WEEKEND, April 7-8, 2012

4A

Letter to the Editor

Reader questions need for holding pond

OPINION
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The Express-Star

The new Bill Wallace Early Childhood Center has a holding pond in the back yard. Rain water is held in the pond where it slowly drains onto California Ave. Another holding pond drains onto Arizona Ave. This pond will be unsafe for the children who attend there. The drainage is also making local homeowners unhappy. It is my opinion the The ninth week of session was a short two legislative bodies have adequate time hunters who legally harvest a deer during ponds should be filled one with the Easter holiday, but we were to make any changes they want and come any of this year's deer seasons can donate with dirt to allow the rainwater to run off nat- able to get a lot accomplished before we to an agreement with the governor before the meat to feed hungry Oklahomans. You adjourned. the end of May. simply deliver the deer to the nearest parurally. This past week was the deadline for sinSome interesting House bills ticipating meat processor (listed at Helen Hatfield gle-assigned bills. This coming Thursday were reported out of committee http://www.wildlifedepartment. is the deadline for double-assigned bills this past week. com/hunting/hah.htm after you but I'm pleased to say that there are only One of those is a continuing check the deer at a hunter check two more bills to be considered in commit- effort to make Oklahoma governstation. tee. ment smaller and more effiTo help with processing charges, This means we are ahead of schedule and cient. HB 3053 would consolidate each donator is requested to concan spend a majority of this coming week the Oklahoma State and Education tribute a tax-deductable $10 to focused on floor debate of those House Employees Group Insurance Board Ron assist with the program. That fulbills that made it out of committee. and Employment Benefits Council Justice fills your obligation, unless you Oklahoma Senator As Vice-Chair of the Appropriations, Board into the newly-created wish to pay the entire processing fee, which is a tax-deductible Hold press conference people have been asking me about where Oklahoma Employees Insurance we are in the budget process so I'd like to and Benefits Board, which would be donation as well. to discuss income tax catch you up to speed. housed in the newly-renamed Office of The ground venison will then be distribproposals Committees have been working together Management and Enterprise Services (cur- uted to the needy through a network of assessing the fiscal needs of their agen- rently the Office of State Finance). qualified, charitable organizations. OKLAHOMA CITY cies. The Appropriations Chairman Sen. The bill is the follow up to HB 2140, During the 2010/2011 season, hunters The House Democrats Clark Jolley of Edmond and myself have which was signed into law last year and donated 48,000 pounds of venison which recently held a press been meeting with the chairman and vice consolidated five agencies with similar provided almost 192,000 meals to needy conference to discuss the chairman of the House Appropriations services into OSF. people. If you want to become more impact the potential Committee on a regular basis as well as Another measure will help provide food involved and would like more information income tax plans will others trying to get a feel for the overall to Oklahoma's hungry. HB 2495 allows a about the Hunters Against Hunger prohave on public safety needs of our state agencies. meat processor to release unclaimed, pro- gram, contact the Wildlife Department at and transportation in We still have a lot of work ahead of us. cessed, lawfully-harvested venison to the (405) 521-4660. Oklahoma. My family and I would like to wish Crafting a balanced budget is no easy task. Department of Wildlife Conservation's House Democrats It's important that we carefully consider Hunters Against Hunger Program after 90 everyone a happy and safe Easter holiday were joined by firefightthe needs and concerns of all our state days following notification by telephone to weekend! ers from across the state agencies. the person who brought the wild game for To contact me at the Capitol, please write as well as the representaHaving said that, though, it's important processing that the wild game has been to Senator Ron Justice, State Capitol, 2300 tive of correctional offi- that we get a budget finalized as quickly as processed and is available for collection. N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 423, Oklahoma cers to voice their con- possible so that we can get it presented to The Hunters Against Hunger Program is City, OK, 73105, email me at justice@ cerns that after three the legislature. We need to ensure that the a great asset to our state. How it works is oksenate.gov or call (405) 521-5537. straight years of budget cuts and shortfalls our state cannot afford to reduce the income tax if it comes at the expense of public safety. By Bryan Gonterman to help more students graduate media the communications Thanks to the commitment of "The safety and well- President, from high school prepared for environments in which many our employees and many Oklabeing of Oklahomans is AT&T Oklahoma careers and college, and to of today's students are most homa organizations, our initial provided by our law ensure our nation is better pre- comfortable to instill a new $100 million investment in enforcement, who patrol AT&T is honored to help pared for global competition. level of excitement into learn- high school success and colhighways and investi- America's children Aspire to Here in Oklahoma, public ing. lege and career readiness has gate and prosecute success. officials and educators have But technology alone will made a positive impact. The crimes, by our firefightOne in four students more placed a premium on educa- not solve the education chal- Oklahoma Aspire investment ers who go to great than 1 million students a year tion, and we are delighted to lenge. It takes people too. has amounted to over $3.3 millengths to protect life fails to graduate high school have had an opportunity to We plan to take our current lion since 2008. and property, and by our with their class. play a role in their success. We're excited to expand our Job Shadow program to a new correctional officers who This is one of our nation's With our new phase of level with the Aspire Mentor- investment in this great stand guard and ensure most critical problems, particu- Aspire, we'll take a "socially ing Academy, a program that resource our children's eduviolent criminals stay larly in an era when competi- innovative" approach that goes will provide more opportuni- cation with our new commitbehind bars and off our tion for jobs among people beyond traditional philanthro- ties for our employees to work ment. streets," said Democratic and, indeed, among nations is py, engaging people and tech- closely with students most atThere's no doubt that our Leader Scott Inman, becoming evermore intense. nology to create new and dif- risk of dropping out to help investment in Aspire is an D-Del City. Over the last four years, our ferent solutions to social prob- them succeed in their class- investment in America's future, "In the very least, we Aspire program has worked lems. rooms and in life. Students and and, indeed, our own. At need to provide the with organizations across the In today's world, the mobile mentors will be matched on the AT&T, we believe that people financial resources to country to help reverse this Internet is omnipresent. Stu- basis of shared interests and are the critical differentiators keep them safe in their trend to reach the national goal dents of all ages are adept will work together to explore in our industry, especially dangerous jobs, and of a 90 percent high school at using this powerful resource, and solve real-life, on-the-job given the lightning-fast pace of when they are consis- graduation rate by 2020. and it is critical that its potent business problems. They will technological evolution. And tently understaffed and AT&T Aspire has already power be harnessed for the also have the opportunity to Aspire helps to create a pipeoverworked, we are impacted over 1 million stu- cause of education. participate in e-mentoring, spe- line of diverse talent for all doing them an injustice." dents with $100 million investOur AT&T Foundry innova- cifically in the fields of sci- U.S. companies, including Amanda Ewing, Exec- ed since 2008. tion centers will work with ence, technology, engineering AT&T. utive Director for OklaAlthough the high school educators and other companies and math (STEM). Our children are the key to homa Corrections Pro- dropout rate has shown to find fresh or atypical Some 100,000 students par- our future. And joining togethfessionals, said she improvement, we can do more. approaches to improve educa- ticipated in the AT&T Job er in the communities where "implores the Legisla- In fact, we're doubling down tion. The new Aspire will also Shadow initiative with Junior our employees and customers ture that any change, at a on American students and leverage technology to connect Achievement to date, including live and work, we can make a minimum must be reve- America's future. difference in the lives of stuwith students in new and more over 2,100 in Oklahoma. nue neutral. On many In our continued effort to effective ways. And you can Local community organiza- dents and families and in our occasions we have 1 address this critical issue, we expect to see a particular tions will be vital to the suc- own communities and across officer supervising 160 are excited to launch a new emphasis on gamification cess of Aspire and our plans the nation. offenders. Officers work phase of Aspire a $250 mil- (using game techniques to call for providing financial To learn more about the mandatory overtime, lion investment planned over teach students math, science, support to those groups that Aspire program or to apply for often going weeks with- five years that will further and other applications), mobile deliver genuine results in help- funding, visit www.att.com/ out a single day off." build on our existing initiative applications, video and social ing students learn. education-news. She noted that the DOC is facing more than just issues of correction- Jim Imhofe Don Barrington Phil Richardson Washington D.C., 20515 202-225-6165 al officer safety given 453 Russell Senate Office Building 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 515 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 438 fax - 202-225-3512 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 the high ratio of inmates Washington D.C., 200510-3603 405-521-5563 405-557-7401 to supervisors, but is 202-224-4721 fax - 202-22800380 Ron Justice also struggling with crit2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 423 Corey Holland Leslie Osborn ical infrastructure needs, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 537 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 303-B such as door locks and Tom Coburn 172 Russell Senate Office Building 405-521-5537 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 emergency lighting. Washington D.C., 20510 405-557-7405 405-557-7333 "We can lock less peo- 202-224-5754 Anthony Sykes ple up, or let some peo- fax - 202-2224-6008 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 426 Lisa Billy Joe Dorman ple out, but we cannot 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 302-A 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 507 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 keep the status quo if the Tom Cole 405-521-5569 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 DOC receives any more 2458 Rayburn HOB 405-557-7365 405-557-7305 cuts," said Ewing .

A SENATE REVIEW

Crafting a balanced budget is not easy

Lawmakers stand up for public safety

ITT

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Helping students aspire to success