|
Dear Friends,
For those big basketball fans out there, you must be happy since March Madness started today! The flip side of that happiness has to be the March Madness of government or at least it has seemed that way!
Tomorrow is the second day of our 8 furlough days between now and the end of the 2010 fiscal year (June 31, 2010) at the Corporation Commission. Needless to say, we are doing our part in dealing with the state budget cuts wherever we can, but I know it is very hard on our employees and their families and it is beginning to affect the services we provide to the public.
Last week was particularly challenging for me in dealing with the proposed statewide toll free calling plan to dealing with our oil and gas division budget issues which are the most difficult yet in the past 7-8 years. Personally, it seemed one of the most difficult weeks yet as I strive to stay on the narrow road in trying to do what I think is right for Oklahoma.
I promised to help bring more openness and transparency to this agency. Little did I truly know and understand the forces that would work against that promise, that agendas, vendettas and politics would come in full force against the basic desire to do what is right and best after having ALL the facts and data in a particular matter brought forth to make a decision. However, it seems the skies have cleared some this week and things have refocused a bit.
As many of you are now aware, the rulemaking for the toll free calling plan is suspended until January 19, 2011. I requested that the plan be suspended indefinitely, so the Commission could do a better job of finding out what is in the best interests of the public by actually taking the time to obtain input from the public and presenting more thorough and complete costs on such an idea. However, all 3 Commissioners comprised in agreeing to the January 2011 date to allow more work to be done.
From the beginning, I had reservations about the timing of this proposal in light of the economic challenges already confronting so many Oklahomans and the costs that could impact rural and urban customers as well as industry. I had questions as to why the Corporation Commission thought it knew better than any rural Oklahoman what was needed to make their life better. Given my own background and that of my family living in rural western Oklahoma, I wondered how anyone without those roots could possibly know what rural customers wanted and what was best for them without even asking them. Seems everyone that has never been a rural Oklahoman wants to tell them what service they want and need and the price they and other Oklahomans should pay for that service. Thankfully, more time will now be spent on looking at the root of the problem in maintaining the backbone of the telecommunications landline network that wireless and internet and other services must depend upon, regardless of whether a customer lives in rural, urban or suburban Oklahoma!
I continue to travel the state speaking to all kinds of groups about current happenings at the Commission and in upcoming Murphy Mails, I will provide more information to you. In addition to our next horizontal town hall horizontal drilling meeting in Woodward, I will be in El Reno on March 23 to speak to the Canadian County Mineral Owners at the Canadian County Vo-Tech; then on to Dallas later in the week where I am so excited to be a participant in the March 25th "Natural Gas Nation" conference hosted by the George W. Bush Institute. Mom is headed to the conference with me where we, along with the other speakers, will also have the honor of having dinner with President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. I have been looking forward to this for weeks and weeks and cannot wait to bring back photos and let all of you know how it went. Here's to hoping March Madness brings your team to victory! (Go Cowboys!)
God Bless,
Your Commissioner, Dana |
