Quotes of the Day

“Instead of asking why she keeps going back, one should instead ask, ‘Why is he hitting her?'” 

Evelyn Hibbs, Director of Muskogee’s Women in Safe Home

Do you know what finally enabled me to answer those questions? I had to switch from the mindset of a person who is proficient in biology content, and instead think like standardized test writers. What hope was there for our kids to answer those questions correctly?

-Brandi Williams, who wrote that she struggled with questions on Oklahoma’s biology end-of-instruction test despite having taught biology for 8 years and having taken 40 hours of graduate level biology courses during her work on her master’s degree in science education (Source: http://bit.ly/18MpGEg).

To actually approve the spending and then tell the Treasury that they can’t pay for it — and if the United States is going to default on their credit rating and not pay its legal obligations — is in my mind just ridiculous.

-State Treasurer Ken Miller, who said the continuing government shutdown is harming Oklahoma’s economy and not raising the debt limit would be catastrophic (Source: http://bit.ly/18JSQUJ).

A lot of them don’t see the benefit. People here are among the unhealthiest in the nation. The need is there … but the only thing that has been in the paper is negative.

-Debbie Haller, counselor at a health clinic in Spencer, in a story on how Oklahomans in low-income, rural areas are not accessing needed health benefits because they have been misinformed about the Affordable Care Act by state politicians and media (Source: http://lat.ms/17Boggl)

We’re not forgiving them for the crime just because of their drug addiction, but maybe there’s a way to both punish them for the crime and treat the drug addiction so they don’t come back. I think most citizens are in favor of (diversionary programs) for crimes that don’t involve stealing something from somebody or hurting somebody.

-Senator Rob Standridge (R-Norman), who held an interim study on programs to divert non-violent drug offenders from the state prison system (Source: http://bit.ly/17wnq4q)

The top story all day was that Republicans had shut down the federal government because President Obama wouldn’t defund or delay the Affordable Care Act. The other major story was that the government’s servers were crashing because so many people were trying to see if they could get insurance through Obamacare. So on the one hand, Washington was shut down because Republicans don’t want Obamacare. On the other hand, Obamacare was nearly shut down because so many Americans wanted Obamacare.

-Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein (Source: http://wapo.st/18sWjGR)

I don’t tell you this to make you feel sorry for me, Mr. or Mrs. lawmaker. I tell you this because I am tired of being reduced to a number, a statistic or, even worse, being described as a freeloader that wants to live off of the government health care teat. I tell you this because if you defund Obamacare, or delay it even for one year, as you are debating today, then this will be my last letter to you. I will be dead before my 27th birthday.

-Kendall Brown, Executive Director of Individual Artists of Oklahoma, who has been unable to purchase health insurance to treat her Crohns’ Disease because she is denied for a pre-existing condition (Source: http://bit.ly/17koF6N)

I think that all public officials should support clawbacks, because the alternative is to say that we should let the companies take the money and run. It only makes sense that companies should hold up their end of the bargain.

-Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, on “clawback” provisions in tax incentives that require companies that fail or lay off workers to repay public funds. Oklahoma’s Quality Jobs tax incentive, which does not have a clawback provision, has continued to make “job creation” payments to companies even after mass layoffs (Source: http://bit.ly/17iOIem).

Oklahoma must have a medical examiner’s office – it’s an absolute necessity. And while it has been easy for some lawmakers to whine and complain about the growth of state government, the idea that the state doesn’t have a resource for the families of deceased Oklahomans and for the law enforcement community is absolutely insane. It’s always easy to point fingers and say how bad government is or how ineffective or bloated – until someone needs a government service.

-M. Scott Carter, The Journal Record (Source: http://bit.ly/198cYwx)

Governor, it pains me to recognize that when you didn’t know I am gay, you considered me equal. It pains me to know that my beloved Oklahoma appears to be like Alabama of the 1960s, not moving forward but stagnating in prejudice and inequality no longer suited for our country. My prayer for you and the state of Oklahoma is that you move forward on civil rights issues and certainly not take steps backwards.

-Dillon Pena, a family friend of Governor Fallin, in an open letter to the Governor about her decision to block same sex marriage benefits for Oklahoma National Guard members (Source: http://huff.to/19C0YFt)