Preparing students for success
ONE of many bits of good news in Oklahoma City is the pending opening of a Cristo Rey school in fall 2018.
Cristo Rey schools provide a private, Catholic, college-preparatory education to inner-city students. In Cristo Rey’s unique model, students attend classes four days per week and work a job the fifth day. The wages earned help pay up to 70 percent of a student’s tuition.
The idea is to provide a quality education and teach low-income children the real-world skills required for professional success after high school. Although the school doesn’t open for another year, Cristo Rey officials are already impacting local youth. The school recently hosted a threeday Summer Success Training program, where high school freshman were given advice by community and business leaders on topics such as appropriate use of social media, goal setting, study and work skills, and taking initiative. Students also learned about financial literacy, balancing a budget and eliminating unnecessary expenses.
Those practical topics may be old hat to many upper middle-class students in high school, but that’s not always the case for low-income kids in the inner city. (Although it must be noted children of all income levels would benefit from the social media lesson.)
The academic benefits of a top-quality education can open doors. But a practical understanding of workplace etiquette and the importance of first impressions, and the ability to interact with people from dramatically different backgrounds, are equally important to post-graduate success. Kudos to Cristo Rey for its efforts.
An encouraging sign
The Oklahoman’s Business page was loaded this week with earnings reports for Oklahoma companies. We were struck by how much good news is being produced in the energy sector. Chesapeake Energy Corp. reported second-quarter profit of $470 million, compared with a loss of $1.82 billion in the second quarter of 2016. Devon reported $425 million in second-quarter profit, the result of oil and natural gas production exceeding expectations and cost reductions. SandRidge had a second-quarter profit of $23.5 million, up from a loss of $521 million in the same quarter of 2016. Tulsabased ONEOK Inc. had profits of $71.5 million, which was down from the same quarter in 2016 but revenues were up from $2.13 billion to $2.73 billion. ONE Gas Inc., Enable Midstream Partners and Blueknight Energy Partners LP all had positive second-quarter reports, and there were others. A strong energy sector is important to Oklahoma’s overall economy; here’s hoping the good news continues.
Fundraising contrasts
The amount of campaign funding required to impress people is ever-growing, as can be seen in comparing the sums announced this week by two candidates. Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, has raised more than $300,000 in the two months since announcing his intention to run for governor in 2018. At the same time, Sen. David Holt, a Republican running for Oklahoma City mayor, announced he has raised $261,961. Both sums indicate the two men should have the financial resources to compete. But one man is running for a city race, and another is running statewide. Thus, there are two ways to look at the two figures. One view holds that Holt has raised an outsized amount for a mayor’s race; another view would see cause for concern that Edmondson’s total is only slightly higher than what a municipal candidate raised. Time will tell which view is correct.
Parking proposal
An Oklahoma City Council proposal to increase parking meter rates as part of a system overhaul is sure to draw some protests because, well, parking rates always do. The rates charged to park in Bricktown lots, for example, have long been a favorite target of critics. But the proposal being considered by the council for curbside parking meters seems reasonable. It would standardize on-street rates at $2 per hour, and potentially raise $640,000 per year for the city. A quick internet search showed this rate would be comparable to Dallas (50 cents to $2 per hour), Nashville ($1.50), Memphis ($1.50), St. Louis ($1.50) and Santa Fe ($2). The city council will hear public comments about this plan at its Aug. 15 meeting.
Litmus test
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), recently told The Hill newspaper that abortion “is not a litmus test for Democratic candidates” and the party may support anti-abortion candidates to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats “need a broad coalition to get that done,” Lujan said. His comments quickly drew fire from NARAL Pro-Choice America and similar groups. Yet the hard-line, extreme position of Lujan’s critics — support for abortion under any circumstances at any point in a pregnancy, funded by taxpayers — is a policy position endorsed by only a small fraction of the public. While polling shows general support for legal abortion under certain, limited circumstances, majorities also support numerous abortion restrictions. It will be interesting to see if Democrats ultimately prioritize ideological litmus tests over nominating candidates who can win in culturally conservative swing districts.
Gore’s hypocrisy
Former vice president Al Gore has long crusaded on “global warming,” and his preferred policies would mandate a lower quality of life for millions, particularly the poor. Yet in 2007, it was revealed Gore’s Nashville home consumed 20 times more electricity than the average American household. A new report from the National Center for Public Policy Research, based on information obtained through open records requests, found Gore’s home still “guzzles more electricity in one year than the average American family uses in 21 years.” The amount expended “just heating his pool” annually “is enough energy to power six average U.S. households for a year,” the report said. Energy consumption per square foot in Gore’s home is more than quadruple that of an energy efficient home, “regardless of size.” And his solar panels account for just 5.7 percent of Gore’s typical monthly energy consumption. Apparently, Gore still prefers that others suffer the consequences of practicing what he preaches.
Not willing to take a stand
Many in the entertainment industry believe breaking social taboos is a badge of honor. Typically, this involves behavior more crude than anything, actions designed to offend the broad public, not foster debate on real issues. But now the organizer of the annual Grammy Awards says the organization will clean up its act — for China. In order to launch an associated 2018 tour of Grammy-winning artists or nominees performing live, Reuters reports Grammy organizers have agreed to abide by China’s media curbs and only promote artists with a “positive and healthy” image. In China, that language means political censorship more than anything, and the acts who cannot tour the country include Lady Gaga, Bjork and Bon Jovi, who have all met or expressed support for Dalai Lama. In short, the recording industry is readily willing to offend middle-class mores, but not stand up against totalitarian regimes that truly stifle freedom.