Help us do our work – Contribute to our blog
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’ve got opinions and points of view on some of the major policy issues confronting Oklahoma. What impact is the economic downturn and fiscal crisis having on the organizations you’re involved in and the people you care about? What should we be doing to operate government more effectively and fund services more fairly? What program is working that not enough people are hearing about?
This blog aims to be a forum where Oklahomans can share their perspectives, and we encourage you to contribute to the conversation by submitting a guest blog post. Think of it as an op-ed with links. We will help publicize pieces we post to our audiences and encourage you to send out the link to your friends, colleagues and networks.
Here are our blog guidelines:
– We will post entries that make an argument on public policy issues of importance to Oklahomans, whether we agree or disagree with the author’s point of view. However, we reserve the right not to post any blog entry submitted to us.
– Contributions addressing OK Policy’s core policy areas of state budget and taxes, poverty and wealth creation, health care and social services, or the economy will receive strongest consideration.
– Blog entries should be between 300 and 600 words. They should be original contributions and not pieces that have been published elsewhere.
– Please provide links for articles or studies referred to in your piece.
– Blog entries should avoid personal attacks and undue partisanship.
– We may edit your submission lightly for clarity and grammar. In all cases, we will have you review and approve a final draft of the piece before posting.
– We will run a short disclaimer before guest posts stating that the post reflects the opinions of the author and not of OK Policy.
– Please include a title for your post and brief (20 words maximum) biographical or background information that can appear in the introduction to the post.
– Send your submission in an e-mail or Word document to David Blatt (dblatt@okpolicy.org)
If you’re looking for examples of guest blog articles, click here for one on health care reform or here for one on protecting natural resources.
I hope to hear from you!
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[...] From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post submissions we receive from Oklahomans who have interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. This entry is from Tom Daxon, an Oklahoma City CPA who served as State Finance Director from 1995 – 2001 under Governor Frank Keating and is a noted conservative voice in Oklahoma. The opinions stated below are not necessarily the opinions of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from various points of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. [...]
Guest blog (Tom Daxon): Putting tax expenditures on the right TRACC | OK Policy Blog
10 Mar 10 at 8:47 am
[...] From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post submissions we receive from Oklahomans who have interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. This entry is from Amy Santee, Senior Program Officer with George Kaiser Family Foundation in Tulsa. The opinions stated below are not necessarily the opinions of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from various points of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. [...]
Guest Blog (Amy Santee): Turning The Tide On Female Incarceration | OK Policy Blog
17 Mar 10 at 7:17 am
[...] From time to time, we use the OK Policy blog to post submissions we receive from Oklahomans who have interesting perspectives on important policy issues for the state. This entry is from Valerie Andrews, Chief Financial Officer of 12&12, a Tulsa-based substance abuse treatment provider. The opinions stated below are not necessarily the opinions of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from various points of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. [...]
Guest Blog (12&12): Cuts to substance abuse services will mean higher costs and worse outcomes | OK Policy Blog
6 Apr 10 at 5:37 am
[...] This is the second of what will be an ongoing series of posts looking at the impact of the new federal health care reform law on Oklahoma and Oklahomans. The first looked at how reform will mitigate the public benefits “cliff effect”. For full information on health care reform, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is excellent.We encourage your contributions as comments or as a guest blog. [...]
Health Care Reform (2): New costs and new savings for state governme | OK Policy Blog
6 May 10 at 9:20 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « Inital thoughts on the FY11 budget agreement [...]
Guest Blog (Michael Lipsky): ‘The public service’ includes state and local workers | OK Policy Blog
25 May 10 at 6:52 am
[...] posts a fresh look. If what you see inspires you to try your hand at this yourself, just check out our simple guidelines for guest blogs… and fire [...]
Honored guests: Looking back at our guest blog posts | OK Policy Blog
16 Jul 10 at 7:26 am
[...] This is the fourth in an ongoing series of posts looking at the impact of the new federal health care reform law on Oklahoma and Oklahomans. Our previous posts have explored the “cliff effect” , the impact on state budgets and the Temporary High Risk Pool. For full information on health care reform, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is excellent. If you have thoughts on health care reform, we encourage you to contribute a comment or a guest blog. [...]
Health care reform (4): Tax credits for small business | OK Policy Blog
18 Aug 10 at 3:04 pm
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. Click here for a complete list of State Questions on the ballot in November. share this post [...]
Guest blog (Ryan Kiesel): SQ 756 – Voters to decide fate of health care reform. But not really | OK Policy Blog
23 Aug 10 at 7:59 am
[...] by David | October 6th, 2010 | Posted in Healthcare | Tagged with Affordable Care Act, FMAP, HCBS waivers, health care reform, Kaiser Family Foundation, long term care, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Health Care Authority | leave a comment This is the fifth in an ongoing series of posts examining the new federal health care reform law. Our previous posts have explored the “cliff effect”; the impact on state budgets; the Temporary High Risk Pool; and tax credits for small businesses. For full information on health care reform, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is excellent. If you have thoughts on health care reform, we encourage you to contribute a comment or a guest blog. [...]
Health Care Reform (5): Shifting more long-term care away from institutions | OK Policy Blog
6 Oct 10 at 7:44 am
i want to vote yes but the lack of info on where the money comes from is going to make me vote no. i hope that the bill authors can rewrite this so that it doesnt look like i am going to pay a huge amount of taxes.
dan luster
30 Oct 10 at 5:47 am
also, where is the money from our lottery going i thought that was the answer for our education funding. or is the lottery making as much money for are schools as the horse racing track.
dan luster
30 Oct 10 at 5:57 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « Guest Blog (Doug Enevoldsen): “Healthy [...]
Guest Blog (Susan Sharp): Rethinking female incarceration | OK Policy Blog
6 Dec 10 at 7:03 am
[...] view, and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « Oklahoma should act on new opportunities to aid [...]
Guest blog (Shelley Cadamy): Spending on mental health services earns a substantial return on investment | OK Policy Blog
17 Feb 11 at 8:52 am
[...] view, and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « Inequality Matters: How growing disparities [...]
Guest Blog (Jeffrey Alderman, M.D.): The silent problem in Oklahoma health care | OK Policy Blog
2 May 11 at 9:39 am
[...] and recommendations we’ve set out here – please post a comment below, or consider a guest blog laying out your best ideas. For all our resources and information on the state’s budget [...]
This ain’t over yet: Outlook and recommondations for navigating the ongoing state fiscal crisis | OK Policy Blog
9 May 11 at 1:23 pm
[...] The opinions stated above are not necessarily those of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from various points of view, and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. [...]
Guest Blog (Julie Miller-Cribbs, MSW, PhD): Young and Uninsured in Oklahoma | OK Policy Blog
13 May 11 at 9:38 am
As a reader of your fine organization’s publications, I’m stunned that you failed to publish information about all the tax breaks and business incentives appropriated by the legislature. Everyone who has been following the budget process already knows most agencies that service the poor and struggling middle class were going to get less funding. Why? because Republicans won’t tax the rich, won’t spend on the poor, and don’t care about those who “can’t afford private health care”. So, while it is greatly appreciated you have made this information public. Let’s inform the people about the truth behind our budget cuts, and budget shortfalls.
Thanks in advance, in case you will publish such materials.
Marvin
Marvin Lizama
26 May 11 at 10:01 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: September 8, 2011 [...]
Guest Blog (Peter Fisher): Everyone pays taxes | OK Policy Blog
8 Sep 11 at 11:30 am
[...] The opinions stated above are not necessarily those of OK Policy, its staff, or its board. This blog is a venue to help promote the discussion of ideas from various points of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. [...]
Guest Blog (Tom Adelson, Scott Meacham & Preston Doerflinger): Oklahoma tax credit is subsidizing out-of-state businesses | OK Policy Blog
12 Sep 11 at 8:27 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: Governor could oust Education Board [...]
Guest Blog (John Thompson): Why Oklahoma cannot afford to put children in silos | OK Policy Blog
27 Sep 11 at 9:47 am
Health and Education have always been linked-as long as I can remember; they both have failed, but so has our economic system and other critical institutions. NCLB and Race-to-the-Top are all about testing the 3 Rs. Artistic, musical and other intelligences are not measured. We still are educating with a “class”
mentality. The perennial gap between the low and high achievers continues with no end in sight. I’ve been an advocate for OKC public school children for over 20 years-off and on the Board. The system needs an overhaul from top to bottom. I couldn’t get the four votes necessary.
wilfredo
3 Oct 11 at 1:12 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: Oklahoma judge blocks abortion law [...]
Guest Blog (Sara Amberg): A forecast we can’t ignore | OK Policy Blog
20 Oct 11 at 10:08 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « The Weekly Wonk – November 23, 2011 [...]
Guest Blog (Betty Casey): Don’t Wait For Superman | OK Policy Blog
28 Nov 11 at 9:47 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: Study sheds light on same-sex tax [...]
Guest Blog (Jennifer Wallis): Managing credit and debt for financial security | OK Policy Blog
12 Jan 12 at 7:58 am
I read with interest your fact sheet on severance taxes. I learned several new things and found the sheet to be an excellent document. However, I do have a comment on one of the “advantages” listed.
The bullet says, “Since there is no property tax on minerals, the only tax paid is when they are mined or pumped; the tax system therefore encourages conservation.” Though the first part of the sentence is undoubtedly true, the part about encouraging conservation is, I believe, overstated.
Handling mineral leases for my mother, I know that there is always someone wanting to lease and pump. Using the mechanism of forced pooling, the State enables that desire by taking the conservation decision away from the individual mineral owners.
I am in favor of forced pooling because I believe it provides more benefit to individual mineral owners than hurt to them. However, pooling enables (rather than deters) pumping and, therefore, obviates any conservation accrued from a severance tax.
It would seem that if we really wanted to encourage conservation we would make it harder for folks to consume, rather than easier. Let’s face it, whatever we think of a severance tax, it is a revenue generation tool not a conservation tool.
Tony Mason
30 Jan 12 at 3:57 pm
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: OKC is taser death capital of the [...]
Guest Blog (John Thompson): The rewards and dangers of NCLB waivers for urban schools | OK Policy Blog
28 Feb 12 at 9:18 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: Tulsa, Oklahoma City health among [...]
Guest Blog (Jonathan Willner, PhD): Putting real economics into an economic assessment of the Oklahoma state income tax | OK Policy Blog
14 Mar 12 at 11:01 am
[...] of view and we invite your comments and contributions. To see our guidelines for blog submissions, click here. share this post « return to blog « In The Know: Oklahoma tax receipts have plunged [...]
Guest Blog (Elizabeth McNichol): The “Texas model” is hard to follow and not all it seems | OK Policy Blog
4 Apr 12 at 10:11 am