Opinion

Who rules at the State Capitol?

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There are three bodies of law that Oklahomans live with on a daily basis: Constitutional Law, laws that are voted on by the people; Statutory Law, laws approved by legislators and the governor; and the subject of this article, Administrative Law, rules created not by the people or legislators but unelected bureaucrats who run state agencies.

Tom Gann

Letter to the Editor: Mosquito spraying harmful

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To the Editor:

The City of El Reno has sprayed the city with the chemical permethrin to kill mosquitoes out of a “concern for our health.” 

This chemical has been deemed safe for humans and pets. However, it is still an insecticide that will kill any invertebrates that come in contact with the spray. In addition, the U.S. EPA decided it was “likely to be carcinogenic to humans if eaten.”

The chemical may stay on the leaves for between one to three weeks.

Sell excessive state assets to shore up state pensions

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Oklahoma’s government owns a lot of property. This includes land and buildings, but it also includes valuable assets like the state-owned electric power company, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). GRDA reports nearly $1.8 billion in assets on its most recent balance sheet, with a “net position” of more than $622 million. Or the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), which has a $1.2 billion endowment producing roughly $50 million annual investment income.

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Should social media censorship be a concern?

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Did you see the video of the frontline medical doctors explaining why they believe hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating COVID-19?

About a dozen doctors stood on the steps of the nation’s Capitol last week and praised the drug as being a safe and inexpensive treatment for the disease that has paralyzed the U.S.A. and much of the world for the past five months.

The event did not draw much of a media response.

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Oklahoma Education Association’s bogus math doesn’t add up

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The Oklahoma Education Association’s national parent, the National Education Association, is known for bizarre actions like working to give boys access to girls bathrooms and endorsing Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. Recently the OEA added to the bizarre by trying to give the impression that public schools are receiving only half of Oklahoma’s education-related federal COVID funding. Any suggestion to that effect is patently false. 

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Is tearing all of our statues down the right move?

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Last weekend I overheard two recent grads (both musicians) discussing America’s greatest composers. The usual names were raised: Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, Sousa … Foster.

“Who?” said one.

“Stephen Foster,” replied the other.

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We must hold China accountable

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The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its tyrannical government remain a top threat not only to the United States but the entire globe.

Their hostile behavior throughout the past few months has demonstrated their goal of eroding freedom and growing their communist influence. 

The Chinese government lied about the origins of COVID-19 and covered up how bad it really was for months. They are directly responsible for the pandemic which has cost us too many lives, all while completely devastating our economy and livelihoods.

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District attorney confused about the law?

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Laura Austin Thomas is the district attorney for Payne and Logan counties. In that position, she is responsible for prosecuting crimes. One might hope she has a basic understanding of the law, but her recent attempt to smear two members of the Pardon and Parole Board suggests otherwise.

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The Left vs. The Right: Individualism and Wearing Masks

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“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 quote requires no citation for those in my age bracket. These are, in fact, the only words from any inaugural speech over my lifetime that I can recall. Yet when I think about them, I shake my head in wonderment. They are totally out of touch with the 21st century American mind.

Man wearing face mask
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