Citizens Against Paper Napkins
The Nuthatch of Arkansas brings the following to our attention: an Oklahoma Legislator has actually introduced a bill to require barbecue restaurants to provide cloth napkins to diners. It's about time that the Oklahoma Legislature tackled this niggling itch of a problem that has festered far too long. Unscrupulous "bar-b-q" eateries began substituting paper napkins for the real thing in the 1970s and today it is a commonly held belief that cloth napkins at a barbecue are, shall we say, like a pinkie ring on a billy-bob.
Thursday, February 13, 2003
Katherine Taylor
I was half right on the Secretary of Commerce slot - Brad Henry appointed Tulsan Katherine Taylor (not Cathy Taylor) to be his Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Reports are that Ms. Taylor will be the Secretary for two agencies AND the executive director of Commerce. How one person can do this effectively remains to be seen. Ms. Taylor is very capable and intelligent but no one can do all those jobs and be good at it.
It seems that the Governor now has a cabinet full of attorneys. That can't be good.
I was half right on the Secretary of Commerce slot - Brad Henry appointed Tulsan Katherine Taylor (not Cathy Taylor) to be his Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. Reports are that Ms. Taylor will be the Secretary for two agencies AND the executive director of Commerce. How one person can do this effectively remains to be seen. Ms. Taylor is very capable and intelligent but no one can do all those jobs and be good at it.
It seems that the Governor now has a cabinet full of attorneys. That can't be good.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Expected
The speculation is that either Jack Mildren or Cathy Taylor will be the new Secretary of Commerce and Tourism in Oklahoma. It seems that it is Governor Brad Henry's intent to combine these two agencies or at least name a Secretary to oversee both agencies. Jack Mildren is a former Lt. Governor and Cathy Taylor is a Tulsa attorney married to the former owner of Thrifty Car Company. Both seem to be capable. Hopefully, the Governor will continue to keep the Secretary and Executive Director positions in each agency separate. It would take a superhuman person to be effective holding both positions simultaneously. Agencies and their regulatory requirements are too complicated for a person to handle both the details and the "vision thing". Lets hope Henry doesn't make the mistake of politicizing agencies with political appointments below the Executive Director levels. Many states have poisoned their bureaucracies by removing professionals and replacing them with political hacks. We can't afford this kind of politics and neither can Henry.
So far, Henry seems to be appointing friends of cronies rather than his cronies. It's an odd strategy.
The speculation is that either Jack Mildren or Cathy Taylor will be the new Secretary of Commerce and Tourism in Oklahoma. It seems that it is Governor Brad Henry's intent to combine these two agencies or at least name a Secretary to oversee both agencies. Jack Mildren is a former Lt. Governor and Cathy Taylor is a Tulsa attorney married to the former owner of Thrifty Car Company. Both seem to be capable. Hopefully, the Governor will continue to keep the Secretary and Executive Director positions in each agency separate. It would take a superhuman person to be effective holding both positions simultaneously. Agencies and their regulatory requirements are too complicated for a person to handle both the details and the "vision thing". Lets hope Henry doesn't make the mistake of politicizing agencies with political appointments below the Executive Director levels. Many states have poisoned their bureaucracies by removing professionals and replacing them with political hacks. We can't afford this kind of politics and neither can Henry.
So far, Henry seems to be appointing friends of cronies rather than his cronies. It's an odd strategy.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Limey Brit in Oklahoma
The Limey Brit of Dallas tells of his road trip through SE Oklahoma in January. He and Jules wanted to get out of the Big State. Too bad he didn't have more time in Poteau, home of Pansy Kidd Elementary School.
The Limey Brit of Dallas tells of his road trip through SE Oklahoma in January. He and Jules wanted to get out of the Big State. Too bad he didn't have more time in Poteau, home of Pansy Kidd Elementary School.
Voice from the Near East
Welcome to an interesting new blog from and about neighboring Arkansas. The blogger, obviously an insider that knows what's going on in Arkansas government and politics, is performing an important function shedding light on goings-on that aren't covered in the media. Check out LostinRuraldom.
Welcome to an interesting new blog from and about neighboring Arkansas. The blogger, obviously an insider that knows what's going on in Arkansas government and politics, is performing an important function shedding light on goings-on that aren't covered in the media. Check out LostinRuraldom.
Monday, February 10, 2003
Tragic Mixup in Orders
Early reports from Iraq are indicating that a team of USAID staff has been surrounded by Saddam's elite Republican Guard. The USAID team, identified as a "SWAT" unit from Washington DC, was holed up in the small Shiite village of Al' Shuwear approximately 100 km. west of Baghdad. Unnamed sources in Kuwait told reporters that the US Military Command in Qatar was convinced that an unfortunate mixup in orders has created the crisis. Orders to a National Guard unit in Oklahoma to mobilize a rapid-response SWAT team had mistakenly been routed to a grant-writing unit at USAID HQ in DC. Dispatches from a Kurdish underground unit near Al' Shuwear indicated that the USAID bureaucrats had surprised the villagers early Monday when they swooped in and announced to befuddled village leadership that they were from the U.S. Government and were "there to help them."
More when news becomes available.
Early reports from Iraq are indicating that a team of USAID staff has been surrounded by Saddam's elite Republican Guard. The USAID team, identified as a "SWAT" unit from Washington DC, was holed up in the small Shiite village of Al' Shuwear approximately 100 km. west of Baghdad. Unnamed sources in Kuwait told reporters that the US Military Command in Qatar was convinced that an unfortunate mixup in orders has created the crisis. Orders to a National Guard unit in Oklahoma to mobilize a rapid-response SWAT team had mistakenly been routed to a grant-writing unit at USAID HQ in DC. Dispatches from a Kurdish underground unit near Al' Shuwear indicated that the USAID bureaucrats had surprised the villagers early Monday when they swooped in and announced to befuddled village leadership that they were from the U.S. Government and were "there to help them."
More when news becomes available.