The defeat of the special interests
Throughout the past few weeks I have described the successful passage of Senate Bill 630 to stop governments such as cities and school districts from…
Local Government
The dark strategies of the most powerful lobbyists
This year Governor Fallin signed SB 630 to close down the wasteful practice of sole specing. Those who make money from sole specing didn’t appear…
The most unscrupulous lobbying technique
Last week I described the abuse by which various area government entities have been designing construction specifications so as to limit competition and award a…
An example of legalized corruption
Almost one year ago, Senator Clark Jolley asked me to assist him in bringing an end to what appeared to be a practice of legalized…
The Parallel Counterpart to HealthCare.gov
This year I have witnessed the quickest deployment and implementation of a major state governmental process that I have ever seen. I think this success…
The first real black Friday in Oklahoma
In past years I was the recipient of frustrated correspondence from the local constituency. Oklahoma residents were being denied access to Black Friday sale items…
It is time to modernize county government
Next month I will chair a legislative hearing convened to consider the training qualifications of county officials. The hearing was requested by State Representative Marty…
Sales tax revenue hits nearly $500K
The sales tax numbers are not quite what they were expected for in September, with the Gentleman of the Road Stopover, but the City of…
The rest of the story about the big pay hikes
Oklahomans are shocked and disappointed as press accounts describe massive pay raises being rapidly handed out to state agency executives. In some cases those raises…
Where does all of the lottery money go
On multiple occasions, a member of the House District 31 constituency inquires about the impact upon common education of Oklahoma lottery proceeds. Many believed that…
Is anyone listening?
This year I have enjoyed membership in the rotation of presiding officers for the House of Representatives. The presiding officer of the House presides over…
The War on common sense
OSSAA provides case-in-point of legalism trumping common sense – > Consider this observation. An increase in the number of laws, policies, rules and procedures produces…
Government Board Meetings of the Future
I recently received an assistance request from an individual worried about an impending action by a state agency. He was afraid they were about to…
Staring down the federal government; and winning
I have developed a healthy fear of crisis policy making. Crisis policy making occurs when politicians attempt to avert a purported crisis by approving a…
The 5:40 Waterloo Road Flash Mob
Many readers will instantly know the subject matter of this report simply by reading the title. These readers are part of the flash mob which…
Thwarting the laws of the market
It doesn’t take a new business owner long to realize the importance of a general liability insurance policy. The excitement over his first client may…
Another win for Oklahoma entrepreneurs
Readers of these articles are likely familiar with my optimism about Oklahoma’s future. Much of Oklahoma government contains a new wave of policy makers dedicated…
Putting the for sale sign on government land
This year I appreciated the opportunity to work on two significant reforms on behalf of two state government officials for whom I have tremendous respect….
Becoming a national leader in transparency
Several years ago, I was told, the Senate debated making government information accessible on the internet. A very powerful state senator purportedly opposed the proposal…
Local government to benefit from new well sites
I have recently been receiving emails about the increasing number of energy sector production sites. As you can imagine, seismic testing and deployment of heavy…