Continuing a decades-long downward trend, fewer than one-fourth of Americans have confidence in newspapers, according to a recent Gallup poll.

The percentage of Americans saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in newspapers dropped to 23 percent this year from 25 percent last year, according to a report on the poll, which was released Monday.

American confidence in newspapers reached its peak at 51 percent in 1979, and a low of 22 percent in 2008.

But newspapers don’t stand alone. Confidence in television news has also been slipping — it’s tied with newspapers this year at 23 percent, which is slightly up from last year’s all-time low of 21 percent. Newspapers and television news rank near the bottom of a list of 16 “societal institutions,” according to the report. The only institutions television news and newspapers beat out this year are big business, organized labor, health maintenance organizations and Congress. Americans expressed the most confidence in the military, at 76 percent, and small businesses, at 65 percent.

Gallup attributed the drop in confidence to a number of factors, including a growth in social networking websites and an online audience that left news outlets struggling to find their place.

Insurance Department

Insurance claims filed in response to a major tornado outbreak in May jumped to 70,782 Tuesday, with insurance payments reaching $561,976,781.

“These numbers are more proof of the dramatic impact the tornadoes had on our state,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “Thousands of Oklahomans are now in the process of rebuilding their lives. Insurance can help them do that and I am glad to see that so many of the victims were insured. But the claims process can be complicated. My office is ready to assist consumers in any way possible.”

May 19^th & 20^th Tornadoes

Type of Claim                         Claims Received         Payments Made

Homeowners                           17,182                         $374,144,234

Private Auto                            21,218                           $61,427,445

Commercial Property                    993                           $18,727,906

Commercial Auto                         457                             $1,450,418

Other                                         415                               $3,216,276

May 30^th & 31^th Tornadoes

Type of Claim                         Claims Received         Payments Made

Homeowners                           16,626                         $62,945,489

Private Auto                           10,475                          $19,067,584

Commercial Property                 1,557                          $10,600,186

Commercial Auto                         306                            $1,459,668

Other                                         391                            $1,360,596

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) will hold a series of educational forums for storm victims. The weekly forums, which begin Tuesday, allow impacted Oklahomans to ask questions and receive assistance with insurance-related issues.

OID experts will discuss various topics including; how to file a claim, what to do if your claim is denied, how to file a complaint and how to spot fraud. Attendees will also be able to ask questions about individual insurance concerns.

“Recovering From a Disaster Insurance Forums”

All events are 6:00-7:00pm

June 18^th –Shawnee, Shawnee City Hall

June 24^th – Little Axe, Little Axe High School

July 2^nd – Carney, Carney Community Center

July 9^th – Moore, Community Christian Church

July 16^th – El Reno, El Reno High School

OID consumer assistance representatives are stationed at Westmoore High School Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Help is also available by calling 1-800-522-0071.

Governor Fallin is in Paris for the huge international air show and sent this report via Facebook:

At the Oklahoma booth for the 2013 Paris Air Show. There are more than 55 companies with a presence in Oklahoma that will exhibit at the air show. Aerospace is important in Oklahoma, employing more than 143,000 citizens. Our presence at the Paris Air Show will help us retain these jobs and attract new ones. We have meetings with companies like Boeing, Rolls Royce, L-3, NORDAM, SQS Quality Systems, as well as several media interviews, to talk about the all great opportunities to invest in Oklahoma.

Hastings Wyman

Gov. Mary Fallin’s (R) approval numbers have never fallen below 58% during her term in office. In April, she had a 65% favorability rating, the second highest of any governor up for reelection next year, reports The New York Times.

“She’s stronger than goat’s milk,” says longtime Oklahoma political analyst Mike McCarville. “I don’t see a Republican challenger or even whether the Democrats can come up with a sacrificial lamb or not.” McCarville notes that she even looked strong in a Democratic poll he has seen.

“She’s in an incredibly strong position for reelection,” says former state GOP chairman Chad Alexander. “She has good relations with the legislature, where she once served, and as a result, has a record that includes tort reform, landmark worker’s compensation reform that changed it from an adversarial to an administrative system, and has cut the state income tax – all popular achievements in Oklahoma. There are no names out there to challenge her in the primary or even in the General Election.”

State Democratic Chairman Wallace Collins, however, sees some vulnerability on Fallin’s part. He notes that she has opposed building storm shelters in public schools, despite the terrible toll tornadoes have taken on the state, including school children.

“I don’t know how she could; she was more concerned about politics than saving lives… It’s a powerful campaign topic.” He also points out that after the tornadoes, “The governor said that the teachers were heroes, but she won’t raise their salaries. Our teacher pay is 49th in the nation.” Collins says he has talked to one state representative who is interested in this issue about running against Fallin, “but he was non-committal.”

Keith Gaddie, a political science professor at Oklahoma University, says that at this point, “The Democrats don’t have a candidate. But someone will run… Much of the Democratic bench got creamed in [elections in] the last few years.” He adds, “Whoever the Democrats run will get 38% of the vote.”  Gaddie adds, “The younger generation is almost all Republicans. That’s where the talent is right now.”

Discussing seemingly logical Democratic contenders, Gaddie mentions Democratic floor leader Scott Inman, but says he’s not yet term-limited and can wait until 2018. He also mentions former governor David Walters, as well as state Sen. Connie Johnson (D), an African American. “She’s full-force against all that social conservatives stand for. If she ran, “it would be a barn-burner,” says Gaddie. He also mentions state Rep. Joe Dorman (D), who is promoting school storm shelters. “We live in Tornado Alley,” Dorman said in a press release, “and this will happen again.” But none of these Democrats have given any indication that they are interested in challenging Fallin.

Beginning with her election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1990, Fallin has steadily worked her way up the state’s political ladder, often becoming the first woman to serve in the office she won. She served both as a member of Congress, representing the 5^th District (Oklahoma City, etc.) and as lieutenant governor before her election as governor in 2010, which she won with 60% of the vote. Despite allegations of an affair with a bodyguard when she was lieutenant governor, followed by a divorce, Fallin has remained popular in this very religious state.

Fallin has a good record with social conservatives. Last month, she received praise from National Right to Life for signing three anti-abortion measures that passed the legislature, including parental notification before abortions can be performed on a minor.

And despite some criticism over school storm shelters, Fallin gets good marks for handling the recent tornadoes in the state. “She has emergency management experience,” says Gaddie, pointing out that as lieutenant governor, she dealt with the Oklahoma City bombing as well as tornadoes. “She’s good substantively and stylistically,” he says. She supported a transfer of $45 million from the state’s “rainy day” fund to provide a series of tax exemptions and other benefits for storm victims. And in the storms’ aftermath, says Gaddie, “She was very gracious when President Obama came to visit.”

As things now stand, however, don’t expect a stormy election for governor next year. Likely Republican.

Senate Media Division

Senator Bryce Marlatt is being honored for his efforts to promote and encourage investment in the state’s oil and gas industry.  Marlatt was named “Legislator of the Year” by the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association (OIPA) during the organization’s annual meeting.

Marlatt, R-Woodward, is in his second term after being reelected to his Senate District 27 seat last fall with 84.5 percent of the vote, the largest win in any legislative or congressional race in Oklahoma’s 2012 general election.  He’s been Senate Majority Caucus Chair since 2011 and serves in other key positions, including Chairman of the Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation as well as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee.

Marlatt is a member of OIPA and works for Power Rig, LLC and is co-owner in Mid-Continent Conductor Services, LLC in Woodward.  His family, including wife Tatum and children Kade, Kole, Kloey and Ava Kate, make their home in Woodward.

“Oklahoma has 77 counties, and 72 of them have oil or gas production.  Statewide, the energy industry is directly responsible for one in six jobs.  It’s certainly a vital part of Western Oklahoma’s economy,” Marlatt said.  “I have great respect for the OIPA and for the work they do on behalf of producers and service companies throughout Oklahoma.  I’m honored to receive this award, and I look forward to continuing to work beside the OIPA on behalf of the energy industry.”

Founded in 1955, the OIPA is the state’s largest oil and gas advocacy group, representing more than 2,500 members in the crude oil and natural gas exploration and production industry and affiliated businesses.

“Senator Marlatt understands the importance of a vibrant energy sector,” said OIPA Vice President of Governmental Affairs Jeff Wilson.  “This award reflects his constant support for Oklahoma’s oil and natural gas industry in the Legislature”

Congressman Tom Cole

Due to federal government resistance in approving TransCanada’s application to build, the Keystone XL pipeline has remained a topic of conversation far too long. For more than 1,700 days, TransCanada has awaited approval of its permit to begin construction. With each passing day, we are reminded of the needless delay placed upon this vital project. This must change, and the American people are not willing for another four years to pass before it does.

Without question, the construction of the Keystone pipeline is a wise move for domestic energy production and job creation. Members on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate have confirmed their support time and again for TransCanada’s extension of the pipeline from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Coast, with a terminal in Cushing, Oklahoma. In the last Congress alone, the House voted six times to advance its construction. A bipartisan House showed its continued support for the project last month by voting in favor of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, legislation that expedites the application process.

Every time I see the facts and figures about what the pipeline will contribute to America, I am disappointed that the Obama Administration is still delaying its progress. President Obama claims support for economic recovery, yet he refuses to approve a project that will certainly produce thousands of good paying jobs. Since the application is still caught up in the review process through unnecessary and excessive environmental studies, the White House is robbing taxpayers of potential jobs. TransCanada is willing to invest $7 billion in construction, and in so doing would directly create 20,000 jobs without expending any federal dollars. Estimates also show creation of as many as 118,000 related jobs.

Not only is the project a wise investment in the future of North American energy production and job creation, but it also strengthens our national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil. Based on estimates from the Department of Energy, the proposed 1,700-mile pipeline could move at least 830,000 barrels of oil per day. We currently import about half of that amount from the Middle East, which is unacceptably high. Without approval of projects like Keystone, however, it is likely to go even higher.

Research has already been done that indicates no harmful effects on the environment from its construction. No fewer than three times, extensive environmental impact studies issued findings affirming the project would have “no significant impact” on the environment. Unfortunately, approval has still been delayed. If we continue to hold up TransCanada and require even more unnecessary environmental studies, it sets an expectation for future construction projects. It wouldn’t be surprising for similar pipeline applications to be delayed or not even submitted, costing us even more jobs. These needless regulations and pointless delays must be lifted.

It’s time for the State Department and White House to acknowledge the value of the Keystone project and approve its construction. Through this partnership with our allies in Canada, the pipeline would be a vital step toward creating good paying jobs, strengthening our national security and lowering fuel prices. This project is beneficial for domestic energy supply, creates much-needed jobs for hardworking Americans and boosts economic growth. We must resolve this ridiculous situation once and for all and let construction begin.

Dad’s been gone for 35 years. Died far too young, at 76, a year to the day after suffering a stroke.

Forty-four years he worked for Swift & Company. Started sweeping out a chicken coop, wound up as a plant manager and later, as the company’s top plant trouble-shooter.

Worked for Swift during the Depression. Twenty-five bucks a week. Had an almost-new car. Lived well. But he and Mom were so frugal their pennies screamed. Into this family came my three sisters and me.

My Dad was known as the man who could multiply six figures in his head and get it right every time. He could add columns of sums on a long pad in his head and get it right.

My Dad was eloquent but wasn’t talkative; he was almost professorial. He did have a great sense of humor and loved to recite Irish limericks from memory.

My Dad was a chain smoker.

My Dad was a devoted father.

I learned how to steer a car in my Dad’s lap.

I grew up reading newspapers in my Dad’s lap.

I learned how to eat sitting in my Dad’s lap.

I learned manners at my Dad’s insistence.

I watched my first television show with Dad on our new black and white tv set.

My Dad was my worst critic and my best friend.

I’ve tried to be the kind of Dad he’d want me to be.

I miss him still.

It’s with good reason that Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon continues to garner respect and attention from thoughtful people across the country.

Among other accomplishments, Shannon sponsored House Bill 1909, which requires able-bodied individuals, ages 18 to 50, who are not raising a child, to perform at least 20 hours of work activities to receive food stamps.

Gov. Mary Fallin signed the welfare reform bill into law April 30, and the bill takes effect November 1.

The idea of “work requirements” is nothing new. In fact, the stipulations in Shannon’s bill come from the 1996 federal Welfare Reform Act, a law that is still on the books but that the Obama administration selectively enforces.

The passage of House Bill 1909, then, is less a policy innovation than it is true policy reform—the recovery of an important, enduring principle that confounds those modern politicians who can conceive of no higher compassion than that of the handout.

Work matters—not merely for what it accomplishes on its object (the product), but also for what it accomplishes within its subject (the producer).

Materialists—of which there are many types—would have us believe the effects of work are limited to what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.

If that were true, then all the effects of work would be completely transferable. Whether we required welfare recipients to work would be a purely economic question: Do we as a society have the resources to provide food stamps to all those who need or want them? If we do, then we will. If we don’t, then we will require some of those who need or want food stamps—i.e., those who are able-bodied—to work.  In fact, though, the effects of work are not limited to what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Work, again, accomplishes something within its subject.

What that “something” is varies from subject to subject, depending on the particular person and the particular type of work. In some, work evinces a healthy pride. In others, hardiness and self-discipline. In still others, joy.

In general, though, the “something” can be summarized as a sense of earned success—and, as American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks never tires of repeating, earned success is strongly correlated with happiness, just as unearned transfers of wealth are correlated with a lack of happiness.

Going on the welfare rolls increases by 16 percent the likelihood of a person saying he or she has felt inconsolably sad over the past month (even after controlling for poverty and unemployment), according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, cited by Brooks in a December 2012 Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Similarly, low-income married couples that receive government assistance report lower levels of marital commitment and satisfaction than low-income married couples that do not receive government assistance, according to a 2011 study from the University of Missouri.

(It’s important here to note, though, that married couples in general enjoy better health and happiness overall than the non-married: Married couples report less depression, less anxiety, and lower levels of psychological distress than those who are single, divorced, or widowed, according to the study Social Causes of Psychological Distress.)

In light of these effects, the question of whether we require welfare recipients to work acquires a moral dimension: Should we as a society deprive welfare recipients of the non-material (i.e. spiritual) effects of work?

T.W. Shannon says “no”—and that’s precisely what makes his sponsorship of H.B. 1909 so meaningful. He sponsored the bill because he has compassion for others.

“Unfortunately, some believe compassion is measured by how many people you can keep on a government aid program,” Speaker Shannon has said. “We must change the paradigm.”

Indeed—and not just for the sake of welfare recipients, but for the sake of anyone who begrudges work.

Sadly, a commitment to work is on the decline among young people, according to psychologists Jean Twenge of San Diego State University and Tim Kasser of Knox College.

Twenge and Kasser analyzed data from the Monitoring the Future survey, which has tracked the views of a representative sample of 17- and 18-year-olds since 1976.

Less than two of three millennials who graduated high school from 2005 to 2007 say they see work as a central part of life. Thirty-nine percent of millennials admit that “not wanting to work hard” might prevent them from landing a desired job.

If that’s because they’re willing to sacrifice some material goods to spend more time around the hearth and home, good; family takes primacy over career in “the good life,” as I’ve argued elsewhere. Unfortunately, the research shows that’s not the case: Most millennials still want “the stuff.”

Just 62 percent of Americans under 30 (again, millennials) are working, and, of those, half toil at part-time jobs, according to a February 2013 report from Harvard University.

That statistic indicts millennials just as much as it indicts the economy.

However desperately we try to deny it, work is a requirement of life. When embraced, mysteriously enough, it also becomes a source of the happiness for which millennials—and, indeed, all people—are restlessly seeking.

“Oh, we may get weary and think work is dreary; ’tis harder by far to have nothing to do.”

Tina Korbe Dzurisin is a research associate at OCPA. Formerly, she was a staff writer at The Heritage Foundation and an associate editor at HotAir.com.

- See more at: http://www.ocpathink.org/articles/2316#sthash.MvO7dA11.dpuf