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Trump’s EPA is rolling back ridiculous car standards

Tulsa Beacon

It began to go wrong in the late 1950s when M. King Hubbert of the U.S. Geological Survey predicted that America would start to run out of oil by the end of the 1960s.  His prediction was called Peak Oil, defined as the point at which our nation, and perhaps the world, would use more…

Offshore exploration make sense

Tulsa Beacon

Several states are preparing to sue the federal government. They’re trying to halt Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s planned expansion of offshore oil and natural gas drilling. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the most vocal opponent of Sec. Zinke’s plan, claims the drilling “threatens our environment and our economy.” He’s wrong on both counts. The…

It’s always fun to go to Dallas and beat the Longhorns

Tulsa Beacon

My second trip to Texas was in 1973 when I was a student at The University of Oklahoma. Some friends and I drove to Dallas on a Friday afternoon with plans to see OU play Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Wow. The Bedlam game between OU and Oklahoma State is a storied and intense rivalry…

The Wraparound Approach

Tulsa Beacon

The fall edition of Focus magazine just arrived.  The magazine is written by the Lumina Foundation, which is an independent private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. The first article centers around Morgan State University, a historically black institution in Baltimore that was founded…

We need to pay more heed to Constitution Day (9/17)

Tulsa Beacon

It suddenly dawned on me earlier in the day, this Monday, September 17, that this subject should have been addressed previously so as to appear in publications during the previous week. In my opinion, this date should be given importance comparable to July 4 in observance in the calendars in the United States of America….

And they called it ‘Puppy love’ (1963)

Tulsa Beacon

It was 1963; I was a pimply-faced, hormonally imbalanced 12-year-old. Half the world was telling me to find myself, and the other half was telling me to get lost. I wasn’t alone. I had plenty of company known as the Baby Boomers; we were all in the same boat without a sail. The turmoil of…

Thank Republican lawmakers for a secure retirement

Tulsa Beacon

What would the reaction be if the state ran out of money to pay the pensions of retired teachers? I guarantee the public would be furious. That’s not going to happen, at least anytime soon in Oklahoma. According to a report by State Treasurer Ken Miller, the $32,900,000,000.00 (that’s $32.9 billion) in the state’s public…

We Need to Get It Right

Tulsa Beacon

Tulsa Public Schools is again studying itself.  There are all kinds of administrators like chief of academics, director of data strategy and chief design and innovation officer working to produce different outcomes, yet the numbers remain the same.  The proportion of students deemed college and career-ready has remained unchanged for the last three years, according…

OTA finally gets it right but Tulsa causes traffic delays

Tulsa Beacon

Having taken to task the possible construction deficiencies of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) with the Cimarron Turnpike which connects Tulsa with I-35 north of Stillwater, it seems only fair to give credit for actions in a widening project on the Turner Turnpike (the first state toll, road built in the 1950s if memory serves…

Titus, tough tornadoes and timberlines

Tulsa Beacon

I love to hike. But my fascination with this activity didn’t start until I reached my 60s. It began when I was training for my climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. For two years, I hiked up mountains, hills and every place I could find to prepare for that journey. After successfully making that challenging climb, I…