Quotes of the Day

“We’re dealing with people who have no credit history, who work minimum wage jobs or are not well-to-do. To expect them to support the entire judiciary of the state of Oklahoma, or even a significant part of it would be a mistake, just like it’s a mistake to think the emergency room could ever support the entire hospital.”

– Oklahoma County Special Judge Donald Easter, speaking about Oklahoma’s increasing reliance on large fines and fees to fund the court system as support from tax revenue dwindles (Source: bit.ly/1zARvhS)

“I think other agencies have to start looking at what are not just required services but essential services to the point where it is going to hurt.”

-State Auditor Gary Jones, speaking about the effect of the state’s growing budget hole (Source: bit.ly/163ObQi)

“For those who come back out [of prison], we have an obligation to make sure those services are there to keep them from recidivating and going back into the system. That’s where we need to put more pressure, so it will drive more funding towards that, not the other way around. Let’s put the pressure there and off the criminal justice system.”

– Steven Buck, deputy commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, at a recent “Oklahoma Watch-Out” forum on mental health issues in Oklahoma (Source: bit.ly/1ESXT4f)

“I think Oklahoma is really poised to become a leader in this area. Most or all states are sort of dealing with these same issues. I think a lot of states will be looking to Oklahoma to see how they can follow suit… It’s a huge step.”

– Jeff Chapman, project director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Business Incentive Initiative, on legislation that would impose stronger oversight of state tax breaks, rebates and other business incentives (Source: bit.ly/1z1btSF)

“When you’ve gotten to that point when seven out of 10 are not participating, I think you have a crisis on your hands.”

– State Sen. David Holt (R-Oklahoma City), on why he introduced electoral reform bills this session that would, among other measures, allow online voter registration and move the state to a vote-by-mail system (Source: bit.ly/15FCZsC)

“If you think about that money over a year, that’s a car payment. That’s whether a teacher has to work a second job. That’s like getting a 10 percent raise.”

-Linda Hampton, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, speaking about the average $4,446 less that teachers are paid in Oklahoma compared to Texas (Source: http://bit.ly/1zhtm1h)

“I can’t breathe!”

Luis Rodriguez, who died after being taken down by three Moore police officers and two off-duty game wardens in the parking lot of a movie theater, while his wife and daughter looked on

“We’re systematically looking at all these wells, especially the ones in the areas where we’re having seismicity, and we’re seeing if they were completed in strict compliance with their permit.”

Tim Baker, director of Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s oil and gas division

“Any way you look at it, that’s a whole bunch of money.”

-OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt, speaking about new data showing that Oklahoma’s tax breaks for oil and gas production will cost $516 million this year alone (Source: bit.ly/1E0F4yu)

“We heard things like ‘Oh, those bloggers out there don’t want to be held responsible for anything,’ (that) we don’t want to follow any rules. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I want us to follow all the rules in place, even the bad ones. I just don’t want the people making the rules to not understand how the rules they make affect teachers and ultimately the kids.”

-Moore Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Cobb, who recently revealed that he was the person behind the popular okeducationtruths blog (Source: bit.ly/1CdSXqU)