16 STIGLER NEWS-SENTINEL SEPT.

13, 2012

Ignorance or malice?
30th Journal Entry of the 2nd Legislative Session of the 53rd Legislature Labor Day weekend is always a great time to stop and reflect on the year past and what lies ahead during our upcoming fall, winter and spring seasons. As your representative, I am aware of the many challenges facing our state and district. I am also encouraged by the progress that has been made by groups within District 15. Specifically, I am referring to REPRESENTATIVE the achievements of the two major Native American Nations, Cherokee and Choctaw, which constitutes a large portion and population in this legislative district. Labor Day has been utilized by both of these to celebrate and come together to share their achievements in health care, housing, education and economic development, which includes expanded employment. Their respective chiefs, Bill John Baker (Cherokee) and Gregory Pyle (Choctaw), shared this with the assemblies in their State of the Nation speeches. It is truly encouraging to hear and read of the contributions these fellow Oklahomans have made to our district and state. As I also reflect on the past and upcoming legislative session, I am proud to serve as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. However, there are times when I disagree with positions and statements of my fellow representatives. A case in point occurred during the last state Board of Education meeting when Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, criticized our state's school districts for cornplaining that their state allocation was $64 million short this year. He justified this criticism on the grounds that these 522 school districts collectively "held back" $676 million for carryover funds. He indicated that, within that context, their complaints were unfounded if not hypocritical. Board member Bill Price of Oklahoma City joined Rep. Nelson by stating that the districts' complaints were merely complaints like others they make to justify their lack of achievement. My anger and frustration with Rep. Nelson's demeaning statements is that they are made out of ignorance. However, when statements are made like this, they have "sticking" power as they are repeated and entertained by other anti-public school activists throughout the state. I place Rep. Nelson in this category, based on his continued attempts to have public taxpayer funds transferred to private schools through a voucher system which has been ruled in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution. In addition to his agenda, he apparently does not have a clue that our public schools must hold a carryover to keep their schools fiscally operational during the two months when they do not receive state revenue. The Tulsa World captured the essence of this in the following quote, "What Nelson doesn't know or understand, or chooses to ignore, is that the districts carry over a portion of their budgets from one year to the next in order to ensure they have enough money in the bank to begin the new school year to pay salaries and utility bills and the like for a couple of months until the new year's state funding begins to arrive in October. Districts also carry over funds to handle any emergencies that come up, such as drastic funding cuts." I would add that these cuts often come after the deadline for their rehiring of staff and teachers for the coming year. Perhaps we should give Rep. Nelson's lack of understanding the benefit of the doubt and not assign it to an anti-public school agenda. This would be more easily done if there was any evidence that he did any fundamental research before making this attack. As legislators, we have that responsibility, and to disregard that responsibility creates a dark shadow on the rest of the state's lawmakers and any position or statement they may make. Along that line of thought, as a member of the Teacher/Leader Cornmission, I would ask my readers connected to the educational field to assist me by communicating on a critical point that we will be addressing Sept. 19. I am searching for an "operational" definition of the phrase "academic measures" other than standardized tests. We will be asked to identify this to constitute 15 percent of a teacher's annual evaluation. House staff has indicated that there is no such statutory definition, and in light of that, we the Commission may give the state board and superintendent a "blank check" to determine these in generalities, such as "student surveys, teacher portfolios and/or service learning." I question that these, either individually or in total, can accurately measure a teacher's effectiveness in teaching his/ her assigned subject material. If you would like to have my weekly Notes sent to by email each week or if you wish to contact me, you may utilize any of the following: P.O. Box 98, Porum, OK 74455, by email at ed.cannaday@okhouse. gov, home phone: 918-484-5701, cell: 918-448-5702 or Legislative Assistant Gene Fowler, at 1-800-522-8502 or 405-557-7375 and fax 405-962-7685 at the Capitol. Web site: www.edcannaday.com.

tt VANTAGE POINT

n. : a position or standpoint from which something is viewed or considered

Now's the time to get a flu shot

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

By Bob Moos

There's no such thing as "just the flu," especially for older adults. More than 200,000 Americans land in the hospital because of influenza each year. And anywhere from 3,000 to 49,000 die of complications from it annually. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to the contagious disease and its consequences. Even a healthy person's immune system can weaken with age. Adults 65 and older account for 60 percent of the flu-related hospitalizations and 90 percent of the deaths. As flu season approaches again, it's time to take the usual precautions wash your hands, avoid touching your face and limit your contact with people who are sick. But remember: your best defense is an annual flu shot. Flu season can start as early as October. Because older adults are at a higher risk and because it takes about two weeks for an inoculation to provide protection, health officials advise getting a shot as soon as possible. Last year's flu season began late and was mild compared with previous seasons, but there's no way to predict how mild or severe this year's season will be. Even if you were vaccinated last year, you will need a shot this year. The immunity you acquired from last season's vaccination has since waned. And this season's vaccine has been especially designed to fight this year's most likely strains. Manufacturers project they will produce up to 149 million doses for this season, compared with 133 million doses distributed last year. As in past seasons, flu vaccine is available in many locations, including doctor offices, clinics, community health departments and pharmacies. Adults 65 and older have two vaccine options the traditional flu shot and a newer, higher dose vaccine that is supposed to trigger a stronger immune response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't expressed a preference yet. So you may want to talk with your health care provider about which is right for you. If you're enrolled in original Medicare's Part B, Medicare will pay for either vaccine option. Your out-of-pocket cost will be nothing, as long as the health care provider agrees not to charge more than Medicare pays. Likewise, if you're enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage health plan, your insurance company will cover the cost of a shot once every flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual vaccinations for almost everyone. Still, some people resist vaccination because they mistakenly think it's dangerous. True, a very limited number of individuals with severe allergies to eggs or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome should not get a flu vaccine without consulting a doctor. But overall, decades of experience have shown influenza vaccines to be safe. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. Side effects are rare. At worst, a few people may have sore muscles or a fever a day or two afterward as they produce antibodies. That's a far cry from the high fever, headaches, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and body aches common with the flu not to mention the potentially life-threatening complications. There's no better time than now to get a shot. When you do, you'll protect not only yourself but also those around you. By avoiding the flu, you'll avoid spreading it to family, co-workers and friends. To learn more about steps to take during the upcoming flu season, visit Medicare's Web site, www.medicare.gov , or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' special Web site, www.flu.gov.

Convince young people not to text and drive

in an accident or near-accident. The National Safety Council says more than 100,000 Children are back in school in communities large and crashes a year involve drivers who are texting. small all across Oklahoma. Those statistics alone should be enough to conIt's an exciting, and often hectic, time of year. vince you to put your phone away while driving, Parents are shuttling kids to band concerts and ball but what if I told you, mom and dad, that you are games, and running errands in between. being watched? Like their parents, students are rushing about According to a national teen driver survey comtoo; rushing to class, to practice, to a part-time job. missioned by AT&T, 77 percent of teens have seen We get busier and busier, and multitasking their parents text and drive. seems to be the only way to get it all done. We tell our children not to do it, but many parWhile society may celebrate those among us EDMO NDSON ents don't listen to their own advice. It's the "do as who seem to effortlessly address multiple tasks I say and not as I do" method of parenting. simultaneously, there's at least one place where a Maybe, instead, we should practice what we preach. single-minded focus is not only best, but a must, and that's In that same AT&T survey, 62 percent of teens behind the wheel of an automobile. said reminders from their parents not to text and drive Recognizing this, AT&T recently announced an "It Can would be effective in getting them to stop the dangerous Wait" pledge day set for Sept. 19 to bring awareness to this practice. important public safety issue. If actions truly speak louder than words, how many The initiative comes complete with its own Web site, full young people would refrain from texting and driving if of survey results and statistics that should make it easy for mom and dad resisted the urge too? parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of texting So, keep preaching, but start practicing too. Join with and driving. your children in taking AT&T's pledge by logging on to There is also a place on that site where drivers of all www.itcanwait.com. Talk about the statistics. Commit ages can pledge not to text behind the wheel. yourself to never text and drive. The company's efforts are based on some startling Remember, your children are watching. statistics. Edmondson, a former Oklahoma attorney general, practices Research by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute law at the law firm of GableGotwals. found that drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be
By Drew Edmondson

Preach. Practice.

The Stigler NewsSentinel welcomes your letters, columns and stories. Letters may be edited for form or content and should not contain any libelous statements. All letters should contain the name of the writer, as well as contact information, such as a telephone number. Letters that cannot be verified will not be published. The Country Star does not publish poetry, nor will it publish unsigned letters. Columns and personal memory stories may be used on the editorial page or elsewhere in the newspaper. Proselytizing letters, if used, may be delegated to the religious pages. Letters that are considered libelous or in poor taste will not be published. Letters may be mailed to P.O. Box 549, Stigler, OK 74462, or emailed to editor@stiglernews.com .

OUR EDITORIAL POLICY

Booger
In the last two years, my family has had to bury three of our closest friends and members of our family. No matter what mistakes we make in life as humans, our animals love us unconditionally. They don't look down on us for things we have done or didn't do, they are just happy to be taken care of and loved. Nothing could have prepared my family for the death of our English Bulldog, Booger. From the minute I laid eyes on his tiny, wrinkled body as a puppy, I knew he was one of a kind. He never once had an accident in the house; never chewed things up like most puppies do. Booger was not what you would call a "normal" dog. While most dogs were busy chasing cars, sleeping and doing normal doglike activities Booger was riding our John Deere gator and fishing with morn. He was more fun to be around than most people. My family has so many memories with our animals, especially Booger. He was not just a dog to us sometimes it was hard to believe he wasn't human, he was that smart. He was a cowboy, a fisherman, a protector, a listener and most of all a friend. It is sometimes easier to feel accepted by an animal than it is our peers. There is so much hate, greed and jealousy in this world today, making it harder to relate to anyone. Booger was my mom's best friend. When she was having a bad day, Booger would curl up next to her and stand by her side no matter what mood she was in. He was her rock. When all of my siblings and I moved out, he gave her something to look forward to everyday, because she knew Booger was just as excited to see her as she was to see him. I hear it all the time now, " He was just a dog" or "Move on and get another one." It may be weird to some that my family is so attached to our animals, but we do not see them as " just dogs." I believe God puts people and animals and experiences in our lives to help us grow and learn. Some things come into our lives that change us, teach us or show us what we have been missing out on. Booger was a dog, but he taught my family a lot in his short life. There wasn't a moment that Booger didn't show how happy he was to be alive, even after being sick for months, he still mustered up the energy to come over to us and show us how much he loved us. So many people take life for granted, living everyday negatively instead of seeing all the positive that is in their lives. Booger didn't let his sickness get him down, he tried to do all the things he did before. The years my family had with Booger will never be forgotten. He brought so much joy and excitement to us and we all feel as if we buried a part of our family. It is not weird or wrong to grieve over an animal we all loved so much. It's been a week since he passed away and it is hard to see anything good coming out of something like this. Our hearts are heavy for our little friend who would wait at the door for us when we came home. Our house seems so empty and different without him. Family is supposed to be there through good times and in bad, and they say true friends are ones who will be there for us when the going gets tough, with no ulterior motives. Sometimes, those kinds of friends and family come in a different form, a different breed. Booger was my family, my friend, my teacher and protector, and he will be greatly missed and forever loved by all who knew him.

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EDITORIAL POLICY The Stigler News-Sentinel welcomes your letters, columns and stories. Letters may be edited for form or content and should not contain any libelous statements.

All letters should contain the name of the writer, as well as contact information, such as a telephone number. Letters that cannot be verified may not be published. The News-Sentinel does not publish poetry, nor will it publish

unsigned letters. Columns and personal memory stories may be used on the editorial page or elsewhere in the newspaper. Proselytizing letters, if used, may be delegated to the religious pages.

Letters that are considered libelous or in poor taste will not be published. Letters may be mailed to P.O. Box 549, Stigler, OK 74462, or emailed to editor@stiglernews.com or news@stiglernews.com .