Most major legislative issues will not be addressed until they become "Burning Issues" or a crisis. That is why we have so many "Embers." Here is a list of bills i would at best call "Embers." Some are just stuff. "The Religious Viewpoint, Anti-discrimination Act." "Barber Pole Prohibition." "Allowing concealed handguns on college campuses." "Clean Campaign Act." (Enacting an oxymoron)."Stealing Dimensional Stone Products." "Banks and Cemeteries Act." "Ten Commandments Act."
Compare any of these with Health Care. Indigent Care is a burning issue, cost of care is a burning issue and indigent care costs are a big part of the cost of health care since that cost is shifted by the provider to paying patients and your insurance goes up. Most times it is difficult to explain to the overage guy how this happens because he is generally unschooled in the health insurance business.
By the time of the presidential election in 1992 we all thought that health care was a burning issue but the Clinton's smothering actions, turned off supporters and the insurance industry was able to win the day. Clinton never tried again. Of course there was a Republican controlled Congress and the "Free Market" prevailed.
Eight years of George Bush allowed this issue to smolder as big insurance and the doctors made financial hay.
Maybe now, the issue is burning enough to overcome greed, stupidity and free market ideology and supplant that with a common sense approach to funding health care.
The point I want to make is this. It is far easier to introduce and pass "Embers" than it is to address "Burning Issues." Oklahoma has failed to address these issues for over ten years and that is why we are last in just about everything.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sooner Football and IceCream
The town of Meeker served up the absolute best homemade icecream in the Capitol Rotunda that I have ever savored. I don't know why Meeker did this but I may have to start driving to Meeker for icecream.
At the same time fifteen of OU footballs best, Bradford, McCoy, Gresham, Brown, Murray, Alexaner and other starters for tommorow showed up with Coach Stoops. Bradford stands out because of his humility. McCoy, about as big as a building stands out when he stoops to low five two five year olds.
But it was the ice cream that undid them. McCoy must have smelt it first and with an engine like that, constant refuleing is necessary, because he left he House floor and went out to the Rotunda where the Meeker crowd was. He came back with his bowl and after that Stoops lost control. Only Bradford steadfastly signed anything placed in front of him. The rest went for ice cream.
What a great group of guys. They left the Capitol to go to OU Medical Center to see Correy Wilson, a sophomore wide receiver, who was critcally injured Saturday near Sulphur.
J.C. Watts was in the Capitol also. I suspect he was gauging his standing to run for Governor. J.C. has come a long, long way and been a success. His running aginst Mary Fallin will be a good race.
At the same time fifteen of OU footballs best, Bradford, McCoy, Gresham, Brown, Murray, Alexaner and other starters for tommorow showed up with Coach Stoops. Bradford stands out because of his humility. McCoy, about as big as a building stands out when he stoops to low five two five year olds.
But it was the ice cream that undid them. McCoy must have smelt it first and with an engine like that, constant refuleing is necessary, because he left he House floor and went out to the Rotunda where the Meeker crowd was. He came back with his bowl and after that Stoops lost control. Only Bradford steadfastly signed anything placed in front of him. The rest went for ice cream.
What a great group of guys. They left the Capitol to go to OU Medical Center to see Correy Wilson, a sophomore wide receiver, who was critcally injured Saturday near Sulphur.
J.C. Watts was in the Capitol also. I suspect he was gauging his standing to run for Governor. J.C. has come a long, long way and been a success. His running aginst Mary Fallin will be a good race.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Irony Of It All and "Great Stuff"
Oklahoma Democrat legislators are flummoxed by the fact that the Republicans in Congress voted against the stimulus and now Oklahoma Republican legislators reap the benefit of stimulus funds. Even though the federal dollars don't really replace the tax cuts the Rs can argue that they made it through 2009 without major cuts in programs and even increased funding for roads, highways and bridges, education and healthcare. It will be interesting to see how the Democrats play this.
We are watching the TRMC/OSUCOM issue closely. A person prominent in the negotiations approached a prominent Tulsa legislator and informed him that the five mllion dolars to be furnished by the state was less than half of what was needed for operating capital. No big surprise since TRMC has been losing ten to twelve million dollars a year for several years. "Should we make this public before the deal closes or after?" Well now! In additon the law firm of McAfee-Taft has withdrawn from the negotiations because of conflicts and the contrainess of the other firms and Ardent, ever pressing, is insisting on getting one and a half million for IME (Indirect Medical Education) funding which it loses with its contribution of TRMC to the Trust. If the Health Care Authority changes the rules to accomdate Ardent that would probaly mean that Saint Francis and Integres and maybe Saint Anthony would qualify for IME. IME funds are federal dolars but the state has to put money for the match. This would raise the cost to the state substantially. This thing is growing and expanding like the foam Great Stuff.
With the announcement of the funding for TRMCV/OSUCOM, it was just one day before David Boren was in the Capitol building. Due to the "Parity Rule" if one school gets a million dollars, the other gets a million. What a rule! We will watch and see what Boren asks for.
Quote of the week. "There are two kinds of legisaltors. Those who know they are working for David Boren and those who don't know they are working for David Boren." Anonymous legislator.
Dirt Pile. Owasso and Broken Arrow are in a dead heat for "Wackiest legislator" with Moore closing fast. For laughs and moans follow Senators Brogdon and Sykes and Representatice Ritze. These guys are a hoot!
We are watching the TRMC/OSUCOM issue closely. A person prominent in the negotiations approached a prominent Tulsa legislator and informed him that the five mllion dolars to be furnished by the state was less than half of what was needed for operating capital. No big surprise since TRMC has been losing ten to twelve million dollars a year for several years. "Should we make this public before the deal closes or after?" Well now! In additon the law firm of McAfee-Taft has withdrawn from the negotiations because of conflicts and the contrainess of the other firms and Ardent, ever pressing, is insisting on getting one and a half million for IME (Indirect Medical Education) funding which it loses with its contribution of TRMC to the Trust. If the Health Care Authority changes the rules to accomdate Ardent that would probaly mean that Saint Francis and Integres and maybe Saint Anthony would qualify for IME. IME funds are federal dolars but the state has to put money for the match. This would raise the cost to the state substantially. This thing is growing and expanding like the foam Great Stuff.
With the announcement of the funding for TRMCV/OSUCOM, it was just one day before David Boren was in the Capitol building. Due to the "Parity Rule" if one school gets a million dollars, the other gets a million. What a rule! We will watch and see what Boren asks for.
Quote of the week. "There are two kinds of legisaltors. Those who know they are working for David Boren and those who don't know they are working for David Boren." Anonymous legislator.
Dirt Pile. Owasso and Broken Arrow are in a dead heat for "Wackiest legislator" with Moore closing fast. For laughs and moans follow Senators Brogdon and Sykes and Representatice Ritze. These guys are a hoot!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Old Hammurabi and enacting legislation
In " Men of Law", MacMillan and Co., William Segal writes "Hammurabi stereotyped a corpus of archaic law; but above all, he launched a great delusion which continued to exercise a spell over men of antiquity which still has not spent its force in modern times. It was the delusion that the weak could be protected against the force and cunning of the strong by means of the written word. Thereafter the people cried for the Ten Commandments, for Tablets of the Law, for Twelve Tablets, for laws engraved on wood and bronze and stone." The people are still crying for more laws, crying for programs, crying for pork, crying for regulation, de-regulation and re-regulation. They cry for laws on paper, laws on disks, and laws floating in cyberspace.
After 27 years of passing and killing bills, here is what I believe an advocate for a law or laws must think about and do.
The advocates must have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish.
The goal must be politically possible.
The advocate must communicate the goal to the leadership of both houses of the Legislature as early as possible.
The advocate must be able to frame the issue in terms easily understood by legislators.
You must plan the path of the bill.
You must recruit and educate your House and Senate authors.
You must carefully oversee drafting of the proposed legislation.
You must educate the committee chairs and members about the bill.
You must identify external forces (friends and enemies) that might affect your plan and be ready to respond to their actions
You must have a clear vision of what you want out of the process in the end, while extrnal forces and the Legislature itself work on your bill.
You must have alternative strategies to reach your goal in the event you are sidetracked or fail early in the legislative session.
You must be constantly available to educate members, detect problems, overcome road blocks and create opportunities.
You must have the time, the tools and commitment to "go the distance," an entire legisltive session.
After 27 years of passing and killing bills, here is what I believe an advocate for a law or laws must think about and do.
The advocates must have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish.
The goal must be politically possible.
The advocate must communicate the goal to the leadership of both houses of the Legislature as early as possible.
The advocate must be able to frame the issue in terms easily understood by legislators.
You must plan the path of the bill.
You must recruit and educate your House and Senate authors.
You must carefully oversee drafting of the proposed legislation.
You must educate the committee chairs and members about the bill.
You must identify external forces (friends and enemies) that might affect your plan and be ready to respond to their actions
You must have a clear vision of what you want out of the process in the end, while extrnal forces and the Legislature itself work on your bill.
You must have alternative strategies to reach your goal in the event you are sidetracked or fail early in the legislative session.
You must be constantly available to educate members, detect problems, overcome road blocks and create opportunities.
You must have the time, the tools and commitment to "go the distance," an entire legisltive session.
Fifty Years Ago
Fifty years ago the Oklahoma Legislature under Governor Howard Edmondson's direction was struggling with four major issues. County Commissioner Reform, Central Purchasing law, Merit System law and Repeal of Prohibition.The Old Guard Senate fought off County Commissioner Reform but the other three measures passed. In late April, Oklahoman's voted to repeal prohibition but not until after Joe Cannon, Edmondson's chief cop, barrricaded major roads into wet states to stop bootleggers and raided Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.
The side stories are even more interesting. Back in that day the Govrnor appointed the Speaker and to a great extent controlled the House of Representatives. Edmondson tagged Clint Livingston from Carter County as Speaker and the appointed floor leaders for the major issues, Stanley Huser for Central Purchasing, G.M. Fuller for Merit System and Bob Lollar for Repeal of Prohibition. All three chaffed under the Governor's heavy hand, particularly Lollar.
After the bill setting up all the rules regarding booze and sale of booze and the Resolution for a vote of the people passed the Legislature, Lollar took personal priveleges to speak and blstered Edmondson and Cannon for their tactics and resigned as Floor Leader. Speaker Livingston said, after Lollar's unprecedented attack on Edmondson, "Members, this is a sad day for Oklahoma, for the Governor and for Representative Lollar." Edmonson's power and popularity begin to wane and in the following legislative session, J.D. McCarty took advantage of that, changed the rules of the House of Representatives and was elected by the members as Speaker. A huge power grab that weakened the Governor forever.
The side stories are even more interesting. Back in that day the Govrnor appointed the Speaker and to a great extent controlled the House of Representatives. Edmondson tagged Clint Livingston from Carter County as Speaker and the appointed floor leaders for the major issues, Stanley Huser for Central Purchasing, G.M. Fuller for Merit System and Bob Lollar for Repeal of Prohibition. All three chaffed under the Governor's heavy hand, particularly Lollar.
After the bill setting up all the rules regarding booze and sale of booze and the Resolution for a vote of the people passed the Legislature, Lollar took personal priveleges to speak and blstered Edmondson and Cannon for their tactics and resigned as Floor Leader. Speaker Livingston said, after Lollar's unprecedented attack on Edmondson, "Members, this is a sad day for Oklahoma, for the Governor and for Representative Lollar." Edmonson's power and popularity begin to wane and in the following legislative session, J.D. McCarty took advantage of that, changed the rules of the House of Representatives and was elected by the members as Speaker. A huge power grab that weakened the Governor forever.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Do states go the Heaven
Matthew 20: 1-16
Parable of the Laborers. This a story about money, work, anxiety and grace. It holds out hope for Oklahoma if states go to heaven. In those days the family budget was balanced daily. If you had work, you had a denarius and if you had a denarius you and your family could eat. The landowner went out early and hired his workers and sent them inot the vineyard to work. At the sixth and ninth hour he did likewise. When evening came he called the laborers in and gave them there wages beginning with the last to the first. But when the first came, they supposed they would recieve more and they murmured. All were paid the same but the last worked the least! The landowner said "Friend I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?" "So the last will be first and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen." Oklahoma is last in about every category of state services, from health care to education and first in carceration. Oklahoma was last, no didn't even vote for Obama ao in this parable would the landowner help Oklahoma because it has done the least for it's citizens. Or would Obama help Oklahoma because it did nothing for him. The laborer who had work (and a denarius) all day had no anxiety, but the last had anxiety almost to the end. The laborer who worked all day made his and his family's way better because he did the right thing. The others waited around and hoped. Has Oklahoma govenment done the right thing for it's family. Don't think so. Don't think states get to heaven.
Parable of the Laborers. This a story about money, work, anxiety and grace. It holds out hope for Oklahoma if states go to heaven. In those days the family budget was balanced daily. If you had work, you had a denarius and if you had a denarius you and your family could eat. The landowner went out early and hired his workers and sent them inot the vineyard to work. At the sixth and ninth hour he did likewise. When evening came he called the laborers in and gave them there wages beginning with the last to the first. But when the first came, they supposed they would recieve more and they murmured. All were paid the same but the last worked the least! The landowner said "Friend I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?" "So the last will be first and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen." Oklahoma is last in about every category of state services, from health care to education and first in carceration. Oklahoma was last, no didn't even vote for Obama ao in this parable would the landowner help Oklahoma because it has done the least for it's citizens. Or would Obama help Oklahoma because it did nothing for him. The laborer who had work (and a denarius) all day had no anxiety, but the last had anxiety almost to the end. The laborer who worked all day made his and his family's way better because he did the right thing. The others waited around and hoped. Has Oklahoma govenment done the right thing for it's family. Don't think so. Don't think states get to heaven.
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