Thursday, May 27, 2010

A good woman to have on our side

(The following is Helen Barrett's e-mail exchange with Rep. Randy Terrill over the DOB issue. Helen is a news editor/reporter for the Alva Review-Courier and a member of the FOI Oklahoma Inc. board of directors.)

Helen caught a little flak from OPA Executive Vice President Mark Thomas for sending the e-mail, but someone needed to say something. If we know these legislators on a personal level, it is our responsibility to call on each of them as real people would - not give them a candy-coated plea that gets lost in the shuffle.

Helen refers to Jeff Hickman, one of our local reps and a former schoolmate of mine, who I would not hesitate in writing in similar fashion if he relentlessly advocated the stifling of the people's right to know.


Terrill's cocky and disgusting reply follows Helen's e-mail. As one member of FOI Oklahoma put it: "To me, this response shows a lack of respect for the way our system works: He (Terrill) works for us, not the other way around." Amen.

And thank you, Helen, for your backbone, your fiery passion and your willingness to trample on those egg shells often surrounding our political forces.

Here is Helen's e-mail:

Randy,

I'm really saddened that you have any connection to Alva. This birth date bill you keep pushing is bad and you should know it. It's been proven time and again that having an employee's birthdate is not a tool of identity theft. You used to be smart and I would think you could figure that out for yourself.

Is the Oklahoma Employees Association paying you to promote this bill? That's the only reason I can think of why you would carry it, given you financial problems of the past. Really, is it worth risking the hiring of a questionable state employee to work with our children just for a few dollars in your campaign coffer?

I'm really disappointed in your legislative record. Your bigotry toward Mexicans is obvious. Your integrity is questionable since you always sneak these issues in on the back of some other bill that is important in order to get it passed.

We will claim Jeff Hickman and Randy McDaniel, but no longer will we include your name when talking about legislators from Alva.

Helen Barrett

...

Helen:

You are free to agree or disagree with me, that is your right. But, the fact that you would send such an email to anyone to is appalling and unconscionable.

For the Republic,
RT
Rep. Randy Terrill

House District 53


Afterwards, Ryan McNeill (FOI Oklahoma member), sent out the following update:

At risk of sounding like Paul Monies' publicity agent, everyone should read his posting on how Oklahoma will make millions more selling drivers license data.

http://blog.newsok.com/datawatch/2010/05/27/state-poised-to-make-millions-more-selling-drivers-license-data/

What's outrageous about this is not only are they continuing to sell it as Terrill continues his obsessive "for the republic" campaign to ban release of the same information about government workers, but they're going to INCREASE THE PRICE to help close the budget deficit. This is stunning hypocrisy.

For the Republic,

mcneill.......
--
Ryan McNeill

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