Letters
Wasted tax money
Editor, The Transcript:
This past December we had the good fortune to attend a seminar in the Senate Chambers of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Sen. Connie Johnson chaired the afternoon session, most of which was dedicated to abolishing the death penalty in Oklahoma. Needless to say, it is long overdue that someone in our Legislature has the courage to come forward and introduce a bill to get rid of this barbaric killing process. Oklahoma has already made too many mistakes with death penalty convictions.
Our state government has forecast giant shortfalls in revenue to operate almost every segment of state and local departments. Just this past week Oklahoma City and Tulsa were having ongoing discussions with police and fire department officials. There is simply not enough money to pay salaries or hire and train additional personnel in these vital areas. This is true in town after town in our state. What better time to take a hard look at the death penalty and the horrendous costs of prosecuting a death penalty case. They take years and years of man hours and as much as $2 million in the appeals process.
We have in Oklahoma a severe alternative to the death penalty. It is life without parole. This means exactly what it says. Those convicted of a capital crime will spend the remainder of their lives behind bars. This process costs you, the taxpayers, about one third the cost of a death penalty conviction. Think of that. Wouldn't it be wonderful to divert these tax dollars to better use, such as, schools, roads, bridges, police and fire protection to name a few? The best part of it all, we are taken out of the killing process and remove the terrible risk of killing an innocent human being.
Tell our legislators to get rid of the death penalty in Oklahoma and make better use of the tax dollars we waste on killing people.
JIM AND ANN FOWLER
OKC
- Letters
-
-
Thank you very much
There are some things that we as a society do not do nearly as much as we should — say thank you, care about others and get involve
-
Lucky charms
Editor, The Transcript: Sure’n it’s Saint Paddy’s Day Can you dance an Irish jig? Wear a shamrock on your vest? Talk to many a lepr
-
It’s Steele a fact
Editor, The Transcript: I saw the Larry Steele article, “Look at the Facts,” in the Feb. 21 Transcript. I try not to miss anything
-
Norman needs to take the trash out
Editor, The Transcript: Have you driven around Norman looking around? Have you looked at the landscape? Have you seen the huge amou
-
Offering understanding and forgiveness
Editor, The Transcript: Last Sunday I had the privilege of hosting Break the Chains: A Modern Slavery and Fair Trade Event. The nex
-
Working together for an even stronger local economy
On March 2 the Sooner Centurions and the NEDC hosted a consultant that presented his interpretation of a historical economic analys
-
Working together to understand the weather
Editor, The Transcript: In expressing his viewpoint: “Global Warming — OU Meteorologists Were Wrong,” (Feb. 20) Professor David Dem
-
The country needs to be put on reverse
Editor, The Transcript: I’m having a hard time thinking how to start this letter and what all to cover. Leonard Pitts’ editorial (F
-
Instability in government
Editor, The Transcript: The war to keep the goverment going could be evidence that atomic (huge mind blowing destruction). Serious problems may occur if you modify incorrectly.
-
Prune trees smart or not at all
Editor, The Transcript: Norman is a city graced by many beautiful trees. And yet our city lacks an ordinance to control tree pruning.
- More Letters Headlines
-
Thank you very much
