Both exceptionally troubling. Trying to consolidate and keep power by all means necessary and stifle the voice of the people. I am disgusted by both but not surprised.
State shenanigans
- Thread starter drboobay
- Start date
Restrictions on Oklahoma ballot initiatives is violating Oklahoma voters rights.
I am in favor of being able to vote for either party's candidates in the primaries if you don't vote for more than one candidate vying for that office. You should be able to vote for a republican or a democrat, but not for both, as far as the candidates running for that office. I know it sounds like it wouldn't be much of a risk, and in most cases it wouldn't be, but allowing for both candidates who got the most votes(regardless of party affiliations) to go on to the general election imo is not proper. The general election shouldn't have two Democrats or two Republicans, unless nobody from the other party ran. The funny thing is I think the Republicans would profit from the 2nd part of that rule about the top two vote getters going to the general election.
These topics are related. IMO a motivator for restricting ballot initiatives right now is fear by the state Republicans. The proposed election process change threatens their stranglehold on power. So they make it harder to pass the petition if it holds up in court.
Politics at its worst.
Politics at its worst.
|As far as state shenanigans go, I have a request for information about how serious of a threat Gentner Drummond is to expelling Afghan refugees from the state of Oklahoma?
My Afghani friend is living both in Texas and Oklahoma for work availability. His family is imminently coming to Oklahoma in the next few weeks as legal refugees on a path to citizenship, and they are planning on making Tulsa their home base. But now I have had to warn him against this threat, and advise him to consider making home base in another state like Texas. His family coming may be on hold over this travel ban that Trump has put in place for Afghanistan.
What are your feelings on how serious this situation is?
My Afghani friend is living both in Texas and Oklahoma for work availability. His family is imminently coming to Oklahoma in the next few weeks as legal refugees on a path to citizenship, and they are planning on making Tulsa their home base. But now I have had to warn him against this threat, and advise him to consider making home base in another state like Texas. His family coming may be on hold over this travel ban that Trump has put in place for Afghanistan.
What are your feelings on how serious this situation is?
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My understanding is Drummond is only referring to the certain group of Afghan refugees which Stitt approved and financed to settle in Oklahoma. Was your friend part of that group?
I personally see it as his way to distance himself from Stitt.
I don't know for certain, but I believe the answer is yes because I thought that group was a large #, like 2000, which was most if not all of the ones that were in Oklahoma as recent immigrants. He is on a legal path to citizenship now, and his family was on the verge of being on that same path, and as I mentioned earlier were supposed to come here two weeks ago to two weeks from now. The process got delayed due to normal delays, and then Trumps travel ban.
He and his brother (who was supposed to be coming along with my friends wife and kids) both fought alongside the US government playing the role of translators, intelligence advisors against the Taliban, and active fighters against the Taliban. Their father is a former General in the now disbanded Afghan army, and is on the run from the Taliban. My friend was one of the few who got transported out of Afghan in Biden's rushed exit from the country. I am thinking that these are the ones that were supported by Stitt.
He initially had his rent paid and food taken care of by Snap, government aid, and catholic charities, until they had a few months to get on their feet, with a job. Their initial jobs were even provided for with the help of the government initially, until they could find work on their own. They were also given legal assistance by the government to navigate all of this, and get on a path to citizenship. All this support initially was provided by the federal government at least partially.
I believe at least some of it was provided by the state with Stitt's assistance. This is only supposition, but part of it being provided by Snap seems like Stitt might have been involved. That's my opinion only, no validation with any absolute facts.
I would be more worried next year when Stitt's term is up. If Drummond makes this a campaign promise and wins the governorship...
But pressure from Trump, whether intentionally applied to governors or just from his actions with the travel ban & such, could ratchet up the possibility of Stitt changing his position.
But presently Trump and the federal government is the bigger issue. He may never get his family here. His path to citizenship and maybe even his legal residency might be at risk as well.
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Maybe he's just trying to appear like one of the boys.(Trumpolyte) I don't care for it, but sometimes in this environment you are forced into the circle or out.
Catholic Charities does not render charitable assistance to Afghan refugees under the program you describe. The United States government prints money or borrows it from countries like China and then distributes it to organizations like Catholic Charities so you think it’s charity but you are really paying for it, one way or another, sooner or later.
They gave donations of used furniture for the refugees, helped them to find jobs, etc. I wasn't describing a program, I was listing where they were getting help from. Go jump in a lake. I'm tired of you being nice when I'm building you up for years. And then the first few times I say something negative towards a position I disagree with you on, then you ignore me for 9 or 12 months. Screw you.
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I heard something interesting from my Afghani friend. Take this with a grain of salt because sometimes he doesn't quite understand the specific details surrounding what is going on around him. (because of the language barrier) But he said that TU was renting out vacant apartments on campus to some afghani families that were not students at the university.
I didn't ask him if it was short term and/or summer only rentals. The only thing I got out of it was that it was supposedly to non-students. But studying English as a second language might have been involved, and he didn't realize that was part of the situation. Don't know if the government was involved with this arrangement.
I didn't ask him if it was short term and/or summer only rentals. The only thing I got out of it was that it was supposedly to non-students. But studying English as a second language might have been involved, and he didn't realize that was part of the situation. Don't know if the government was involved with this arrangement.
