Journal Record: Free Market Friday: Dollars and sense

By Michael C. Carnuccio Guest Columnist In the 1950s, famed political scientist David Easton defined politics as the authoritative allocation of values in society. When I lectured at Oklahoma State University, my students preferred “who gets what, when and how.” The point is, while social issues will always dominate election-year headlines, the legislative process is [...]

Oklahoman: Oklahoma state auditor’s wish will have to wait for another time

The Oklahoman Editorial LEGISLATIVE leaders apparently weren’t thrilled with the idea of giving the state’s auditor and inspector the resources and the latitude to run a magnifying glass over state agencies. Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones had hoped voters could decide in November whether to amend the state constitution to allow his office to initiate [...]

UPDATED: Brecheen says conservatives and liberals agree that the state wastes money

(UPDATED 3/23/2012 to include a SoonerPoll.TV interview with Sen. Josh Brecheen about Oklahoma voters’ opinions on how much money the state wastes and how related legislation can help.) Originally Published on Nov. 12, 2011 By Josh Brecheen, The Conservative Voice Conservative and liberal Oklahomans agree on something of significant substance – our state wastes too [...]

BA Ledger: No sunshine for state legislature

By William Swaim Executive Editor, BA Ledger “A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to A Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.” [...]

Oklahomans get their say.

‘A fool and his money are soon elected.’ Will Rogers Oklahoma got its say last night in presidential politics, but took a much different course than four years ago.  Conservative Rick Santorum won a plurality of the votes, beating the more moderate Mitt Romney by six points. Four years ago, it was the more moderate [...]

Tulsa: Open for Business

In a recent policy study from the Reason Foundation, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett talks about tackling the city’s challenges and how it requires a willingness to embrace innovation, competition and market ideas. Upon taking office a year into a national recession, Bartlett was faced with reductions by the previous mayor in discontinued public safety academies, [...]

The Devil We Know

According to a poll taken by Sooner Poll in late November/early December, Oklahomans favor a flat tax over the current state personal income tax system. Nearly sixty percent of likely voters polled said they preferred just one marginal rate. Voters registered Republican preferred simplifying the system over those registered Democrat and Independent. The state income [...]

Journal Record: Pundits play up Oklahoma’s role in GOP primaries

By Brian Brus Oklahoma City reporter – Journal Record OKLAHOMA CITY – This might be the year that Oklahoma’s conservative claim to fame could actually give the state an important role to play in presidential politics, pundits said. “Thank God the states that have held primaries prior to us have been unable to make a [...]

Education Establishment Prefers Low Voter Turnout

By Brandon Dutcher, OCPA Ever wonder why local school boards often represent their constituents poorly? It’s because most of Oklahoma’s center-right majority doesn’t vote in school-board elections. In a speech last year at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels explained why Indiana decided to move its local school board elections from the [...]

Expand auditor’s reach!

Last week, State Representative Jason Murphy, (R-Guthrie), Chairman of the House Government Modernization Committee, said he plans to introduce a Joint Resolution in the next legislative session which would place a state question on the November 2012 ballot amending the State Constitution to allow for the State Auditor to have that authority. “It is vital [...]

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