Abusing Jails

   If even half of the mentally illness victims currently being treated at Oklahoma's jails were able to get treatment at a community treatment center, there would be no need for expanding our current jails.

   Several of us, with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), are very disappointed that the Jails are severely misused as mental health treatment centers, just because there are no available beds in real psychiatric hospitals, in Oklahoma.  Dumping these people into a jail population is a horrible and inhumane act. They are far more likely to be further victimized by the real "bad dudes" who do belong behind bars.

CLOSED: Eastern State Hospital, Vinita

 Vinita State Hospital was closed by the legislature more than 10 years ago; but the legislature never finished their commitment to replace the beds with community treatment centers around the state.

   Now, a crisis psychotic break results in police arrests for "disorderly conduct" and a jail sentence. The sufferer becomes an inmate with a police record, lost employment, separated family, kids in foster care, and a bill to taxpayers which is THREE TIMES what a 10-day stay at a community treatment center would cost.

   If the Oklahoma Legislature would complete their duties to the state, the tax burden would be lifted from county and municipal budgets.

  Separating mental health crises from criminal justice is an essential reform which needs to happen, in Oklahoma. A nervous breakdown is devastating enough to recover from; but adding the further stigma of 

• a criminal record, 
• DHS custody of children, 
• lost employment from a 90-day jail sentence.

These are a mountain too high for our loved ones to scale alone.

A California prison, after the overloading effects of Dumping
the state's mental hospital population into the jails and prisons.
It makes everyone less safe. It overloads the facilities and
endangers the ill and the inmates.
It is a state-sanctioned abuse of  the mentally ill.

   We who work together for mental health feel it is shameful that Oklahoma's top 2 mental health providers are the County Jails in OKC & Tulsa.

   The current Tulsa jail bond election signals a sad reality. The county wants us to fund a mental health wing at the jail. While it's laudable that they are committing to better treatment of mental illness, We don't think the jail is the appropriate setting for the treatment of these victims.  No one asks to be stricken with the cruel scourge of mania, schizophrenia, suicidal depression, or delusional psychosis. It is an unreal "hell" to be a sufferer of these maladies. But there are some amazing treatments available which restore lives, families, and communities.

   If even half of the mentally illness victims currently being treated at Oklahoma's jails were able to get treatment at a community treatment center, there would be no need for expanding our current jails. This is a national trend, fueled by state legislatures who essentially "pass the buck" and leave local law enforcement with very few options, when responding to a crisis call.

The  first, and so far, only facility
established to assume the role
that Vinita had been serving.
It was intended to handle the
Tulsa County need, but later was
forced to take on all 77 counties.

  We urge our county commissioners to press the state legislature for the promised mental health infrastructure, which would save the taxpayers very significant funds every year. 

   Oklahoma's first (& only) added community mental health center to be funded, in the wake of Vinita's closure, was TCBH. It was housed in an obsolete building of a former small hospital. TCBH was designated to handle JUST Tulsa county's needs. But the state later broke this commitment to Tulsa, and ordered the center to admit patients from all 77 counties of Oklahoma. The center is perpetually full and turning away scores of sick people every week who voluntarily seek recovery, before any police action is needed. Similar facilities at McAlester, Weatherford, Lawton, and Enid would save every county and municipality massive funds currently being spent on unnecessary incarcerations. Yes, it's an added state investment (which was promised from the massive savings of closing Vinita), yet the overall tax burden would be less, when we take into account the county and city law enforcement impact.

  For most sufferers of an acute psychotic break, their lives were very stable and bright, prior to the unexpected event. They are terrified and confused. Most of these fellow citizens have a great opportunity for recovery and a renewed potential to contribute to their society.

  Dumping these people into a jail population is a horrible and inhumane act. They are far more likely to be further victimized by the real "bad dudes" who do belong behind bars.

Breaking Down The 2014 CPAC Polls

  The CPAC conference has become one of the most prominent single political conferences in the nation.

Do you support or oppose the current 
activities of the NSA? 78% say "No"

The presidential campaign year usually sees a large spike in CPAC registrations. But every year sees the registration growing in comparison to the previous 4-year cycle.

   We captured the graphics from their powerpoint presentation, via a Youtube video clip. Apologies for the low-resolution results.

  

What is your age?

Polling participants of the approx. 2500
who registered at 2014 CPAC

  The biggest news seems to be the Washington Times Straw Poll. But there are many more enlightening details in the internals of the well-run polling. Each registrant was given a code to use when filing out their online poll questionaire.

The Washington Media heavily reports on the CPAC annual event. To an extent, it can be said that the media even promotes the conference.




College groups a a big part of the event. The  conference started in 1986. Each year there have been new developments and trends emerging. The Washington Times is now very involved in the polling process. CPAC is a strong indicator of conservative trends in American politics.

Thinking ahead to the 2016 Presidential election,
who would you vote for as the next Republican nominee for President?

Generally speaking, do you approve of the job
Obama and Republicans in Congress are doing?

Which ONE of the following comes
closest to your core beliefs and ideology?

Which of the following methods of
fixing the budget deficit would you favor MOST?

Which of the following statements comes CLOSEST to
your view regarding the United States' role in the world?

Which of the following statements most closely
reflects your views on the legalization of marijuana?

   So it appears that the 2014 results had their largest breaking trends in the area of marjuana legalization and their dropping support for the job approval of Republicans in congress.

The support for marijuana legalization was broad among every demographic except the 65+ age group.

Feather Headdresses and Sensitivity

   I don't see a personal need to rescue the governor from her own controversial issues, but her young daughter's aspiring efforts in fine arts are certainly worth a word of sanity against a political-correctness attack.

Christina Fallin, of the group Pink Pony

  Christina Fallin is an ambitious and dedicated artist in a pop music genre. To that end, she is promoting a new music project with a photo-shoot which includes a cultural symbol of America's great Indian territory.  She's in her mid twenties and driven to be her best.
  So when political enemies of her mother decided to pounce on the young lady as an attempt to disparage the family name, it became very transparent to many rational-thinking Oklahomans.
   Someone by the name of Ashley Greaves posted on the band’s Facebook,

“It’s amazing how many Americans still don't understand that it is very hurtful to us when non-native people play dress up or use native head dresses (or look-a-likes) for creative purposes.”

   This began a very strong debate on KRMG's website and other  media outlets and social media forums.  Beyond the obvious attempt to license the right to wear feathers on one's head, a far more dangerous message was embedded in the short complaint.

Christina & Mary Fallin
(both are native Oklahomans)

   Who are the "non-native people"? And who really is a native American?  The respected dictionaries of the English language have for centuries referred to a "native" as one who is born in the land. A native Oklahoman is one who is born in Oklahoma. It is only a certain contemporary political class who are trying to change the term into a racial group.
   Yes, most American Indians were probably born in America, but they are only a small segment of all the native Americans. The 2nd generation of German and Irish immigrants are also born here, hence; native Americans.
  The American federal & state governments officially refer to the American Indian tribes as "American Indian" That is the real ethnic distinction. even Young Christina Fallin and most journalists are deceived by this subtle subversion. In Miss Fallin's dignified and conciliatory response, she affirms the false ethnic label. Christina said she;

"felt the "deepest respect" for Native American culture and asking people to forgive her for wearing beautiful things."

public school theater arts education

  This new push to politically control the wearing of cultural costumes will likely find it's way into our public schools. Teachers may have to censor school plays and show-&-tell presentations. Children are already being disinherited of their birthright status of being a native American. words have meanings and words can bring harm.
  Then there's the issue of who owns what customs and has the right to illustrate them? Did an American Indian ever wear a cowboy hat? Can a black man ever wear a European fashion design? You can see the ridiculousness of this attempt at censorship.

Chocktaw Chief, Greenwood LeFlore

  What totally stuns the rational mind is how the black community continues to "give a pass" to Oklahoma Indian tribes who have long oppressed and abandoned the black people. Yet the urban black community still honor the racist and oppressive Indian chiefs with celebrated streets & districts named after them, like the famous Tulsa Greenwood district.
   The renown Choctaw Chief, Greenwood LeFlore was half French.  He wore a business suit and was a wealthy owner of a Mississippi cotton plantation. He owned and abused a massive number of black slaves. He was an influential Senator and close friend of Jefferson Davis (president of the Confederacy). Does any white group complain about an American Indian Chief wearing a business suit? No.

The Silence Strategy, In Politics

   Oklahoma is already seeing subtle hints of political aspirations through the overtures of national personalities who offer their services in the 2014 Oklahoma election cycle. And it is a very dicey situation where they can defeat their opportunities through putting their foot in their mouth. Some great leaders have, a times, been their own worst enemy. Effective campaign managers often tell their candidate to 1) raise a lot of money, 2) get an early lead, then 3) keep their mouth shut!

  We often see polling firms float names of prominent Americans in presidential preference polls. Some amusing names occasionally float to the top tier, even though the public knows next to nothing about their policies or executive skills. Yet, when the celebrity candidate actually enters the 'fray' and set up a campaign operation, they destroy their prospects with the words of their own mouth.
  Some historical examples:

John Adams

Attorney, John Adams

 In the Continental Congress, Attorney, John Adams, was a strident 'in-your-face', and nit-picking personality who often wore down other delegates and squabbled over grammatical structure of resolutions. He really didn't have very many loyal friends by the time the Declaration of Independence was released.
   Immediately, for the safety of many of the signers, Adams and others were dispatched to France, where they would serve as ambassadors and enjoy French protection. As the war cemented American resolve for independence, many came to eventually see John Adam's passion as more reasonable than they did in 1776.
  After the British relented and recognized USA sovereignty, John Adams was a consensus choice to be the 1st U.S. ambassador to England. Perhaps that was seen as a punishment to King George, from the new U.S. government.
  After Adam's 12 years in Europe, the American States ratified a new constitution and called for new elections. John Adams decided it was time to come back to the land he loved. When his ship entered Boston Harbor, a massive crowd instantly gathered and welcomed the great hero to the home nation he gave up so much for.
  When the new congress was seated their first duty was to select federal leadership. Only George Washington collected more national votes than Adams. The rules placed Adams as our first vice president. 

   Little did Adams know, He had just replaced his 12-year exile from homeland for a 8-year exile from significance. After less than a year as V.P., he wrote;

"My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived; and as I can do neither good nor evil"

    So after 8 years of doing less than he had in England, his countrymen elected him to succeed President Washington. Little was the congress ready for the new executive's pent up desire to regain influence. Very few men from that 1776 Continental Congress were still active in public life. But Jefferson was. He may have been the only suitable man to stand up to Adams. And that he did. The two had been charged to draft a declaration. The two had served together as ambassadors to Paris. But the two were fierce competitors in the art of debate and persuasion. Adams didn't stand a chance and he was turned out of office after only one term.

Fred Thompson

The drafted candidate, Fred Thompson

   There was broad disappointment with the 2008 Republican field, in the summer of 2007. So much criticism had been lodged at every Washington figure, so that a draft campaign was well underway to bring in a former senator and lawyer-turned-actor, Fred Thompson.

   Thompson looked very authoritative in his selected movie roles. He was a darling of the 1994 conservative takeover of congress. But the same folks who convinced Thompson to run for president became so disheartened by his anemic political drive and skills. Thompson fell flat. Not because he was obnoxious like Adams, but because he lacked the passion to run. He, like Adams, was more popular before his candidacy than after entering the mix.

The Huckabee Oklahoma Collapse

   In 2008, Gov. Mike Huckabee was the darling of the religious Right and his Oklahoma primary networkers were forerunners of the 2010 Oklahoma Tea Party machine who obliterated the democrat party in the Sooner state.  In 2011, Huckabee announced that he lacked that "fire in the belly" that is needed to run for president.

Committeeman Steve Fair, Gov. Mike Huckabee,
& Charirman Dave Weston, at RNC 2014 Winter Meeting

   Now Huckabee is laying the groundwork for a 2016 presidential bid. His "Huck's Army" machine had moved over to the Santorum 2012 campaign, and will not likely revert back to their former allegiance.

   Huckabee's political contacts have also moved eastward. He left Arkansas and built a mansion on the beautiful Florida beach, near Panama City. He flies into New York for his weekly Fox News Gig. His other associations seem tied to establishment politicians like Senator Mitch McConnell and Lamar Alexander. Huckabee may claim ties to Tea Party causes, but very few Tea Party groups claim ties to Mike Huckabee, anymore.
   In Oklahoma, Mike Huckabee actively campaigned for Congressman John Sullivan in previous years. Yet Sullivan sided with McCain even when Huckabee won Sullivan's 1st district presidential primary, in 2008. Huckabee's original Oklahoma campaign organizer, Dave Weston, is now the state GOP party chairman. But most every member of the old Huckabee-Oklahoma campaign is now very disappointed with the Huckabee policy statements, like:

• Support for the Michelle Obama school food restrictions
• Proposed ban on words like RINO within political speech
• Support for Common Core mandates

   All of these recent developments have created one of the biggest political suicides in Oklahoma presidential primary politics.
"Renewing the American Dream" dinner with Governor Huckabee

  Last year it made sense to the OKGOP leadership to invite Huckabee to headline a swanky fundraiser at the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom. But as the days grew closer, Huckabee became more toxic. His financial contract with the OKGOP was based on a percentage of the event proceeds going to Huckabee's political purse.
 When it became clear that HuckPAC was funding establishment candidates whom Oklahoma Tea Party activists were strongly opposed to in their primary races; the event ticket sales were hampered. The OKGOP hoped to sell sponsorships for as much as $6000 each.  Some respected Oklahoma poitical bloggers actively encouraged skipping the event and instead dropping off a contribution directly to their county or state party office so that Huckabee would be denied any of the support. Finally, the threat of bad weather created a convenient way to "postpone" the event for an unspecified future date.
   No mention of the event even exists on the OKGOP website. and no future event is yet to be announced, with Huckabee.