A4 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday,
January 12, 2012
Opinions
It's about the simple things.*
This Christmas wasn't about expensive gifts but rather the
simple gifts that we often take for granted. Before my father-
in-law died, he told us how important the simple things were.
Things like a card, a phone call, a handshake, a hug, a meal, a
prayer; often the simple things that cost nothing had become the
most important things to him. November 30 we were reminded
of how important the simple things are. On that day, our child
was fighting for his life. The community of Perkins provided
us with the simple things. You held us in your arms and in your
prayers. You sent cards, called us, you hugged us and dried our
tears and you calmed our fears. People of all generations and
faiths prayed for him and for us. Your visits, shawls, cards, hugs,
calls, and winks have given us strength. Perkins is an amazing
community that provided the simple things that have given Brad
the desire to overcome the obstacles he faces. He feels the power
of your prayers, he loves the visits, your phone calls provide him
with encouragement and your cards have given him support.
The gifts you have sent have given him reason to feel safe and
a reason to smile and laugh. Brad is improving but he has a long
road ahead of him in the healing process, Thank you Perkins
for continuing to provide the simple things!
Scott and Michelle Hubbard
Perkins
Thank You.*
4 Zot>OZ
On behalf of the Perkins Ministerial Alliance and the Cimar-
ron Valley Disciples chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Asso-
ciation, I would like to express a hearty thank you for all the
donations made to our toy boxes for needy kids and families.
Because of the generosity of many in our community, Perkins'
kids received a special blessing this past Christmas. A special
thanks goes to D'Marios Pizza, Hidden Oasis Spa, and Payne
County Bank for allowing us to have the donation boxes in their
businesses. I would also like to express thanks to Lynn Kinder
and the Lions Club for allowing us to parmer with them again
this year in distributing these toys to families in our community.
May God grant Perkins with a New Year full of His blessings,
grace, and love.
Bro. Robin Foster
That Big Blue Button
Passing a lady in the hall the other day, I asked if she was
doing OK. Sometimes that question garners more of a response
than you are prepared for.
The lady began to cry and said, "My husband passed away
3 months ago and it's Chrismms." Fighting back the tears, she
asked herself, "What am I going to do with my life?"
I really did not know how to help her. I put my arms around
her and prayed for her.
As she began to walk away I looked at the big blue button
which I had pinned on my lapel earlier that morning. It read.
"Merry Christmas, God with us."
I ran to catch her and pointing to that big blue button I said, "I
know life is hard, but you do have a purpose. Our faith and our
hope for the future lies in the fact that "God is with us!"
Thank you Paylae County Bank for that "Big Blue Button."
Fran Miller
Perkins
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By Cecil Acuff
Campaign costs of a presidential race, as reported by The
Atlantic Monthly Magazine, January-Fedbruary, 2012.
Never mind the president's long-shot jobs bill; this
year's race for the White House will offer Americans a
surefire economic stimulus. Presidential aspirants will
spend more money than ever before. President Obama is
expected to raise perhaps $1 billion. The candidates will
sprinkle that money across every state, lining the pock-
ets of high-priced consultants and small business owners
alike. With Obama's 2008's record-setting as a guide,
here's a primer on how one campaign might choose to
spread most of its cash.
FUND RAISING, $30 MILLION. Direct Mail Forms
- $3 M. Calls to high value Donors, $16 each. Printing
and mailing, $40 per 1,000. Field Organizers, $25,000
for 18 months - does not include housing, meals, and
pictures with the candidate. Campaign Manager, $200,000
per year. STAFF. $65 MILLION. Campaign Manager,
$150,000 each election. Contract Staffer, $100 per day,
plus $10 per Diem.
ADVERTISING, $435 MILLION. Print Ads, $20
million. Other spot ads, $225 million. Signs and other
By Superintendent Janet Barresi
materials, $8 million. Intemet Ads, $27 million - one
third to Google. TV ads, 15-20 million. Air Travel, full-
size Jets - $6 million for 60 days. Commercial Flights. $6
million. Rental cars, $3 million. Motorcade, $1,000 per
day. OPERATIONS, $54 MILLION. Office supplies. $1
million. Offices, $16 million. Food, $4000,000. Pizza,
$35,000.
EVENTS, $34 MILLION. Porta-Potties, $2,000.
Includes a flushable unit for candidate and major donors.
Hiring staging Company, Giant flag, $1,000. Hiring, stag-
ing company, $70,000 per event. Lighting, stagehands.
Generators, etc. - $20,000. Stage and Bleacher construc-
tion. stagehands, lighting, $25,000. Hosting a Ballroom
Fund-Raiser, $20,000. Includes hors d'oeuvres and a cash
bar for 1,000 guests.
POLLING. $28 MILLION.
Won't the economic stimulus afore mentioned go to
people who already have the necessary economic skills
for survival in America's downward trend?
As goes the cliche, "After all is said and done, more is said
than done." The election's over; those billions are wafting,
swirling into the atmosphere, while 25-30 % of America's
kids still, at one time or another, go to bed, hungry. The
two parties still seem to enjoy stalemates, reaching some
kind of compromise only at the last moment.
And today's children and grandchildren will need more
and more education just to stay even. And many will not
have the means to do so.
Nice to Have Friends
Sometimes it's good to know you're not out in the ocean
rowing your boat alone.
I had the pleasure this week of hosting at the Department
of Education my fellow Chiefs for Change member Dr.
Tony Bennett, superintendentof publiC instruction for the
state of Indiana; and Todd Huston,,a former member of
the Indiana StateBoard of Education.~ ,
The two spent a full day and a half with my staff talk-
ing about implementation of key education reforms, our
waiver requests under No Child Left Behind, teacher and
leader evaluation systems and other issues important to
education in both of our States.
Tony said he gained as much from the meeting as he
gave - listening to our strategy of our waiver request and
hearing our staff talk about implementing reform initia-
tives and using accountability data to improve schools.
"What is most helpful is that while each state has its
own context," Tony said, "I can take what Oklahoma is
doing back to Indiana."
Like me. Tony shares the opinion that the days of nib-
bling around the edges of education reform are over.
"Now we must pursue comprehensive education
reform," he told my staff. "We have to reset the founda-
tions our education system sits on."
I can't overstate the value of the importance of such a
visit. My staff left these sessions with a renewed vigor
to pursue meaningful reforms that will
of each student in Oklahoma.
Indianais similar in l~any ways
of demographics
To see arid hear ~rom Tony and
experience and all of the, reforms
is encouraging and motivating, It's i
we're notin this alone.
L ': ?'/J"
Continued from P ase A1 of die Perkins Volunteer andas owner of two Perkins Day: anaeDeMutli;. er-
was presented to Bill Fire partment, and cur- bUs'messes, the Perkins Tag ritorial PtazgDiiiimf: Jeana
Sasser. This award honors re~lZ serves as president Agency and The Perkins Coyle; Teirit0i;ia! Plaza
a chamber member wh0 6fStroud Nati0nal Bank's J0umal. Dinner:
