Oklahoma is Closed

Illustration credit to Bill Edgar

 

If you want something mismanaged, it isn’t like you don’t have options.  You could give the responsibility for management to #45.  Or you could give the project to one of his administration---almost any of them.  Being from Oklahoma, it is with great chagrin that we confess Scott Pruitt’s ability to endanger public health by increasing air pollution, increasing amounts of mercury, arsenic, and acidic gases in the environment, denying climate change, and more.  Or, you can select the State of Oklahoma, and its governor and legislature for their mismanagement prowess.  They have managed to make Oklahoma among the worst states in the country, like 48^th of 50 in educational standards, 6^th worst obesity rate, 8^th worst support for underprivileged children, as well as poor teacher salaries, poor care for the elderly and ranking 49^th for the health of seniors, 49^th for addressing teen smoking or 42nd for teen suicide, 45^th for general population health, 45^th worst incarceration rates, 44^th worst for addressing mental illness, has one of the most severe shortages of primary care physicians in the country, poor fiscal responsibility, fifth highest rate of occupational fatalities in the country, and we could go on and on.  However, one of the most ridiculous mismanagements is killing the state’s golden-egg-laying goose---you know, the tourism operation that brings 6.2 BILLION (with a B) dollars into the state each year.  Tourism is the third largest industry in Oklahoma.  The natural beauty encountered in the parks is the one thing that puts a good face on Oklahoma, so it’s obvious that the state’s managers should kill parks and tourism!  To the tourist wanting to visit Oklahoma, the state is posting a large “OKLAHOMA IS CLOSED” sign at the state line by considering closing most or all of 16 state parks they have chosen for the chopping block.  Oh, and best of all, since the state is run by the political party that claims to create jobs, this idea would terminate 80 full-time jobs.  Maybe I didn’t understand. Perhaps the claim was for creating the most job vacancies.