Letters to the editor: On election processes, support for public schools and more

We hold elections in a democracy — it's not complicated

In a democracy, we hold elections. Count ballots. Declare winners and losers and award winners into office. Candidates for offices and elected officials have a sworn duty to uphold the law: elections are the fundamental process of choosing who will make our laws and enforce our laws. The Constitution requires the recognition of the election process from start to a known conclusion. Any other actions to the contrary must meet the test of Section 3 or Article 14. It’s not complicated. Elected officials above all others should obey the law.

― John McCormick, Oklahoma City

With state funding, Oklahoma public schools can meet students' needs

Public education has been the target of many legislators and government leaders, primarily focusing on increasing student achievement directly with test scores, but most recently, returning to school after a pandemic. With the stress, negative press, and uncertainty, teachers across the nation are choosing to leave the most rewarding and beneficial career. The future of public education is in dire need of certified teachers in the classroom. The high demands of the classroom environment have changed drastically over the years, most recently coming out of a pandemic.

Educators returning to classrooms are dealing with gaps in learning loss and now coping with heightened behaviors of students' behaviors while dealing with trauma and characteristics of students and families experiencing poverty. The teacher-shortage crisis has forced many schools to hire adjunct or emergency-certified staff to fill vacancies.

Educators continue to go above and beyond to meet the needs of their students; however, they are now expected to handle students' social-emotional needs that trained social workers and therapists typically address. With the shortage of trained professionals, educators must understand poverty, trauma, and their impact on learning. Students living in poverty are increasing in our public schools, as over 50% of students in public schools are from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

A lack of investment in education is one reason public education and teachers have been under security and attack. We must provide support, training, and resources to keep qualified and dedicated public teachers in the classroom and in our state. This training and resources can only come from adequate funding from the federal and state levels. Educators across this state are the heart of our nation. Fully fund public schools and respect teachers for the job they do day in and day out for our state's future.

― Angela Rhoades, Enid

Plans to build new Governor's Mansion should be abandoned

As one who lived in the Governor's Mansion (my parents were Henry and Shirley Bellmon), I am grateful for the times our family lived in that lovely, huge house and welcomed many visitors. I'm sure it needed the $2 million worth of repair it received recently, in addition to the efforts many have made over time for its restoration.

In these times, when our local community and our global community face extreme weather events, food and financial insecurity issues calling for relief, those of us with plenty need to downsize and move toward less stuff, less energy use. We need our governor to move us in this direction. As a first step, let's abandon the plans to build a new Governor's Mansion. Instead, let's enjoy and continue to take care of the one we have. Not only is it perfectly sufficient, it is lovely.

— Pat Bellmon Batchelder, Oklahoma City

Candidate Walters has it wrong

In our great state of Oklahoma, none of the 77 counties have voted Democrat in a presidential election since the 2000 election when seven counties voted for Al Gore. The significance of this fact is the notion that no Oklahoma K-12 students were even alive the last time the so called “left” had a whisper of say in Oklahoma state politics.

So, when State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Ryan Walters moans about Oklahoma public schools being indoctrinated by the “left,” it should be Waterford Crystal clear that he is either flat out lying or woefully misinformed on this point. Whether Mr. Walters is egregiously lying or simply ignorant is actually irrelevant. Our children deserve better.

— Kirk Alan Jones, Edmond

We should continue to uphold separation of church and state

In Iran,  Shia Muslims with particular beliefs are the only recognized patriots. In Saudi Arabia, Sunni Muslims with particular beliefs are the only recognized patriots. Both governments are authoritarian although one is a theocracy and the other a monarchy, if I understand their situations correctly. Here in the U.S. because of the First Amendment and the Establishment clause, we have no mandated religion, all citizens are considered patriots if they follow the Constitution. That means, of course, that no particular religion is given more rights than any other religion whether in the majority or minority.

In the past several decades, or least in my lifetime, the rise of a particularly vocal Christian sect beginning with The Moral Majority has determined that only they are the true patriots and only they understand the meaning of our U.S. Constitution and therefore they are the only true patriots in our great country. Whenever I hear this type of Christian demeaning the patriotism of someone that doesn't agree with them, it causes me to reflect on sectarian conflicts, both current and historically, that lead to terror and destruction.

Let's see: "The Troubles" in Ireland, the terrorism in the Middle East, the problems between Pakistan and India and many more too numerous to name. Here in Oklahoma we have our share of that type of Christian who believes they and their fellow travelers are the only true patriots demonizing anyone that disagrees with their ideas. They call patriotic citizens that don't agree with school vouchers socialists or radical liberals. They call patriots that believe in a woman's right to chose murderers. They call patriots that believe military assault type weapons have no place in a civilized democracy except in the military lefties.

I do not question anyone's right to practice their religion as long as the practice of that religion does not infringe on any other citizen's rights. I do not question anyone's right to educate their children in their home or church in the way of their religious beliefs as long as they do not bring those religious beliefs into our public school classrooms as the only way to be a patriot in our state or in our country. We are not Iran and we are not Saudi Arabia. We are the great and glorious United States of America that has continued to find strength in diversity of peoples, cultures, religions and opinions. I hope for the future of our democracy it stays that way.

― Penny Barber, Edmond

What are Republicans' solutions for crime, inflation?

Recent polls suggest there’s been a shift in some voters’ toward Republicans. Apparently, this is due to Republicans’ blame game over inflation, gas prices, and crime. But, their drumbeat and finger pointing begs the question: What are their solutions?

Republicans had no platform in 2020, so there appears to be a void of identifiable solutions unless we harken back to their perennial game plans. In spite of what they say, inflation won’t be cured by more tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals and richest corporations nor will gas prices be lowered by loosened oil and gas regulations allowing more carbon dioxide into our already overheated atmosphere. According to the International Energy Agency, the profits of oil companies are set to double in 2022 compared to 2021. This explains why families are spending more for almost everything. Nearly everything we buy requires oil to produce, package, and transport. Putin’s war doesn’t help gas or food prices either, but Republicans plan to reduce support for Ukraine’s democracy anyway.

The Republican solution for crime is “more guns!” This country now owns 339 million guns for 332 million people. There have been 566 mass shootings to date this year. Do we really need more guns? More children now die from gun violence than from car accidents. Can the bloodshed be tolerated as “self defense” — a term that isn’t even mentioned in the Constitution or Bill of Rights? “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State” proposed a citizens’ militia much like our National Guard. Republicans have decimated any sense of “well regulated” by eliminating licensing, permits, and restricting background checks for gun purchases and they seem to think the Oath Keepers are that militia. Republicans tired old policies and their willingness to risk our democracy is beyond dangerous.

— Scott McLaughlin, Midwest City

Mullin does not have the qualifications for my vote

With regard to David Matz letter (10/30), in 1956, I voted for IKE by absentee ballot from my ship while in the Navy.  Since then, I have been a registered voter in three different states and never had my vote solicited from a candidate whose platform was a “recognizable name with his family.”

Data I found on the U.S. Congress site from 1/2013-9/2022 showed Markwayne Mullin missed 245 of 5,602 roll call votes. The 4.4% missed is worse than the 2.0% lifetime records of serving in House of Representatives. He missed 17% of the 116th Congress sessions; his 83% rate of attendance pales in comparison to the 94% attendance of current House membership. He was listed as the 16th most absent House member. Consider this: every member of the U.S. Senate is a college graduate and many also have a law degree. Mullin’s tech school associate degree when coupled with the apparent senior senator’s first full-term election, could leave Oklahoma with zero political influence. I intend to vote for any other candidate who has the right qualifications, regardless of party or gender, hoping they can break the — along party line — results that has long existed.

— Paul A. Specht, Midwest City

Oklahoma needs a treasurer committed to transparency

Never has it been more important to elect ethical and trustworthy public servants at all levels of government. After a series of scandals at the highest levels of state government, Oklahomans deserve a state treasurer who is committed to transparency, financial stewardship and sound investment practices in our state Capitol.

The state treasurer serves the people of Oklahoma by providing sound banking and investment services, reuniting individuals and businesses with their unclaimed property, and promoting economic opportunities in a fiscally responsible and efficient manner while adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards.

Outgoing state Treasurer Randy McDaniel has met this standard in his four years in the office.

We need a treasurer who has a spotless career in banking and finance spanning decades, one who knows Oklahoma communities — large and small. We do not need a treasurer whose banking practices were unsafe and unsound. Let’s say ‘yes’ to professionalism and integrity on Nov. 8.

— JB Schuelein, Oklahoma City

Let's not fight unnecessarily with fellow Edmond residents over housing issues that no longer exist

When Edmond voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, they will be handed an additional pink sheet with a referendum question regarding a zoning change that the Edmond City Council made to property at I-35/Memorial to allow for a 301-unit apartment complex.

A “NO” vote to roll back the zoning is really the only choice. That’s because the apartment deal was scrapped in April. The landowner chose not to renew his contract with the Tulsa-based apartment developer and in fact, has a new contract for a commercial development allowable under the old zoning.

The facts are citizens concerned about increased traffic and overcrowded schools worked tirelessly in June 2021, alongside volunteers in the SAVE HAFER PARK campaign, to gather 4,300 signatures from Edmond residents to put the zoning issue to the vote of the people, only to have our referendum sued by the developer’s attorney who cried fraud in the collection process.

The suit was dismissed with absolutely no evidence admitted, and the landowner, listening to protesters, let the apartment contract expire and inked a new deal.

Let’s not pretend that didn’t happen and not fight unnecessarily with our fellow Edmond residents over housing issues that no longer exist at this location. Vote NO on Ordinance 3832 on Nov. 8.

— Lori Scott, Edmond

When you run Oklahoma like a business, our focus lies on profits

Gov. Kevin Stitt has been granted far too much power over how the state does business. Our Legislature can be blamed for at least part of this, having passed legislation that gives the governor, whomever they might be at any given time, the power to appoint agency leaders without regard to committees, boards or commissioners. The danger in this is that politically appointed agency leaders are beholden to the governor, not to a representative group — committee, board, or commission — appointed by stakeholders. This practice has the potential (which we have seen very clearly in recent times) for corruption, for loss of institutional memory and continuity, for unqualified individuals to make decisions that affect really large groups of citizens, and cost the Oklahoma taxpayers dearly (as in the Oklahoma State Department of Health debacle). It's frightening to know that Gov. Stitt is seeking yet more authority over additional agencies. This must be stopped.

Running the state of Oklahoma like a business, as Gov. Stitt has expressed, might have sounded good, but it doesn't make sense once you put it in context. Consider this, that a business has the mission of returning a profit from its efforts. Government has the mission of serving the citizens. The missions couldn't be more unlike. Where every consideration for business practices must advance the profitability of the business in the course of serving its clients, every effort of the government must advance services for its citizens' (clients) benefit.

I hope to see a quick return to commissions, boards and committees to provide oversight and governance for all our state agencies when the Legislature again goes into session. I am aware of some very concerning situations that can potentially harm vulnerable segments of our population due to removing such a group from governance, in favor of an "advisory board" that has no authority. Politically appointed agency heads aren't required to listen to oversight groups who can provide a more balanced view and diverse opinions that better reflect our wonderfully diverse population. Additionally, those politically appointed agency heads often lack the knowledge and skills to run the agencies who provide essential services to the citizens of the state. We don't live in a dictatorship, but a republic that is governed by the rule of law. Too much power in the hands of too few individuals never leads to fair and equitable treatment by the government.

— Jim Kettler, Oklahoma City

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Letters: On election processes, support for public schools and more