Perspectives: The Right Thing

If you are a parent, it goes without saying that you want the very best for your child, and that includes education. But this is Oklahoma, a state in which education takes a back seat to lawmakers keeping their jobs, which means of course they feel obligated to such areas as the oil industry. That obligation is being welcomed by out of state interests currently reaping the financial benefits of lawmakers looking the other way, when it comes to doing the right thing.
We just watched as that crowd wasted a great deal of money on a special session and accomplished absolutely nothing. Meanwhile our public schools and colleges are facing still more cuts. I read the other day that the Legislative Compensation Board will meet to talk about lowering the compensation paid to the state’s senators and representatives. That board is in charge of setting legislator’s salaries. When word got out, the squealing started. Some are saying salaries should not be cut for this ‘do nothing’ legislature because if that happens, only independently wealthy individuals would run for office. I’m not sure that’s the case. Sounds more like a scare tactic doesn’t it? I mean if wealthy individuals wanted to run now, what’s to keep them from doing it? Not one thing, except they might have to spend less time with their businesses. Also wouldn’t they be able to bring business savvy to the house and the senate? It’s for sure lobbyists would have a harder time influencing them.
They might even put the state’s best interests at the top of the list, because they would know making Oklahoma solvent would be good for business and education as well as state agencies and infrastructure. It’s just a thought but isn’t it about time we encouraged the best and the brightest to take the reins of state government?
That bunch we’ve got in there now has had years to make Oklahoma stronger and they’ve failed miserably.
Maybe it’s time for folks who can buy their own OU season tickets and have their own private plane, to give back. Maybe it’s time for men and women who can afford to pay it forward, out of their own pocket, to step in. And maybe, just maybe if that happens perhaps we might end up with state leaders more interested in you and me and doing the right thing. It’s something to think about.
And that’s my Perspective.