That ‘Oklahoma thang’

I see where a seasoned Texas oilman took me to task over my letter “Old oil.” With his 40 years of vast experience, I was very surprised he probably never heard of “price fixing.” Then it dawned on me: He is a “Texas” oilman and my oil production is in Oklahoma.

He has probably never heard of slant oil wells or chart paper gauge tampering, either. Oklahoma even has a special unit that works under the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation called the “Oil Theft Unit.”

I know a truck driver who hauls “cross country.” His wife, a hard-shell Baptist who doesn’t believe in drinking, smoking, cussing or gambling, accompanies him on his trips to keep him straight.

He said that he doesn’t know what happens, but every time they leave Texas and cross the Red River bridge into Oklahoma, his wife wants him to stop the truck at the first beer joint and have a cold one. Then he said she wants him to stop at the casino and play the slots.

He calls it an “Oklahoma thang.” I asked him how it affected him. He said he starts looking around for something to steal.

Dwight Crawford,

Sanger

Cooper will be missed

The Denton Record-Chronicle editorial on April 19 was right on the mark pertaining to John Cooper’s upcoming retirement. Our leader for 23 years in the Denton County Extension Office, now known as AgriLife Extension, will be missed by young and old alike. I personally have known Mr. Cooper only since 2005, but have read his invaluable columns in the DRC for many years beforehand. 

Always friendly, courteous and knowledgeable, if John didn’t have the answer, he would always find someone who did. 

In September 2005, I signed up to start the training for the Elm Fork Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists. As stated in the editorial, John Cooper is well known for his involvement with the Denton County Master Gardeners, but he was also instrumental in the founding of our Denton Master Natur­alists. 

Like the Master Gardeners, Master Natur­al­ists must attend many hours of classroom instruction and hands-on training to become certified. Our mission statement “to develop a corps of Master Volunteers to provide education and outreach services aimed at better management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities” takes our chapter on another path of community service.

We as proud members of the Elm Fork Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists want to join with our sister organization, the Master Gardeners, in wishing John Cooper a very long and happy retirement. He will truly be missed by us all. 

Russell Gaddie,

Denton

Cowardly vandals

This is directed to the cowards who consistently defaced and most recently stole the sign at the north end of Carroll Boulevard.

I do not know who owns the sign or the land that it sits on. I do know, however, that we live in a country that allows free speech and the expression of ideas.

I wonder if, when you are out and about (always at night), do you wear a brown shirt like Hitler’s youth or the hooded sheets of the not-so-distant past?

I would challenge you to speak your mind, if you have one, and stand up for your beliefs in the bright light of day.

However, if you follow the example of past cowards who try to stifle freedom of speech, you will not do so.

Larry Mullen,

Denton

Free-market dangers

Although the 2.5 percentage of foreclosure of all 167,000 single-family homes stated in Dawn Cobb’s article [Page 1A, April 19] gives us some idea of the mortgage/credit problem, the real serious percentage number would be of mortgaged single-family homes in Denton County. It will be larger and it could be an indicator that the economy is much more tenuous than most folks realize.

Recently, Citigroup announced $9 billion in last-quarter write-downs from mortgage-related problems and another $2.5 billion — for unrelated factors I believe it was, but they have a total of $11.5 billion. The really worrisome fact is that they also said they currently have $151 billion in first mortgages, of which 39 percent are “no-documentation” loans. Almost 4 in 10!  The percentage of “no-doc” loans that fail will be the telling factor on how bad and long this “recession” is going to be.

The cumulative effect of the inability to say no to ourselves on a personal scale, i.e., “no money down, no interest until ...” and the like, has morphed throughout our culture at all levels and the logical extension of it is AAA-rated, collateralized debt obligations based on sub-prime mortgages.

“Free market” dogma = no regulation of financial institutions  = greed yielding to stupidity = AAA-rated collateralized debt obligations based on no-documentation mortgages = liquidity crisis possibly turning into a solvency crisis. If this turns into a solvency crisis. …

Does the human condition need regulation? You bet!

Tom Spencer,

Denton

My wife, Dick Cheney and me

Last year, when my garden sank into ruin because of an abnormal summer monsoon, I figured the old farming gene willed to me by ancestors had finally run its course.

Coming to grips with the abandonment of a near-40-year hobby that had become a chore left me a bit remorseful, but I figured I’d get over it soon enough. I’d even learn to relax, maybe take up chess or dominoes. Little did I know, Dick Cheney and my sweet wife would conspire to thwart those plans.

The conspiracy started when Bush put Cheney in charge of the nation’s energy policy.  With gas at $3.49 a gallon, we know how well that plan has worked. The veep and his oil company buddies seem gleeful about it, but the common folk appear a mite unhappy.

Anyway, the gas prices and the ethanol craze are now driving grocery prices into the stratosphere. When my wife began to worry about food shortages, she asked me to expand the garden. Being a compliant sort who likes to eat and who aims to please the spouse, I plowed. Now my garden is nearly double the size of last year’s.

My observant wife also became concerned about Chinese products tainted with poison and decided to make stuffed toys for the grandkids. I just plowed an extra row for the cotton and may soon be in the market for sheep.

I suppose the old farming gene will stick around awhile longer.

DJ Taylor,

Sanger

Improving the State School

In regard to the Denton State School investigation, people want to talk about reform and improvements. From an employee who cares (and the many more out there who love our residents), I have my own questions.

Why is the state hiring people straight off the streets to work with the severely mentally handicapped? This is a very trying, tiresome, stressful job. Any job working with demanding, behaviorally challenged individuals — including violent behaviors down to the disorder to eat everything and anything in sight — required special, qualified, caring people.

Let’s start with requiring everyone to be licensed CNAs for direct care. This way they aren’t starting work and finding out for the first time that they have to clean feces and urine, and some deal with violent, aggressive behaviors. Let’s improve the people we hire.

Judy Holladay,

Denton