Financially stable path
Cal Hobson (Your Views, June 26) thinks Oklahomans should base their state policies according to “federal largesse” and the attached federal dictates. He fails to realize that Oklahomans will continue to stand on principles no matter how much money the federal government waves in front of us. A federal government with $17 trillion in debt and $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities won’t be able to provide “largesse” for very much longer. In fact, the rest of the world is so unconfident in our ability to pay our debts that the biggest lender to the United States last year was ourselves, through the Federal Reserve. When the federal government pulls the rug out from Maryland and other states that have agreed to the Medicaid expansion, those states will be liable for the entire Medicaid bill. Also, because they took the federal government handout they’ll be prevented by federal law from altering Medicaid benefits, which will push these states toward insolvency.
It’s a tough stand to not give needy people free stuff, but it’s financially responsible. I applaud Gov. Mary Fallin for undertaking a prudent examination of all possible options for Oklahoma to provide health insurance to the poor. While the federal government and other states continue their march toward insolvency, Oklahoma will continue on a financially stable path. In the future, when some states are bankrupt, Oklahoma will continue to provide health care assistance to the most needy.
TRAFFIC LIGHT SITUATION
In “Time to get serious about infrastructure” (Point of View, June 26), Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell wrote that “In 2011, the average American commuter wasted 38 hours and 19 gallons of fuel sitting in traffic.” If Cornett is serious about reducing the amount of time and fuel wasted by Oklahoma City motorists, he’d see to it that something is done about the abominable traffic light situation in this city. The lights downtown are precisely timed to ensure that one must stop at every one of them!
It takes less than 30 seconds to travel a block, then you sit and wait for 60 to 120 seconds at a red light. Repeat ad infinitum until out of the downtown area or you reach your destination. Also, leftturn lights are causing much wasted time and fuel. All left-turn lanes should use either the flashing yellow arrow or the solid green signal whenever the light for straight-ahead traffic is green. Sitting and waiting through several minutes of the traffic light cycle for the left-turn arrow when there’s no oncoming traffic is ridiculous. This occurs even in remote areas of the city where there’s little traffic much of the time.
If Oklahoma City’s mayor and city council are serious about saving commuter time and fuel and improving the conditions of the city’s transportation infrastructure, they’ll resolve these issues rather than just talk about them.
LICENSED TO BEG?
Every freeway off-ramp and almost every signal light in this city has someone standing with a handwritten torn box-top sign asking for money. Many are now using gimmicks: a pregnant gal standing with a small kid; a woman sitting on a walker; a man with a cane wearing a Vietnam Vet cap saluting cars as they stop at the red light; an unkempt, long-haired, homeless-appearing younger man with a pit bull lying nearby; or the group of college-aged kids that had an old sofa on the corner to sit on while each would wait his turn to stand with the sign. Most people would give the person a dollar while waiting for the light to change.
Recently many money-seekers have appeared with a card around their necks, appearing fairly affluent, both men and women, calling out at cars, wanting us to believe they are licensed by the city to beg by wearing that card. NPR reported on a research study that found some off-ramp panhandlers were collecting upward of $200 a day.
As a major city with one of the lowest unemployment rates, there’s work available in our city. But why work? Word has gotten out that it’s a lot more profitable to stand on a street corner with a sign. I felt sorry for their station in life when I first moved here; I would stick my hand out with a dollar. But now they’re everywhere and it’s easy to keep the window rolled up.
BROKEN STATE AGENCY
In “Best salute for veterans,” Gary Kodaseet and Al Patrick (Point of View, June 21) correctly thanked many groups for their support of Senate Bill 629, which is key legislation for reform of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and the seven veterans centers it operates. An additional group not recognized, but equally important, that worked tirelessly during the legislative session is the veterans living at the vet homes, their families and friends. They did legislative visits, worked the phones, wrote emails and letters to the governor and the Legislature to help pass reform bills.
These bills are a good beginning. However, much work remains to be implemented to remedy a broken state agency. At the top of the legislative to-do list for the next session is increased pay for the direct patient care staff working at the seven homes. A state auditor’s report on the ODVA found that employees of the veterans homes were paid only 41 percent of what’s paid to workers in similar positions in the states around Oklahoma. This is shameful and should be corrected.
Doing this would be a significant step forward to correct the staffing shortages and improve the quality of care for Oklahoma’s veterans living in state veterans homes.
Some legislators have made a series of complaints about the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. I’d like to set the record straight.
OSSAA doesn’t operate without oversight. Its constitution and rules are published and can be viewed at www.ossaa.com. OSSAA’s meetings are governed by a board of directors. They are open to the public and the agendas are posted in advance. The 14 board members are elected from across the state and represent different-sized schools.
OSSAA’s books and financial records are open for review and are independently audited annually. Our financial operations are summarized in a published bulletin each fall, distributed to the membership and media outlets.
Each fall, OSSAA conducts area meetings with its 481 member schools to talk about proposals and concerns about rules and how those rules are being interpreted. This past school year, OSSAA completed a formal review of the rules, as the constitution mandates be done every five years. Based on the recommendations from the review committee as well as the area meetings, a number of changes were adopted. Additionally, advisory committees annually review the rules specific to each activity and propose changes or updates.
These rules are aimed at ensuring that all students at member schools have equitable opportunities to participate. We also seek to avoid an overemphasis on competitive athletics, which could distract from the other educational objectives of member schools or which could discourage broader student participation. OSSAA nevertheless gets more than 1,000 requests a year for rule waivers.
Regrettably, on occasion, some schools are accused of violating the rules in ways that impact the athletic eligibility of students. Fairly enforcing the rules chosen by our member schools, however, means some students and their families will be disappointed at times. Staff determinations can be appealed to OSSAA’s board, in a hearing that’s open to the public.
Contrary to some accusations, OSSAA isn’t ransacking the public treasury for financial support. The majority of the supporting revenue for member schools’ activities comes from ticket sales at playoff events. As a nonprofit, OSSAA distributes a substantial amount of this revenue back to the schools. Some minor fees are charged to member schools, based on the number of activities in which they participate. Those fees are charged to all member schools and make up only a small part of OSSAA’s budget.
I’m proud of the work put in by our staff, board members, school administrators, coaches, teachers and volunteers. Member schools as a whole remain openminded to respectful debate and are willing to consider proposals for improvements. I dispute anyone who contends the OSSAA is trying to operate behind closed doors or misspend the funds entrusted to the organization.