Oklahoma ScissorTales: OERB gives OKC school district a boost

IT became fashionable among some activists to blame problems in Oklahoma schools on the supposed nefarious influence of oil and gas companies, which activists claimed were undertaxed and therefore contributed to financially “starving” public schools. Yet oil and gas not only accounts for a huge share of existing tax funding that finances schools, but the industry also continues to support education in other ways.

This week it was announced that the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, whose activities are funded through a voluntary one-tenth of 1 percent assessment on the sale of oil and natural gas in Oklahoma, has provided a $158,392 grant to the Oklahoma City school district to pay for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs in district schools. The grant allows more Oklahoma City students to work on practical science projects in a lab.

It's no surprise the energy industry would fund such educational opportunities because it depends on a workforce with a strong foundation in science and math. District Superintendent Sean McDaniel said Oklahoma City school officials are “grateful to OERB for this generous grant” and that it provides students “rich learning opportunities.”

The anti-“big energy” rhetoric of much of the past few years' political debate was notably absent. That's as it should be. Oklahoma's energy companies depend on Oklahoma schools for their future workforce. And Oklahoma schools depend far more on energy companies' continued strength than what many voices want to admit.

Changing the WOTUS rule

We were glad to see the Environmental Protection Agency announce plans this week to roll back an Obama-era regulation of waterways. The “Waters of the United States” rule, issued in 2015, sought to redefine that term under the Clean Water Act to include not only sitting bodies of water, but any place with a “significant nexus” to bodies of water. Thus, typically dry land could be treated as a body of water subject to far stricter environmental regulations. The proposed new rule would keep federal protections for, among other things, major waterways, rivers, tributaries and reservoirs. Andrew Wheeler, acting administrator of the EPA, says the new rule would be “clearer and easier to understand” and “will result in significant cost savings, protect the nation's navigable waterways, and reduce barriers to important economic and environmental projects.” The original rule overreached and some clawback was needed. This proposal does that.

Free-market success

North Dakota produced more oil in September than did Venezuela. North Dakota produced nearly 1.3 million barrels; Venezuela produced 1.17 million barrels. That a single U.S. state can outproduce an entire country that is home to some of the world's largest crude reserves reinforces, again, how a free-market economy is always superior to a socialist-run economy. North Dakota's ascent as an oil producer owes much to the fracking revolution, which is the kind of thing that doesn't happen in a planned economy run by “expert” bureaucrats. On the other hand, Venezuela's descent into chaos and plummeting oil production despite abundant resources is exactly what one would expect from a socialist regime. Limited government frees innovators and entrepreneurs to be “disruptive” forces in the marketplace. That may not be comfortable for entrenched interests, but it always produces greater shared prosperity than any alternative in the long run.

Olivia de Havilland's grit

In 1943, when she was 27, actress Olivia de Havilland challenged the legality of her restrictive studio contract by suing Warner Bros. The studio blacklisted her, but she prevailed in court, and the ruling resulted in legal changes that remain in effect today. Now, at age 102, de Havilland is suing FX, saying the studio defamed her and violated her free-speech rights by portraying de Havilland as a gossip and attributing false words to her in a limited series. Legal experts say such defamation cases are a long shot, but that any ruling in her favor would have major repercussions for future movie biopics. While de Havilland may not prevail, it's hard not to admire her grit and determination. The former starlet who didn't back down from studios during Hollywood's golden age apparently retains a spine of steel in the autumn of her life.

Whitewashing Nazis?

The musical “The Sound of Music” is a dramatization of the story of the Von Trapp family, who fled their native Austria as the Nazis took power. According to the New York Daily News, the administration of a famed New York City high school believes it's best to downplay that last part. The News reports students at LaGuardia High School say their principal has ordered the removal of Nazi flags and symbols from the stage set. Students interviewed by the newspaper were upset and see the order as political correctness run amok since Nazis are the villains of the play. (The city Department of Education told the News the Nazi flag would appear in two specific scenes.) A portion of the play's run will be donated to Holocaust organizations. Unlike LaGuardia administrators, those organizations don't flinch from portraying Nazis as some of history's greatest monsters.

This contract was no joke

Konstantin Kisin, a comedian, recently shared the “behavioral agreement” that students at the University of London asked him to sign before he could perform for a charity event. “This contract has been written to ensure an environment where joy, love, and acceptance are reciprocated by all,” the document states. Performers had to agree to a “no tolerance policy with regards to racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia or anti-religion or anti-atheism. All topics must be presented in a way that is respectful and kind. It does not mean that these topics can not be discussed. But, it must be done in a respectful and non-abusive way.” In other words, you can be funny so long as someone, somewhere doesn't find an excuse for offense. The best part: Kisin reported comedians were asked to jump through all those hoops in exchange for no pay.

Chicago politics

Most states have occasional issues with election shenanigans, but there's a reason Chicago is still held up as one of the worst offenders. David Krupa, a 19-year-old DePaul University freshman, sought to become a candidate for alderman in the city's 13th Ward. To qualify, Krupa had to collect 473 valid signatures from ward residents. He turned in 1,703. At that point, the local ABC-TV affiliate reports, the campaign of the Democratic incumbent “turned in affidavits from 2,796 people who said they wanted to revoke their signatures for Krupa.” You read that right: More people said they wanted to revoke their signatures than the number who signed Krupa's petition. In fact, Krupa says only 187 people signed both the revocation affidavit and the nominating petition. False affidavits don't rise to the level of dead people voting, but it seems the “Chicago way” of politics is alive and well.