During the 2015 Legislative Session state Lawmakers faced a $611 million state budgeting shortfall, much like the 2017 Session in which they created a $1.2 billion budget deficit. In order to fill in the 2015 budget and avoid the embarrassment of a special session, Oklahoma Corporate (C) Senators and Representatives raided the County Improvement for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) program of over $50 million. It was Corporate lawmakers, both rural and urban, who raided the county program of much needed funds for road and bridge improvements. No Conservative Republican or Democrat Lawmakers supported the Raid on County Roads Funding (RCRF) of 2015. Several rural, and even urban Lawmakers voted against the RCRF, but there were too many Corporate Lawmakers to overcome, so the Raid was approved. In a Daily Oklahoman article dated June 9, 2015 - At times, rural lawmakers go against rural interests, the editors lament "... spending decisions may not always be based on what actions will bring the most benefit to the most people..." and indicates that some rural lawmakers actually voted against their constituents' wishes and well-being. The editorial goes on to state that much of the CIRB program's benefit goes to rural areas such as Garvin County, which was raided of $7.4 million, and Grady County which had $7.1 million taken by Corporate Lawmakers. McClain County lost a similar amount of CIRB tax money, along with many more rural counties, to the Corporate Raiders. An in depth look at how my own rural lawmaker (District 42 - Garvin and McClain Counties) voted on the Corporate Raid revealed that my own rural lawmaker supported the raid in her counties! By the way, the CIRB raids of rural roads and bridge funding continued in 2016 and 2017.
At the end of 2015, a retired superintendent friend in Lindsay arranged a meeting for Lindsay citizens, an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) official, and the House District 42 Representative at the time. The subject of the "hearing" and concern of Lindsay citizens was the neglectful and atrocious state of Highway 76 north out of Lindsay to Dibble. Several Lindsay High School students and former students had been killed in accidents along this stretch due to the sorry shape of the highway. I thought it important that I should attend the meeting to express my concern, since I traveled that neglected stretch daily (my ranch is south of Lindsay and I work in Blanchard). Highway 76 is a state road, not a Garvin/ McClain County road, and the responsibilty of ODOT, not County Commissioners. The only questions that Lindsay citizens posed were concerns about how the Department of Transportation would improve the road stretch, and how the local District 42 Representative could help solve the problem. The ODOT official stated that plans were underway to re-pave, widen, and improve almost all of the 9 mile stretch of roadway, but it would take three years to complete all projects, dependent on state funding. Several in the audience, including myself, thought this was a great plan and thanked the official. The District 42 Rep. stated concern and sympathy to those who had lost loved ones along the stretch, now called "dead-man's curves", but also lamented - it is illegal for a Representative to direct state funding to a specific stretch of highway. The same Rep., however, has no problem directing state funds to private and corporate charter schools outside Garvin and McClain County, but that's another story.
When it came my turn to speak, the moderator called my name, so I approached the podium preparing to voice my concerns. At that time, as I introduced myself, the Rep. turned to the moderator sitting beside her and asked who invited me or something similar - I only heard the word invited, and saw the angry look. I could not help myself from responding, even though the statement or question was not meant for me to hear, I said "The moderator did not invite me, I came on my own." I digress, however.
Flash forward to the present: Highway 76 north to Dibble has been widened and improved for the first 3 or 4 miles out of Lindsay, just as the ODOT official said it would be. No widening or improvement has been done, however, on the most dangerous stretch starting about 4 miles north and ending about 3 miles south of Dibble. This is where most of the fatal accidents have occurred. ODOT is now broke, due to the Legislature cutting transportation funding, so the needed highway improvements will be unlikely, and probably never happen. The Legislature, including the District 42 Rep., has robbed Peter (County road funds) to pay Paul (state road funds), but has still cut state highway road funds!
The Corporate Senators and Representatives now in office who cut and steal public school funds or re-direct our rural school funds to corporate and private education, are the same ones who stole County road funds or re-directed them to their pet projects. The sad part is, We knew who they were, but still elected them...
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