Went to a real interesting meeting this afternoon. Got called a "Hired Gun."
For the first time in my memory the Tulsa Chamber, the City of Tulsa and INCOG came together to compare programs. All three programs were about the same in terms of issues to be supported or opposed. The Chamber had called in all of the lobbyists, contract and otherwise to discuss issues and cooperation. Here is what I took away. The new Chamber guy Mike Neal is on the right track, kind of a Clyde Cole track, in that involvement rather than preaching, is probably a better way. Whether or not he can really "Involve" his members up and down the Turnpike and on a daily or weekly basis in Oklahoma City is problematical. The second thing that I took away is that, as usual, there were few specifics. Turnbo tried to focus on the "Money" or the "Ask"as I would put it, i.e. How much money does Tulsa really want in education, healthcare, roads, and good works? This is insightful, even for Turnbo. Get a dollar figure, go for it and then divide the spoils.
The healthcare part was very in teresting. Richard Boone laid out the continual problem of indigent care, and referenced the need for a "Provider Tax" or whatever it is called now. In keeping with collegiality and getting along, the lobbyist representing the the "For Profit Hospitals" just passed the microphone to the next guy. My read - A provider tax is dead. The Tulsa "Not for Prfofits" don't work together and we are missing soooo much federal match that it is criminal!
Finally, you can't do much without focus and commitment. There were only a couple of issues that had real focus and the commitment remains to be seen. If one belivies that the health care issue in Tulsa is being addressed seriously and in a committed way then Heck! Or BS! Nobody even mentioned going after funds for the Community Hospital Authority. Nevertheless,
this was a good start and committing corporate and public lobbyists, through their owners is maybe a good idea. What about bringing in the gorillas? Boren, Smidley or whomever, Larry Williams, the VoTech and TCC. Really get organized and get two or three issues, put the dollar sign on it and bring the money back to Tulsa .
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
2007 Session countdown 8 to go
The Session starts when the Legislature convenes on February 5th. Interestingly, the cut-off for introduction of bills was back in the middle of January so unless you had a burning interest in what is going on, you are already behind!
You can catch up by going to http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/ that is the Legislative Home Page. Go to text of bills and click and then click senate or house and search and the bill number, subject and author will come up. You can scroll through these and then click on the bill number for full text. A large number of bills are "shell" bills and have no content. Content should be available by the first committee meeting but that is not always the case.
I have come up with some interesting stats FWIW which tell you nothing except that I have done a lot of scrolling.
House authors introduced 100 Revenue and Tax bills, 60 School bills. Banks and Trust Companies were tied with Poor People with 6 apiece. Water and Water Rights and Environment are on the move with a total of 22.
The Senate is not to be out done on Revenue and Tax bills with 106 and 52 for Schools. Poor Persons are doing well with 10 bills but Banks and Trust Companies only have 2 vehicles. A "Vehicle" is a legislative term for the bill that "Carries" your "Language."
Of course none of this means anything until you read the bills and find out if taxes are going up or coming down.
Another item of note are the Committee changes in the House. Way different than in the past in that previous standing committees have been replaced with a new order with working sub-committees under each area.
The Senate will be a complete mystery for a while. There are twenty-four Democrats and twenty-four Republicans. The initial agreement calls for Co-Chairs for each standing committee and equal party membership on the committees. Initial questions for lobbyists and other advocates are: Who do you go to first to get your bill placed on the agenda? Can you do it simultaneously? What if one says "OK" and the other says "No." We are not dealing with fading violets here. Same problem when your bill gets to General Order. Talk about Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered!
You can catch up by going to http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/ that is the Legislative Home Page. Go to text of bills and click and then click senate or house and search and the bill number, subject and author will come up. You can scroll through these and then click on the bill number for full text. A large number of bills are "shell" bills and have no content. Content should be available by the first committee meeting but that is not always the case.
I have come up with some interesting stats FWIW which tell you nothing except that I have done a lot of scrolling.
House authors introduced 100 Revenue and Tax bills, 60 School bills. Banks and Trust Companies were tied with Poor People with 6 apiece. Water and Water Rights and Environment are on the move with a total of 22.
The Senate is not to be out done on Revenue and Tax bills with 106 and 52 for Schools. Poor Persons are doing well with 10 bills but Banks and Trust Companies only have 2 vehicles. A "Vehicle" is a legislative term for the bill that "Carries" your "Language."
Of course none of this means anything until you read the bills and find out if taxes are going up or coming down.
Another item of note are the Committee changes in the House. Way different than in the past in that previous standing committees have been replaced with a new order with working sub-committees under each area.
The Senate will be a complete mystery for a while. There are twenty-four Democrats and twenty-four Republicans. The initial agreement calls for Co-Chairs for each standing committee and equal party membership on the committees. Initial questions for lobbyists and other advocates are: Who do you go to first to get your bill placed on the agenda? Can you do it simultaneously? What if one says "OK" and the other says "No." We are not dealing with fading violets here. Same problem when your bill gets to General Order. Talk about Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Dick Wheatley or Tulsa, a lobbyist for twenty-five years, comments on the political and cultural scene in Oklahoma, where we’ve been and where we are going..
At the beginning of the next one hundred years of Statehood, ranking things in Oklahoma is a good thing.
We are first in incarceration of women but real good at football. We rank near the bottom in health care and Tulsa is ranked as one of America’s unhealthiest cities. But our Legislature refused to impose a health care provider tax because it was a “Tax.” One of our former and most popular Senators can be given much credit for pushing Oklahoma and the nation to the bottom in healthcare, but after sticking Oklahoma in the mud he has abandoned us for a lobbying job in Washington.
Oklahoma ranks high in political hypocrisy and low in political common sense. After all, a majority of Oklahoman’s still support Bush but Oklahoma reportedly has more statewide elected Democrats than any other state.
Oklahoma ranks very low in common education funding and just as low in total tax per individual.
Oklahoma has the second largest Native American population, which is among the sickest and the poorest. However Indian Gaming Casinos, over eighty and counting, are planning or completing multi-million dollar expansions. This problem and this opportunity will bring about huge changes in Oklahoma but the “Good Ole Boys” at the coffee shop think that giving the Native Americans a break on car tags is a “Bad thing.”
We have a goofy new “Parity Funding Formula” for OU and OSU. If one University asks for ten million for a project than the other has to come up with it’s own ten million-dollar project. OSU’s Capitol Cowboys are a force, and they have a Speaker and one-half of a Pro Tem this session but David Boren is also a force and he has better football tickets. The other schools just suck hind tit
Oklahoma is supposed to have more shoreline than any other state, but the draught has probably changed that and our continued and increased pollution of the waters of the state is going to make that boast moot - if you can’t drink or swim in the lakes and rivers.
I hope to institute a “Daily Dirt Pile” the Administrative Assistants contribution to good government.
At the beginning of the next one hundred years of Statehood, ranking things in Oklahoma is a good thing.
We are first in incarceration of women but real good at football. We rank near the bottom in health care and Tulsa is ranked as one of America’s unhealthiest cities. But our Legislature refused to impose a health care provider tax because it was a “Tax.” One of our former and most popular Senators can be given much credit for pushing Oklahoma and the nation to the bottom in healthcare, but after sticking Oklahoma in the mud he has abandoned us for a lobbying job in Washington.
Oklahoma ranks high in political hypocrisy and low in political common sense. After all, a majority of Oklahoman’s still support Bush but Oklahoma reportedly has more statewide elected Democrats than any other state.
Oklahoma ranks very low in common education funding and just as low in total tax per individual.
Oklahoma has the second largest Native American population, which is among the sickest and the poorest. However Indian Gaming Casinos, over eighty and counting, are planning or completing multi-million dollar expansions. This problem and this opportunity will bring about huge changes in Oklahoma but the “Good Ole Boys” at the coffee shop think that giving the Native Americans a break on car tags is a “Bad thing.”
We have a goofy new “Parity Funding Formula” for OU and OSU. If one University asks for ten million for a project than the other has to come up with it’s own ten million-dollar project. OSU’s Capitol Cowboys are a force, and they have a Speaker and one-half of a Pro Tem this session but David Boren is also a force and he has better football tickets. The other schools just suck hind tit
Oklahoma is supposed to have more shoreline than any other state, but the draught has probably changed that and our continued and increased pollution of the waters of the state is going to make that boast moot - if you can’t drink or swim in the lakes and rivers.
I hope to institute a “Daily Dirt Pile” the Administrative Assistants contribution to good government.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
