EDMOND —
To the Editor:
Earlier in the year, several newspapers, including The Edmond Sun, graciously wrote about the manpower crisis of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. As some of you may recall, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is currently at a 22-year low in strength. The low water mark for troopers comes at a critical time when Oklahoma’s population is approaching 4 million and our 98,000 miles of highways and 4,000 miles of state lake shorelines are bustling with visitors and increasing commerce.
Gov. Mary Fallin, from the beginning of her administration, recognized the critical need for more troopers to protect this great state and included the need for more troopers in her 2012 State of the State address and Executive Budget. One of the state leaders that tirelessly championed the cause for improved public safety for Oklahoma is Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond. (Jolley is up for re-election this year. He faces Paul Blair in the June 26 Republican primary.)
Thanks to the leadership of Fallin and the steadfast support of Jolley, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a 2013 budget that included annualized funding for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to have a patrol academy and begin to work out of the manpower predicament caused by a lack of patrol academies.
State troopers, like all law enforcement officers, provide a critical service to this great state we all call home. Many times troopers will go unnoticed until a crisis surfaces and our troopers willingly put their lives in jeopardy to man the invisible line that separates our society from chaos and civility. According to the 2011 FBI statistics, from 2008-11 there has been a 78 percent increase of law enforcement officers intentionally killed in the United States. Yet despite the danger, troopers willingly put themselves in harm’s way each and every day to protect their fellow Oklahomans.
It is in this context, on behalf of all the men and women of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, I offer my thanks to Gov. Fallin and principled leaders like Sen. Jolley. With their leadership, we are taking tangible steps to make Oklahoma a safer state for all of our residents.
Mike Thompson
Edmond
MIKE THOMPSON is commissioner of the Department of Public Safety for Oklahoma.
Letters to the Editor
Good news for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- Letters to the Editor
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Senators give criminals a pass
Oklahoma’s U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe were among 45 senators who recently helped block a sensible measure to reduce gun violence. Specifically, they voted down a measure to expand background checks for gun buyers — a step favored by 86 percent of Americans, according to recent polls. Our senators were not even asked to vote for tougher measures like bans on military-type assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, also favored by 56 percent of Americans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
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LETTER: Senators give criminals a pass
To the Editor:
Oklahoma’s U.S. Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe were among 45 senators who recently helped block a sensible measure to reduce gun violence. Specifically, they voted down a measure to expand background checks for gun buyers — a step favored by 86 percent of Americans, according to recent polls. Our senators were not even asked to vote for tougher measures like bans on military-type assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, also favored by 56 percent of Americans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
By opposing background checks for gun buyers, Sens. Coburn and Inhofe voted in favor of allowing the mentally ill and criminals to buy guns! They call it “Second Amendment” rights. I call it cash for their campaigns from the gun lobby. -
LETTER: Postal carriers seek to ‘Stamp out Hunger’
To the Editor:
On Saturday, help your letter carrier “Stamp Out Hunger” by leaving canned food donations by your mailbox. In Edmond, donations benefit the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s partner agencies HOPE Center of Edmond, Route 66 Project and Edmond Grace Fellowship. This effort is part of the 21st annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive, which is the largest one-day food drive in America. -
LETTER: Unanswered prayer leads to lower taxes, honorable policy makers
To the Editor:
In a recent column, Oklahoma Rep. Jason Murphy (“How a no vote solved gas tax problem,” The Edmond Sun, April 30, 2013) commended the wise and educated voters of Oklahoma for seeing through the 2005 fuel tax increase and demanding more action of our state policy makers. With the recent work of our elected officials, along with the Department of Transportation, our roads and bridges have seen much improvement during the past couple of years. -
LETTER: Senate bills will help veterans living in centers
To the Editor:
I just viewed a short video done by Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie who recounts the rescue of downed Vietnam pilot RogerLocher in April 1972. Ritchie said that Loche’s rescue was the farthest behind enemy lines and superceded all air operations that day. -
LETTER: President: OneNet saves UCO money
To the Editor:
Discussion continues in The Edmond Sun publications regarding upgrading and consolidating information technology resources in state government. While I respect the viewpoint that has been expressed so far, certain facts should be taken into consideration that directly affect the University of Central Oklahoma and the 17,000 students we serve. -
Bond debt not an unpardonable sin
Is Oklahoma bond indebtedness for Oklahoma infrastructure an unpardonable sin? No! Rep. Jason Murphey wrote a good op ed dealing with what he bemoans as oppressive state bond debt. He calculates each Oklahoman owes $649 in state debt. He and the rest of the ultra-fiscal conservatives can’t bring themselves to support bonds to pay for the state Capitol repairs, building a medical examiner’s office or other legitimate capital expenditures. So using his logic I decided to apply that thinking to my personal and business life.
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Senate bill potentially denies women’s rights
Once again, our state Legislature is moving toward passage of another bill that will not stand up to a court challenge because it is contrary to federal law. It also follows the pattern of many of these failed laws in that it attempts to limit the choices women have in our state.
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Edmond’s state senators and representatives can do their part to help the economy
To the Editor:
Enclosed below is a list of things that I as a citizen believe to be important for the upcoming session. -
Remembering good friends
To the Editor,
I would like to tell the wonderful people of Edmond that we have lost someone very special to us. - More Letters to the Editor Headlines
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Senators give criminals a pass
