I live in the stupidest state in the USA

[PrincessCanopyShop]

I am sure that many people think that, but I live in a state that is the only state the since 2004 has not had a single county go for the democratic nominee for President. Which means that they have been driving the budget and making all of the financial as well as legal issue laws. So they have had 12 years to implement their conservative fixes for everything. What have they accomplished.
We have a budget shortfall of 1.3 million dollars.

This was a news report explaining the problem well over a year ago. ( it's video and short but informative)
http://kfor.com/2015/05/15/are-oklahoma-taxpayer-dollars-getting-wasted-on-controversial-bills/

Since then, did our legislators listen and stop doing stupid shit that they KNEW was going to be overturned?? Hell no they went even further. The voted to "deregulate" our schools. Great unlicensed teachers paid minimum wage that is the future of OK schools.

Our legislators decided that the 10 commandments was not a religious representation and put a 6 foot tall granite statue in front of the state capitol. They knew full well it was illegal, they knew that SOMEONE would have to pay for the lawyers to defend this action in federal court and guess what it was illegal and it was removed.... guess who that someone was the taxpayers of Oklahoma who still have a shortfall in our GOP controlled budget of 1.3 BILLION dollars.

Today, just like our legislators trying to deny same sex Nat guard spouses benefits that straight ones get, which was overturned, just like when Oklahoma tried to sue Colorado for legalizing marijuana and were told no you cannot sue Colorado, main your own freaking biz, ( that costs lawyers fees in the hundreds of dollars an hour rate ) Today they have pulled the biggest most boneheaded legislation in the US.

TODAY OUR LEGISLATORS PASSED A BILL THAT MADE ABORTION ILLEGAL BY PROSECUTING ANY DOCTOR OR PATIENT THAT PROVIDES OR SEEKS AN ABORTION.
Oh gee , I guess they forgot that there was a federal law preventing laws like this. I do not care what side of the abortion issue you are on these stupid legislators are only passing laws like this so the can have it on their campaign commercials when the general election rolls around and I and all of my fellow oklahomans have to pay for the legal fees the bill is surely going to generate and knowing my stupid governor as I do she will push it all the way to the supreme court just for the attention.

I am sick to death of the GOP's idea of smaller government in Oklahoma it is bleeding my state dry and racking up bills that kids and grandkids will have to pay. They may think it is a "free" way to have a great buzzword for their campaign so they can run around saying 'I tried to protect the unborn for you" but it is not free and I am paying for all of these stupid bills that are clearly violations of federal laws..
Whether you are anti-choice or pro-choice... it is the law of the land get over it , stop making the citizens pay so politicians can have hot buzz words in November. ARRRRGGGGG

[PrincessCanopyShop]

Please ignore the 1.3 million typo... I wish it was 1.3 mill ,,, it is 1.3 bIllion with a B

[theferriswheels]

"I am sick to death of the GOP's idea of smaller government in Oklahoma"

This was one of the many huge issues I had with GWB. Here there was a republican president and both houses of congress and what did they do, make government even bigger. A lot bigger! Obama and dems come in with the same scenario, and they grow it even more.

Both presidents talked a good game, but they are ALL bleeding us dry!

[PrincessCanopyShop]

Here is the guy who wrote this new very expensive piece of undefendable law shit telling other legislators , That GOD would foot the bill for it. So I guess it is going to be raining brand new $20 bills any day now here.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/abortion-god-legal-battle

[Former_Member]

God will foot the bill for their law and Mexicans will foot the bill for the wall. We should all be debt free in no time with this kind of funding.

[theferriswheels]

lol Ilene. And the wealthy and hedge funds in the country will pay for our 19 trillion in debt AND free college!

[LittleBlackVanities]

That free college tuition really kills me. I can imagine what a college education will consist of when the government is paying for it . I understand college debt is a problem but when a twenty something shows me their expensive tattoos and then complains about tuition .....hmmm.

[PrincessCanopyShop]

The government does provide free tuition and not only that they provide housing money and lots of other benes. All they ask is for your to serve your country. My son knew that it was go into debt or join the military for 6 years. It is not like you don't get paid to serve the military. Of course he did have the luxury of being good at languages so he tested high and spent his A school at Montery and his duty in Hawaii. In exchange he now has a masters in accounting and is getting a second masters because he still has school funds available in his GI package.

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

Dee. I live in the state that gave birth to George Wallace---I win.

[LittleBlackVanities]

@Dee that is only a portion of students using those benefits. There's a big difference between what the government offers now and "free for everyone " college tuition.

[theferriswheels]

Dee that college for your son wasn't free at all! It was part of the compensation for his hard work with the military (and kudos to him for making such a smart choice rather than going into lifelong college loan debt).

[ChatsworthLady]

Dee, I heard that on the news yesterday and immediately thought of your "favorite" governor!

Also understand that the entire purpose of this offensive anti-abortion bill is to get the case kicked repeatedly upstairs until it finally reaches the SCOTUS, where the GOP hopes (with their anticipated President Trump having nominated at least one conservative judge!) to get a ruling gutting Roe v Wade.

Perhaps the prospect of this will galvanize even the most diehard Sanders supporter to make sure Trump loses in Nov. If it doesn't, then nothing will.

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

I really don't get the fight to overturn Roe vs Wade. While an abortion should not be used as --lazy-after the fact birth control--the law should remain as is. If a woman needs an abortion for whatever reason---before she is three months along---I think that is between her and her doctor.
After three months----it should only be for the health of the mother OR if the baby has catastrophic birth defects.
Now my husband is Catholic so he's against abortion at any point, except for health reasons.

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

theferriswheels from theferriswheels says
Dee that college for your son wasn't free at all! It was part of the compensation for his hard work with the military (and kudos to him for making such a smart choice rather than going into lifelong college loan debt).


Ditto! My brother also used his military service to pay for college.

[PrincessCanopyShop]

I wish there was a emoticon that shows a tongue in cheek. I know that my son paid for it through his service, I was making a rare un-liberal like statement that college is actually paid for but you have to do something in exchange for it.

There are so many ways to create a college /exchange system. We have so many community projects especially in poor communities that we could create programs similar to the military service exchange.

There are hundreds of ideas out there that would give every person a minimum paid job as an internship in those fields while accruing college funds credit.

These internships could be as simple as creating a living dorm providing meals at the hospital cafeteria and a min wage paycheck for people who want to attend medical school.
Once you have taken care of the basic needs as well as providing a paycheck while a potential student really sees how a hospital works, you will have more compassionate doctors, more really good nurses (the backbone of any hospital) and people who thought they would love to be a doctor realize maybe that was not the best field for them.

What we cannot do is just say to a generation of spoiled children , here is free money to go to college and live your dream of joining a fraternity like "animal house" on our dime.

Here is the key though. We must take out the do nothing House and Senate and replace them with people willing to work together. the days of stubbornly saying I will not support any bill created by the other side has been disastrous for the people of the US. Mitch McConnell has to be the first one booted out the door.

I believe that one of the reasons Bernie is staying in is to force Hillary to understand that she will not be crowned queen and that if she wins she better be ready to work with and ( ohhh ugly word ahead... ) compromise with the gop members.
On the flip side this mentality is that if the gop loses again and think they can just dig in and do nothing for the next 4 years will only result in more executive orders. Obama did not just walk into the white house and start signing executive orders he has been forced to by a house and senate refusing to do anything ... LIKE ... approve a very moderate sup court nominee to replace Scalia. If the gop waits hoping that Trump wins and he does not , the Supreme court will end up with a potential of a 6/3 liberal court.

We have to really identify the politicians who have intentionally stalled any progress in our government. My Sen Inhofe will not vote for any bill that he cannot attach a "pork" rider to for the oil and gas industry even when the legislation has nothing to do with energy. He need to be right behind McConnell, looking for a new job.

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

I agree Dee! (damn, how did that happen?)

I have always considered Harry Reid the biggest obstacle on the left in the senate. He and McConnell have been in a pissing match for years.

If we could get the House and Senate to vote on clean bills---no hidden goodies---we could get thing done and the lazy SOB's would actually have to work a FIVE DAY WEEK, stay in the chambers, and vote them one at a time. No bill could be over 2 pages. No lobbyists allowed in the Capitol. AND all the congressmen would have to have the same insurance as Obamacare.

[theferriswheels]

Two thumbs up MaryJ!

I do think Reid and McConnell have been in a public pissing match, while in quite a bit of collusion behind closed doors.

I love the two page bills and no lobbyists in the Capitol. While we're at it, let's get term limits as well!

[PrincessCanopyShop]

OMG... There may be hope for America after all. If we can see each others objections and come to mutual agreements than we should be able to take this show on the road to DC and teach those idiots in their fat leather cushy chairs how to come to agreements on at least the things that are negotiable.

[Former_Member]

I agree with all three of you. We need lobbyist out of the capital, limited terms, bills passed, without pork, that can be understood without a cipher. It is time for our representatives to earn their lucrative salaries and benefits. Look how easy it is for everyone to come to a consensus. Maybe we should form a committee to go to DC and teach the art of communication and compromise.

[PrincessCanopyShop]

Here here Ilene , we could be a force to be reckoned with !!!

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

Term limits, yes!!!!

Pres- 2 terms
Senate- 1 term
House- 2 terms

That is enough for anybody. The founding fathers never intended for congress to be a paying job.

[ChatsworthLady]

Totally agree on the term limits although I would be okay with 2 terms for both Senate and House. This way neither side can whine about the other side getting more, or theirs getting less, LOL

I too fear that if the GOP doesn't win the White House it will be more of the same obstruction-for-the-sake-of. But my greater fear is that given a Republican POTUS plus a majority in both houses of Congress, the health of this planet will be dealt a deathblow from which it will never recover.

Not to mention SCOTUS decisions influenced too darn much by religion, which IMHO shouldn't be any part of government,no way no how. I'd be thrilled to end up with a 6-3 Dem-appointed Court but would be perfectly happy with a 5-4 split that way.

[LocoBead]

I think we have a consensus!
Term limits...clean bills...

[FAIRLYGHOULISH]

Chats---I worry that a dem majority in SCOTUS would cause too much free gov handouts. I agree religion should not be a part at all.

The health of the planet is way better than just a 100 years ago. Clean coal use has improved the air quality vastly. Coal is still the cheapest and most plentiful resource we have for energy. As long as it is burned with scrubbers installed, I'm OK with it. The pollution problem is coming from China who still uses the old ways.
Nuclear energy is the best source, but too many have '3-Mile-Island' syndrome.

I picked the terms because of the time of each. The Pres could have 4 years or 8, senate gets 6, and the house gets 4. That way there would always be some overlap.

[PrincessCanopyShop]

@ mary J.... you said ....The health of the planet is way better than just a 100 years ago. Clean coal use has improved the air quality vastly. """ Please tell me where you found this scientific evidence because Earth 100 years ago had very little pollution. I just find that to be a ridiculous as when Christians try to claim that man and dinosaurs lived in harmony.