ScissorTales: Party poppers

A coalition seeking to ease ballot access in Oklahoma has a rough road ahead in gaining enough signatures to call an election on the issue. Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR) has the noble goal of making it easier for candidates to win a place on the ballot when they don't have "Republican” or "Democrat” beside their name.

Oklahoma has one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. Since 1974, a new political party seeking access must obtain signatures equal to 5 percent of the most recent presidential or gubernatorial vote. That threshold is more than 43,000 based on the 2006 election.

Proposed is a reduction to a flat number: 5,000 signatures. Changing the law would acquire approval by the people of a referendum that OBAR hopes to get on the 2008 ballot. Of course, the Legislature — consisting of only Republicans and Democrats — could call an election and spare OBAR the expense of circulating an initiative petition.

The irony of this effort is that in order to reduce the number of signatures needed for ballot access, OBAR will have to gather even more signatures — 90,000 is the goal — to call the election. And it has only 90 days in which to gather those signatures.

We urge Oklahomans interested in freeing up state election restrictions to consider supporting OBAR. The people deserve a chance to vote on this issue and perhaps give politics as usual a run for its money.

A little visionary thinking can go a long way. Case in point is the announcement that the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation will receive $15 million from a special state fund geared toward economic development. The Oklahoma Opportunity Fund was devised as a way to help lure businesses to Oklahoma or to help existing businesses create more jobs. The state money is part of a $125 million expansion project at OMRF. The 195,000-square-foot addition will almost double the foundation's scientific and administrative offices and make room for 300 new scientists, technicians and support staff. Assisting OMRF is a smart move. The foundation is known worldwide for research and discoveries that have led to a dozen spin-off companies and hundreds of research-related patents. As Gov. Brad Henry pointed out, that success makes it clear the state will quickly recoup its investment.

Fans of "True Grit,” a novel and a 1969 John Wayne movie, will have no trouble associating Fort Smith with federal marshals. From that western Arkansas town, U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster” Cogburn (Wayne) set out in the late 1800s with a Texas ranger and a teenage girl to track her father's killer in the Indian Territory — today's Oklahoma. Today's Fort Smith will be home to a museum dedicated to federal marshals. The site's on the Arkansas River, which Cogburn and the ranger crossed by ferry before a trek through the Winding Stair Mountains to find outlaws "Lucky” Ned Pepper and "the original Mexican Bob.” Fort Smith was chosen one day after the city learned it will lose 730 Whirlpool factory jobs. Fort Smith is a major employment center for eastern Oklahomans. Perhaps a few of our citizens will lead tours at the museum honoring marshals, some of whom helped tame the wilderness of 19th century Oklahoma.

Anti-war conspiracy theorists must've been thrilled to learn former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's new memoir says the Iraq war was "largely about oil.” Before the "no-blood-for-oil” chants resume, we note Greenspan told The Washington Post this week that the brief reference in his 531-page book reflected his own thinking rather than the Bush administration's reason for deposing Saddam Hussein. Greenspan said removing Saddam was important for the global economy. "I'm not saying that that's the administration's motive,” he told The Post. "I'm just saying that if somebody asked me, ‘Are we fortunate in taking out Saddam?' I would say it was essential.” As is context to the line in what we're sure will be a best-seller.

Solidarity is a union watchword, a bedrock priniciple for organized labor. But what happens when a worker seeks solidarity with her church ahead of the union? Jenny Moore, an employee of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, is suing the American Train Dispatchers Association, the union she says punished her for seeking advice from a church elder on an order to walk off the job in 2005. A Jehovah's Witness, Moore accuses the union of religious discrimination and is getting help from Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, Texas. Big Labor rails often about worker rights, but in this case tried to squelch religious freedom. For refusing to derail her conscience, the union fined Moore $2,200. Next stop: federal court, where the union must unload a baggage car full of bad vibes over this case.