If you travel far enough on Oklahoma City’s Northwest Expressway, past the restaurants, the banks, and the struggling strip malls, you’ll eventually wind up in Warr Acres.
Warr Acres — a short hop away from Bethany — is a nice, sleepy little community. It’s a good place to raise a family.
And, it really doesn’t take long to get there, either.
Oh, you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see those stupid signs informing you about how you’ve entered Oklahoma’s version of low-tax Nirvana.
These signs — large ones — sit along side the road and proudly inform drivers they are now in the hamlet which offers the area’s lowest sales tax rate, and how, if you dare to travel out of this glorious little community, you’ll be faced with, God forbid, higher taxes.
Of course, there’s a little more to the story.
And it’s a story that I doubt the Warr Acres city council or the city’s mayor, Marietta Tardibono, will spend much time promoting.
But for you folks that follow city government, and for the loyal readers of this column, here’s the 411: Warr Acres is close to going belly up.
Yep, they ain’t got no money.
None. They are doing good to keep the lights on; their budget is dismal and they can barely pay for municipal services.
Why?
The answer is simple: Because they have no tax base.
“And why is that?” You ask.
That answer, too, is simple: Warr Acres has spent so much time touting the anti-tax line, anti-government line they have their tax base artificially low.
And chickens, my grandfather used to say, come home to roost.
Funny think about life in the U.S., those prices for everything from gasoline to stamps keep increasing.
But with their “low tax-no tax” sales line, Warr Acres officials are discovering that now, they can’t keep up.
Granted, the city — on the verge of falling apart — recently voted to increase their tax rate.
But it may a classic example of too little, too late.
Don’t believe me?
Here’s the situation from the mayor’s own pen:
“These last six months have been trying to say the least,” Tardibono said, during her state of the city speech in February. “Many are calling upon this new legislature to do something on a state level to help us out. Our representatives will be working this session to pass legislation which could be our saving grace.”
That’s interesting.
Warr Acres, the community that touts itself the area’s low-tax kingdom, wants the rest of us to help out. They want state lawmakers to shift some state law or some state money their way; they would like the rest of the state to help them pay for services they can’t (or won’t) pay for themselves.
Swell.
Tardibono continues, talking about how the city has reduced its staff from “…87 employees in 2003 to 64 which I consider to be a skeleton crew.”
Then she adds, the city “would have been in serious trouble, had not the voters approved the 1-cent sales tax.”
Okay, so you get the picture. Here’s this little town that bitched and moaned about taxes so much that it became their marketing theme.
Only it didn’t work.
Businesses and shoppers didn’t flood the plot that is Warr Acres. There was no mammoth influx of spending capital to keep the city’s budget in the black.
The signs didn’t work.
And, because the taxes they do assess have not kept pace with inflation, they’ve come to the point where they’ve almost run out of money – as in, struggling to keep the pay for municipal services.
So the Warr Acres city council convinces voters of the need for a sales tax increase and then sends a lobbyist to the Legislature to twist arms and plead for state revenue because they are still struggling.
Oh yeah, did I mention the signs?
Here’s the deal: If we, as Americans, are going to live in America, then we’re going to have to tax ourselves enough to cover governmental services. If you want fire, police, schools, roads, water, sewer, libraries and other municipal services, they you’re going to have to help pay for them.
There is no other way to do it.
And it’s real damn sanctimonious to put up signs that talk about how your town is some little low-tax oasis, then when money gets tight, you town expects the rest of us to bail you out.
Funny thing, those roads going into and out of Warr Acres are paid for by the other municipalities in the area which are in the “high tax” part of the city.
But I don’t hear any complaints about that.
Shoot, I don’t like paying taxes. I’d rather keep every cent of my money.
But that ain’t going to happen. So what do we do?
Try this: Elect intelligent, progressive, honest people to government. Then instruct them to hire the same type of governmental staff.
After that, set a reasonable, solid tax system in place that will cover the cost of services, recruit new businesses and spent a good portion of your money a quality educational system.
The keep the public informed and make sure they know what you’re doing every step of the way.
Sound familiar?
Well, that’s the recipe city officials use in Moore.
Here, you don’t have to look hard to see a dynamic, growing, progressive city with solid, top-flight leadership.
Take a look around you. Voters passed a temporary tax increase to fund public safety improvements. The city has the necessary revenue to keep police on the streets and water in the pipes.
And all that’s happening while Moore’s growing and expanding by leaps and bounds.
But my favorite part of this little tale is this: Instead of those stupid, moronic warning us of “higher taxes ahead” signs, we’ve got a water tower with Toby Keith’s name on it.
I love it.
Because in Moore, they understand that taxes are necessary and our leaders use those funds wisely.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
COMMENTARY: Sine Die, Oklahoma
Like it does every year, the Oklahoma Legislature will adjourn sine die (Latin for “we’re outta’ here) this Friday at 5 p.m.
And by 5:03 that evening, all 148 members of the House and Senate will be headed back to their respective home towns so they can talk about just how much good or bad they did for the state.
This, of course, works as a preamble to the next legislative cycle and the 2008 elections.
Get ready.
Because while you might actually hear some facts about what happened this year at 23rd and Lincoln, you’ll also hear lots of crapola.
Seriously, lawmakers can’t help it; shoveling BS is a requirement to hold public office.
Anyway, first you’ll probably hear how the economy is stable. And yes, that’s truthful. State revenue is actually up and our constitutional reserve fund — also known as the ‘rainy day’ fund — will be filled to the maximum.
Currently the fund has about $495 million; with another $75.9 million expected to be deposited in 2007.
So far, so good.
But don’t let the boys and girls at the capitol tell you how oil and gas (especially natural gas) is growing our economy by leaps and bounds.
The fact is oil and gas production taxes generated about $505 million for the first 10 months of 2007. That may sound impressive, but in reality it’s also about $87.8 million below the prior year’s revenue.
For too long, Oklahomans have been mislead by oil industry apologists who want us to believe that their industry is our state’s only hope of survival.
Wrong.
The facts paint a different picture.
The two biggest components of our state’s economy are income taxes and sales taxes.
Income taxes have generated about $2.32 billion for state government, with personal income tax accounting for a whopping $1.95 billion.
Sales tax added $1.27 billion to the public checkbook.
So what does this mean?
It means that you, my friend, are the chief component of the Oklahoma economy — the humble Oklahoma taxpayer.
Everytime you go to the store, buy a pair of shoes or grab a burger, you’re the one contributing; doing the heaving lifting.
You generate almost four times more revenue than the oil industry.
You generate almost three times more than the agricultural industry.
You pay the bills.
And while the money for state government comes from each and every Oklahoman, only about half of you (and we’re talking about those who are eligible) bother to tell our state’s elected representatives just how, exactly, you want those funds spent.
In reality it’s not the legislature’s fault; they’re going to behave like a kid with a credit card if you don’t give them some direction. And believe me, the less you pay attention, the worse they behave.
So congratulations on doing your part for keeping the ship of state sailing.
But please, if you’re going to give them several billion dollars to play with, then please get involved in where they spend your money.
And to those of you who think for yourselves, take what you hear from most state lawmakers with a grain of salt, and actually pay attention and vote, please move ahead to the front of the boat.
The rest of you do not pass Go.
You’ll need to brush up on our civics and American democracy classes.
Otherwise the government reflects only half of us. And everyone ought to get the chance to play.
And by 5:03 that evening, all 148 members of the House and Senate will be headed back to their respective home towns so they can talk about just how much good or bad they did for the state.
This, of course, works as a preamble to the next legislative cycle and the 2008 elections.
Get ready.
Because while you might actually hear some facts about what happened this year at 23rd and Lincoln, you’ll also hear lots of crapola.
Seriously, lawmakers can’t help it; shoveling BS is a requirement to hold public office.
Anyway, first you’ll probably hear how the economy is stable. And yes, that’s truthful. State revenue is actually up and our constitutional reserve fund — also known as the ‘rainy day’ fund — will be filled to the maximum.
Currently the fund has about $495 million; with another $75.9 million expected to be deposited in 2007.
So far, so good.
But don’t let the boys and girls at the capitol tell you how oil and gas (especially natural gas) is growing our economy by leaps and bounds.
The fact is oil and gas production taxes generated about $505 million for the first 10 months of 2007. That may sound impressive, but in reality it’s also about $87.8 million below the prior year’s revenue.
For too long, Oklahomans have been mislead by oil industry apologists who want us to believe that their industry is our state’s only hope of survival.
Wrong.
The facts paint a different picture.
The two biggest components of our state’s economy are income taxes and sales taxes.
Income taxes have generated about $2.32 billion for state government, with personal income tax accounting for a whopping $1.95 billion.
Sales tax added $1.27 billion to the public checkbook.
So what does this mean?
It means that you, my friend, are the chief component of the Oklahoma economy — the humble Oklahoma taxpayer.
Everytime you go to the store, buy a pair of shoes or grab a burger, you’re the one contributing; doing the heaving lifting.
You generate almost four times more revenue than the oil industry.
You generate almost three times more than the agricultural industry.
You pay the bills.
And while the money for state government comes from each and every Oklahoman, only about half of you (and we’re talking about those who are eligible) bother to tell our state’s elected representatives just how, exactly, you want those funds spent.
In reality it’s not the legislature’s fault; they’re going to behave like a kid with a credit card if you don’t give them some direction. And believe me, the less you pay attention, the worse they behave.
So congratulations on doing your part for keeping the ship of state sailing.
But please, if you’re going to give them several billion dollars to play with, then please get involved in where they spend your money.
And to those of you who think for yourselves, take what you hear from most state lawmakers with a grain of salt, and actually pay attention and vote, please move ahead to the front of the boat.
The rest of you do not pass Go.
You’ll need to brush up on our civics and American democracy classes.
Otherwise the government reflects only half of us. And everyone ought to get the chance to play.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Nations an "if" on tuition proposal
OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill which would allow college students to “lock in” their tuition rate at state colleges and universities is getting a lukewarm response from a Norman area lawmaker.
State Rep. Bill Nations said he is supportive of House Bill 2103’s concept of “locking in” tuition prices, but there’s an “if.”
And, that “if,” the Norman Democrat said, is a pretty big one.
“I’m all for it, if … if the Legislature will do what they need to do to fund higher education.”
That means, he said, “all those brave legislators who want to do the politically convenient thing of locking tuition will have to find the courage to fund higher education from the general revenue fund.”
Under House Bill 2103, the state would create a locked-in tuition rate for in-state college students. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, the measure would require all public higher education institutions in Oklahoma to offer in-state students the option to participate in a guaranteed tuition rate plan.
The plan would lock in tuition rates accessed the student’s freshman year for four continuous years.
However, the bill would still allow the state’s colleges and universities to raise tuition and fees no higher than the regional average.
“This is a win-win proposal,” the bill’s author, state Rep. Lee Denney said. Denney, a Cushing Republican, said the measure would keep more students in state.
“This will help to slow our state’s brain drain, because we’ll encourage more Oklahoma students to stay in our state to get their college degree,” he said. “And we’ll help families plan ahead for the financial impact of college expenses.”
Nations disagreed, saying that locking in tuition costs won’t make that much difference.
“Oklahoma is already the cheapest place they (students) can go to school,” he said. “Where are they going to find it any cheaper?”
Oklahoma students don’t go to out-of-state colleges and universities because of cost. “If they are going out-of-state, it’s for other reasons,” he said.
And while Nations said the state’s colleges and universities “need to be congratulated” for having done a better job than the rest of the nation at controlling costs, the “bigger issue” is adequate state funding.
“You can’t operate any activity — prisons, CareerTech, common education, public safety, transportation — with inadequate funding. And you can’t operate our higher ed system with inadequate funding. The reason tuition increases in America are out of control is state legislatures will not come to the table with adequate funding from their general revenue funds.”
The problem is not just an Oklahoma issue, “but a United States of America problem.”
With a vote of 26 to 20, HB 2103 squeaked through the state Senate and now returns of the House for consideration.
“No one likes tuition and fee increases,” Nations said. “But higher ed only has two funding sources — tuition and fees and state appropriations. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not brain surgery. My biggest concern is when the funding question comes before the Legislature — I’m afraid they’ll lose their courage.”
State Rep. Bill Nations said he is supportive of House Bill 2103’s concept of “locking in” tuition prices, but there’s an “if.”
And, that “if,” the Norman Democrat said, is a pretty big one.
“I’m all for it, if … if the Legislature will do what they need to do to fund higher education.”
That means, he said, “all those brave legislators who want to do the politically convenient thing of locking tuition will have to find the courage to fund higher education from the general revenue fund.”
Under House Bill 2103, the state would create a locked-in tuition rate for in-state college students. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, the measure would require all public higher education institutions in Oklahoma to offer in-state students the option to participate in a guaranteed tuition rate plan.
The plan would lock in tuition rates accessed the student’s freshman year for four continuous years.
However, the bill would still allow the state’s colleges and universities to raise tuition and fees no higher than the regional average.
“This is a win-win proposal,” the bill’s author, state Rep. Lee Denney said. Denney, a Cushing Republican, said the measure would keep more students in state.
“This will help to slow our state’s brain drain, because we’ll encourage more Oklahoma students to stay in our state to get their college degree,” he said. “And we’ll help families plan ahead for the financial impact of college expenses.”
Nations disagreed, saying that locking in tuition costs won’t make that much difference.
“Oklahoma is already the cheapest place they (students) can go to school,” he said. “Where are they going to find it any cheaper?”
Oklahoma students don’t go to out-of-state colleges and universities because of cost. “If they are going out-of-state, it’s for other reasons,” he said.
And while Nations said the state’s colleges and universities “need to be congratulated” for having done a better job than the rest of the nation at controlling costs, the “bigger issue” is adequate state funding.
“You can’t operate any activity — prisons, CareerTech, common education, public safety, transportation — with inadequate funding. And you can’t operate our higher ed system with inadequate funding. The reason tuition increases in America are out of control is state legislatures will not come to the table with adequate funding from their general revenue funds.”
The problem is not just an Oklahoma issue, “but a United States of America problem.”
With a vote of 26 to 20, HB 2103 squeaked through the state Senate and now returns of the House for consideration.
“No one likes tuition and fee increases,” Nations said. “But higher ed only has two funding sources — tuition and fees and state appropriations. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not brain surgery. My biggest concern is when the funding question comes before the Legislature — I’m afraid they’ll lose their courage.”
State revenue up, Meacham says
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the third year in a row, Oklahoma will deposit millions into its constitutional “rainy day” fund, a spokesman for the state treasurer said last week.
Tim Allen, deputy state treasurer, said increased tax collections will allow the state to “fill the rainy day fund to the constitutional maximum.”
Officials expect that deposit “to be about $76 million,” he said.
The fund currently has a balance of $495.7 million. A $75.9 million deposit would push the fund’s balance to $571.6, and increase the cap level on the fund.
The increase follows news that state revenue collections — for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — show close to a $200 million surplus. Those collections, Allen said, exceed last year’s by almost 5 percent and are more than 4 percent above previous revenue estimates made this year.
Those numbers are good news, State Treasurer Scott Meacham said.
“We are on track to finish the fiscal year in two months with a healthy surplus,” Meacham said. “We will be able to once again fill the Rainy Day Fund to the constitutional maximum and have revenues above the Rainy Day Fund cap for the third consecutive year.”
Preliminary reports show General Revenue Fund collections year-to-date are $4.91 billion. Those amounts are:
• $228.2 million or 4.9 percent above the prior year; and
• $199.3 million or 4.2 percent above the estimate of $4.713 million.
Additionally, Allen said year-to-date, net income taxes have produced $2.32 billion — a $129.6 million or 5.9 percent increase over the prior year.
Of that figure, personal income tax has generated $1.95 billion in revenue — which is $40.8 million below the prior year — while corporate income tax collections have produced $369.3 million, about $170.5 million above the prior year.
“It’s good news,” Allen said. “The revenue increase is really being driven by corporate income tax collections; they are running 154 percent above the estimate. Oklahoma businesses have had a good year.”
Overall, state revenue has continue to flex up and down, including:
• State sales tax, which has produced $1.27 billion so far — a $63.1 million increase over last year.
• Gross production tax on oil and natural gas, which has yielded $505.3 million for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — $87.8 below the prior year.
• Motor vehicle taxes — $207.8 million, about $19.6 million or 10.4 percent above the prior year.
For the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the treasurer’s investments generated $119.9 million; “...that’s $48.3 million above the previous year.” Allen said.
However, not all the news was good.
For the month of April, collections were slightly below 2006. General Revenue Fund collections for the month totaled $678.2 million, about $9.8 million below the pervious year.
Tim Allen, deputy state treasurer, said increased tax collections will allow the state to “fill the rainy day fund to the constitutional maximum.”
Officials expect that deposit “to be about $76 million,” he said.
The fund currently has a balance of $495.7 million. A $75.9 million deposit would push the fund’s balance to $571.6, and increase the cap level on the fund.
The increase follows news that state revenue collections — for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — show close to a $200 million surplus. Those collections, Allen said, exceed last year’s by almost 5 percent and are more than 4 percent above previous revenue estimates made this year.
Those numbers are good news, State Treasurer Scott Meacham said.
“We are on track to finish the fiscal year in two months with a healthy surplus,” Meacham said. “We will be able to once again fill the Rainy Day Fund to the constitutional maximum and have revenues above the Rainy Day Fund cap for the third consecutive year.”
Preliminary reports show General Revenue Fund collections year-to-date are $4.91 billion. Those amounts are:
• $228.2 million or 4.9 percent above the prior year; and
• $199.3 million or 4.2 percent above the estimate of $4.713 million.
Additionally, Allen said year-to-date, net income taxes have produced $2.32 billion — a $129.6 million or 5.9 percent increase over the prior year.
Of that figure, personal income tax has generated $1.95 billion in revenue — which is $40.8 million below the prior year — while corporate income tax collections have produced $369.3 million, about $170.5 million above the prior year.
“It’s good news,” Allen said. “The revenue increase is really being driven by corporate income tax collections; they are running 154 percent above the estimate. Oklahoma businesses have had a good year.”
Overall, state revenue has continue to flex up and down, including:
• State sales tax, which has produced $1.27 billion so far — a $63.1 million increase over last year.
• Gross production tax on oil and natural gas, which has yielded $505.3 million for the first 10 months of the fiscal year — $87.8 below the prior year.
• Motor vehicle taxes — $207.8 million, about $19.6 million or 10.4 percent above the prior year.
For the first 10 months of the fiscal year, the treasurer’s investments generated $119.9 million; “...that’s $48.3 million above the previous year.” Allen said.
However, not all the news was good.
For the month of April, collections were slightly below 2006. General Revenue Fund collections for the month totaled $678.2 million, about $9.8 million below the pervious year.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
COMMENTARY: Yes, I'll help pack Dr. Hedberg's bags...
So Oklahoma surgeon Dr. Peter S. Hedberg is upset.
Real, real upset.
So upset, it seems, that he wrote a letter to members of the Oklahoma Legislature.
Doctor Hedberg is frosted because some state lawmakers voted against a bill which conservatives say would curb malpractice insurance rates.
He’s also mad at Governor Henry for vetoing the same bill.
And now, he’s gone on record saying that he will not treat legislators “who voted against a bill.”
In fact, the good (and I use that term loosely) doctor suggested that lawmakers who voted against the bill go to Texas for surgical procedures.
Doctor Hedberg also said he would no longer serve as Doctor of the Day for the Legislature.
“This might give them a sense of what it is like not to have easy access to care,” he said in a story from the Associated Press.
Amazing.
I guess that point of being a doctor — that helping the sick thing — got lost somewhere in the shuffle.
And I guess Dr. Hedberg is a one-issue doctor.
For example:
• I’m sure he didn’t whine about the millions in tax dollars which were used to help fund the University of Arizona medical school, where he got his degree.
• And I don’t believe I remember him raising hell about the ever increasing federal Medicaid tax that he, as a member of the medical community, is often paid from.
• He’s not bitched or moaned about state taxes which provide him roads, police protection, and even clean water.
• He’s not said anything about our poverty rate.
• Nor has he mentioned the thousands of Oklahoma children who don’t have access to quality health care.
No, it’s all about him.
Somehow this physician — who can afford to make gifts from between $10,000 to $25,000 to the American College of Surgeons — has it in his head we’re supposed to be concerned if he doesn’t make several hundred thousands of dollars each year.
Like many involved in the political process our Dr. Hedberg seems to think demonizing a single group will encourage the rest of us to act.
He’s wrong.
Dr. Hedberg’s little tantrum is pathetic.
“I could move to Texas very easily,” he told the AP. “They are building a nice new hospital across the river. I could commute.” He was referring to a hospital in Denison, Texas, about 20 miles south of Durant.
Then, go, Doctor, go.
Pack your bags, fill the car up with $3 gas and hit the road.
Threatening not to treat people and encouraging other doctors to withhold medical care shows the rest of Oklahoma just what a selfish, uncaring physician you truly are.
In fact, Dr. Hedberg set his sites on state Senator Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant.
Now, in the past, I’ve scolded Senator Gumm in print for his tax policy. And often, I don’t agree with him on his votes.
But he didn’t deserve this.
If Dr. Hedberg wants to keep his malpractice rates low, he should focus his future tirades on the medical insurance community. Or better yet, work to make sure that all Oklahoma surgeons are well educated and trained — making the need for malpractice insurance unnecessary.
Instead, he’d rather throw a fit.
So, here’s to you, Dr. Hedberg.
Please do us a favor and move to Texas.
Oh yeah, don’t let the “leaving Oklahoma” sign hit you in the tail as you motor away, and write if you get work.
Just shut up and go.
Real, real upset.
So upset, it seems, that he wrote a letter to members of the Oklahoma Legislature.
Doctor Hedberg is frosted because some state lawmakers voted against a bill which conservatives say would curb malpractice insurance rates.
He’s also mad at Governor Henry for vetoing the same bill.
And now, he’s gone on record saying that he will not treat legislators “who voted against a bill.”
In fact, the good (and I use that term loosely) doctor suggested that lawmakers who voted against the bill go to Texas for surgical procedures.
Doctor Hedberg also said he would no longer serve as Doctor of the Day for the Legislature.
“This might give them a sense of what it is like not to have easy access to care,” he said in a story from the Associated Press.
Amazing.
I guess that point of being a doctor — that helping the sick thing — got lost somewhere in the shuffle.
And I guess Dr. Hedberg is a one-issue doctor.
For example:
• I’m sure he didn’t whine about the millions in tax dollars which were used to help fund the University of Arizona medical school, where he got his degree.
• And I don’t believe I remember him raising hell about the ever increasing federal Medicaid tax that he, as a member of the medical community, is often paid from.
• He’s not bitched or moaned about state taxes which provide him roads, police protection, and even clean water.
• He’s not said anything about our poverty rate.
• Nor has he mentioned the thousands of Oklahoma children who don’t have access to quality health care.
No, it’s all about him.
Somehow this physician — who can afford to make gifts from between $10,000 to $25,000 to the American College of Surgeons — has it in his head we’re supposed to be concerned if he doesn’t make several hundred thousands of dollars each year.
Like many involved in the political process our Dr. Hedberg seems to think demonizing a single group will encourage the rest of us to act.
He’s wrong.
Dr. Hedberg’s little tantrum is pathetic.
“I could move to Texas very easily,” he told the AP. “They are building a nice new hospital across the river. I could commute.” He was referring to a hospital in Denison, Texas, about 20 miles south of Durant.
Then, go, Doctor, go.
Pack your bags, fill the car up with $3 gas and hit the road.
Threatening not to treat people and encouraging other doctors to withhold medical care shows the rest of Oklahoma just what a selfish, uncaring physician you truly are.
In fact, Dr. Hedberg set his sites on state Senator Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant.
Now, in the past, I’ve scolded Senator Gumm in print for his tax policy. And often, I don’t agree with him on his votes.
But he didn’t deserve this.
If Dr. Hedberg wants to keep his malpractice rates low, he should focus his future tirades on the medical insurance community. Or better yet, work to make sure that all Oklahoma surgeons are well educated and trained — making the need for malpractice insurance unnecessary.
Instead, he’d rather throw a fit.
So, here’s to you, Dr. Hedberg.
Please do us a favor and move to Texas.
Oh yeah, don’t let the “leaving Oklahoma” sign hit you in the tail as you motor away, and write if you get work.
Just shut up and go.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Garrett questions education report
OKLAHOMA CITY -- While she said she "holds the same interest" as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, state school superintendent Sandy Garrett Wednesday questioned a report by the chamber which gave Oklahoma schools a failing grade.
Garrett's statement came one day after a joint legislative committee reviewed the U.S. Chamber's report, "Leaders and Laggards."
That study, released in February, criticized Oklahoma's education system in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state a "D" overall and listed eight other areas which were below average.
Garrett was not asked to attend Tuesday's joint legislative meeting, her spokesman, Shelly Hickman, said.
"We certainly recognize the tie between education and economic vitality," Garrett said in a statement e-mailed to The Transcript Tuesday. "I'm proud to say we've had a strong working relationship with business leaders for more than a decade."
However, the U.S. Chamber's report, she said, was based on methodology that "is far from statistically sound."
"This report," Garrett said "uses data from 2003 and 2005 and does not take into account the efforts of Gov. Henry, state lawmakers and the State Board of Education during recent years. We've done much, including implementing the Achieving Classroom Excellence law, establishing early reading programs and expanding pre-kindergarten education, to name a few."
Earlier this week, state Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, described the chamber's report as "a wake up call for this state."
Wilcoxson, co-chair of the state Senate's Education Committee, said the report offered state leaders a "national perspective" on Oklahoma's educational system.
"If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can't ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation," Wilcoxson said.
Garrett said the Council of Chief State School Officers also questioned the report, saying it did not take into account regional differences and demographics.
The state's system, Garrett said, looks like this:
The state is slightly below the national average in average ACT scores, which many believe is a much more reliable measure for comparing states in terms of college and workforce preparedness.
The state also is slightly below the national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in fourth grade reading and math, though it is above the national average in fourth grade science.
Oklahoma has reached the national average in eighth grade reading and eighth grade science and is slightly below the average in eighth grade math.
The state is significantly below the national average in its per pupil expenditures, ranking 47th nationally and next to the last among neighboring states.
The state is significantly below the national average in what it pays its teachers, ranking 48th nationally and dead last in its region. Arkansas ranks 36th, Texas 33rd, New Mexico 40th, Colorado 23rd, Kansas 41st and Missouri 43rd.
Students' test scores improved from 2005 to 2006 on all state tests in grades three through high school that are used for federal accountability purposes.
During Tuesday's meeting, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis called the report "disturbing."
"This report is frankly a knife in the heart of our economic development efforts," Hargis, a banker, said. "It's disturbing because we may think that this is just a tree that falls in the forest and nobody hears, but the fact is when you get into the recruiting business ... your competitors are bringing all this to the forefront."
Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Oklahoma was one of only 10 states to receive an "F" in academic achievement. He said the entire nation is falling behind other countries when it comes to academic achievement.
"What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy and the continued viability of the American dream," he said. "Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and technology that they and the nation so badly need. Statistics don't lie, and the story they tell is appalling."
Dr. James Davis, Region 6 executive director of the U.S. Department of Education, said Oklahomans "need to know the truth" about public education.
"The educational leadership, the political leadership of the state of Oklahoma, need to take an honest look at what's happening with education in Oklahoma.?You can't be saying things just to make people feel good," Davis said. "You cannot allow leaders to mislead the public about what's happening in Oklahoma public education. If you do that, the day will come when the state is going to suffer a great deal."
Others, however, question the report's validity.
In an guest editorial published in the Washington Post, author Gerald W. Bracey described the "Leaders and Laggards" report as "scare techniques."
"If you can batter people into believing the schools are in awful shape, you can make them anxious about their future -- and you can control them," he said.
Bracey, an associate of the High-Scope Educational Research Foundation, a fellow at the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and a fellow at the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said the report was similar to anti-schools techniques used in the 1980s.
"In the 1980s, the 'schools suck' bloc used such numbers to make us fearful that Japan, now emerging from a 15-year period of recession and stagnation, was going to take our markets; today, India and China play the role of economic ogres," he said.
Wilcoxson disagreed, and said the state needed to use the information presented to the committees to make critical improvements in public education.
"We cannot afford to gloss over the truth," she said. "Having the facts is an important first step. With enough political will, we have the opportunity to be a model state in moving from a laggard to a leader in education."
Garrett said the state must spend more on its schools and school teachers.
"Oklahoma's lack of financial investment relative to the rest of the nation in the areas of student expenditures and teacher pay obviously has a direct impact on its schools' ability to expand innovative programs and educational offerings," she said. "This negatively impacts their ability to be nationally and internationally competitive. To reap dividends, expand capacity and achieve long-term success, businesses must make investments in their employees, facilities and delivery systems. The same is true for schools."
Garrett's statement came one day after a joint legislative committee reviewed the U.S. Chamber's report, "Leaders and Laggards."
That study, released in February, criticized Oklahoma's education system in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state a "D" overall and listed eight other areas which were below average.
Garrett was not asked to attend Tuesday's joint legislative meeting, her spokesman, Shelly Hickman, said.
"We certainly recognize the tie between education and economic vitality," Garrett said in a statement e-mailed to The Transcript Tuesday. "I'm proud to say we've had a strong working relationship with business leaders for more than a decade."
However, the U.S. Chamber's report, she said, was based on methodology that "is far from statistically sound."
"This report," Garrett said "uses data from 2003 and 2005 and does not take into account the efforts of Gov. Henry, state lawmakers and the State Board of Education during recent years. We've done much, including implementing the Achieving Classroom Excellence law, establishing early reading programs and expanding pre-kindergarten education, to name a few."
Earlier this week, state Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, described the chamber's report as "a wake up call for this state."
Wilcoxson, co-chair of the state Senate's Education Committee, said the report offered state leaders a "national perspective" on Oklahoma's educational system.
"If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can't ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation," Wilcoxson said.
Garrett said the Council of Chief State School Officers also questioned the report, saying it did not take into account regional differences and demographics.
The state's system, Garrett said, looks like this:
The state is slightly below the national average in average ACT scores, which many believe is a much more reliable measure for comparing states in terms of college and workforce preparedness.
The state also is slightly below the national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in fourth grade reading and math, though it is above the national average in fourth grade science.
Oklahoma has reached the national average in eighth grade reading and eighth grade science and is slightly below the average in eighth grade math.
The state is significantly below the national average in its per pupil expenditures, ranking 47th nationally and next to the last among neighboring states.
The state is significantly below the national average in what it pays its teachers, ranking 48th nationally and dead last in its region. Arkansas ranks 36th, Texas 33rd, New Mexico 40th, Colorado 23rd, Kansas 41st and Missouri 43rd.
Students' test scores improved from 2005 to 2006 on all state tests in grades three through high school that are used for federal accountability purposes.
During Tuesday's meeting, former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis called the report "disturbing."
"This report is frankly a knife in the heart of our economic development efforts," Hargis, a banker, said. "It's disturbing because we may think that this is just a tree that falls in the forest and nobody hears, but the fact is when you get into the recruiting business ... your competitors are bringing all this to the forefront."
Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Oklahoma was one of only 10 states to receive an "F" in academic achievement. He said the entire nation is falling behind other countries when it comes to academic achievement.
"What's at stake is nothing less than the continued success and competitiveness of the American economy and the continued viability of the American dream," he said. "Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and technology that they and the nation so badly need. Statistics don't lie, and the story they tell is appalling."
Dr. James Davis, Region 6 executive director of the U.S. Department of Education, said Oklahomans "need to know the truth" about public education.
"The educational leadership, the political leadership of the state of Oklahoma, need to take an honest look at what's happening with education in Oklahoma.?You can't be saying things just to make people feel good," Davis said. "You cannot allow leaders to mislead the public about what's happening in Oklahoma public education. If you do that, the day will come when the state is going to suffer a great deal."
Others, however, question the report's validity.
In an guest editorial published in the Washington Post, author Gerald W. Bracey described the "Leaders and Laggards" report as "scare techniques."
"If you can batter people into believing the schools are in awful shape, you can make them anxious about their future -- and you can control them," he said.
Bracey, an associate of the High-Scope Educational Research Foundation, a fellow at the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University and a fellow at the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said the report was similar to anti-schools techniques used in the 1980s.
"In the 1980s, the 'schools suck' bloc used such numbers to make us fearful that Japan, now emerging from a 15-year period of recession and stagnation, was going to take our markets; today, India and China play the role of economic ogres," he said.
Wilcoxson disagreed, and said the state needed to use the information presented to the committees to make critical improvements in public education.
"We cannot afford to gloss over the truth," she said. "Having the facts is an important first step. With enough political will, we have the opportunity to be a model state in moving from a laggard to a leader in education."
Garrett said the state must spend more on its schools and school teachers.
"Oklahoma's lack of financial investment relative to the rest of the nation in the areas of student expenditures and teacher pay obviously has a direct impact on its schools' ability to expand innovative programs and educational offerings," she said. "This negatively impacts their ability to be nationally and internationally competitive. To reap dividends, expand capacity and achieve long-term success, businesses must make investments in their employees, facilities and delivery systems. The same is true for schools."
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Joint legislative committee to review report critical of state’s common education system
OKLAHOMA CITY — Members of the state House and Senate education committees will hold a joint meeting today to review a recent national study which gave Oklahoma a “D” in education.
The meeting, set for 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber, will examine a study produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Known as “Leaders and Laggards: State Report Cards,” the chamber’s study criticized Oklahoma in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state’s education system a “D” overall and listed eight other areas which were below average including:
• An “F” in academic achievement;
• A “D” in academic achievement for low income and minority students;
• A “C” for return on investment;
• An “F” for truth in advertising about student proficiency;
• A “C” on rigor of standards;
• A “D” for postsecondary and workforce readiness;
• A “C” on flexibility in management and policy;
• A “D” for data quality.
The only area, the study reported, where Oklahoma received an above average grade was in the category of 21st century teaching force — there, the state received an “A.”
State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said the report “was a wake up call for this state.”
“If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can’t ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation,” she said.
Wilcoxson, whose district includes the Moore area, is the Republican co-chair of the Senate’s Education Committee. Tulsa Senator Judy Eason McIntyre serves as the Democratic co-chair of the committee.
“For years we’ve heard this same type of information from groups such as the Fordham Foundation,” Wilcoxson said. “Now that it’s coming from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, people are listening.”
Receiving an “F” in academic achievement, she said, “well, that’s just frightening.”
In addition to the chamber’s report, Wilcoxson said former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis, vice chairman of Bank of Oklahoma, will discuss the perspective of Oklahoma business leaders on education issues. The meeting also will include a presentation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a report from the U.S. Department of Education on state implementation and compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act.
However, some state education leaders question the chamber’s findings and the nature of the joint meeting.
Moore Association of Classroom Teachers president Jill Dudley said the U.S. Chamber study proves data can be manipulated. “I’ve not ever seen anything that group put out that had any validity,” Dudley said. “It’s obvious, they have an agenda.”
Other studies, Dudley said, paint a much different picture of Oklahoma’s educational system.
“A survey from Oklahoma Commission on Educational Administration shows that people in our state feel we’re on the right track with education,” she said. “Plus, there are definite issues between state standards and national standards; and that’s because our educational standards are not necessarily aligned with national ones.”
Federal standards and state standards, Dudley said, don’t always align.
“Whenever I see something like the U.S Chamber, and they’re trying to compare us on national standards, I know there are issues. School teachers are teaching to state standards and we have very good state standards.”
Dudley said the report — and the committee meeting — are biased.
“I’ve reviewed a summary of this study,” she said. “And it kinda astounds me that they can generate the results that they do. Everything else, the data that we have, shows otherwise. We are far ahead of the curve on national standards.”
Wilcoxson countered, saying the state’s educational system has continued to decline.
“The reality is that we’ve gone down in the past 10 years. We have to compete on a national level, but it’s obvious that our state department (of education) doesn’t have a lot of respect for the national assessment.”
And the U.S. Chamber’s study, she said, is an example of those problems.
“I don’t know why they would pick on Oklahoma. All of the states take this test. There’s no agenda.”
But Dudley said the national comparisons don’t work.
“It’s all just a matter of whose mark you’re trying to measure up to,” she said. “Are you trying to measure up to your state or somebody in Washington?”
The meeting, set for 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber, will examine a study produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Known as “Leaders and Laggards: State Report Cards,” the chamber’s study criticized Oklahoma in eight of nine areas and assigned school-like grades to those areas. The report gave the state’s education system a “D” overall and listed eight other areas which were below average including:
• An “F” in academic achievement;
• A “D” in academic achievement for low income and minority students;
• A “C” for return on investment;
• An “F” for truth in advertising about student proficiency;
• A “C” on rigor of standards;
• A “D” for postsecondary and workforce readiness;
• A “C” on flexibility in management and policy;
• A “D” for data quality.
The only area, the study reported, where Oklahoma received an above average grade was in the category of 21st century teaching force — there, the state received an “A.”
State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said the report “was a wake up call for this state.”
“If we really want to be competitive in the quest for attracting high-paying jobs to Oklahoma, we need to know the national perspective of our educational system. Education is an essential component to economic development and growth, and we can’t ignore what the national research says about how Oklahoma compares with the rest of the nation,” she said.
Wilcoxson, whose district includes the Moore area, is the Republican co-chair of the Senate’s Education Committee. Tulsa Senator Judy Eason McIntyre serves as the Democratic co-chair of the committee.
“For years we’ve heard this same type of information from groups such as the Fordham Foundation,” Wilcoxson said. “Now that it’s coming from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, people are listening.”
Receiving an “F” in academic achievement, she said, “well, that’s just frightening.”
In addition to the chamber’s report, Wilcoxson said former Republican gubernatorial candidate Burns Hargis, vice chairman of Bank of Oklahoma, will discuss the perspective of Oklahoma business leaders on education issues. The meeting also will include a presentation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a report from the U.S. Department of Education on state implementation and compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act.
However, some state education leaders question the chamber’s findings and the nature of the joint meeting.
Moore Association of Classroom Teachers president Jill Dudley said the U.S. Chamber study proves data can be manipulated. “I’ve not ever seen anything that group put out that had any validity,” Dudley said. “It’s obvious, they have an agenda.”
Other studies, Dudley said, paint a much different picture of Oklahoma’s educational system.
“A survey from Oklahoma Commission on Educational Administration shows that people in our state feel we’re on the right track with education,” she said. “Plus, there are definite issues between state standards and national standards; and that’s because our educational standards are not necessarily aligned with national ones.”
Federal standards and state standards, Dudley said, don’t always align.
“Whenever I see something like the U.S Chamber, and they’re trying to compare us on national standards, I know there are issues. School teachers are teaching to state standards and we have very good state standards.”
Dudley said the report — and the committee meeting — are biased.
“I’ve reviewed a summary of this study,” she said. “And it kinda astounds me that they can generate the results that they do. Everything else, the data that we have, shows otherwise. We are far ahead of the curve on national standards.”
Wilcoxson countered, saying the state’s educational system has continued to decline.
“The reality is that we’ve gone down in the past 10 years. We have to compete on a national level, but it’s obvious that our state department (of education) doesn’t have a lot of respect for the national assessment.”
And the U.S. Chamber’s study, she said, is an example of those problems.
“I don’t know why they would pick on Oklahoma. All of the states take this test. There’s no agenda.”
But Dudley said the national comparisons don’t work.
“It’s all just a matter of whose mark you’re trying to measure up to,” she said. “Are you trying to measure up to your state or somebody in Washington?”
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