Speaker Charles McCall recently asked that a citizen's group file their own initiative petition for the education reforms he believes are needed, but which he won't allow a floor vote.
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The Oklahoma legislative leaders have other education funding measures prepared, which put a cap on school district administrative spending. It would provide far more money for classroom teachers by cutting the massive bloat in administrative spending.
Oklahoma is one of the least efficient states in the nation for public education. For every tax dollar spent on education in Oklahoma, only 55ȼ gets to the classroom. Nationally, the efficiency is 10% better than Oklahoma. The House leadership has a bill ready to be filed and scheduled which mandates 65% efficiency in every school district. but they refuse to place the bill up for a floor vote. Instead, they are urging these same citizens to write similar language in a separate initiative petition and pass school funding reform without the legislature playing any role. The glaring question is; "Why won't Republican lawmakers press for essential reforms where our waste is so well documented? Are our lawmakers owned by the education union in the same way they bought the election of the State Superintendent of Public Education? We will remind everyone of the criminal indictment of State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. In that indictment for campaign violations, the District Attorney affirmed that several education groups conspired to buy the election of their chosen candidate, and coordinate dark money spending to unseat a Republican incumbent (Janet Barresi) who had been holding the unions and administrators accountable for reforming their districts. |
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Republican challenger, Linda Murphy told a group of voters last Tuesday night that the recent silence of Joy Hofmeister during the massive shutdown of the state's school districts should tell the citizens a lot about who owns her. the OEA union president, Alicia Priest, had the full control of the narrative and not one word was heard from Hofmeister. It is a complete capitulation from our government, to the union organizers.
So does the leadership in the House and/or Senate have the same arrangement with the multimillion dollar political machine which controls public education? It appears so. And that is why there will be no call for reform or cleanup of the corrupted education machine which eats up about half of the state's appropriated budget. Perception is most likely the reality. The campaign operative who was indicted with Hofmeister, Fount Holland, was reportedly overheard 2 years ago at the capitol, saying; "Charles McCall will do whatever I tell him to." Why would that be? McCall is perhaps the wealthiest man in the legislature. How can Holland (or Holland's clients) have such sway? That is a riddle which may take some investigating. Meanwhile, the indictments against Holland & Hofmeister were vacated about a year later, and the prosecutor says that the investigation is ongoing. |
Candidate for State Superintendent, Linda Murphy, draws a connection between the silence of Hofmeister during the union walkout, and the union money which funded her election.
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