http://www.edmondsun.com en-us Copyright CNHI All Rights Reserved. 5 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:35:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_323203546.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_323203546.html Options are few to avert a state funding disaster. Golden opportunities to invest in Oklahoma’s future were lost when revenues were high. Without vision we failed to build a “best” education system, improve workforce development, shrink government bureaucracy with efficiencies, fund the EDGE Fund, create useful incentives for new business and form alliances with powerful tribes. I Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_323203452.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_323203452.html The Free Press of Mankato, Minn., on veterans and homelessnessEverywhere there is a homeless population, it is likely some of the homeless are veterans. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_322222233.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_322222233.html Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday and time of remembrance, an occasion for family and friends, grandparents and children, comfortable aromas of hearty foods that draw us to the table for sharing. All in all, Thanksgiving Day is a notably American tradition. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:32:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_321223339.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_321223339.html Last month, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered that it would not allow bulk distribution of court records. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:30:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_321223200.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_321223200.html In September 2004, I wrote about my then-recent experience as a potential juror in a criminal trial. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:47:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194737.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194737.html In “City of Gold, Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism” English author Jim Krane documents how the rulers of the emirate of Dubai have managed to transform their small state on the Persian Gulf into a world-class city that is a financial center and tourist destination. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:46:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194702.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194702.html A few weeks ago, the House of Representatives’ Government Modernization Committee conducted an interim study to explore the possibility of realizing taxpayer savings through the implementation of shared services among agencies. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:41:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194627.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_320194627.html The holiday season is a time for family, friends and loved ones. It is a time of celebration and, most of all, a time to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy each day. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:13:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201347.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201347.html U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin is actively campaigning to be Oklahoma’s next governor, but she does not have to wait until January to begin fixing Oklahoma’s budget situation. In fact, if she wanted she could do more to solve Oklahoma’s budget crisis than Gov. Brad Henry and the Legislature combined. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:12:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201317.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201317.html Each fall, Doug Melton, superintendent of Guymon Public Schools in the Panhandle, gives me a call to update me on his district’s enrollment. Every year it is an interesting report, but this year it was even more so. Instead of the few extra students the district had expected, more than 200 new students, nearly three times as many as expected, enrolled this fall. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:12:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201240.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_317201240.html Oklahoma families have been dealing with the current economic downturn the way they have for a century: tightening their belts and getting rid of unnecessary spending in order to make ends meet. Oklahomans expect that their state government would do the same. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:20:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_316192108.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_316192108.html Oklahoma is experiencing aftershocks of the greatest recession and a state financial crisis. While the economy gradually improves some issues may not for a long while. Unemployment nationally is more than 10 percent and will remain high. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_316192031.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_316192031.html Council meeting full of good news, bad newsTo the Editor:The Edmond City Council meeting Monday was a good news, bad news situation. The good news, hundreds of local residents were involved to express their concerns to the City Council about the extension of the expired PUD for multi-family development in Coffee Creek. The bad news, the council ignored all the issues raised. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:03:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_315200344.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_315200344.html It’s difficult to know where to begin when expressing displeasure with the Department of Human Services’ decision to cut the Aging Services Division across the state by $7.4 million. Part of that cut deeply impacted the Senior Nutrition program, and fully eliminated the meal program at Edmond’s Senior Center. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:02:00 +0000 http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_315200314.html http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_315200314.html Nov. 12 is the 39th anniversary of the famous “exploding whale” fiasco. Now if you’re not familiar with this story, you’ll be tempted to suspect I dreamed the whole deal up. Well, I didn’t. But you don’t need to take my word for it. As Ricky Bobby said in “Talladega Nights,” “You can look it up.”