We Have a Race for Governor

[Plutonic Panda]

I don't think throwing millions of dollars at building storm shelters is the answer for protecting Oklahoma's Children during severe weather. We all know how this scheme will turn out some districts will get the best shelters for the money while others get taken by fly by night companies and shoddy workmanship that is not discovered until years after the shelter is built. You also have the possibility of district officials building cheap and pocketing the money.

What we need to look at is the fact that single story, brick and mortar, flat roof school houses have to be phased out in this state. Moore Public Schools has 23 of these type elementary schools strung out around the district. Most of them are less than a mile from one another. Imagine how much safer if these schools were cut down to 12 or 6 four to five story(including basement/concourse level) facilities on the same size footprint as the average elementary school in Moore. If a tornado hit the old Central High School in Downtown OKC or Capitol Hill High School there is a pretty good chance the schools would survive structurally and the kids inside would as well with minor injuries from flying debris.

So do it over a course of five years and have a certain committee oversee who builds the shelters and have them inspected to ensure they will last and hold-up.

[MWCGuy]

So do it over a course of five years and have a certain committee oversee who builds the shelters and have them inspected to ensure they will last and hold-up.

A committee selected by our lovely sleeze ball legislature that has been known since statehood and is still known to this day for nepotism and corruption. Don't think so. I fear that we are going to blow millions of dollars on this just like every other problem the government program just find out that the shelters were not built strong enough or they simply can't be built strong enough to survive a large tornado.

[JIMBO]

Most tornados occur from April trough June, and from 4pm to 9pm.

Wouldn't it be wiser to just close schools early when weather conditions warrent?

[ljbab728]

Most tornados occur from April trough June, and from 4pm to 9pm.

Wouldn't it be wiser to just close schools early when weather conditions warrent?

That sounds like a good idea on it's face but it could pose significant hardships on many parents much like snow days do in the winter.

[Jeepnokc]

Brogdon announced today that he is running for governor as a Republican today. Looks like Mary gets to spend a little money in the primary. On the democratic side, you have Joe Dorman and RJ Harris so there will be a primary there also.

[soonerguru]

Brogdon announced today that he is running for governor as a Republican today. Looks like Mary gets to spend a little money in the primary. On the democratic side, you have Joe Dorman and RJ Harris so there will be a primary there also.

Harris is a libertarian. I don't see that being much of a race. And what is Brogdon going to run on? Fallin not right wing enough? I don't see that making much of an impact.

[Snowman]

Most tornados occur from April trough June, and from 4pm to 9pm.

Wouldn't it be wiser to just close schools early when weather conditions warrent?

A lot of the schools already release students before 4:00, the 2013 tornado(s) which lead to students deaths in Moore were between 2:56–3:35

There ends up being two poor outcomes if you are closing due to weather conditions, either wait so late that you may well be putting people at more risk by being stuck in traffic when it comes through or releasing so early will be always be so overly broad that almost never will it be for a case it really helped those at the school and it will always cause a huge disruption for the schools, parents and their employers.

[Jeepnokc]

Harris is a libertarian. I don't see that being much of a race. And what is Brogdon going to run on? Fallin not right wing enough? I don't see that making much of an impact.

Don't underestimate the importance of a primary. On the GOP side, it will cause Mary to spend money (which she has plenty of) but as you pointed out......who can be right wing enough. Although we are a very conservative state, Brad Henry was successful because he was more central than left. There are a lot of registered republicans like myself that the party is running off because it is moving so far right. The primary will force Mary and Brogdon to run a far right campaign which may alienate even more middle of the road republicans. That is part of the problem the GOP has had nationally the last several elections. They have to run far right to get nomination and then were unable to move back more central for the general election. Granted though the GOP carried every county in OK.

[soonerguru]

Don't underestimate the importance of a primary. On the GOP side, it will cause Mary to spend money (which she has plenty of) but as you pointed out......who can be right wing enough. Although we are a very conservative state, Brad Henry was successful because he was more central than left. There are a lot of registered republicans like myself that the party is running off because it is moving so far right. The primary will force Mary and Brogdon to run a far right campaign which may alienate even more middle of the road republicans. That is part of the problem the GOP has had nationally the last several elections. They have to run far right to get nomination and then were unable to move back more central for the general election. Granted though the GOP carried every county in OK.

I suspect the Oklahoma Dems have hit rock bottom. With Hilary as the nominee, I would expect improvement in state performance for the Democrats.

[Bunty]

Gov. Fallin wants to raise property taxes to pay for storm shelters: Mary Fallin Calls for Largest Property Tax Increase in State History | Oklahoma Democratic Party

But the most it probably means is that your property taxes only go up if you vote to allow them.

[Midtowner]

She wants to make sure her corporate clients don't have to pay anything. This is mostly going to pawn things off on homeowners.

I used to be a "conservative." But what was conservative 10 years ago and what is conservative now are very different things.

[Garin]

She wants to make sure her corporate clients don't have to pay anything. This is mostly going to pawn things off on homeowners.

I used to be a "conservative." But what was conservative 10 years ago and what is conservative now are very different things.

Maybe conservatives left you, because you don't come across very conservative.

[Dennis Heaton]

Gov. Fallin wants to raise property taxes to pay for storm shelters: Mary Fallin Calls for Largest Property Tax Increase in State History | Oklahoma Democratic Party

But the most it probably means is that your property taxes only go up if you vote to allow them.

According to the Oklahoma County Treasurer's website...there are 15,236 accounts (just in Oklahoma County) that still owe over $15,000,000 in Property Taxes, including "some" businesses that have not paid their taxes since 2011...yet, they still are allowed to operate.

[Achilleslastand]

According to the Oklahoma County Treasurer's website...there are 15,236 accounts (just in Oklahoma County) that still owe over $15,000,000 in Property Taxes, including "some" businesses that have not paid their taxes since 2011...yet, they still are allowed to operate.

I got a letter from our wonderful county treasurer a couple of weeks ago {presumably saying taxes would go up next yr} but I cant be sure because I assumed the worse and actually never opened it.
Property taxes are highway robbery and goes against everything our founding fathers fought and died for.
They should be abolished and done away with ASAP.

[Garin]

I got a letter from our wonderful county treasurer a couple of weeks ago {presumably saying taxes would go up next yr} but I cant be sure because I assumed the worse and actually never opened it.
Property taxes are highway robbery and goes against everything our founding fathers fought and died for.
They should be abolished and done away with ASAP.

It's just another way that they can own you until the day you die....

[Achilleslastand]

It's just another way that they can own you until the day you die....

Ooops don't forget about estate taxes.

[Rover]

Maybe conservatives left you, because you don't come across very conservative.

No, conservatives have been intimidated by libertarian radicals , but conservatives are still there, just afraid.

[Plutonic Panda]

You can't state the facts without being branded a racist

[Midtowner]

Huh?

[Rover]

You can't state the facts without being branded a racist

Whose remarks are you sticking up for?

[Plutonic Panda]

Whose remarks are you sticking up for?

No one in particular. My point was, liberals and democrats play the race card at literally every little chance they get and conservatives and republicans hyperbole everything and get mad at Obama for doing things that they have done themselves.