Letters on Gov. Stitt, Trump and Musk, political hypocrisy and George Washington

Stitt’s logic confusing on virtual learning

Make this make sense.

Gov. Kevin Stitt and many legislators want to eliminate virtual learning days in public schools. But they also support giving St. Isidore, a VIRTUAL charter school, $25.7 million over the first five years to have virtual days every school day.

And to confuse the logic even further, Stitt’s office said that there are NO restrictions whatsoever on what a charter school can or cannot do. Wouldn’t you expect there to be some requirements to ensure adequate learning before giving them millions? Yet, Stitt is willing to spend taxpayer funds to fight the courts, up to the Supreme Court, to give millions of taxpayer dollars to a school that is completely virtual learning, with no restrictions whatsoever, even though he proclaimed he wanted to end virtual days in 2025.

So which is it? Do you think “logic” and actions such as this are the reason that Oklahoma is 49th in education?

― Janis Blevins, Oklahoma City

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Dangerous actions by Trump and Musk

Trump abruptly shut down aid that saves lives around the world, sticking America’s farmers with tons of unsold food and health agencies with unused medicines. These programs cost less than 1% of our entire budget, but foster priceless goodwill that keeps our enemies from converting poorer countries into adversaries.

Trump wants to eliminate thousands of federal workers, including FBI agents, CIA agents and public health experts. Terrorist threats, cybersecurity attacks, Bird flu and tuberculosis will not pause while we hire and train their replacements.

In 2023, one fatal airplane accident occurred out of 37 million flights, but Elon Musk says his 20-something techies can “make rapid improvements” in FAA systems that have evolved over decades. What could possibly go wrong? Cutting waste is an appropriate goal, but blindly dismissing thousands of experienced civil servants and endangering critical systems is dangerous beyond words.

More: Dissolving USAID harms U.S. global influence and does not strengthen our nation | Opinion

One news service estimates that Trump and Musk have violated at least 18 federal laws in their first three weeks of feverish chaos. Yet congressional Republicans are silent. Why?

Republicans have yet to reveal their newest tax cut. If Trump’s frantic rummaging under the couch cushions — and damaging them in the process — is any indication, the gift Republicans are desperate to give America’s ultra-rich billionaires is beyond huge. As in 2017, the middle and lower classes will likely get whatever crumbs are left under those frayed and damaged cushions. But worse than that, we will have been cheated out of a country that just one month ago was a shining beacon on the hill, a great democracy filled with compassion, and, according to the World Bank, had the world’s greatest economy.

So much for greatness.

― Scott McLaughin, Midwest City

Let’s not be hypocritical about President Trump

Right now, many are apoplectic about Elon Musk and “19-year-olds” advising President Trump regarding various federal agencies and their subordinates. It is all as hilarious as it is demonstratively hypocritical.

First, how many pundits during the preceding presidency expressed outrage, let alone panic, as a cognitively challenged individual sat behind the Resolute Desk?

Secondly, no one understood what the USAID was, let alone that multiple federal workers have been working under COVID-era auspices until DOGE made it public. Much like Biden’s unelected governing advisers, DOGE reports to the president, who, himself, is making final determinations. The Executive Branch has this prerogative much like the Biden administration did when it implemented policies that resulted in a flood of illegal immigrants, revisions to Title IX, and punitive COVID vaccine mandates.

Finally, President Trump is acting upon campaign promises he publicly delivered while actively seeking the highest office in this land. Democratic predecessor, President Obama, once declared that elections have consequences. His were expanding a domestic spying program upon the American people, using the IRS to impugn countless conservative nonprofit groups, and changing immigration processes that allowed for children and their parents to be separated (Dreamers initiative). Trump is exercising his election results to implement his agenda, which is buffered by his political philosophy and social outlook.

In other words, he is behaving as presidents do.

― Wayne Hull, Oklahoma City

More: What you should know about the Constitution’s limits on presidential powers | Opinion

Take back power from the political parties

Many people ask, “What in the world is going on in Washington, D.C.?”  My response is simple: Congress has gone to sleep and the president is running wild. For some time it has appeared that Congress has been on vacation all year long. The word dysfunctional comes to mind. In reality, the majority has succumbed to the whims of a hooligan-staffed political party.

In his farewell address, President George Washington made a comment about political parties.

“However political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

If Congress doesn’t wake up and do the job the people hired them to do, the “power of the people” will cease to exist. We will succumb to being a third-rated nation run by a dictator.

It is up to the voters to stop Congress from meandering along while the president acts like he is the boss. He is not America’s boss. He is to take guidance from the people, represented by Congress, and do what they say. Congress is the full time representatives of the people.

If Congress doesn’t act, remember them the next election!

― Richard C. “Dick” Hall, Norman

Why remove some Board of Education members?

This week, Gov. Kevin Stitt replaced three state board of education members citing poor standardized test performance and controversies. He pointed to low NAEP scores that rank Oklahoma 49th nationally — even though the board is entirely his appointees — raising questions about his judgement.

So why remove only half the board, if performance was the issue?

Adding complexity, the governor later shifted his rationale. He postured that collecting addresses and immigration status for children ages 6 to 8 is not a public safety concern. I think he weaponized this alteration to justify removing board members who supported the rule requiring proof of U.S. citizenship or legal status for school enrollment. Ponder this: If Gov. Stitt truly prioritized student outcomes, he should have overhauled the entire board — or even reconsidered his own leadership. Could the govenor be using education and students as political pawns to advance his political aspirations?

How will this impact of the upcoming state Board of Education agenda scheduled for the end of the month?

At that meeting, the board was supposed to vote on the proposed academic standards, which included the incorporation of American Indian social studies curriculum into the classroom. The curriculum was developed in collaboration with citizens of tribal nations.

Until Gov. Stitt’s appointees are confirmed by the Senate, will the former Board of Education members be permitted to serve?

The time-sensitive State of Oklahoma Board of Education vote is necessary to move the curriculum forward for legislative approval during their session.

Because of the dismissal of these  members, the govenor removed the only citizen of a federally recognized nation of American Indians, Kendra Wesson.  Because of this, our tribal nations are without representation on the Board of Education.

Oklahomans are urged to scrutinize the motivations behind these decisions.

― Theresa Hinman, Norman, a citizen of the Ponca Nation

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Exercising political power in Washington sparks conflict | Letters