Questioning lawmakers' sanity is no way to win an argument

Tulsa School Board Vice President Anna America said last week that although an income tax cut was averted “very, very narrowly” this year, that may not be the case next year “if we don't start electing people who think sanely.”

Thinking “sanely” apparently means giving common schools what they want, divorced from all other considerations — public safety, welfare, roads and bridges, etc. Ms. America called on school patrons to defeat the mentally deficient incumbents and replace them with people who “think sanely.” It's a hollow threat because nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma House members and about a third of state senators drew no opponents in the filing period for this month's primary election. If the people think the current serving of lawmakers doesn't think sanely, then surely those numbers wouldn't be so high.

Education accounts for more than half of all state appropriations. Common schools got more than 32 percent of total appropriations in the 2013 budget approved last month. Higher ed was second on the appropriations list, with about 14 percent. We'd also remind America and others in her region who are frothing about these matters that the people were given a chance less than two years ago to dramatically increase funding for schools. They rejected the proposal by a margin of 81-19.

Apparently, the populace itself isn't thinking “sanely.”