Reports have been filtering in to OKPNS that several motorists have had to dig a little deeper into their pockets when it came time to pay their tolls. A husband and wife team emailed us horror stories of having to plop down an extra 50 -75 cents (on several occasions) because the machines didn’t register their quarters. Is this a stealth tax perpetrated by Governor Henry and state treasurer Scott meacham? If you have a particular story or have video of an encounter between you and an uncooperative machine, please send to okpns_editor@hotmail.com.

Magna Entertainment Corporation (MEC), the Canadian company that owns Oklahoma City’s Remington Park race track was stunned today by a Las Vegas bankruptcy judge’s ruling, who ordered that a bombshell lawsuit by MEC’s creditors may proceed.

The ruling likely guarantees a financial press/media feeding frenzy, as the nation’s top money reporters, smelling scandal, jump headfirst into this developing story. And don’t be surprised if a critical review of the whole bankruptcy process and the sale of properties is undertaken, since whispers of irregularities surrounding the sale of racetracks have been circulating. Read more…

Oklahomans for Responsible Government are doing their best to track the millions of borrowed and printed “stimulus” dollars headed for Oklahoma.

From their newsletter:

“The state does have a website devoted to stimulus dollars and it has a section on transparency but frankly, the actual transparency is lacking.  At this moment, it only shows agencies that have received money through April 30^th and we know many more agencies have received money.  In fact, the Department of Transportation says it only has about $80-million left of the more than $300-million received.

Even for those agencies that are shown as receiving money, there is no indication on how much, if any, of the money was spent and if so, what it was spent upon. OFRG contacted the Governor’s office to get the answers to those questions. The Governor’s office told us that Treasurer Scott Meacham is the point-man on stimulus funds, so we contacted his office. That’s when we were told that while the Treasurer’s office dealt with stimulus for the upcoming budget, it was really the State Auditor and Controller’s office that is overseeing money received for the current fiscal year. And that office told us that while there was oversight and that every agency had to eventually report the money received, if we wanted to know how the money was spent, we’d have to contact each agency separately.”

If you really want Brad Henry’s attention on an issue, offer him a trip abroad.  Come on PETA…get with the program. A nice little villa in Mexico or a four-star hotel in Turkey is all it will take!

PETA’s letter to Governor Henry:

August 5, 2008

The Honorable Brad Henry
Governor of Oklahoma

Dear Governor Henry,

I’m sorry to hear that Oklahoma was just named one of the fattest states in the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although your residents might prefer the gentler moniker “pleasantly plump,” let’s face it–fat is fat, and the fatter a person is, the more prone he or she is to serious health problems. To set an example and inspire Oklahoma’s residents to shed those extra pounds, we hope that you’ll consider adopting a vegetarian diet and promoting it to the residents of Oklahoma as the perfect, healthy way to slim down and stay fit and trim.

Overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vegetarians are far less likely to be overweight than meat-eaters and far more likely to be in better overall health. The American Dietetic Association–the nation’s largest group of nutrition professionals–reviewed hundreds of studies and concluded that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer than people who eat meat. A healthy vegetarian diet provides all the nutrients that we need to thrive–without the saturated animal fat and cholesterol found only in meat.

A government review of studies on weight loss found that about two-thirds of dieters gain back all the weight within a year, and a whopping 97 percent gain it all back within five years. The only weight-loss plan that has been scientifically proven to take weight off and keep it off for more than a year is a pure vegetarian diet. Most delicious vegan foods are naturally low in fat and calories, so it’s easy to eat as much as you want without worrying about piling on the pounds.

I will be mailing you a copy of our “Vegetarian Starter Kit,” which is packed with shopping tips and delicious recipes, very shortly. Please contact me if you would like more information. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President

OKPNS FLASHBACK: 84 Days & Counting: Where’d You Go On Your Last Vacation Governor? – June 15, 2007               Image Credit: ronblackradio.com

“Most of us in this chamber are here because our constituents sent us here. They placed their trust in us, and in return we must pledge to them a government of complete openness and transparency.” Gov. Brad Henry – 2007 State of the State Address

“Henry spokesman Paul Sund says the location of first family outings are kept secret to avoid interruptions from people who want to talk or perhaps have dinner with the governor. Sund says the governor’s office will reveal the location when the governor returns…” (AP) March 23, 2007

As we all know by now, Governor Henry NEVER did reveal where he went on his secret vacation last spring, even though his spokesman Paul Sund promised to tell us after he returned. Sources told OKPNS that Henry was vacationing in Mexico at the Margarita-villa of trial attorney Terry West:

“Turns out that while leaders in the House and Senate were hammering out the details of a historic bipartisan budget agreement — the earliest in decades, it seems — Governor Henry was lounging on the beach and soaking up the rays in Cabo San Lucas at the posh vacation digs of trial lawyer Terry West.

The governor has publicly pledged to be in favor of lawsuit reform, but the reality is he’s in the hip pocket of the ambulance chasers.” Read more…

As his current trip to Turkey can attest, this governor sure seems to have a penchant for secrecy, especially when it comes to his travel schedule. From the Green County Values blog:

“Update 7/28/08: No press release has been posted to the governor’s website as of 9:20 am today. I called the Gov. Henry’s office, and was told that the server is down…no other information available.”

GCV did a little detective work discovered Henry is traveling with a group called the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue (IID). According to GVC, The IID is an anti-Jewish organization, currently based in Houston, TX.

“This trip is part of Governor Henry’s fascination with Islam. Last September, he “dedicated September 16, 2007 as the interfaith dialog day through a proclamation,” and in 2004 Henry created Oklahoma’s “Ethnic” American Advisory Council, made up of Muslims. This council distributed centennial copies of the Quran to Oklahoma legislators last year, annoying some, and drawing the ire of some Christians, who have been fighting for the continued right to share our faith in public for many years, now.” Read more…

Sources tell OKPNS that Governor Henry is finally getting off the fence regarding the proposed Remington Park Casino project.

Developing….

Related:

OKPNS: Community Opposes Casino Development; Asks Where Is Gov.Henry on This?

While officials like Shelton, Congresswoman Mary Fallin, Mayor Mick Cornett and County Commissioner Ray Vaughan are aggressively publicly opposing the casino, at least two officials are conspicuous in their silence: Gov. Brad Henry and County Commissioner Willa Johnson.

The controversy surrounding the proposed Shawnee Tribe’s casino in northeast Oklahoma City is heating up.

It’s rumored that there will be a Tuesday night town meeting of citizens whose homes and businesses in the area surrounding Remington Park will be harmed if construction of the casino is allowed to move forward. Remington Park, who most observers believe will go bankrupt if the casino begins operation, sits in State Rep. Mike Shelton’s house district 97. Shelton is publicly calling on citizens to voice their concerns to the BIA before the Friday deadline.

While officials like Shelton, Congresswoman Mary Fallin, Mayor Mick Cornett and County Commissioner Ray Vaughan are aggressively publicly opposing the casino, at least two officials are conspicuous in their silence: Gov. Brad Henry and County Commissioner Willa Johnson.

Henry is rumored to be meeting with agricultural interests regarding the track this week. When the casino becomes operational, the subsequent bankruptcy of Remington Park will kill the horse breeding industry in Oklahoma according to a report filed by News9’s Rusty Surrette Friday. The race track says 25,000 Oklahoma jobs will be lost.

The BIA’s 30-day comment period closes Friday, and Henry’s painfully slow reaction to take a position, given his chummy relationship with a key Shawnee Tribe official, has given rise to speculation the governor will either sit this issue out or intervene on behalf of the tribe, which will enrage Oklahomans and elected officials from both parties. If Henry were to go on record in opposition to the casino, it would carry great weight with the BIA, and insiders tell OKPNS that business leaders and other officials are steamed at the governor, who always goes to great lengths to avoid taking positions on tough issues.

Developing…….

Related:

The Casino and Mr. Chicken

While Oklahoma City’s Mayor and, according to reports, all of the state’s congressional delegation, are aggressively opposing a proposal by promoters to put a tribal casino in Oklahoma City fronted by a tribe located 200 miles away, Oklahoma’s timid governor is attempting to run and hide on the issue.

This time, Gov. Brad Henry, is attempting to avoid involvement on the casino project that most observers say would put Oklahoma City’s Remington Park into bankruptcy.

The Shawnee tribe, which is located in Miami, Oklahoma, has been “reservation shopping” and has selected a parcel of land less than two miles from Oklahoma City’s “Adventure district,” putting many businesses at a distinct disadvantage.

While Mayor Mick Cornett, Congresswoman Mary Fallin and other members of the congressional delegation have courageously and publicly opposed this outrageous distortion of tribal gaming statutes, the faint-hearted Henry, who has privately voiced his opposition to the casino, is publicly ducking for cover, primarily since he is buddies with the Shawnee Tribe’s economic development chairman, Greg Pitcher.

One insider sums up the governor’s lack of backbone this way: “He’s gutless. He knows the proposal is wrong, but he’s spent six years avoiding this kind of controversy, so why would we think he’d engaged now?”

Henry’s name is being drawn in the controversy because the Bureau of Indian Affairs is seeking public comment on the proposal until June 9th. Most believe the governor’s opposition would carry considerable weight with the BIA.

Observers tell OKPNS the whole deal is very suspect, and that today’s story by Oklahoman reporter Tony Thornton just scratches the surface of the proposed stinky deal.

Developing….

NewsOK.com Video: Greg Pitcher, chairman of the Shawnee Tribe’s economic development arm

The media has joined the fracas surrounding Monday’s prison riot. Editorials at the Oklahoman and the Tulsa World are fanning the flames regarding prison issues today. Prison issues took a backseat at the legislature this year, until the final week.

Now it will be interesting to see how Democrats and Republicans react. So it appears that candidates will be scrambling to revisit this issue this summer and fall. Undoubtedly, with the session still underway, several legislators will be weighing in on the issue. Here’s last night’s News9 story about this re-emerging campaign issue.

GOP Leaders: What is Henry Trying to Hide with Veto of Audit Funds?
Republican leaders questioned today Gov. Brad Henry’s line-item veto of funding for an independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections – which the governor described as his “first” line-item veto of HB 1234, the bipartisan general appropriations bill overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature last week.

FreePauljacob.com: Only a couple inmates killed

According to the Obama campaign, aren’t all super delegates supposed to vote according to their constituency? Henry last week on CNN’s “Situation Room”

Hat tip: jcjcd