some wheat starts coming up this country will look good again.
In the political arena Congress is in recess, but at least they hammered out somewhat of a budget deal, and the fact that no one seems happy may indicate that it wasn’t too bad. I think most Americans just want them to handle it and get things done and try to stay out of our lives as much as they can. On the State level the budget seems to be looking up and I really believe as we come out of the doldrums of this extra hot summer, business across the state will pick up as people get out and about. We’ve seen the State revenue flatten over the last few weeks and I can’t help but think some of that has to be heat but I’m optimistic about fall and of course all of you sportsmen know what September 1st means, it’s almost dove season and if it continues to be dry they’ll be easy to spot, just find what’s left of a water hole and I think you’ll find birds. So even though we’ve been through the toughest summer I can remember, I have to think that there is hope.
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:
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Milestones
This has been quite a summer; there have been a lot of big happenings, things I would consider as milestones and major events. This is the summer the space shuttle ceased operation, Lucille Ball would’ve turned 100 this year, and even kids who were born after she passed know of her because of TV land. I guess the big one for me was hitting, as my auctioneer buddies say, "half a hundred", the big one you know, with the black balloons. One of my best friends, Terry Davis turned 50 about the same time I did. When Terry and I turned 40, we had a party at my place and we cooked way too much brisket and had a big time. There were about 150 people sprawled out all over our place. It was an eclectic mix to say the least. A lot of you who are reading this were there. We had everything from bikers to cowboys and I really don't know how to describe the rest who were sitting on tailgates celebrating two old guys turning middle aged. In addition to the cowboys and bikers, due to the fact that I was the Ag news guy on channel 7, we even had a couple of TV personalities. My old buddy Tom Charles, who is a legend in Southwest Oklahoma, was there. We called it our 80th birthday. It was a great time. When we both turned 45, (our 90th) I think we had 20 people there. I think the 100th birthday, when we turned 50 was worlds apart because we just let it slip into the night, we really didn’t do anything, I think everyone expected a huge blowout but we just let it go pretty much unannounced because I’m not sure we could’ve rented enough recliners to make that deal work. So, I guess that 50 marks a milestone for most and I'm no different. I hope the cliché is true, 60 is the new 40. Lots of things have changed, I've kicked it up a notch with the reading glasses, its harder to lose weight, I have less energy but I am fortunate enough to enjoy pretty good health and the ability to do just about whatever I want to and I know not everyone can say that. I'm a pretty blessed man. As an interesting side bar, the President also turned 50 this year. I don't ever remember being older than a sitting President and in my opinion, I'm not old enough to be President and he’s not either. Another major milestone as we’ve mentioned in several previous articles will be this major drought of the summer of 2011. It may be the first time in over twenty years that I haven’t owned cattle and I know I’m not alone in that because cattle are still moving through the sale barns in record numbers and many producers are in the same boat. This is one we will tell the grandkids about, it’s been rough. It’s also pretty evident that this drought is widespread. We took a little quick trip down through the Texas hill country last weekend and its amazing how far this drought reaches; all the way to New Braunfels, Texas we saw dry grass, baked earth and very little hay.
One bright spot that remains consistent no matter the weather is the Lawton Rangers Rodeo which runs all through this weekend. I’ve never seen the Lawton Rangers cancel a rodeo due to heat. It is a major event in Southwest Oklahoma and I would encourage everyone to come out and enjoy professional rodeo at its finest. Usually by that time in the evening it’s starting to cool off and by the time the lights come on and the sun sets, the action heats up. I can promise you this year we’ll have no mosquitoes’.
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 secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. ~Lucille Ball
Thursday, August 4, 2011
My Way or the Highway. How's That Working Out For Ya?
By the time you read this, the deadline for congress to reach its budget agreement will have passed. It seems to be a great big national level game of blink. With both sides digging in their heels threatening to load their toys and leave the sandbox. Plenty of political posturing, chest pounding and I’d venture to say some yelling and screaming too. Everybody seems to be taking the “my way or the Highway stance” unfortunately nobody has all the marbles in this game. And I can tell you from ten years in the state legislature neither side will get what they want. And as always we Americans love a good bloody fight. Few of us will admit it but our dark side loves a slug fest. Just think about how many people tune in to watch UFC fights and how many of us grew up believing that championship wrestling was real. Professional rodeo has almost taken a back seat to bull riding because it’s almost as if rodeo itself was too tame. It’s as if we as a society thrive on blood sport. Unfortunately politics seems to be following the national trend. And of course the media sells lots of airtime and newspapers handicapping this fight and in this new millennium the bloggers are in heaven. Obama and his crew want to raise the debt limit and tax us some more, the republicans want to force a balanced budget amendment and somewhere in the midst of all of that there is probably going to have to be a compromise. The lack of a compromise will cause a government shut down and of course both sides are threatening that they will force a shutdown if they don’t get what they want. In the meantime, the public is about to blow up and I think that if congress continues to play the “how big an ol’ boy are ya” game, nobody will win. The threat of government shut down has everyone fearful.
A friend of mine asked a question the other day about the mechanics of a balanced budget amendment and what that would entail. Quite honestly I had to do a little studying because I’ve never been through that, but I did find the answer to his question. Should a balanced budget amendment pass in Washington it would be the first step to changing the US Constitution. Assuming that it passed in Washington in both chambers and received the Presidents signature, my understanding is that the next stop would be each state legislature in all fifty states. The legislature could then vote with a super majority and pass the measure or the other option would be the legislature could put the amendment on the state ballots and let the people vote and then it would have to pass a majority of the states to actually become a constitutional change and if my information is correct that ballot question would have to appear in the same year as a Presidential election. I think it would pass in Oklahoma because we operate our state that way now. We can’t spend money that we don’t have and I think most Americans would vote for that. I think it makes fiscal sense, I’m not sure with the current national debt we could ever get to a position of a balanced budget but I think people would be for it and I know it would be an easy “yes” vote for me if we saw that measure in Oklahoma but at the same time that could be a two edged sword. In bad economic years the federal money could dry up much like it does here in our state and that always creates a great deal of waling and gnashing of teeth. I guess in regular people terms it sounds real good if you say it real fast but the getttin’ it done part would be probably the toughest test our country has ever seen. It would be like walking into a daycare center and gathering up all the bottles. The cries would be deafening. I think for the long term financial health of our country it would probably be good but as I said I don’t think it would be without casualties. One of which could be the military. So to put the congressional tussle in perspective, what we are witnessing is the push and pull that has to occur to keep our country from going too far right or left. I think it’s a normal and natural process but it can also provide balance and can serve to keep us out of the ditch on either side, keep us traveling down the road. It’s important to remember that one of the things that make us the greatest country in the world is that not all of us think exactly alike. Thank goodness!
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:
“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”-Doug Floyd
A friend of mine asked a question the other day about the mechanics of a balanced budget amendment and what that would entail. Quite honestly I had to do a little studying because I’ve never been through that, but I did find the answer to his question. Should a balanced budget amendment pass in Washington it would be the first step to changing the US Constitution. Assuming that it passed in Washington in both chambers and received the Presidents signature, my understanding is that the next stop would be each state legislature in all fifty states. The legislature could then vote with a super majority and pass the measure or the other option would be the legislature could put the amendment on the state ballots and let the people vote and then it would have to pass a majority of the states to actually become a constitutional change and if my information is correct that ballot question would have to appear in the same year as a Presidential election. I think it would pass in Oklahoma because we operate our state that way now. We can’t spend money that we don’t have and I think most Americans would vote for that. I think it makes fiscal sense, I’m not sure with the current national debt we could ever get to a position of a balanced budget but I think people would be for it and I know it would be an easy “yes” vote for me if we saw that measure in Oklahoma but at the same time that could be a two edged sword. In bad economic years the federal money could dry up much like it does here in our state and that always creates a great deal of waling and gnashing of teeth. I guess in regular people terms it sounds real good if you say it real fast but the getttin’ it done part would be probably the toughest test our country has ever seen. It would be like walking into a daycare center and gathering up all the bottles. The cries would be deafening. I think for the long term financial health of our country it would probably be good but as I said I don’t think it would be without casualties. One of which could be the military. So to put the congressional tussle in perspective, what we are witnessing is the push and pull that has to occur to keep our country from going too far right or left. I think it’s a normal and natural process but it can also provide balance and can serve to keep us out of the ditch on either side, keep us traveling down the road. It’s important to remember that one of the things that make us the greatest country in the world is that not all of us think exactly alike. Thank goodness!
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:
“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”-Doug Floyd
My Way or the Highway. How’s That Working Out For Ya?
My Way or the Highway. How’s That Working Out For Ya?
By the time you read this the deadline for congress to reach its budget agreement will have passed. It seems to be a great big national level game of blink. With both sides digging in their heels threatening to load their toys and leave the sandbox. Plenty of political posturing, chest pounding and I’d venture to say some yelling and screaming too. Everybody seems to be taking the “my way or the Highway stance” unfortunately nobody has all the marbles in this game. And I can tell you from ten years in the state legislature neither side will get what they want. And as always we Americans love a good bloody fight. Few of us will admit it but our dark side loves a slug fest. Just think about how many people tune in to watch UFC fights and how many of us grew up believing that championship wrestling was real. Professional rodeo has almost taken a back seat to bull riding because it’s almost as if rodeo itself was too tame. It’s as if we as a society thrive on blood sport. Unfortunately politics seems to be following the national trend. And of course the media sells lots of airtime and newspapers handicapping this fight and in this new millennium the bloggers are in heaven. Obama and his crew want to raise the debt limit and tax us some more, the republicans want to force a balanced budget amendment and somewhere in the midst of all of that there is probably going to have to be a compromise. The lack of a compromise will cause a government shut down and of course both sides are threatening that they will force a shutdown if they don’t get what they want. In the meantime, the public is about to blow up and I think that if congress continues to play the “how big an ol’ boy are ya” game, nobody will win. The threat of government shut down has everyone fearful.
A friend of mine asked a question the other day about the mechanics of a balanced budget amendment and what that would entail. Quite honestly I had to do a little studying because I’ve never been through that, but I did find the answer to his question. Should a balanced budget amendment pass in Washington it would be the first step to changing the US Constitution. Assuming that it passed in Washington in both chambers and received the Presidents signature, my understanding is that the next stop would be each state legislature in all fifty states. The legislature could then vote with a super majority and pass the measure or the other option would be the legislature could put the amendment on the state ballots and let the people vote and then it would have to pass a majority of the states to actually become a constitutional change and if my information is correct that ballot question would have to appear in the same year as a Presidential election. I think it would pass in Oklahoma because we operate our state that way now. We can’t spend money that we don’t have and I think most Americans would vote for that. I think it makes fiscal sense, I’m not sure with the current national debt we could ever get to a position of a balanced budget but I think people would be for it and I know it would be an easy “yes” vote for me if we saw that measure in Oklahoma but at the same time that could be a two edged sword. In bad economic years the federal money could dry up much like it does here in our state and that always creates a great deal of waling and gnashing of teeth. I guess in regular people terms it sounds real good if you say it real fast but the getttin’ it done part would be probably the toughest test our country has ever seen. It would be like walking into a daycare center and gathering up all the bottles. The cries would be deafening. I think for the long term financial health of our country it would probably be good but as I said I don’t think it would be without casualties. One of which could be the military. So to put the congressional tussle in perspective, what we are witnessing is the push and pull that has to occur to keep our country from going too far right or left. I think it’s a normal and natural process but it can also provide balance and can serve to keep us out of the ditch on either side, keep us traveling down the road. It’s important to remember that one of the things that make us the greatest country in the world is that not all of us think exactly alike. Thank goodness!
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:
“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”-Doug Floyd
By the time you read this the deadline for congress to reach its budget agreement will have passed. It seems to be a great big national level game of blink. With both sides digging in their heels threatening to load their toys and leave the sandbox. Plenty of political posturing, chest pounding and I’d venture to say some yelling and screaming too. Everybody seems to be taking the “my way or the Highway stance” unfortunately nobody has all the marbles in this game. And I can tell you from ten years in the state legislature neither side will get what they want. And as always we Americans love a good bloody fight. Few of us will admit it but our dark side loves a slug fest. Just think about how many people tune in to watch UFC fights and how many of us grew up believing that championship wrestling was real. Professional rodeo has almost taken a back seat to bull riding because it’s almost as if rodeo itself was too tame. It’s as if we as a society thrive on blood sport. Unfortunately politics seems to be following the national trend. And of course the media sells lots of airtime and newspapers handicapping this fight and in this new millennium the bloggers are in heaven. Obama and his crew want to raise the debt limit and tax us some more, the republicans want to force a balanced budget amendment and somewhere in the midst of all of that there is probably going to have to be a compromise. The lack of a compromise will cause a government shut down and of course both sides are threatening that they will force a shutdown if they don’t get what they want. In the meantime, the public is about to blow up and I think that if congress continues to play the “how big an ol’ boy are ya” game, nobody will win. The threat of government shut down has everyone fearful.
A friend of mine asked a question the other day about the mechanics of a balanced budget amendment and what that would entail. Quite honestly I had to do a little studying because I’ve never been through that, but I did find the answer to his question. Should a balanced budget amendment pass in Washington it would be the first step to changing the US Constitution. Assuming that it passed in Washington in both chambers and received the Presidents signature, my understanding is that the next stop would be each state legislature in all fifty states. The legislature could then vote with a super majority and pass the measure or the other option would be the legislature could put the amendment on the state ballots and let the people vote and then it would have to pass a majority of the states to actually become a constitutional change and if my information is correct that ballot question would have to appear in the same year as a Presidential election. I think it would pass in Oklahoma because we operate our state that way now. We can’t spend money that we don’t have and I think most Americans would vote for that. I think it makes fiscal sense, I’m not sure with the current national debt we could ever get to a position of a balanced budget but I think people would be for it and I know it would be an easy “yes” vote for me if we saw that measure in Oklahoma but at the same time that could be a two edged sword. In bad economic years the federal money could dry up much like it does here in our state and that always creates a great deal of waling and gnashing of teeth. I guess in regular people terms it sounds real good if you say it real fast but the getttin’ it done part would be probably the toughest test our country has ever seen. It would be like walking into a daycare center and gathering up all the bottles. The cries would be deafening. I think for the long term financial health of our country it would probably be good but as I said I don’t think it would be without casualties. One of which could be the military. So to put the congressional tussle in perspective, what we are witnessing is the push and pull that has to occur to keep our country from going too far right or left. I think it’s a normal and natural process but it can also provide balance and can serve to keep us out of the ditch on either side, keep us traveling down the road. It’s important to remember that one of the things that make us the greatest country in the world is that not all of us think exactly alike. Thank goodness!
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:
“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”-Doug Floyd
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Cowboy Boots, Tasseled Loafers, or Both?
A normal morning for me when I am at home and not in session is usually starting the coffee at 5:30 a.m. Most mornings, I try to catch up on news, e-mails and of course, we cannot forget the ever important Facebook. This morning was no different as the coffee was brewing. Before I walked out to get the paper, I picked up the July 20th Journal Record and read an article by Brian Brus. The headline was: “Williams: Oklahoma City Has Image Problems”. The “Williams” the article refers to is Roy Williams, the President and CEO of the greater OKC Chamber. Williams told City Council members Tuesday that 16 percent of respondents from a national survey said that they thought OKC had a “hick personality”. I take some exception to that. It obviously raises some questions not only about OKC, but about our state as a whole. It makes me wonder “who we are”. Of course, to us “real hicks” OKC does not look or feel like a hick town at all. You do not have to spend much time downtown or in 5 o’clock traffic or tooling around in Bricktown to think that maybe OKC is a lot more like any other metro area than what people realize. There is a great deal of sophistication and cultural diversity just in that area alone. You do not have to travel very far up I-44 until you hit Tulsa where there is another very culturally literate urban area known for its Art-Deco architecture. There is plenty of pavement and tall buildings and a disproportionate ratio of tasseled loafers vs. cowboy boots. Even down my way in the Lawton area, we may have more cultural diversity than anywhere in the state thanks to the melting pot that we call Fort Sill. In fact, our military presence statewide provides a dynamic cultural mix that many states would love to have.
I think what many people judge Oklahoma on is The Grapes of Wrath. That is unfortunate because in reality, our state is a pretty cosmopolitan spot in the world. I really think that in order to know Oklahoma, you have to look beyond the Dust Bowl days and actually see it to believe it. I think a big challenge for our state is “how do we hang on to our very agrarian past and embrace who we have become over the last 100 years! Let’s face it, one of the historical icons of our state was Will Rogers, a cowboy. We are the center of the universe for the horse show industry. The western lifestyle is a big part of Oklahoma’s mission statement.
I, for one, coming from the boots side of the ledger, think that our western history is not something we should hide from but rather embrace as we attempt to promote our state to the world and convince people that this is a good place to be. After all, the “boots” crowd pumps a great deal of money into our state’s economy, not only in the rural areas but in urban areas as well. Seldom does a weekend go by when the OKC fairgrounds is not covered up with horse trailers. We host the World Quarter Horse Show in November. I would venture to say that a great many OKC merchants would feel a huge hole in November if that show were not held here. In fact, horses are flown into OKC from all over the world for that prestigious event. That is just one major event. There are many others like the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the world’s largest junior livestock show. And the list could go on and on…
If you take a quick look into Oklahoma’s energy business, we are one of the top producers of natural gas in the world. Chesapeake Energy has developed into a sprawling campus in OKC that employs hundreds if not thousands of people. The architecture is certainly not traditional “Okie”. I have to believe that Aubrey McClendon’s vision for that campus has to do, at least in part, with his exposure to Minnesota where the Kerr family has hung out for several generations. You cannot drive by downtown OKC without noticing the Devon Energy building which is under construction now. It will forever change the skyline of our capitol city. It is certainly not the skyline I remember as a boy in the 60s. I am old enough to remember when the tallest building there was the First National Bank building, the one with the sloping roof and the needle.
So, our state is more of a blend and I think we need to embrace that. Many more years ago than I probably want to admit, our license plates in Oklahoma said: Oklahoma is OK. By today’s creative marketing standards, some probably thought that sounded just a little bit “hick”. It was a very simple, direct statement and I think today it is still very true. There is no need to apologize for who we are as a state or where we have been either. I am in no way trying to criticize Mr. Williams as he does his best to try to promote OKC but I think our state and our history have a perfect blend of boots and tasseled loafers. I believe who we are is pretty much just how I would like us. As for that 16 percent that call us hicks, I would gladly show them a map of the United States and point them to a great number of cities where they could live and wish em’ luck. I would just as soon focus on the 84 percent who think Oklahoma is OK, whatever kind of footwear they have on!
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:
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” ~Abraham Lincoln
I think what many people judge Oklahoma on is The Grapes of Wrath. That is unfortunate because in reality, our state is a pretty cosmopolitan spot in the world. I really think that in order to know Oklahoma, you have to look beyond the Dust Bowl days and actually see it to believe it. I think a big challenge for our state is “how do we hang on to our very agrarian past and embrace who we have become over the last 100 years! Let’s face it, one of the historical icons of our state was Will Rogers, a cowboy. We are the center of the universe for the horse show industry. The western lifestyle is a big part of Oklahoma’s mission statement.
I, for one, coming from the boots side of the ledger, think that our western history is not something we should hide from but rather embrace as we attempt to promote our state to the world and convince people that this is a good place to be. After all, the “boots” crowd pumps a great deal of money into our state’s economy, not only in the rural areas but in urban areas as well. Seldom does a weekend go by when the OKC fairgrounds is not covered up with horse trailers. We host the World Quarter Horse Show in November. I would venture to say that a great many OKC merchants would feel a huge hole in November if that show were not held here. In fact, horses are flown into OKC from all over the world for that prestigious event. That is just one major event. There are many others like the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the world’s largest junior livestock show. And the list could go on and on…
If you take a quick look into Oklahoma’s energy business, we are one of the top producers of natural gas in the world. Chesapeake Energy has developed into a sprawling campus in OKC that employs hundreds if not thousands of people. The architecture is certainly not traditional “Okie”. I have to believe that Aubrey McClendon’s vision for that campus has to do, at least in part, with his exposure to Minnesota where the Kerr family has hung out for several generations. You cannot drive by downtown OKC without noticing the Devon Energy building which is under construction now. It will forever change the skyline of our capitol city. It is certainly not the skyline I remember as a boy in the 60s. I am old enough to remember when the tallest building there was the First National Bank building, the one with the sloping roof and the needle.
So, our state is more of a blend and I think we need to embrace that. Many more years ago than I probably want to admit, our license plates in Oklahoma said: Oklahoma is OK. By today’s creative marketing standards, some probably thought that sounded just a little bit “hick”. It was a very simple, direct statement and I think today it is still very true. There is no need to apologize for who we are as a state or where we have been either. I am in no way trying to criticize Mr. Williams as he does his best to try to promote OKC but I think our state and our history have a perfect blend of boots and tasseled loafers. I believe who we are is pretty much just how I would like us. As for that 16 percent that call us hicks, I would gladly show them a map of the United States and point them to a great number of cities where they could live and wish em’ luck. I would just as soon focus on the 84 percent who think Oklahoma is OK, whatever kind of footwear they have on!
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:
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” ~Abraham Lincoln
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