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EDITORIAL: Scissor Tales: Saturday, June 14, 2008
(Daily Oklahoman, The (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jun. 14--Barely bonds
State 'gift' home run for Tinker
WHAT is it about bond issues related to Tinker Air Force Base? Why do they keep fouling out?
We hasten to add that "fouling out" in this case is a very fair thing for local taxpayers.
In 2002, Oklahoma County voters approved a $50 million bond issue to finance purchase of properties near the base that officials said needed to be cleared to improve safety conditions. The amount actually required turned out to be $18 million -- resulting in a home run for taxpayers worth $32 million.
Last month, county voters went to bat for Tinker again with a $55 million bond issue to buy the former General Motors plant. It will be leased to Tinker to permit modernization of military aircraft maintenance operations. Word now comes that the bond proposal could have been for $45 million because the state -- barely beating a deadline -- has agreed to pay $10 million of the purchase price.
Talks between the county and state were going on in the clubhouse as the bond issue was being promoted. But it wasn't certain until the ninth inning of the legislative session that the state would pitch its share. Voters rounded the bases on May 13 while lawmakers were still warming up.
The state contribution means county property owners will be out less money to repay the bond. Still, next time a bond issue takes the field to benefit Tinker, voters may view the lineup with skepticism. That may or may not result in a base hit.
Dan's not-so-much man
U.S. Rep. Dan Boren's decision to vote for Barack Obama for president but not endorse him could be seen as a middle-of-the-road stance or a courageous move by the young congressmen. We tend toward the latter view. Boren, D-Muskogee, said he disagrees with Obama on a number of issues and favors a more "centrist agenda." In this, the young congressman has diverged from his famous father, University of Oklahoma President David Boren, who enthusiastically supports Obama. Unlike his father, Dan Boren is a superdelegate. So he has a larger stake in the matter. If Obama wins, Boren might not get many White House invitations, but his position dovetails with that of his constituency. We salute Boren's decision not to pretend he's enthusiastic about his party's liberal leader.
New chamber digs
A decision by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce to build new headquarters is a good one. The chamber hopes to construct a four-story building at NW 4 and Broadway that also would house the city's convention and visitors bureau. Having these two entities under the same roof makes perfect sense. As Chairman Larry Nichols pointed out, the chamber is one of the first stops for companies interested in locating here, and the convention and visitors bureau draws tourists from around the world. The stylish new building, along with the landscaping that's planned, would enhance the area, provide an excellent first impression for visitors and give downtown one more thing to brag about.
Remembering Russert
The news industry lost a giant with the passing of Tim Russert, who died Friday of an apparent heart attack. Russert became host of NBC's "Meet the Press" in 1991 and quickly established a reputation as a tough but fair interrogator -- so tough, that some politicians were uneasy about appearing on the program for fear that they'd look bad. His down-the-middle approach is something that's all too often lacking on network news programs. Russert's passing came all too soon at age 58. He leaves behind a wife and son, and a huge void for news junkies of every stripe.
Veggie tale
OK, we know the tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable, but this tale of the tomato scare needed a catchy headline. A salmonella outbreak has cooked the future of raw tomatoes for some time to come, as it has in the past for other plant foods. A bacterium associated with turtles, salmonella is rarely found in seafood (the name was spawned by its co-discoverer, not from the fish species) but increasingly it seems salmonella is found in vegetables. A few years ago the scare concerned green onions. Now it's the tomato -- just when local homegrown tomatoes are reminding older people how all fruits and veggies once tasted no matter where you got them. This too shall pass. Salmonellosis is a serious condition, so eating raw tomatoes is best left undone for awhile. As for cooking a tomato to make it safe, we wonder what will happen next winter when chili season unfolds. Will we have the juice to make a dish that's practically one of the four food groups in Oklahoma? Will there be a black market for the red tomato?
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Copyright (c) 2008, The Oklahoman
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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