Issues That Fall Under...
Country Government:- Foreign Policy
- Foreign Relations
- Collecting money for necessities such as war
- Homeland Security
- Making Federal Laws
- Can also tax
- Provide for local law enforcement like the police
- Try and punish criminals in the same state
The job of the county government varies state to state. Possible issues addressed by this form of government are:
- Education (public schools)
- Building roads
- Police
- Construction (bridges and buildings)
- Making local laws
- Dealing with minor, everyday local issues like traffic
1) Poverty:
Discussed on the page's bottom.
2) Education:
On the 2010 ballot, State Question 744 was proposed. Its purpose was to increase funding for education. It read:
"The measure repeals a Section of the State Constitution. The repealed section required the Legislature annually to spend $42.00 for each common school student. Common schools offer pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.
The measure also adds a new Article to the Constitution. It sets a minimum average amount the State must annually spend on common schools. It requires the State to spend annually, no less than the average amount spent on each student by the surrounding states. Those surrounding states are Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico. When the average amount spent by surrounding states declines, Oklahoma must spend the amount it spent the year before.
The measure deals with money spent on day-to-day operations of the schools and school districts. This includes spending on instructions, support services and non-instruction services. The measure does not deal with money spent to pay debt, on buildings or on other capital needs.
The measure requires that increased spending begin in the first fiscal year after its passage. It requires that the surrounding state average be met in the third fiscal year after passage.
The measure does not raise taxes, nor does it provide new funding for the new spending requirements.
Shall the proposal be approved?
For the proposal
Yes: __________
Against the proposal
No: __________"
State Legislators:
Supported:
Jeff Hickman
It's this simple: The states the OEA cites as models closed rural schools. And since the OEA plan is very similar to the Arkansas initiative that led to the consolidation of 57 schools, it's hard to believe they don't expect the same thing to happen in Oklahoma. Reducing educational opportunity does not help Oklahoma children. We need to support our schools, not close themSenator Tom Adelson
"If the six states surrounding Oklahoma are able to adequately invest in education, my bet is that Oklahoma can too. We want our legislators to represent citizens, not clients."Senator Jim Wilson
"In particular, public spending on education has been found to raise gross state product, increase employment and raise incomes."
Against:
Tad Jonnes
"If we were to cut road funding, eliminate it completely, we would still reach barely half of what the OEA is requesting."
David Dank
"First, anyone who knows basic arithmetic understands why this won't work. Every time you raise Oklahoma's per-pupil spending you also raise the regional average, even if the other states in our region do nothing. That ever-escalating average then becomes the carrot at the end of a stick, forever just out of reach. You can never equal a moving average when what you do drives that average forward."
Randy Brogdon
"When I am asked about it, I explain the direct consequences... they realize right away it is not a logical thing to do."
Leslie Osborn
"As a small-government conservative, I am certainly not opposed to spending cuts, but I also believe government should do a few core jobs and do them well. Unfortunately, SQ 744 could imperil even the most basic functions of government."
Tom Coburn
Governor Brad Henry"Nowhere does the U.S. Constitution give Congress the authority to be responsible for teacher pay in Oklahoma. Teacher pay is a state and local function that should be performed at the state and local level. During this debate I was also reminded why I believe organizations like the NEA are responsible for creating this crisis."
"I can tell you from experience that if State Question 744 passes, it will absolutely devastate the budget of all other critical areas of the state budget. And we can simply not allow that to happen"
Media Coverage
Most Media Coverage Opposed the State Question
News Articles:
Websites:
Outcome: Was Rejected
By far, most media outlets opposed SQ 744. Most Oklahomans did too.
| Question 744 (Education) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 d No | 828,589 | 81.41% | ||
| Yes | 189,164 | 18.59% | ||
| Total votes | 1,017,753 | 100.00% | ||
| Voter turnout | % | |||
Sources
Issue: Growing Poverty
Nearly one out of every six residents, or 16.2 percent, were living under the poverty line in 2009, compared to 14.3 percent nationwide, according to statistics from the Oklahoma Policy Institute. (ou.edu)
Taken from hhs.gov
Specifically in Norman, Oklahoma...
Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:
Norman: 17.6%
Oklahoma: 16.2%
Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:
Norman: 9.8%
Oklahoma: 6.8%
Children poverty level:
Norman: 17.1%
Oklahoma: 21.8%
Poverty rate among high school graduates not in families:
Norman: 36.1%
Oklahoma: 22.1%
Poverty rates among people who did not graduate from high schools not in families:
Norman:38.6%
Oklahoma: 43.6%
Poverty rate among disabled males:
Norman: 15.5%
Oklahoma: 17.1%
Disability rate in Norman among poor males:
Norman: 14.8%
Oklahoma: 17.1%
Poverty rate among disabled females:
Norman: 17.8%
Oklahoma: 21.5%
Disability rate in Norman among poor females:
Norman: 18.3%
Oklahoma: 21.5%
Renting rate in Norman among poor and not poor residents:
Residents below poverty level: 84.9%
Residents above poverty level: 36.4%
The Debate:
I could not find local debate on poverty, but I found a lot nationally. The debate nationally can apply locally as well. Basically, our federal government's solution to the rising poverty is government aid programs. Bottom line: liberals like it. Conservative hate it. Here's a quote from npr.org:
"Welfare spending is 13 times bigger than when the war on poverty began, in the 1960s," says Jennifer Marshall (conservative) of the Heritage Foundation. "Aid to the poor is now the third most expensive government function, and yet we're seeing plans to spend $10.3 trillion over next 10 years. And yet seeing the indicators that poverty continues to go in the wrong direction."
Republicans tend to oppose welfare programs, saying that such projects do little good for the needy community. They feel that the government is "throwing money" at these programs, while the reality is that welfare services are sinking ships.
Democrats tend to say the opposite. They call on government aid to help needy Americans.
Interesting Facts More than 43.6 million people were impoverished in 2009 — or roughly 1 in every 7 — a 1 percent increase from the year earlier and the largest number recorded in 51 years. The 14.3 percent poverty rate is the highest since 1994 and the third consecutive annual increase. (npr.org)
SourcesPoverty rates increased among all racial and ethnic groups, except Asians, across all family structures and all geographic regions except in the Northeast. In addition, the number of uninsured rose. (npr.org)
http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Norman-Oklahoma.html
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11fedreg.shtml
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129910498
Candidate For Office: Charles Lamb
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11fedreg.shtml
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129910498
Candidate For Office: Charles Lamb
- He was the Edmond city councilman for ward 3.
- He ran for mayor.
- He won the election.
- Says that he wants to make Edmond a place where future parents will love to raise their kids.
- I couldn't find his definite stance on issues, but from the point above, he will probably support a better education system, better roads, a cleaner, more beautiful city etc.
