Opinion
- Opinion
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AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
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OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
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No Americans forgotten in Benghazi
More than eight months ago on Sept. 11, the nation was shaken by the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Claiming the lives of four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, that horrific night still demands further investigation before it can be laid to rest. Due to an uncooperative administration and State Department who attempted to downplay the terrorist attack just eight weeks before the presidential election, we still don’t know the truth.
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Saying goodbye to the earmark
When a new legislator, I worked to learn some of the more hidden and less-than-transparent aspects in the way Oklahoma politicians spent our taxpayer dollars. This wasn’t easy as even some legislators are left in the dark regarding the mechanics of how the legislative budget process is abused to the benefit of the most powerful of politicians.
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HEY HINK: Think like a gaur before deciding on gun debate
Have you ever heard of a gaur? It’s the largest living member of the bovine family. A large gaur bull can weigh more than a ton and a half. His body may be nearly 11 feet long and he may be more than 7 feet tall at the shoulder. This is a huge, enormously powerful animal that could, no doubt, do a terrific amount of work if it would ever allow itself to be hitched to a plow. But it won’t. Man has never been able to offer the gaur a deal that would persuade it to become domesticated.
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New Castle, Pa., News: Senate seeks to give states more taxing power
Congress is taking a stab at tax fairness. At least, where states are concerned. If you’re looking for meaningful reform of the federal tax code, that’s going to have to wait.
But the Senate has just voted for a bill that will allow states to collect sales tax on most Internet purchases. The measure goes on to the House, where the outcome is uncertain.
There is, however, no doubt that businesses with online operations tend to benefit greatly from current rules. Traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishments have to pay sales taxes, which range as high as 9.25 percent in some parts of the country.
Right now, states can require collections of sales taxes for online activities if the business has a physical presence in a given state. But most online sales operate under the radar screen of taxing bodies. -
Legislative session delivers pro-growth policies that move Oklahoma forward
With a budget deal reached and a flurry of important legislation ready to be signed into law, it is clear that the 2013 legislative session will be a constructive, even historic, time for lawmakers.
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A life cut too short
One of our favorite things to do is to welcome new members into the Price Lang family of clients. We pride ourselves on really getting to know our clients and their organizations, and we are lucky to call each of our clients by a much better, much more important title — they are our friends.
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AS I SEE IT: Sharing a lifetime’s worth of secrets with trees
The men and their crew are gone now — the same men who were here two weeks ago pruning my backyard trees, removing three of them and grinding down their stumps. I hate when that has to happen. I love my trees. I wish the men and their crew weren’t coming back today to take down and grind up the big Maple in my front yard. “It’ll give you a lot more light when it’s gone,” one of them said. “You’ll like it.” He was wrong. I didn’t want more light. I wanted my Maple tree.
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THE ASTUTE INVESTOR: Too many things don’t make sense
Are you as confused as most people with all the conflicting pieces of data and advice from economists and other forecasters? Who do you believe? On the one hand this, on the other hand that. Which is it? To paraphrase Harry Truman, “Somebody please find me a one-armed economist!”
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AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
