PROFESSOR GADDIE’S MISTAKEN TAKE ON THE TEA PARTY

+ AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING
+ PROFESSOR GADDIE’S MISTAKEN TAKE ON THE TEA PARTY DEWEY BARTLETT JR.
+ SAME AS MAYOR TAYLOR WITHOUT A SKIRT?
+ PICK UP A COPY OF THE OKLAHOMA GAZETTE FORMER SENATOR OWEN LAUGHLIN TO
+ RUN FOR STATE TREASURER OCPAC MEMBERSHIP UP-DATE

+ AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETIG

Our 12 noon luncheon for Wednesday, July 29th will be held at Italiano’s Restaurant, 4801 North Lincoln in OKC. Our speaker this week will be Dr. Brent Seimens. Dr. Seimens has developed, under the name of Allied Medical Membership, a health care plan that is affordable even for people with limited income. Allied Medical is not insurance, but membership in medical care much like joining a wholesale consumer club. Dr. Seimens indicates there is no other model like it in the nation. While Obama and the Democrats are trying to socialize our health care system, Dr. Seimens claims to have developed a health care model that is very affordable. I have invited (he has agreed to come) Representative Chris Steele (R-Shawnee) to attend this meeting as health care reform has been his burden over the past few years. Hopefully we can find a way for the free market to survive and not be squashed by government. As an aside, Representative Steele may well be the next Speaker of the House in Oklahoma.

+ PROFESSOR GADDIE’S MISTAKEN TAKE ON THE TEA PARTY

Professor Keith Gaddie appears to be the local media darling anytime various forms of media want an analysis on political events or races.
He is a political science professor at the University of Oklahoma, has authored several books, writes a commentary column in the Oklahoma Gazette, and is frequently quoted in print media. He also appears on TV news or election watch programs. I liked to listen to him a couple of years ago when he co-hosted a radio talk show with Kyle Loveless, though the program is no longer on air. He is very witty and usually comments from a pragmatic position. However, after listening to him for many hours, I would label his political philosophy as slightly left of center.

I thought it important to say a couple of things about his analysis of the Sooner Tea Party, held on the South steps of the State Capitol on July 4th. It appears the Oklahoman asked him for his take on the tea party. However, upon reading his comments in the Oklahoman, my first impression was that he probably didn’t attend so he might not have been the best person to go to for an opinion. Based on his comments I think he underestimates the depth of understanding and grievance of many of those attending.

Gaddie suggested, “some taking part in the protests misuse terms such as socialism.” “When the government takes full control of an industry and nationalizes it, that’s socialism,” Gaddie said. “Were not there yet.” I believe Gaddie’s definition of socialism is too limited. I don’t have a problem with it but you don’t have to wait until socialism is “fully developed” before you begin to label the incremental steps taken to get to the ultimate of socialism.

My definition of fully developed socialism is; when government owns and controls the means of production of goods and services. With government fully owning Amtrack, and largely owning insurance companies, auto makers, financial institutions and mortgage companies, there is little doubt we are advancing toward socialism. There is nothing wrong with labeling that movement as such. In addition, anytime government uses its power to take tax dollars from one person to give to another to meet social needs, those are also acts of socialism. There are valid functions of government for which we are to pay taxes. Anytime government moves out of its proper role and becomes a third party to help one person “steal” from another, not only is that immoral, but it is an act of socialism.

Another point of contention I have with Gaddie was his reference to the colonists who he said were laying their lives on the line because they were fed up with “taxation without representation.” Referring to those attending the modern day tea parties, he said, “These folks are protesting taxation with representation. Like it or not, that’s representative democracy.”

We actually still have a problem with “taxation without representation.” In the news recently the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority just announced they would be raising the cost of turnpike travel by an average 14% (?). That decision was made by nameless, faceless turnpike bureaucrats who were not elected by anyone and do not answer to the voters.

However, that is a small problem to what exists today which is the opposite to “taxation without representation.” Today’s problem is “representation without taxation.” Somewhere around 40% of all Americans pay NO federal income tax. Yet they have the right to vote
(representation) to elect pandering politicians that promise them social benefits from the public treasury. These people have incentive to demand government services and high taxes because they don’t pay the bills. They reap the benefits of government taking (stealing) tax dollars from their neighbors, so that they can get their hands on those dollars. Many of the people at the tea parties understand the evil in our, “representation without taxation” system and are well justified in protesting the tyranny of such a system

One last item, many are learning the difference between the government philosophy of a republic and that of a democracy. The term “representative democracy” is not the definition of a republic. Our founders gave us a republic which is government according to the rule of law. They gave us a limited democratic PROCESS to service our republic. That means they gave us the ability to elect our U.S.
Representatives (not senators) to govern according to the rule of law based on the concepts of inalienable rights and the principles of the Bible.

+ DEWEY BARTLETT JR., SAME AS MAYOR TAYLOR WITHOUT A SKIRT?

Dewey Bartlett was only the second Republican (2nd out of 3) to be elected as governor of Oklahoma. He was arguably the most conservative governor we have ever elected, but it appears his son shares little of his dad’s conservatism. Recently, Tulsa’s Democrat Mayor, Kathy Taylor, indicated she would not run for re-election, thus opening the door for a probable showdown between the eventual winner of the Democrat and Republican primary races.

According to sources, I am told Mayor Taylor has been a tax, spend, and tax again type of Mayor. Taylor, a typical Democrat, appointed Bartlett who is an establishment Republican, to the airport board where a little over a year ago he voted to give the Bank of Oklahoma a
7.1 million settlement regarding the bankrupt Great Plains Airlines.
The Great Plains deal was one of the biggest boondoggles ever created by Oklahoma’s elected officials who believe in central planning and “economic development.” When the airlines went bankrupt, state taxpayers lost 27 million dollars and 10 million or more was lost by the taxpayers of Tulsa.

According to a front page article in the July 23rd edition of the Tulsa Beacon, on June 26th of 2008 Bartlett voted yes to endorse the payment of millions to the Bank of Oklahoma, which had loaned money to Great Plains Airlines with airport property as collateral. Mayor Taylor approved the payment, even though the city was not a party to the original suit. Taylor acted without the approval of city councilors and the money was paid from the city’s sinking fund, which comes from higher property taxes. To see a short video log on to Michael Bates’ blog at http://www.batesline.com and view the meeting to see what a go along to get along Bartlett happens to be.

One of the biggest problems for people in the Republican party is that they fall for a Republican with a high profile name, rather than do a little work to see what a candidate really stands for and how they will likely govern. The previous Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune was a liberal Republican, Kathy Taylor is a liberal Democrat and if elected, Bartlett will also be a liberal Republican. I have an idea, though he isn’t perfect, wouldn’t it be interesting to see Republicans in Tulsa try electing a more conservative Republican like former city councilor Chris Medlock? Who knows, it might get Tulsa on track to becoming a more fiscally responsible city.

+ PICK UP A COPY OF THE OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

The current issue of the Oklahoma Gazette has two interesting articles which are worthy of reading. The first is, REPUBLICAN REBOOT by Will Holland. The second is, IN THE BLACK by Greg Horton. The first article deals with Representative Sally Kern’s Proclamation for Morality and the future of the Republican party in Oklahoma. The second article is about the conservative Black Robe preachers like Paul Blair and Steve Kern. You can pick up a Gazette at most restaurants. I urge folks to move quickly on this as the new issue will be out either late on Wednesday or Thursday morning.

+ FORMER SENATOR OWEN LAUGHLIN TO RUN FOR STATE TREASURER

Former State Senator Owen Laughlin (R-Woodward) was term limited out of office after the 2008 session. I believe he is the first Republican to decide to run for the Treasurers office. When Owen left the legislature he had a score of 80 on the Oklahoma Constitution Newspaper’s Conservative Index for the 2008 session and a lifetime average score of a 65, which isn’t great, but at the low end of acceptable for the folks at OCPAC. Owen has always impressed me as being thoughtful and willing to speak frankly on an issue. I believe Owen to be a person of integrity. With his legal and banking background as well as legislative experience, he should be well qualified to serve as State Treasurer.

+ OCPAC MEMBERSHIP UP-DATE

We now have 187 dues paying members for the year, just 16 shy of our all time record and 34 more than our record for a non election year.
We have a donor willing to pay $50 for every member who joins in the month of July, up to 10 new members. We still need 5 more people to join to take full advantage offered by our donor. If you have not joined for this year, please do so now. For instructions to join see below.

I look forward to seeing everyone this Wednesday.

Charlie Meadows
Charliemeadows7@gmail.com