Sunday, April 30, 2017

Pollard's Mistake Leads To Pruitt's Exit

  OKGOP Chair, Pam Pollard had scheduled EPA Director Scott Pruitt to be the keynote speaker at the State Republican Gala in Moore on May 5, according to an invitation sent out by the party. The event is meant to be a fundraiser for the OKGOP.
 
   Pruitt said the event was approved by the EPA’s ethics counsel. But Pruitt said it was instead, an error on the part of the OKGOP and Chairman Pam Pollard, that violated the law.


“What happened was the folks that invited me sent out an invitation post that didn’t comply with federal law and federal ethics law. So we're not going to be able to attend,” Pruitt told FoxNews Radio host Brian Kilmeade Thursday morning.

​  Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and Former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt will not be appearing at a Republican gala next week, he said Thursday morning on conservative radio. His decision to withdraw comes amid an accusation his appearance would violate federal law.
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  Pruitt’s withdrawal follows an accusation and formal complaint from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) who alleged earlier in the week, Pruitt’s attendance violated the Hatch Act. The Act puts limits certain kinds of political activity in which executive branch employees can engage, including using their position in federal office in exchange for political contributions, according to the Office of Special Counsel. In his complaint, Whitehouse calls the gala a “pay-for-play” event and urges the OSC to investigate.

OKGOP Chair Pam Pollard, however, disagreed with former Oklahoma AG, Scott Pruitt in an interview Thursday afternoon. Pollard said there were no laws violated and was confident an investigation would not be launched.

“We can't control who files, verbally accuses somebody of something, throws some words out somewhere,” Pollard said in an open room inside the OKGOP headquarters. “We can't stop who might file paperwork on something. We believe we know the rules. We know the laws and I believe in the rule of law.”

Pollard wouldn’t say who is going to replace Pruitt at the Gala, but said there are several people on a short list.

Read the full story at News 9, OKC



from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/pollards-mistake-leads-to-pruitts-exit

Pollard's Mistake Leads To Pruitt's Exit


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Privatizing Of State Services Has Proven Expensive


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Privatizing Of State Services Has Proven Expensive

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  Privatizing state functions of government does not lead to less spending. Often just the opposite! It leads to state funds being diverted to legislative campaign donations, as those contractors then buy their biggest customer, by donating to political campaigns.

  Politicians try to sell us on the idea of privatizing as being more accountable to the residents.  But too often the contractor is only focused on being accountable to a committee member, in the legislature.

  That's not to say that privatizing is bad. It can be good. But the regulating of an industry are often purchased by a contractor, in such a way as to drive out his competitor.
  This is also true in your county and municipal govt. It is especially true of your school district.  I've been especially involved in reforming a particular budget process for one state agency.

  I've watched as my message has been drowned out by an army of contractors who are only interested in the status quo. They completely resist reforms because they worry that if the agency doesn't continue channeling 75% of the state department's budget through private corporate contractors, they could lose their gravy train.

  The state agency doesn't actually lobby the legislature. Instead, they pay out contracts to corporations, and those corporations pay for the lobby effort to keep the money coming.

  Republicans have favored privatizing for other reasons. I spoke with former gov. Frank Keating about what led to his decision to close much of the state mental health infrastructure, about 20 years ago.
 " It was mostly an effort to cut the state payroll and eliminate the power of organized labor." 
  Keating believed that organized labor was inflating the cost of operations to a rate higher than the private sector. He reasoned that corporate providers would keep that cost in line through competitive bidding. This is the same mindset that governs road construction and some maintenance. It is true that organized labor heavily favors Democrat politicians. But corporate contractors are 'equal opportunity' benefactors. They will buy any politician they can. And the politician with the biggest campaign war chest usually wins the election. And the incumbent does, as well. An incumbent who is even mildly agreeable to the corporate contractor will be assisted with campaign contributions. Corporate board rooms are looking for whatever factors will promote long term forecasting of conditions favorable to them.

Keating was an FBI agent and federal prosecuting attorney. His mindset  was very "Get tough on crime". He was also a big advocate for privatized prisons. Even out-of-state prisons. A simple nonviolent infraction could send a person far away from his spouse and children. Keating was also assisted in his political ambitions by lobbyists and their private sector money. For any sizable corporation, lobby efforts are a fundamental cost of doing business. 

  But no one can argue with the reality that campaign donations factor in.  In Tulsa, a major retailer just bought a chunk of prime city park property. The former mayor approved the transaction and the city council had no voice on the deal. They immediately created a huge special zone  where any further deals of this nature would require their collective approval. They argued that the building architecture needs to have a specific styling which they could not readily describe to anyone.  The reality is that the mayor could have been influenced by campaign contributions from the retailer.  Most political cynics believe that the council members just wanted to be bought with campaign contributions, as well.

  The message could be summed up in one sentence from Watergate's "Deep Throat".... "Follow the money."


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/privatizing-of-state-services-has-proven-expensive

Oklahoma's Prison Masters


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Oklahoma's Prison Masters

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  Despite the efforts of the governor's Criminal Justice Task Force, Our Prison system is still exploding. Our convicted Oklahoma population is still growing at an alarming rate. We were at a record rate of 61,000 last November, but recently we exceeded 62k.

  A major  essay is published in today's Oklahoman. The journalist clearly makes the case to blame the legislature in general; and singles out Senate Judicial Committee Chairman, Anthony Sykes.
  Sykes has been angling to become our next Attorney General. That scheme seems thwarted by the appointment of Jeff Hunter to replace Scott Pruitt, who left to join the Trump Administration.
  Sykes has been clearly kowtowing to the law enforcement and prosecution lobby. He sees their endorsement as essential. But he also seems personally driven to punish, punish, punish.

​  Sykes has stood for some great conservative policies, but it would be foolish to characterize his current crusade as representing conservatism, as Oklahoman's define it.
  We've seen evidence of that during this session as members have approved amendments to weaken some of the bills produced by a governor's task force on criminal justice reform. Two years ago, members rejected a bill that would have let those serving time for 85 percent crimes to accrue good-behavior credits immediately upon entering prison, instead of having to wait until they have served at least 85 percent of the sentence. The bill was demonized as “soft on crime” and mischaracterized as an early release vehicle for violent offenders. - Oklahoman Editorial Board
   The voters of Oklahoma are more serious about criminal justice reform than the legislators are. Last November the voters clearly approved a set of state ballot questions which reclassified some nonviolent statutes as misdemeanors, instead of felonies. that caps the punishment at 12 months in the local jail, instead of potentially serving years in a far away prison.
  But some lawmakers have brazenly opposed the new law. One of them was Sen. Ralph Shortey. A personal scandal sidetracked Shortey. He resigned in disgrace recently, and awaits prosecution on several of his own felony charges.
  There have been heroes of justice reform in this legislature, as well. One such example is Rep. Bobby Cleveland, of Lexington. He and some co-authors proposed a reform wherein inmates showing exemplary personal conduct could begin accruing  early release points. Those points cannot be assigned until they've served 85% of their sentence. Cleveland wants to acknowledge these points early one, then apply them at the 85% mark of the incarceration. 
  But Sykes single-handedly killed that bill as well as many other reforms. Sykes chairs the Judicial Committee of the Senate. In that authority, he can simply refuse any bill and deny any discussion or vote on the measure. Sykes declared to Cleveland, in the hall of the capitol; 
"I ain't gunna do nothing that's soft on crime!" - Anthony Sykes
  And thus the 'tough guy' mindset continues to govern Oklahoma law since the early days of the Keating administration.  Oklahoma has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation. And the US has the highest national rate in the developed world.  Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rates. 

  Our Sooner State punishes victim-less crimes and our taxpayers are forced to pay for the expense on incarceration. A first-time offense of unauthorized possession of a controlled drug carries a 5 year maximum sentence. To apply that punishment, the taxpayers must shell out all the legal and court costs of prosecution, then another $125,000 to house that individual. Ad there's the hidden cost of the affected family who may have lost a provider or caretaker. Foster care and welfare programs take a huge hit. A family gets broken up and children may grow up without a parent to guide them properly. Hence, the cycle repeats itself.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/oklahomas-prison-masters

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Quarter-Ton Wheelchairs Not Allowed In Capitol Gallery

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John High has announced his intent to sue the state in order to use heavy machines in all parts of the capitol.
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OKLAHOMA CITY - John High visits the capitol often.

He advocates for the rights of those with disabilities. But. now, he's fighting for his own.

“I am being discriminated against, since I'm in a wheelchair, an electric wheelchair, I'm being discriminated to be able to go there,” High said.

KFOR reports:
He was going to the House Gallery to watch lawmakers, but staff quickly turned him away at the door.

  The floor sergeants told High, because of his motorized chair, he can't watch session from the gallery seats.

  The capitol has a special lift installed, but it was not designed for the newer massive electric machines which High prefers.


  The current lift has a 495 lb. stress rating. Some visitors have violated that limit and used the lift, anyway, causing damage to state property and causing compliant visitors to also be turned away until a repair is made.

  John High could easily be accommodated, by using a lighter weight wheelchair. But he wants to use his heavy machine. And he insists that the state has to accommodate his preference and convenience.

​  In many parts of the state we have bridges and roads with weight restrictions. I don't think any of us are suing the state, claiming that we ought to be able to drive heavier autos....


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/quarter-ton-wheelchairs-not-allowed-in-capitol-gallery

Quarter-Ton Wheelchairs Not Allowed In Capitol Gallery


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Will Oklahoma Delegation Vote For Repeal Of ObamaCare

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   With the 'shoe on the other foot', the House Freedom Caucus members are urging their moderate counterparts in the 'Tuesday Morning Caucus' to get on board and keep the promise of the Republican Party, to finally repeal the onerous ObamaCare legislation.

  Last month we heard from loud moderates in Oklahoma who trashed the Freedom Caucus for not supporting a less comprehensive reform of ObamaCare.

 We wonder if there will be a similar treatment of the Tuesday Morning Moderates?

  It's Thursday night and not one of the 7 member Oklahoma Delegation has given any indication. Every one of them campaigned on a promise of full repeal.

  We're watching and keeping score. we hope all 7 of the delegation will make their fellow Oklahomans proud by standing in support of this effort.
  
Some Sooner apologists for the least conservative delegates wrote some brutal criticisms of the Freedom Caucus for blocking a partial reform package. We'll see if those same critics are as harsh on the Tuesday Morning Moderates?


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/will-oklahoma-delegation-vote-for-repeal-of-obamacare

Will Oklahoma Delegation Vote For Repeal Of ObamaCare


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70 School Districts Thrive Without State Funding

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  Pryor Public Schools Are awash in education money. The state has shut off the tap to them and 70 other school districts who are thriving.  The economy of Pryor is booming, along with the Mid America Industrial Park, situated just to the south of the city.
  In the early days of of the Oklahoma territory, townships and enclaves formed a collective for the cause of educating children. It was called a "school district". It was designed to be isolated from politics and other governing matters.
  But eventually the entities decided to have county governments oversee the collecting of property taxes for education, so that school board meetings could be free of the task of collecting education taxes.

  When Alfalfa Bill Murray presided over the territorial Constitutional Convention, the consensus led to a guarantee that the state would make sure every corner of the state had at least some school district covered. That stipulation led to a presumption that the state had to make sure each district was adequately funded. Hence the backup funding that we now have.

  Local school district fully funded their own education for decades. But eventually some state resources became quite common. And state regulations on education content were mandated along with those dollars.

Today, every Oklahoman has this assumption that  the state has the duty to fund all public common education. But that was never statutory law.
  Local taxpayers vote for increases in education when they see that their local schools are responsible in the use of those funds. this is the genius of local funding. I might raise the taxes to see my kids get better teachers, but no so much when I see that money go to the other end of the state and get wasted by folks who don't feel as accountable for "outside money".

If Bill Murray could ever have imagined the scenario of the state education budget taking up half the entire appropriated treasury, he would have outlawed the possibility of any state dollars being used for such a local responsibility.

Read more on the 70 truly independent school districts of Oklahoma, at Fox23.
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'Alfalfa' Bill Murray


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/70-school-districts-thrive-without-state-funding

70 School Districts Thrive Without State Funding


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Senator Loveless Resigns


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Senator Loveless Resigns

Kyle is facing a probe of campaign finances. He had a tough last couple of years outside of the senatorial scope.
My heart aches for his situation. He exemplified character in ways I am not at liberty to discuss.

​developing....
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http://m.news9.com/story.aspx?story=35265488&catId=112032


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/senator-loveless-resigns

Farmer & Buchanan Resign From District 1 GOP Leadership

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The First District Committee of the OKGOP met last week for a standard organizational meeting. Several new members were elected to the committee by their respective county GOP organizations. Two veteran faces were among them.
  •   Grace Farmer is the Chairman of the Washington County GOP. She has served in that post for several terms. She was elected to the post of First District Committee Chairman nearly 10 years ago.
  •   Jerry Buchanan is a former Tulsa County GOP Chairman  He more recently was placed on the First District Committee by the 2009 Tulsa County Convention. 

   In 2011, Buchanan was replaced by Don Wyatt. That didn't stop Buchanan from seeking a leadership post on the committee. The OKGOP Rules do not demand that the 20-member committee chooses a Chairman and Vice Chairman from among their own membership. Buchanan was elected Vice Chairman in 2011 and remained in that post until his resignation, last week. Buchanan is also a current member of the State Election Board; an appointment made by the governor's office.

Back to last week's meeting... 
  Farmer & Buchanan surprised their committee by presenting their decisions to resign as chair & vice chair. Farmer will still have a place on the committee, due to being the Washington County GOP chairman. Buchanan will be completely removed from his involvement on the committee, since he is not a delegate from any of the five counties who make up the 1st District (Creek, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner, & Washington).
  The committee decided to hold a special meeting in May, to select a chairman and vice chairman. The individuals chosen will then also serve on the OKGOP Executive Committee, by mandate of the party's permanent rules.
  In talking informally with some insiders, there appears to be a few names rumored to be suggested:
  • Pam Peterson is a former Tulsa GOP Chairman,  She is also a former legislative Majority Floor Leader, in Speaker TW Shannon's House team. She termed out of office last November.
  • JB Alexander is also a former Tulsa GOP chairman. He also served and a vice chairman along with Sally Bell, prior to succeeding her.
  • David Arnett is a blogger and sometimes political consultant to Democrat and Republican candidates. He has no known elective party resume' beyond his precinct.
    Republican activists from each of these 5 counties are encouraged to contact their respective committee members, to indicate their insights & preferences for replacing Farmer & Buchanan.
   The primary function of District Committees is to plan & conduct a District convention every four years, to sent 3 delegates and 3 alternates to the National Convention. The District Conventions also present their preferred nominee for Presidential Elector, and  alternate.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/farmer-buchanan-resign-from-district-1-gop-leadership

Farmer & Buchanan Resign From District 1 GOP Leadership


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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

State Spends Higher Percentage On Education Than National Average

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  According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), the United States NATIONAL Census Bureau found that approximately: 
  • 45.6% of the country's school system revenue came from state sources,
  • 45.3% came from local sources.
  • 9.1% of school system revenue came from federal sources.[1][2]
  As you can see, most states divide the funding responsibilities rather evenly between the county and the state.
  But Oklahoma School Districts have expected far more of the state than their own local funding sources.

Oklahoma school funding breaks down this way:
  • 49.2% of the average Oklahoma  revenue comes from state sources.
  • 38.6% ​comes from local sources
  • 12.2% comes from federal sources

  This clearly demonstrates that the public schools have come to expect the state capitol to fix things instead of their own communities. If the local funding simply matched the state, as it clearly does in the national average, then teachers would see thousands more in pay and other education provisions. Just bringing local funding to a parity with state funding will mean an average $6000 additional dollars in each classroom

  But the real key to massive new classroom funding would come from adopting the San Diego model. They pay their teachers $10,000 nore per year than Oklahoma averages, but actually spend less per student, because they average 21.5 students per classroom. Oklahoma only has 16.3 students per class, as an average. In context, the baby boomer generation typically had 30 students per classroom.

  To be clear, this is just average numbers. Some school districts are far more dependent on state funding, but other districts pay far more of their own local money. Pryor Public Schools does not receive any state funding, because their local property tax receipts already push their funding beyond the cut off point where the state fully phases out all support.

  Oklahoman's have bought the false notion that looking to the state legislature means  that they will get money which came from other's instead of their own neighbors. But that's just an illusion.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/state-spends-higher-percentage-on-education-than-national-average

State Spends Higher Percentage On Education Than National Average


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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Diary Of A Campaign Kickoff


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Diary Of A Campaign Kickoff

A day inside the Richardson Campain...

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I got a call this weekend form a campaign office. They were setting up a Monday series of events for announcing the Gary Richardson campaign for Oklahoma Governor, in 2018. I was given the opportunity to observe the event from the inside. I decided to accept. Here is a timeline and narrative...
I met up with the campaign bus at the parking lot of a south Tulsa Walmart. It was 8am. They had a large and comfy chartered coach. About two dozen invited guests were aboard. Some were Richardson's law associates, past clients, family friends, civic leaders, or just big fans of the message Richardson's campaign is advancing.  Every passenger was given a Richardson campaign tee shirt.
  By 8:30 we were on the road.  I sat by a former Richardson client. He's a professor of history at Oral Roberts University. We were en route to the Oklahoma History Center, on the campus of the Oklahoma State Capitol.  the Monday morning weather was beautiful and when we arrived at the venue there was a crowd in the large hall. the team had set up a perfect backdrop.. the Oklahoma Capitol building. It was in disrepair and scaffolding and tarps cloaked most of the exterior. How fitting for this populist message of Richardson's

  Like any campaign kick off, you're somewhat surprised by who you meet.   Former candidates for governor or other notable political faces... Robert Hubbard stepped up to greet me. He's a Yukon businessman. He's a popular Republican figure. Very likable and he ran for Governor in 2010. A couple of national campaign operatives were also there. Kirk Shelly was quietly observing the set up. He has served on several presidential campaigns, including Sen. Rand Paul and his father, Ron Paul.
  Sean Murphy of the Associated Press, spoke with me. We compared some issues we thought would be addressed. A couple TV cameras were set up. The Tulsa World & The Oklahoman were also there.

  Bob Dani was checking on all the details. He and David Tackett are a couple of the key campaign leaders. They seem to be a balanced team who provide the necessary skills Gary will need. Dani is the founder and leader of the High Noon Club. They meet regularly at an OKC shooting sports complex for a lunchtime political forum. Bob is a well-liked and established fixture in conservative circles. His 'gravitas' and approachable persona will fit Richardson quite well.
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  Tackett is a likable bundle of enthusiasm and a mind in perpetual overdrive. He has worked for some prominent political firms, before launching his own consulting service. He ran for the legislature from a deeply Democrat district a couple times. Last year he backed Kevin McDugle and helped turn that seat red for the first time in state history. 
Gary stepped to the podium at 10:30 and without any fanfare, he began to introduce some individuals to the crowd. He wanted us all to know him, his family, and where he comes from.  He comfortably shares his convictions, faith, passions, and goals. He is a very deliberate and calm man. Some call him a populist, but there is no way you can justly compare his rhetoric or politics to a 'Huey Long'. He speaks in measured deliberateness. He rarely has a gaff or studder.
The speech didn't produce 'electricity' but it was full of resolve. It was delivered in much the same way a prosecutor would address a jury at the beginning of a courtroom litigation. He clearly laid out his case, the evidence, the law, and what they must make their decisions based upon.
After the speech, a small group of reporters approached the candidate. I stepped up to join them. I mostly observed. Sean Murphy (AP) began the questioning in his aggressive nature. He seemed to be following the checklist of issues that I earlier shared with him. The first issue was the 2002 campaign where Gary ran against the Republican nominee. Gary made no apologies. He said that his friend and law partner, Frank Keating; had discussed and informed him on what the state needed. He says Keating regretted not having sufficient Republican support on some issues. Gary said that he ran as an Independent because he felt his campaign platform would have broader support in a general election than in a Republican primary race. He was conciliatory regarding the Republican nominee, Steve Largent. But he said that the 2002 race had a lot of unexpected turns. He said that Vince Orza's collapse was a huge game-changer. He also indicated that Largent's campaign failed on it's own, and for a lot of issues and message mismanagement.
  My only active participation in the impromptu press conference was to seek clarity in Richardson's soundbite analogy, supporting a full performance audit of every state agency, in his first year in office.
​  He said;
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  "A good physician always conducts the appropriate tests on his patient before prescribing a regimen of treatment to restore the proper and healthy balance of the patient."
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  After the press conference and plenty of time to greet his guests, Gary and his caravan departed to a local restaurant for lunch. He nearly sustained a terrible traffic incident on the way. The SUV immediately in front of him at 28th & Lincoln Blvd. was crossing at a green light when a car ran a red light at full speed. The SUV was T-boned and rolled over. Gary and his staff immediately pulled up to set a traffic barrier so that the injured had a buffer from further danger. They called emergency responders and checked on the motorists for injuries or needs. When emergency help arrives, they provided necessary information and contact info, then joined us at the restaurant.
 Richardson traveled back to Tulsa on the campaign bus. He had nearly 2 hours with us and he took time to visit everyone. The two of us spoke on a number of matters. We had a very detailed private visit a year ago, when I first got the hint that he was considering this run for governor. Gary didn't just rattle off focus-tested phrases. He asked questions and listened. I found his perspective to be refreshing and 'outside the box' that other 'managed' Republicans were confined to.
 We pulled in to the Walmart parking lot near Oral Roberts University. His campaign office is just up the avenue. He asked us to stop by and visit his staff and other guests.  When we arrived, there was a separate crowd of Eastern Oklahomans waiting for him. there were the trademark balloons, tee shirts, punch, treats, and excited volunteers. Richardson gathered the crowd out into the foyer where he could properly address them for a few minutes. I decided to capture the comments on a video.
 Later I spent time visiting some of Gary's family. I expected a bit of formality and feigned friendliness. But there was none of that, this day. His kids seem very comfortable with who they are. Some talked of matters with an honesty that only comes from a determination to be themselves, warts and all. they kids have accomplished a lot on heir won. But they don't talk about achievement. They talk about family, passions, and things they truly enjoy.
  No one owns Gary Richardson. Yes, he's seeking campaign support. Yes, he's seeking donations, volunteers, and votes. But I don't see much possibility that a lobby group or political faction will get anywhere by trying to intimidate or bribe this guy. Is he the best candidate? We will eagerly be watching. But I expect we will see a type  transparency in this campaign which no other candidate will match.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/diary-of-a-campaign-kickoff

The Drug War: VietNam Part II


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The Drug War: VietNam Part II

A prominent Oklahoma attorney told me, recently;
The most dangerous concern about marijuana, is 'getting caught'.
  Perhaps the least reported narrative of the 50 year drug war is the role that liquor and other pharmaceutical distributors have had on the effort to keep their indigenous competition suppressed through the criminal code.
  The idea that the world's highest incarceration rate is fueled by an effort to help liquor maintain it's market share, is too devastating for many Americans to find peace with. 
  It was easy to sell the notion of criminalizing 'the damn hippy drugs' in a decade when the generation gap was a massive culture war. Parents and older generations wanted to rid society of the long haired young men with unkept beards, tie-dyed apparel, and generally 'make them kids get jobs and speak normal again'... Groovy!
   But we've wholly lost our collective appreciation for natural remedies, holistic solutions, and ability to address a problem without a patented product from the drug store; or a proper tax-stamped purchase from the bottle shop. 
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  Perhaps it's time to borrow an out-of-context phrase from Gov. David Walters... to "declare victory and get out of Vietnam". I'm a teetotaler and advocate for mental health care. I believe in dealing with serious mental health challenges with the wisest assistance and scholarship, rather than panicked self-medicating in secrecy. But I believe in empowerment of people... to to give them access and authority to help themselves.
​   We don't let people really care for themselves. We tell them that they are too stupid and will always be so. That unless they get the proper university diplomas and board certifications; that they will never be allowed to have the best tools for selfcare. 
  Yes, the liquor industry now is more powerful than ever before. Alcohol problems cost our society in tragic manifestations we can't even fully describe. The black markets of the mafia which control illegal substances have robbed society of an equitable tax base and created a vigilante industry which settles the score for evils done which cannot be even reported to legitimate law enforcement.  In short, we created a mafia which is bigger than the liquor prohibition era.
  Rarely do the real kingpins even get identified, much less captured and prosecuted. But daily we see scores of common folks suffer the vicarious vendetta of frustrated cops whose careers are based on the drug war's continuance.
   Here's a short excerpt from a fine essay the failed drug war.

Among the war's many tragic consequences and by far the worst is the criminalization of a vast, ever increasing percentage of our population, destroying families and individuals by the millions. We are now the world's leading jailer - even communist China - who we criticize for its slave labor camps - imprisons at a lesser rate. We make mockery of the once cherished phrase - Land of the Free.

When people are arrested on felony drug charges, they are usually dragged from their homes or places of business and booked into filthy, dangerously overcrowded county jails pending bonding proceedings. Physical and sexual assault is commonplace. The arrested person generally will forfeit his job or career, long before any conviction or acquittal of charges. These people are instantly transformed from taxpayer to tax burden. Statistics bear this out; of over 50% of men employed before a prison term, less than twenty percent hold steady jobs thereafter. Studies indicate profound mental and attitudinal changes take place within an individual after five years of incarceration: depressive neurosis, hostility, anomie and withdrawal are the result. Prison levels ego.

Marriages are the first casualty of arrest and conviction - prison itself being statutory grounds for divorce in most states. The mental stress of arrest; being forced through the criminal justice system, job loss and subsequent imprisonment is often followed by the added trauma of divorce and loss of parental rights. The American criminal justice system has no regard at all for the family structure of the accused, and that cost might be a necessary evil in protecting citizens from violent crime, but drug prohibition accounts for over 50% of the 1.6 million people currently imprisoned. It is important to note that in addition to this figure, there are approximately 2.5 million drug offenders on parole or supervised release. This does not enumerate the further millions that have exited the system, having finished probation.

The destruction is massive and with a rippling effect on the family, there are between one and two million "orphans" of the drug war. This is the politic of prohibition. There are now criminal records on 50 million Americans.

"Many criminologists have begun to ponder the unthinkable: that the criminal justice system itself, rather than guarding the peace, contributes to social instability in America."

The Real War on Crime: The Report of the National Criminal Justice Commission, HarperPerennial, 1996.
  There are two fundamental objectives which are tied to the drug war, which need to be not only kept, but enhanced.
  1. Keep our public safety objectives. Mostly this is tied to traffic and workplace standards. We cannot tolerate a casual indifference to intoxicated people who victimize indiscriminately by operating big things which can hurt others.
  2. Protect kids from exploitation. Kids are designed by nature to be the responsibility of their parents. As such, parents have a moral authority to insist that all of society respect their role in deciding what their children are going to be subjected to.
 Some would go further and argue that these two objectives can be fully protected by using civil courts to grant relief, award damages, and even punitive redress for harms done. But dead people can't file claims. So we need to keep a public policy which has a criminal law component. Hence, a drug war which is scaled back. A drug war which does a better job of the two objectives, without branding 8% of our Oklahoma population as felons, for essentially victim less crimes.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/the-drug-war-vietnam-part-ii

Sunday, April 23, 2017

A Rebuke of Legislators & Preachers, by Bob Linn

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Bob Linn made a bold thesis, rebuking the spineless politicians and preachers for hanging a fine public servant out for media ridicule.
  Dr. Everett Piper, of Oklahoma Wesleyan University; reposted an excellent thesis from Bob Linn; regarding the Oklahoma House Page program, and the effort made by it's director, to protect the children entrusted to our lawmakers, by the parents.
  Two weeks ago, a large group of known cross-dressing teens were coming to the capitol for the day.  In anticipation of this, the page program's director made an effort to let the kids in her care know that they can have special access to some private restrooms, in the event that they are confronted with males being in the female restrooms.
  Sadly, the page program's director was publicly reprimanded for taking this initiative. Not one legislator came to her public defense. Not one clergy group came to her public defense.
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Pages are selected from among Oklahoma's high school students.

by Bob Linn

Capitol Cross-Dressers

There is a short supply of men in the Oklahoma Legislature these days. Parents must now question whether they should allow their minor children to participate in the Page Program at the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Do not blame Karen Kipgen who supervises the program. When seventy students who are confused about their sexual identity arrived from Tulsa, Karen realized there would be cross-dressers in the women’s restrooms. To protect her pages, who are underage girls, she made arrangements for the pages to use a private restroom. As a courtesy, she emailed a note to those legislative assistants affected, explaining why this permission was granted for the day.

Her motherly intercession on behalf of her charges was betrayed by one of the assistants, who turned her innocent effort into a public firestorm. The un-named assistant made Kipgen’s private email known to the visiting students and allowed it to be published, along with Karen Kipgen’s picture, by media outlets from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This, however, was not the most reprehensible reaction to her effort.

How would the Christian statesmen in the legislature respond? Would anyone defend Karen Kipgen? The awkwardness was palpable as Karen was left standing all alone under the national spotlight of condemnation, while the trouble-making assistant received a pass, her identity remaining anonymous. Rather than publicly supporting Karen in her stand for Biblical values, members of the legislature wilted before Oklahoma’s most vocal minority. But wouldn’t anyone? Activist sexual perverts have established a track record as the most hateful minority in the history of American society, seeking to bankrupt anyone who does not affirm their militant moral standards.

We have come to expect people like the un-named assistant and the media to froth at the mouth over opportunities to smear the innocent and to force their newly discovered moral absolutes on the entire culture. Drawing from the lessons of history, we learn that these new sexual morals are not new. They are ancient corruptions that have proven to be irrational failures.

Moral degeneracy has made great headway in contemporary American culture due to the decline of the American pulpit and the objective standard it is ordained to uphold. This greatest nation in the world, the beacon of Christian liberty, was founded in the midst of an enlightened culture made possible by the political sermons of its preachers, the Sunday afternoon Bible reading of its congregations1, and the leadership of those pastors who helped pave the way to the fight for our independence from a decadent England.

The gender disguising we witnessed recently in our Oklahoma Legislature is a part of the camouflage which French historian Arnold Toynbee indicated could never withstand the light of Biblical truth.2 Herbert Schlossberg, a leading scholar on the relationship between Christianity and societies, describes Toynbee’s camouflage as consisting primarily of the “myths of secularity that people have wrapped around academic disciplines.”3 Schlossberg goes on to note that, “Expelling the Biblical presuppositions that were the only ones that could provide a foundation for rationality, we unwittingly invited the irrational to join us.”4 He observes that while cultures have often survived the domination of wicked people in high places, they will not long survive the people’s insistence that wickedness be dominant nor the continual boast that evil is good.5

Are there any enlightened patriots in Oklahoma? Any real men who would do us the favor of occupying seats of leadership in our state? Is there a man anywhere who, in a position of elected leadership, would have praised Karen Kipgen for her foresight, decency, and leadership? Is there a leader in our midst who would have told those corrupt minds with loud voices that he stands between the vulnerable and those who pose even the hint of a threat?

It is long past time for Oklahoma’s preachers to preach absolute morality for the general culture, as did their Biblical predecessors. Men like Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the Apostle Paul (Romans 1) knew that God’s law extended to all men and should never be shut up behind the closed doors of religious institutions. Perhaps from among such preachers we will find men to light our way back to the Kingdom of Heaven. After all, it is that Kingdom, when all the dust settles, which will appear eternally glorious. Let us pray for men with the wisdom and backbone to lead us in the direction of the Kingdom.

1 Angelo Codevilla, The Character of Nations, P 226, 227
2 Arnold Toynbee, Reconsiderations, Vol 12 of A Study of History, P 67
3 Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction, P 169
4 Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction, P 169
5 Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction, P 296


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/a-rebuke-of-legislators-preachers-by-bob-linn

A Rebuke of Legislators & Preachers, by Bob Linn


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/a-rebuke-of-legislators-preachers-by-bob-linn

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Here's How we Get Bad Election Board Secretaries


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/heres-how-we-get-bad-election-board-secretaries

Here's How we Get Bad Election Board Secretaries

  Tulsa's had some really inept and corrupt county election board secretaries. And the State Election Chief, Paul Ziriax, doesn't seem to be elevating the standards.
  Gwen Freeman was just appointed to the post, due to the heavy lobbying of Senator Dan Newberry. The last county chief, Patty Bryant, got her job in a similar manner, when former Senator Jim Williamson intervened. Her team corrupted some really bad situations, leading to judicial intervention and many Tulsans going without representation for over a year. She was a real estate agent before getting the sweet gig. She leaves the job and her $90k salary at the end of the month.
  Gwen Freeman did used to be a Tulsan. But she and her daughter have been living in Tennessee and Texas for the past decade or so.
She was a country singer, freelance interior designer, and radio talk show host. None of these positions appear to include overseeing hundreds of employees during county wide elections. None of this points to encouragement about public trust. 
So with all the great candidates in the Tulsa area, Why does Senator Dan Newberry go find Gwen (a long time friend) in Texas and lobby for her to get the job? Why is she allowed to make up a 2nd resume after her first resume is rejected?
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  I'd like to nominate a proven leader and life-long Tulsan, like former city councilman, Chris Medlock, or any other of about 50 people I can think of...
  And why does Paul Ziriax let senators pick the last 2?  Ziriax holds 2 posts in state government. He is the clerk of the senate as well as State Election Board Secretary. Maybe this is why senators have so much leverage? Perhaps the Election Board should do their own search for trusted, competent administration, rather than just ask senators during down time in the senate chamber?
  Oklahoma has had many experiences with corrupted elections and those in charge of them.  
This just seems questionable.
  Here are a few background stories. One is the Tulsa Frontier interview with Gwen Freeman. Another is a recap of the Tulsa World story on Herman Moore, a former Tulsa Election Secretary who went to prison for fraud.  A third story comes from longtime Tulsa Republican, Paul Hollrah, about the terrible fraud of elections in the 60s and earlier.

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Despite lack of experience, newly appointed election board secretary ‘a quick learner

GwenFreeman’s resume touts her experience as a radio host, interior designer, marketing expert and country music singer. It doesn’t list any experience in politics. So how did she become Tulsa County’s newest election board secretary?
Other than a longtime interest in politics, Freeman said she knows she lacks experience and knowledge about her new role.
“But I’m a quick learner,” she told The Frontier on Friday. “State election board officials informed me I would be well trained, well equipped, and well backed. They said any questions that came up, they would have my back.”
Freeman is set to replace Patty Bryant on May 1 after Bryant informed the state election board she did not want to be reappointed when her current term ends. Election board secretaries serve two year terms and are nominated by the state senators of the country where they reside. The state election board then reviews the nomination and eventually chooses whether to make an official appointment.

​Read more, here...



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Election Board Secretary, Harmon Moore, Goes To Prison For Embezzlement

  There were several claims of fraud and shiftiness for years. But none could be proven. Old  timers still say that the 1984 mayoral race was wrought with corruption by the many broken machines that led to long lines at the polls, but only in the heavily Republican precincts!
  Then, in 1987, The Tulsa World said;

1987 
 Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Harmon Moore Jr. resigned amid allegations of embezzlement; he later was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for embezzling public funds.
Embezzlers: Also in Tulsa County, election board secretary Harmon Moore was sent to prison in 1987 for embezzling public funds. He was convicted of converting $16,713 in public funds to his own use. 


Amazing when you consider that a senator like Rick Brinkley embezzled over $1.8 million and only got a 3 year sentence?

​Read more, here...

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1960s Voting Corruption In Oklahoma

by Paul R. Hollrah, reprinted from The New Media Journal - 
  In August 1963 I was transferred to Tulsa from Wall Street, in New York, in a corporate headquarters relocation. A month later, on Tuesday evening, September 10, 1963, I attended my first political meeting… the monthly meeting of the Tulsa County Young Republicans. 
  The guest speaker that evening was Tulsa attorney Walter Hall, Ballot Security Officer for the Oklahoma Republican State Committee. In his speech Hall described in detail the widespread fraud practiced by Oklahoma Democrats in every election. And since Democrats controlled all county and state election boards, the governor’s office, both houses of the legislature, the major law enforcement offices, and the courts, few Republicans were willing to challenge them. 
 
Hall began by explaining that forty-four of Oklahoma’s seventy-seven counties had not provided a secret ballot for voters since statehood in 1907, and that local Democrats regularly used every conceivable illegal device to intimidate voters and to fraudulently control the outcome of elections.

  Although state law required that one of the three election officials in each precinct must be a member of the minority party, Democrats systematically recruited loyal party members to register as Republicans so that they could fill the minority positions.
  He described how, on election day, after voters had signed the entry log, they were handed a paper ballot and a pencil. And since there were no facilities for marking a ballot in secret, they were obliged to place their ballots on the table and mark them with the three election officials looking on. If the election officials saw a voter mark his/her ballot for even a single Republican candidate, a number of things could happen… none of them good.
  Hall explained that, in many Oklahoma counties, the welfare rolls were divided up by precincts and kept on the tables in the polling places. If an individual on public assistance was so unwise as to vote for a Republican, his/her name would be removed from the welfare rolls the instant the voter completed the ballot. In some Oklahoma counties the election officials were so brazen as to keep a trash can next to the ballot box, and any ballot with a Republican vote on it went directly into the trash can. The only ballots in the ballot boxes were straight Democratic tickets. 

​  Read more, here...



from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/heres-how-we-get-bad-election-board-secretaries

Friday, April 21, 2017

Oklahoma Capitol Is Full of Crap


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/oklahoma-capitol-is-full-of-crap

Oklahoma Capitol Is Full of Crap

​  The drips and chunks started in the overnight hours. By daylight it was flooding out the basement.

  Oklahoma's state capitol building got a taste of the sewage that they usually sent out.

  The entire state is under various flash flood advisories, today. But Oklahoma City's infrastructure sent a message back to the capitol building; to wit;
"We can't take any more of your crap!
​In fact, we're sending back some of the stuff you recently deposited down our pipes."
  This usually happens when massive rain water gets into sewage treatment lines, instead of stormwater drainage channels.
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  Much of the state is under various flood and storm advisories. 
OKC had several power outages, downed trees & power lines, and flooded roadways.

  In Tulsa, there are  many creeks flowing out of their banks, leading to many road closures.

  Forecasters are expecting a positive change in the weather in the next 24 hours, and a sunny Sunday for most of the state.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/oklahoma-capitol-is-full-of-crap

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Tulsa GOP Plans Big Presence At State Convention


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/tulsa-gop-plans-big-presence-at-state-convention

Tulsa GOP Plans Big Presence At State Convention

Join The Bus Tour..
 The Tulsa GOP continues to grow and work to develop better systems to empower the grassroots in their precincts and in the halls of government. This year the Tulsa County Delegation is the largest voting block at the OKGOP Convention. Robert Aery has sponsored a tour bus to accommodate those who want to leave the driving to others and ride in comfort among their fellow party delegates.
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Ride the bus to the GOP State Convention.
Charter Bus to OKGOP Convention for Delegates

Saturday, May 6, 2017 from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (CDT)
Reasor's, 51st & Harvard, Tulsa, OK - Register at Eventbrite

Convention Schedule:
  • 7:00-9:00AM – Convention Registration*, Atrium
  • REGISTRATION CLOSES AT EXACTLY 9 am.
  • 7:00-5:00PM – Vendor tables on display, Atrium
  • 7:30AM – Prayer Breakfast with Dr. Everett Piper, Fellowship Center
  • 9:00AM – Convention Begins, Worship Center
  • NOON – Buffet BBQ lunch* with “Oklahoma Fosters” Panel Discussion, Atrium
  • 5:00PM – Convention Adjourns

Convention Reservation Deadline:
  Online Reservations are available now at https://register.okgop.com/  The reservation deadline is May 1, 2017.
The delegate registration fee is $25 and includes the the BBQ Buffet lunch.  You must include your voter id number when registering online.  If you miss the deadline for advance registration, be prepared to pay the day of the convention.  For more detailed information about the convention, CLICK HERE.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/tulsa-gop-plans-big-presence-at-state-convention

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Mullin's 'Security' Concerns: Red Cards

  Last week, several Oklahoma town halls were held. But a Tahlequah event was cancelled just moments prior to Congressman Mullin's arrival.
  Mullin issued some cryptic language in his press statements about event security, in an attempt to explain his justification for leaving the 2nd District constituents 'stood up' at the Sequoyah High School Auditorium.
  Many Oklahoma voters assumed that the event venue did not properly 'sweep' the building, or that people with dangerous weapons were allowed in the building.
  Some local journalists pressed the issue and finally discovered that the problem was about big protest signs on sticks and standards, or other potentially make-shift weapons.
  The Federal Marshall's Service provided event security for the town hall meeting in the historic Indian School. their duty is to the public safety, not the congressman's political image. as such, these federal law enforcement officers decided they had a duty to protect First Amendment expressions which do not pose a public safety concern.  They saw the small red or green cards as nothing to be concerned with.
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  But to a beleaguered politician who is obsessed with image and likability, the red cards are an assault on his elect-ability. 
​  Tahlequah Daily Press reported on their Facebook page, and the Cherokee Nation confirmed, that the sticking point for Mullin was that the venue wouldn’t ban the red and green sheets of paper that people hold up at town halls to represent their positions. The Cherokee Nation disputes Mullin’s claim that there were security concerns, however.
“The Cherokee Nation Marshals Service provided adequate security to Congressman Mullin’s town hall,” Cherokee Nation spokeswoman told Raw Story over the phone. “Our marshals coordinated in advance with Congressman Mullin’s office and security detail.”  The spokeswoman couldn’t comment on how green and red paper became a safety concern.
In a Pryor area meeting, Mullin directs the cops to remove a detractor. When he sees that it will create a political embarrassment for him, he then orders the cops to stand down. This is a clear abuse of police powers for suppression of political dissidents.
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   SoonerPolitics commends the work of peace officers and other security officials who respect constitutional limits on their powers. Using law enforcement as political thugs is a very bad thing, and the Cherokee Nation worked with Federal agents in a manner which promoted safe and constructive petitioning and redress rights, as well as advocacy for political reforms.
​  Mullin shows a dangerous propensity to abuse police powers for political manipulation. It is precisely this type of small episode which can reveal for us a very serious concern which we rarely get opportunity to observe. Namely;
"What would a seemingly decent man do if we vested him with great power?".
 Is it tacky to keep your little piece of paper held in the air? Yeah, it is. But it's not shouting or physically intimidating... Well, except maybe to a politician who has a hard time dealing with healthy dissent.
  We commend Jim Bridenstine for maintaining a jovial good will at his massive Tulsa event. He relished and celebrated the healthy convergence of political philosophy when 400 liberals got loud at his 2000-participant event.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/mullins-security-concerns-red-cards

Mullin's 'Security' Concerns: Red Cards


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/mullins-security-concerns-red-cards

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Bridenstine 'A Leading Candidate' For NASA Post


via Sooner Politics.org - Editorial Read the article at SoonerPolitics.org http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/bridenstine-a-leading-candidate-for-nasa-post

Bridenstine 'A Leading Candidate' For NASA Post

Three national media outlets are naming Oklahoma congressman, Jim Bridenstine as a leading candidate for the next head of NASA. And Rep. Jim Bridenstine says he’s still “in the mix” to be the next NASA administrator.

The Oklahoma Republican told a Tulsa TV station that he was recently interviewed again by the White House for the job, but doesn’t know when the administration will make a decision on the position.

“I don’t know what the end result is, but I keep interviewing, which is an indicator that maybe I’m still in the mix for it,” he told KOTV, in Tulsa, OK.

- Read the full coverage at SpaceNews.com

TheAvion.com adds;
 Since Donald Trump was inaugurated as President in January, the question of who will be the NASA administrator has gone unanswered. The previous administrator, Charles Bolden, was appointed by President Obama and resigned on Jan. 20, 2017, the day Obama left office.
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According to The Wall street Journal, Bridenstine is 'The Right Stuff' for NASA.

  According to the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) is one of the leading candidates for the position of NASA administrator under the Trump administration. Bridenstine has served on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and was the author of the recent American Space Renaissance Act.

The American Space Renaissance Act (ASRA) is comprehensive legislation with the goal of reforming military, civil and commercial space efforts. Bridenstine introduced the ASRA at the 32nd Space Symposium in April 2016.

The ASRA proposes changes to NASA and its missions, as well as the way that NASA gets money from the government, with the goal of increasing the stability of the organization.

Bridenstine also helped to secure funding for the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA-AST). The FAA-AST is the office of the FAA responsible for licensing Commercial Space launches and reentries and for “encouraging, facilitating, and promoting,” the commercial space industry.

When naming their five game-changers in the world of space, SpaceNews chose Bridenstine as one of the five. They named his efforts concerning the ASRA and FAA-AST as reasons why he was making a difference.

Bridenstine also wrote a post on his Congressional Blog called, “Why the Moon Matters.”  This entry details why the US needs to return to the Moon and how that return will benefit the United States and its economy.

Bridenstine’s argument centers on the enormous amounts of water ice that are currently resting in craters at the lunar poles. The craters in which the ice resides are always dark, which prevents the ice from melting the wildly fluctuating temperatures of the lunar surface. The ice could potentially serve as fuel for spacecraft since it contains the hydrogen and oxygen that make up
some rocket fuels.

Bridenstine completed a triple major at Rice University and an MBA at Cornell.  He also served in the US Navy and in the Naval Reserve as a Naval Aviator. He flew E-2C Hawkeyes and F-18 hornets while on active duty. He is currently a member of the Naval Reserve and has flown missions in support of the War on Drugs.

The acting NASA Administrator is Robert Lightfoot, Jr., who took power after the departure of Charles Bolden. The former administrator of NASA, Charles Bolden, was a former astronaut who flew on the Space Shuttle four times.

Before being selected for the astronaut corps, Bolden served in the US Navy as a Naval Aviator. He returned to this profession after completing his shuttle missions.  At the time of his retirement from the Navy, Bolden held the rank of Major General.

Bridenstine is a strong candidate for NASA administrator since he has experience crafting commercial space legislation and an understanding of the industry that will be beneficial for entities that partner with NASA in the future, as well as for NASA itself.  Bridenstine could represent a bright future for all aspects of the American space industries, and for the future of space exploration.


from Sooner Politics.org - Editorial http://www.soonerpolitics.org/editorial/bridenstine-a-leading-candidate-for-nasa-post