Quotes of the Day

We found that the Mabel Bassett facility uniquely stood out as a high-rate facility. There’s no question that what we’re observing here is a significant amount of physical force, pressure, and coercion are involved.

-Allen Beck, a statistician with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, on an Oklahoma women’s prison that had the highest rate of sexual abuse or rape in the nation for female institutions (Source: http://bit.ly/1fukwTX)

Today, GOP members fear that if they support reform efforts, they’ll be tagged as soft on crime — not by Democrats, but by other Republicans. Self-preservation is Goal No. 1 for most lawmakers. As a result, corrections reform usually just gets ignored. There’s too much downside politically.

But “corrections reform” can’t continue as a cuss word at the Capitol. Being No. 1 in the nation in female incarceration and among the top five in overall incarceration, with prisons that remain at or near capacity, inflicts enormous fiscal and social tolls. What Oklahoma needs is conservative lawmakers with the courage to stand up and face this issue and demand that their colleagues do the same.

-The Oklahoman Editorial Board (Source: http://bit.ly/1frB1QA)

This is a true measure of our agency’s continued fight against waste, fraud and abuse. I am very proud of our staff that is committed to be responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars while ensuring quality health care is available to our SoonerCare members.

-Nico Gomez, Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s CEO, on a study showing Oklahoma’s Medicaid program has the lowest payment error rate out of 17 states (Source: http://bit.ly/1bZQPSM)

My schedule is never the same from one week to the next. I can’t plan anything. I used to have another part-time job but I just couldn’t work out the schedules. And ordinary stuff like knowing when I can be home to take care of the kids and the house while my wife works or studies? – Forget it!

-Fast-food worker Maurice, whose story is told in the OK Policy Blog’s “Neglected Oklahoma” series 

(Source: http://bit.ly/1fdoaBw)

I know the sound of terrorism. I felt the Murrah Building Bombing shake my body; I will never forget. My grandfather, a doctor, provided free medical care for those wounded. I was chosen to paint a tile for the memorial. Calling non-violent, peaceful protesting “terrorism” is an insult to all of those who suffered due to the indiscriminate violence that ensued April 19, 1995.

-OU graduate student Moriah Stephenson, who is one of two activists facing potential “terrorism hoax” charges for hanging a banner in the Devon Tower to protest fracking (Source: http://bit.ly/1fd4b66)

The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation.

-Lucien Greaves, spokesman for the New York-based Satanic Temple, on a monument the group is proposing to build near the Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol (Source: http://bit.ly/K1N4W1)

The bottom line is Jesus teaches us to care about everybody, and this is a pathway to follow his teaching.

-The First United Methodist Church of Edmond’s Senior Pastor Bertha Potts, speaking about the church’s efforts to help uninsured Oklahomans enroll in the Affordable Care Act marketplace (Source: http://bit.ly/1f8hB37)

“To help Black male student-athletes coming from disadvantaged schools and neighborhoods adjust and thrive in the college setting, the NCAA and its member institutions should utilize some of their billions in new TV revenue to adopt and pay for specific policies and programs that would provide much needed resources and support.”

Damario Solomon-Simmons, managing partner of SolomonSimmonSharrock law firm and Legislative Liaison for Oklahoma Policy Institute

The fact that we are obviously OK with kicking this can down the road of our officers working 60-hour-plus workweeks while someone at 7-Eleven is working a 40-hour workweek and making more money is unacceptable, and they should be ashamed.

-David Ramsey, president of the Oklahoma Corrections Professionals, responding to a statement by Governor Fallin’s top lawyer saying the governor is not concerned that Oklahoma prisons are staffed at under 60 percent (Source: http://bit.ly/1dcYIVI)

I know the budget outlook is kind of shady right now.

-Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, who said another income tax cut will be on the agenda in 2014, even though officials are expecting a $171 million decline in funding for state services (Source: http://bit.ly/1chyKE1)