Column


Mayor: Is your cup half full???

Yes, I am a very positive person, some even say I have rose colored glasses —– but you know I can live with that flaw. …


Please vote no! Thank you!

“Please vote no! Thank you!” I stared at these five words, the only words in an email that someone had taken the time to send…



Benefits of refusing lobbyist funding

I took a pledge in 2006 to refuse personal gifts and campaign contributions from lobbyists and their employees. When I took that pledge, I knew…










Mental Health: Don’t suffer in silence

By John D. Doak Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, one in four adults has one or more diagnosable mental…





The day of reckoning – Part 1

It is now reasonable to forecast the following: fiscal year 2017 will become the first year in recent state history when the amount of state…



The benefits of a down budget year

A few days ago, a state agency head appeared before one of our House Appropriations Committees. He described his agency’s efforts to cut cost: “We…