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Tulsa Eagle Forum

NEWSLETTER

December 1996

Tulsa Eagle Forum
P O Box 470734
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74147-0734
918-252-4002

!! Last-Minute Insert !!

School-To-Work Update

Flouting the US Constitution

[see Tangled Web elsewhere in The Watch -- Ed]

In the body of this newsletter we have given credit where due to Governor Frank Keating for his courageous vetoes. However, in all honesty we must also point out that governor Keating has been much too ambivalent on the School-to-Work (STW) issue. Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, Joe Esposito, and about ten others are the real heroes. They were the ones, on the STW Executive Council appointed by Keating to oversee the program, who have keen insight into the detriments of STW and to whom the real kudos belong. After several meetings in which these pro-family appointees stood their ground, Keating bowed to the liberals and disbanded his committee.

For your better understanding we have printed below excerpts from an article from The Tulsa World entitled, "Letter Urges Keating To Reject School Funds."

Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau has urged Governor Frank Keating to turn down nearly $10 million in federal School-to-Work funds, it was learned Wednesday. Reneau, who like Keating is a Republican, said the program would place the education of Oklahoma students in the hands of President Clinton and Labor Secretary Robert Reich. "Governor, I urge you to reject this agenda, send back the federal School-to-Work grant, and send the message to Washington, D.C., that Oklahoma declines our children's participation in meeting national performance goals as human resources for a global labor market," Reneau said in a letter to Keating.

Keating has sent mixed signals on the program, lavishing praise on it at times and criticizing it at other times. He initially vetoed School-to-Work legislation last year, saying it catered too much to organized labor. State chamber officials then said that he was endangering a federal grant to Oklahoma. Keating later created a School-to-Work Council by executive order, although supporters of the program privately said that council was top heavy with School-to-Work opponents bent on scuttling the program.

Attorney General Drew Edmondson issued an opinion saying the Keating council would cease to exist if it was not re-created by the Legislasture before it adjourned May 31. Democratic law makers declined to do that, and the School-to-Work Council no onger exists. The State Vo-Tech Department is now in charge of the program. Reneau objected to that arrangement in her letter to Keating.

Most parents don't want their children's education to be run by "the vocational-technical hierarchy under the influence of Bill Clinton and Robert B. Reich," she wrote. Reneau also hinted that if the state continues to be involved in School-to-Work, she will use her authority as Labor Commissioner to take action against employers who participate. "In my findings, many employers who participate in youth employment programs are either not fully informed of state labor laws or they are in willful violation of these laws," her letter states. She also warned Keating that he will be "increasingly bombarded with complaints about School-to-Work from employers, parents, teachers and the general public, placing your office in the middle of what is a growing controversial situation."

Goals for Tomorrow

Many who attempted to participate in "planning sessions" of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce's "Goals for Tomorrow," found that the outcome was pre-determined. The Constitutional point of view was belittled. They doubted that any of their views would appear in the forthcoming documents. This proved to be the case.

At the first meeting participants were presented with previously drafted "white papers," which basically presented more government as the solution to all problems. Throughout the first few meetings of two Education panels, it became evident that opposing viewpoints would not be a part of the final document -- or "consensus," and that Goals for Tomorrow would be used to promote government control of jobs (called "School-to-Work" or "Careers Pathways"), government control of families (cradle to grave education by the same failed system that is not even teaching first graders to read phonetically), and government controlled "health" provided through the schools and other agencies at taxpayers¹ expense.

We oppose all of the above, and believe that most citizens would agree with us if they only knew. We prefer a First Class American education rather than what is being promoted as a World Class education.

It is regrettable that Chambers throughout the nation, and the Tulsa Chamber leadership in particular, are using member¹s dues and hotel tax revenues, to indoctrinate the public toward One World mediocrity.

School Board Elections

School Board Elections, Feb 11: We can expect most races to boil down to "rubber stamp" Education Establishment candidates who have the advantage of being well-funded, and candidates who want to restore the teaching of true academics and civility in the classroom. Your time and resources are greatly needed to elect the best candidates. They need more than your vote. They need your early help in reaching others. Please call them today to offer support.

Grand Juries

Since the passage of SQ 670, the number of signatures required to call a County Grand Jury has been greatly increased. Most published information failed to advise voters that the portion of the previous law that doubled the required number for the second petition for a grand jury in one year would still be in force. The required number of signatures in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties after Jan. 1, 1997, will be increased to 5000 for the first petition of the year, and 10,000 for any subsequent petitions. The signatures must be obtained in 45 days. Therefore, it will take a lot of petitioners to gather signatures. Separate petition drives will begin soon in both Oklahoma and Tulsa counties:

Rep. Chas. Key has filed a petition for an Oklahoma County Grand Jury (erroneously reported in the Tulsa World as a petition for a state grand jury) to investigate the 4/19/95 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. He has had excellent coverage by the OKC media. In one two-hour call-in show, over 90% of the more than 500 callers agreed that the investigation is needed. If you live in Oklahoma County and would like to assist in gathering signatures, phone Rep. Key at 557-7354 and leave a message.

In Tulsa County, Connie Winslow will be filing a petition for a grand jury claiming that a mother was unlawfully deprived of the custody of her child by the DHS and others. (We do not know the particulars in this case, but do know that there has been a drastic increase in the number of unjust child custody cases in recent years across the country, many involving innocent homeschoolers.) Tulsans wishing to help may offer assistance by calling 583-1312.

It is our understanding that once a grand jury is called, other (even unrelated) issues may be brought before it. Therefore, now would be the time to contact an attorney for guidance regarding matters in Tulsa or Oklahoma County which should be brought before a grand jury, such as; school issues, conduct of elections, official malfeasance, misuse of public funds, etc.

Issues That Are Looming

It is often easy to tell what the liberals will be pushing next by the number of articles about a certain subject in the Tulsa World. We can anticipate: a cry for more tax dollars for child care and early-childhood education, even though Oklahoma already ranks 8th in the nation in such expenditures, and for education or transportation; efforts to blame SQ 640 (which limited legislators' ability to raise taxes) for everything imaginable (and, possibly, to dismantle 640); promotion of School-to-Work (sometimes called Career Paths); questionable use of the state and federal databases (although we agree that "deadbeat" parents should be required to pay child support, legislators should be very cautious in writing bills that conform to the Federal Welfare-Reform Law passed earlier this year which, especially in the "child-support" area, can be very invasive); a cry for more DHS workers as they gain more control over our lives; and government-supervised "volunteerism," with possibly a push for required "volunteerism" for students and parents.

Term Limits Petition
Ruled Unconstitutional
ConCon Vote Barred

[see "Constitutional Convention" elsewhere in The Watch -- Ed]

Oklahomans can breathe at least a short sigh of relief. On November 10, 1996, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled 5 - 4 that the petition was unconstitutional and barred a statewide vote on the proposal.

Using Term Limits as the issue to promote its petition, and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, the organizers had obtained 204,901 signatures. Many of the signers would not have signed had they realized that the petition called for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con).

This was at least the third attempt in recent years to call for a Con-Con, which we strongly oppose. Proponents always claim the call is for the purpose of making a specific amendment. However, once a Con-Con were convened, it would be impossible to limit it to one issue, and our entire Constitution would be in danger of being overthrown. In fact, liberals have written a "New Constitution," which would accomplish everything they have been working for, and are waiting in the wings for such an opportunity.

Counting our many blessings

Each of you is among them. Special thanks to those on the Mailing Committee, who work long hours to meet deadlines, to volunteers for various projects, and to those who have given generously of their services or finances. Thanks for your encouraging notes and Christmas cards. God bless you and your family during the coming year.

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Return to Kidogo's World

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      A culmination of Laws passed by Congress (with no public debate -- and for which they had not one shred of constitutional authority) is about to make radical changes in our lives -- and especially in the lives of our children.

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