OCPAC - Should We be Licensed to Live?
John Michener
online version: http://eepurl.com/blJ8if
1. Speaker May 6: Guy Rogers—Protect Life, OK!
2. Let’s See the Strings: Ask Governor Fallin to Sign HB 1748
3. License to Live
1. Speaker May 6: Guy Rogers—Protect Life, OK!
Church congregations, civic clubs, OCPAC, Tea Parties, Reclaiming America for Christ, Oklahomans United for Life, Republican clubs, concerned citizens, and conscientious legislators have all linked arms this spring to create a new coalition whose purpose is to Protect Life, OK!
Guy Rogers is the political strategist behind Protect Life, OK! He will explain our approach to saving more than 5,000 innocent lives in Oklahoma every year, starting with the 2016 legislative season.
2. Let’s See the Strings: Ask Governor Fallin to Sign HB 1748
We need to see the strings that Washington D.C. is attaching to our state agencies. HB 1748 by Rep. Tom Newell and state Sen. Greg Treat is a simple act that will require state agencies to publicly report all federal funds received. Many times our agencies are funded in large proportions by grants and subsidies received directly from our national government. It is critical that we know all about these funds so that we can watch for strings attached that might undermine our freedom and state sovereignty.
Call Gov. Fallin at (405) 521-2342 or email her here and urge her to sign HB 1748. We need transparency in federal funding, and we have a right to know how our agencies are funded.
3. License to Live
Living is about feeding, clothing, and housing ourselves. It is about creating, enjoying, and thriving on the blessings of hard work and property ownership. Living is about enjoying the blessings of relationships in families, tribes, faith communities, business partnerships, and associations. If this is what it means to live, then living is something we do naturally by right. Life is given to us by God. We do not need government micromanaging how we live. Yet our state wants to punish or license or manage or tax every little thing we do to live.
For example, when I was growing up in the church, we did not have youth groups or youth ministers. We just did stuff together. There were always some high school seniors with cars and parents with minivans to get us all to the backyard volleyball court and ice cream social. Nowadays, the state would want to inspect the vehicles for high emissions, do an investigation of all the parents to ensure they are not radical, right-wing, extreme Christian types who exercise their religion outside of a church building, and then issue special permits to those who offer driving services. It is not enough that people are already licensed to drive and have registered vehicles. No, the state wants to soak them even more.
Along these lines, The Oklahoman ran a piece last week on what is happening to Uber and Lyft, a new ride service provider in Oklahoma City. The city wants to regulate them the same way that they regulate cab companies. The state wants to trump the city and regulate Uber through the Corporation Commission (HB 1614). The cab companies are mad that the city is not regulating Uber while the state decides if they will butt in to take regulatory control. It is a huge ugly mess, and for what? So some level of government can tell people how to live and get a cut of the action.
OCPAC Treasurer Susan Goodman used Uber to attend the Festival of the Arts last weekend and reports a great experience. She enjoyed meeting the retiree with a new minivan who dropped them off and then visiting with the fourth-year medical student who took them home. Susan said, “Both drivers were very friendly… This is a great free market idea that should be left alone!”
I agree with Susan. Let glorified carpoolers govern themselves through voluntary associations. To be fair, let cab companies govern themselves through voluntary associations. To be fair, let’s stop licensing everything. We don’t need a license to live!
The views expressed in this email are the personal opinion of John Michener and do not necessarily reflect the views of OCPAC, its leadership team, or its members. We currently meet on Wednesdays at noon at Old Surety Life, 5201 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City. To become a member of OCPAC, follow the instructions in the online newsletter: http://eepurl.com/blJ8if