Thursday, October 24, 2002

Daily Oklahoman Wins Two Darts from CJR

As Dustbury points out, the Daily Oklahoman newspaper of Oklahoma City is awarded two of seven Darts from the Columbia Journalism Review. Seems that the Daily Oklahoman doesn't like to disclose when their owner has a financial interest in subjects they write and editorialize about.
Attacking candidate's families

Shame on JOHN M. WYLIE II who is publisher of the Oologah Lake Leader LLC. On a website for Oklahoma Democrats, Mr. Wylie posts a story with allegations against the children of governor candidate Steve Largent. I won't even go into the allegations for to do so would only play into Mr. Wylie's hands. The point to be made here is that such efforts to smear the children of candidates is reprehensible in the extreme. It's unethical, unfair and destructive of the public good. Many good people are either getting out of public service or refusing to enter public service because their families and children have become "fair game" for ruthless political hacks who will stoop very low to win at any cost - to others

You can criticize others for their beliefs, policies, and actions but don't tear down their families, especially their children - just for being related.

People With Big Brains Can't be Fooled

Further on in Mr. Wylie's post he attacks David Simpson of the Tulsa World for his political cartoon described in my October 18th post. In the cartoon Mr. Simpson shows Largent, Henry and Richardson supporters with small brains of varying sizes. Simpson's point in drawing small brains is that the supporters are not too bright (relatively speaking). However, in Mr. Wylie's post he accuses Simpson's cartoon of "stigmatizing mental illness and brain disease". This is no doubt because Mr. Wylie's candidate is shown with a smaller brain than Mr. Largent's. Any nitwit with half a brain can see that the cartoon has nothing at all to do with stigmatizing mental illness. This is an example of how partisan hacks try to tag their opponents with exagerated offenses, knowing full well that they are twisting their opponents meaning. It's a form of lying, nothing less and nothing more. Folks with Big Brains will see through it.

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

Tech Center Director Leaving?

Word on the street is that Dr. Randy Goldsmith, president of the state's Tech Center, is leaving the position in November. Goldsmith was a real find for Oklahoma and it's our loss that he is leaving. The street also says that the Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence and the Tech Center, both funded by the Oklahoma Center for Science and Technology (OCAST), will be combined into one organization. A group of economic developers are pushing for Greg Main, former Secretary of Commerce under David Walters and currently a venture capital leader, to take over the combined organizations.
Gary Richardson's Bad Ideas

Gary Richardson, independent candidate for governor, seems to be getting increasingly desperate as his poll numbers dip from 16% to 13% in recent days. His television ads in recent days have focused on attacking his opponents, Brad Henry and Steve Largent. Richardson's anti-Largent ad was in particularly poor taste as he sought to attack the Congressman for being on a hunting trip in Idaho on 9-11. The ad in question showed the twin towers ablaze and used music he had failed to get the musicians' permission to use. Richardson had to pull the ad when the artist threatened action. The point Richardson tries to make, that Largent should have stayed in DC for 9-11 is as nonsensical as the rest of his agenda. Was Largent supposed to put the upcoming 9-11 tragedy on his calendar?

Richardson has also called for drastic cuts in funding for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the state agency that is responsible for recruiting new business to come to Oklahoma. The 150-person department also operates a wide range of programs designed to assist Oklahoma businesses to grow, to export, and to stay in Oklahoma. The agency also oversees the funneling of federal money into communities in Oklahoma for infrastructure development. It's actually one of the better run agencies in the state and is widely reported to be doing a good job of growing the economy. What does Richardson want to do? For unknown reasons he wants to hand over the funding to chambers of commerce around the state. Richardson doesn't understand the different roles the Department of Commerce and chambers of commerce have. Chambers of commerce represent the interests of the businesses that are members while the Department of Commerce mission is to work for the economic development of the entire state, its communities and businesses. Sometimes their missions converge but sometimes they don't. Not infrequently, what's good for a small number of businesses is not necessarily good for the wider community. Existing businesses, for example, often don't want new competitors recruited to come into the state. Ironically, Richardson the populist, would hand over economic development to a minority of business interests. This is another of Richardson's plans that he has not thought through. That should be cause for concern for voters. Leaders need to be able to think through to unintended consequences.

The idea of an independent as governor is appealing and I hope someday we get a good independent non-partisan governor. Richardson isn't the right one. He would be a disaster for Oklahoma with his poorly researched ideas and shoot-from-the-hip policies.



Monday, October 21, 2002

He said, She said Diplomacy

Now that North Korea has admitted that they have already developed nuclear weapons in violation of the agreement of 1994 President Bush must decide how to handle two ends of the Axis of Evil simultaneously. The Administration is mulling over strategies to take on North Korea diplomatically while attacking Iraq with a "vast coalition" that they are cobbling together. I'm surprised the obvious hasn't occurred to them. This is actually a splendid opportunity and should be handled the way any high schooler would. Colin Powell should surprise everyone and make a trip to Baghdad to meet Saddam. After having lunch with the Iraqi dictator he should proceed on to Pyongyang to have dinner with Kim Jong-il, the alien life form that rules North Korea. While at dinner Powell should whisper in Kim's ear that Saddam thinks Kim's hair is positively the goofiest he's ever seen. And besides that, Saddam is telling all the other dictators that Kim can't keep any of his kidnapped Scandinavian hos satisfied. Powell should get Kim really pissed off before shuttling back to Baghdad to tell Saddam that Kim said that his lips were fat like a camel's and show him Kim's Little Red Book of Saddam Jokes that the CIA created in their fake documents lab. Powell should keep this up until Iraq and North Korea attack and annihilate each other. We won't have to fire a missile.

Sunday, October 20, 2002

Supermarket Reading and Halloween Grocery Sacks

Who decides what magazines go on the racks at supermarkets? I want to know who this person or persons (it must be a conspiracy of at least a few) is/are. Whoever it is, they must be sex-crazed gun and auto nuts that are into planning weddings. Tonight at the Reasor's I had forgotten what I was looking for (happens often) when I found myself standing in front of the magazine racks. Well, while I'm here I might as well see if they have the latest issue of Scientific American. Ummm. Well, they have Guns & Ammo and American Metal over there. There's Rod and Steel, Soldier of Fortune, Heavy Metal, and Maxim there. No, it wouldn't be there. Up here are the women's magazines, Redbook, Home & Garden, Sixteen, etc, etc. Every one of them had a big headline about how to have super sex and satisfy their man. Who are these women who are obsessed with sex? Where are they? I know where they aren't - anywhere within sight. There must be over 100 publications before my eyes and not a one of them is the least bit cerebral in nature. Every magazine is designed to appeal to testosterone, homemaking, or the most mindless of pastimes. Forget Scientific American, they don't even carry Popular Science. Do college graduates not shop for groceries? Is there a secret food supply for the thinking part of society that I don't know about?

I was awakened from my fog by loud voices from the checkout stand. A portly lady in a sweatsuit was refusing to have her groceries bagged in a paper sack adorned with Halloween bats and ghosts. It was "unholy" she was telling the checkout lady. "God doesn't like Halloween!", she squealed. The checkout lady accommodated her with a plain, blank sack. How appropriate I thought.