Oklahoma Working Families Not Sharing In Economic Boom

By Marie Price
The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – The number of Oklahomans living in poverty rose over the last two years while state median income fell slightly, according to an anti-poverty organization’s analysis of data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

David Blatt, public policy director for the Tulsa Community Action Project, said that overall Oklahoma is experiencing a general period of prosperity.

“These numbers should sound the alarm that we are experiencing a very uneven recovery, where the average household, as well as those at the bottom of the economic ladder, are being left out of the state’s overall economic growth,” Blatt said. “It has not spread itself to the lower rung of the economy.”

According to the census bureau’s Current Population Survey, the state’s median household income dropped a bit, from a two-year average of $39,519 in 2003-2004 to $39,292 for 2004-2005.

The data show a slight increase over the previous 12 months for both Oklahoma men and women, however, with women earning about 74.8 percent as much as men, an increase of 1.5 percent.

This was during a period when overall state personal income rose 6 percent, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The state’s unemployment rate is fairly low, Blatt said, but wages have not risen appreciably.

He said most of the recovery has been concentrated at the top level of the income spectrum.

The number of families living below the poverty level increased from 11.8 percent to 13.2 percent for the same two-year period.

For 2005 alone, the figures show 16.5 percent of Oklahomans living in poverty, an increase of 0.5 percent for the 12 months.

“A growing number of people have failed to make it to the poverty line,” Blatt said.

CAP said this represents about 50,000 additional Oklahomans living below the poverty line.

In 2005, the federal poverty line was just below $20,000 for a family of four.

These are the same families wrestling with higher costs for fuel, heating, health care, housing and education, he added.

“We hope this evidence of Oklahoma’s uneven recovery will encourage policymakers to use available revenues to pursue an active agenda that focuses on bolstering assistance and expanding opportunities for low- and moderate-income families,” Blatt said.

Census data also show that the number of Oklahomans without health insurance dropped by 1 percentage point during the most recent two-year period, down to 19 percent. The national rate is 15.7 percent.

Blatt said the slight dip is encouraging.

At the same time, Oklahoma ranked fourth highest among the states for the number of uninsured.

States ranking higher were Florida, New Mexico and Texas, which has an uninsured rate close to 25 percent according to the census figures.

“Being without health insurance leaves families one medical emergency away from falling into poverty,” Blatt said. “Even with this slight improvement in the numbers of uninsured, it’s obvious that there is an ongoing health insurance crisis in this state that requires the continued attention of policymakers, employers and health care providers.

Too Much Time On Their Hands

This was recently sent to us from the tipline. We assume its from a politically active teacher, who without a doubt, couldn’t wait for the new school year to begin. (Click images to enlarge)

Enid News: Cargill Wants To Keep House Party Going Strong

By Cindy Allen Managing Editor

Lance Cargill’s main priority until the next legislative session is keeping a Republican majority in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Cargill was elected House speaker-designate by his colleagues in the House of Representatives last year, and if predictions hold that Republicans will maintain their majority, he will replace Todd Hiett in the 2007 Legislature.

Cargill, from Harrah, represents District 96, which is mostly rural area but also part of Edmond.

Read more…

Brogdon Rips Henry On Budget Claim

From The McCarville Report Online

State Senator Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, says today that claims by Governor Brad Henry, Democrat seeking reelection, that he replenished the Rainy Day Fund and improved the state budget don’t match the facts. Brogdon said, “overspending by Brad Henry sent the state spiraling downward” in years past. He said the Rainy Day Fund ran dry “because big spending politicians like then-Senator Henry spent hundreds of millions” and thus, set the state up for budgetary problems. Henry’s first television commercial of the general election campaign is based on his claims that he met the financial crisis the state faced in his first year in office and that he presented a balanced budget and filled the once-depleted Rainy Day Fund.

Full text of press release from Sen. Brogdon’s office:

NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release – August 29, 2006

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: “Brad Henry’s Spending Spree Drained the Rainy Day Fund”

Oklahoma City– State Senator Randy Brogdon says over-spending led by Brad Henry sent our state spiraling downward during what Henry now describes as the “biggest budget crisis in our state’s history”.

“Governor Henry points out that when he first took office as governor, the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ ran dry during our most recent budget crisis,” Brogdon noted. “But he doesn’t point out that the fund ran dry because big spending politicians like then-Senator Henry spent hundreds of millions of dollars from the fund when revenue was strong in the late 1990s and no emergency existed.”

Brogdon, R-Owasso, continued, “When our state faced what the Governor calls the ‘greatest budget crisis in our young state’s history’ it was because he and other big spenders could not keep their hands out of the cookie jar. They spent every dime they could grab.”

Brogdon said it is unbelievable that Governor Henry now wants to expand the reserve fund so there will be even more taxpayer dollars at risk. Last year he even suggested spending $30 million from the Rainy Day Fund to celebrate the state’s centennial birthday.

In contrast, Brogdon says a constitutional amendment to limit spending and create a new emergency fund with stronger controls on how and when the money is spent is needed to keep the legislature and the governor from over-spending.

“Increasing the rainy day fund as proposed by some will only give the politicians more taxpayer’s dollars to spend on their wish list. History has proved that robbing the rainy day fund causes deeper budget cuts in an economic downturn,” he said.

The Owasso Senator says that a constitutional amendment creating an emergency fund would ensure better spending practices by the legislature.

Brogdon characterized the current setup of state emergency reserve funds as little more than a slush fund, used to top off big state spending sprees. “We currently allow the governor and the legislature to spend a percentage of the Rainy Day Fund at anytime, for any reason. That is bad government and it has to stop,” said Brogdon.

“The better choice for Oklahoma is for the legislature and the governor to stop over-spending, and to provide for a secure, constitutional emergency fund that will benefit taxpayers, not pork barrel spenders,” said Brogdon.

According to Brogdon, a proposed new constitutional emergency fund will provide safeguards for taxpayers so that money designated for emergencies will only be used in emergency situations. Additionally, this will stop other wasteful spending and ensure fiscal responsibility.

Brogdon contends that eliminating the Rainy Day Fund and replacing it with a true emergency fund will stabilize the budget, put an end to massive budget cuts due to revenue shortfalls, and ensure Oklahoma will be able to meet its obligations to its citizens for future generations.

From the Tipline: Henry’s Kickoff Event Fails to Turnout Democratic Activists

Despite all the hype, Brad Henry’s re-election campaign began yesterday with barely a whimper. Belying widespread rumors of disatisfaction among Democratic activists camps, today’s low turnout seems to reflect the general belief that Governor Brad Henry does not inspire much goodwill or intensity among the public. Only a few volunteers actually turned up for his RV kickoff today.

In desperation, Henry’s staff had to resort to asking nearby construction workers to wear t-shirts.

From the Tipline: Henry’s Kickoff Event Fails to Turnout Democratic Activists

Despite all the hype, Brad Henry’s re-election campaign began yesterday with barely a whimper. Belying widespread rumors of disatisfaction among Democratic activists camps, today’s low turnout seems to reflect the general belief that Governor Brad Henry does not inspire much goodwill or intensity among the public. Only a few volunteers actually turned up for his RV kickoff today.

In desperation, Henry’s staff had to resort to asking nearby construction workers to wear t-shirts.

Fallin: Profiled in Hometown Newspaper

Mary Fallin, a Tecumseh product who made history 12 years ago by becoming the first woman and the first Republican elected lieutenant governor in Oklahoma, is one more election night away from becoming the state’s second congresswoman.

As the GOP nominee, the three-term lieutenant governor will go into the November election as the favorite. Republicans took over the Oklahoma City area congressional seat when Mickey Edwards won the 1976 election and have held it ever since under Edwards and Ernest Istook. Istook is now the GOP nominee for governor against Democrat Brad Henry of Shawnee. Read more…

If Wishing Could Make It So…

By Walter Jenny Jr., an Edmond resident, is secretary of the Oklahoma Democratic Party and chairman of the Edmond Democrats.

From The Edmond Sun:

Fallin needs a strong fourth quarter to keep 5th district

Last Tuesday saw the selection of the final candidates for lieutenant governor for both the Democrats and Republicans. The only other major race on the ballot was the Republican shootout for the 5th District Congressional nomination between Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

Fallin won the congressional runoff 26,744 to 15,665, picking up 63 percent of the vote. She led in the primary with 16,691 votes to Cornett’s 11,718, a 10 percentage-point spread. But in a field of six candidates dividing 48,287 votes, she failed to pick up the majority necessary to win the primary outright, forcing her into an expensive runoff.

If that seems like too many numbers to digest, that’s unfortunate, because politics is a game of numbers. Rule No. 1 in politics is you have to get more votes than your opponent. Denise Bode spent $1 million in the primary and came in a distant third with less than 10,000 votes. All the money in the world can’t buy you love, and everybody seems to love Mary Fallin.

Fallin has served in the lieutenant governor’s post since 1994, and was in the Legislature for four years before that. She is now the second-longest serving lieutenant governor in the United States.

But the numbers in this 5th District race will be interesting. Democrats outnumber Republicans 170,601 to 161,446 in the district, which includes Seminole, Pottawatomie and most of Oklahoma County. There are 46,509 Independents in the district meaning neither party has a clear majority. In a state where more folks registered as Democrats than Republicans in the past year, this congressional seat will be up for grabs.

That’s a change from previous years. When Ernest Istook won the runoff against Bill Price in 1992 after incumbent Mickey Edwards came in third in the primary, Istook came within 100 votes of the exact same figure Mary Fallin received. But only 47,338 votes were cast in the runoff, compared to 42,409 in last week’s runoff.

Compare that to the Democratic primary between Edmond’s Dr. David Hunter and Oklahoma City teacher Bert Smith. Voters cast 39,015 ballots in a lukewarm campaign in which the candidates spent only a fraction of what the Republicans spent. Hunter picked up 24,660 votes, far more than Mary Fallin’s 16,691 in the primary and almost as many as Fallin received in her hotly contested runoff. Read more…

Boren, Istook, Henry: Six Degrees Of Something-Or-Other?

By Marie Price
The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – They may not exactly prove the “six degrees of separation” hypothesis, but David Boren, Ernest Istook and Brad Henry have more in common than just owing key political wins in their lives to Oklahoma’s runoff election system – and wanting to be governor.
The “six degrees” concept was first posited in 1929 by Karinthy Frigyes, a Hungarian writer. The idea is that anyone can be connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances, with only five linking individuals. At each level, supposedly, the number of acquaintances grows exponentially, until at the top, the “circle of friends” includes everyone on Earth.

In 1974, David Boren came in second to U.S. Rep. Clem McSpadden in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, with scandal-beleaguered Gov. David Hall coming in third.

In 1992, state Rep. Ernest Istook took second in a congressional primary against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards with Bill Price finishing first.

In 2002, Henry garnered 28.5 percent of the vote to Vince Orza’s 44 percent at the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

All three went on to win runoffs and their respective general elections.

However, way back in October 1977, then-governor Boren tapped Istook, who passed the bar exam that April, to direct the old Alcoholic Beverage Laws Control Board. Board members agreed to Boren’s recommendation.

The state Senate had a different idea, and never confirmed Istook’s appointment. At the time, some said the appointment was rejected over a probe by Istook of the liquor industry. Others said opposition centered on Istook’s non-drinking Mormon background.

In April 1978, Istook joined Boren’s staff as a legal assistant, where Istook investigated allegations of misuse of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act federal funds. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the private practice of law with a firm that included one-time Boren attorney Robert Mitchell.

The ABC Board is now the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission.

A few years later, Istook ran successfully for the state House, serving from 1986 to 1992, when he came from behind to take the 5th Congressional District seat.

As Istook was moving on up and leaving the Legislature, Henry was moving into it.

Henry was first elected to the state Senate in 1992, where he served until his primary second-place finish in the 2002 governor’s race turned into a general election win.

Now president of the University of Oklahoma and a former U.S. senator, Boren started his political life as a state representative from Seminole, about 21 miles down the road from Shawnee, Brad Henry’s hometown. Boren was also a professor at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee.

Henry’s cousin, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert Henry, is also a former state representative and attorney general. Brad Henry’s father, Charles, was a judge and state representative.

Boren’s father, Lyle, was a congressman from Oklahoma. His son, Dan, is finishing up his first term in Congress, having also served in the state House.

Picture Of The Day

District 2 Tulsa County Commissioner Randi Miller
From: Pimp This Town Vote Paul Tay

“My goodness, Randi, isn’t the chicken sh*t in Tulsa’s water system enough? Ya really don’t need to go looking for more poopy water.”