November 29, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, November 29, 2019 “ElkCituNews Attitudes affect outlook Opinion Page Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Glynda Lomax is a Chris- dilemma. The intensity of life, but my friend does it tian author and podcaster the pain he lives with every and does it well. Deduction cap who resides in the Ozark day is obvious and his limp I remember watching my Mountains of Northern Ar- becomes more pronounced father die of cancer in 1999. kansas with her two very as the day wears on and his The horrific pain showed pain level increases. Though again and again on his face, may play role in bossy dogs. She wrote her first About Life.column in I have frequently seen the but he refused to utter even a 2003 for a newspaper in pain in his eyes, there is al- single complaint. I had never Dallas. She is planning her ways a smile on his face. witnessed anything like it in casino debate next book. How many of us could my life. Today I am still in maintainunder that kind awe of his courage. “The human spirit is of endless nerve wracking We can’t control every- By Jonathan Smail stronger than anything that pain, much less keep a smile thing that happens to us, but When it comes to the ongoing debate over renegotiation can happen to it” on our face? “You can get we can control how we re- of state-tribal gaming compacts, there’s an elephant in the . ~C.C. Scott bitter and hate everybody act to it. A negative attitude mind off your own discom- because you’re in pain, but it drains your energy and your fort or unhappiness. living room everyone pretends to ignore for now, but that “Just because you're crip- won't do any good. I can cry joy. It accomplishes nothing may soon play a big role in negotiations. pled doesn’t mean you can’t or I can keep on living,” he other than to make you feel It takes great courage to In 2018, lawmakers voted to cap income-tax deductions look good,” my friend re- remarked. worse about your situation face life alone in your tough- plied with a smile to a small “Tt actually doesn’t hurt in than you already did, and to at $17,000 per return. That’s a problem for Oklahoma ca- child when asked about his the morning — until I move,” make everyone else around est moments, to stare fear sino operators—several of whom supported the 2018 tax brightly colored walking he says with a smile. He you feel negative along with in the eyes and take a step hikes—because it hits many of their customers. It turns out cane. It was Christmas time, seems to carry his own sun- you. If you have a negative toward it, to endure con- and he had painted it red and shine wherever he goes, and attitude, you close yourself stant agonizing pain without a lot of people lose a lot of money in Oklahoma casinos. white striped, to resemble a readily shares it with every- off to possibilities in your complaint. But to also have This fact was highlighted recently when the senior counsel candy cane. one around him. life. If you can’t change your a great attitude about them of the Chickasaw Nation said California is the only state In constant, intense pain “I decided years ago I was circumstances, you can still takes great character. where more money is spent on gambling than Oklahoma, for over 15 years, I have going to be in pain if I sit change the way you look never before or since wit- down and give up or if I go at them. A positive attitude Our attitude can either and on a per-person basis California gets just $90 per citi- nessed such a remarkable on living my life,” he said. helps you see not the door help us be miserable, or help zen versus $407 in Oklahoma. attitude in one who had suf- “Bither way, I’m going to that is closed, but the win- us be happy and strong. The The huge per-person gap is a reflection of the size of the fered so many years under be in pain, so why not keep dow that just opened. choice is ours. Our attitude such unremitting strain. on enjoying life as much as Ittakes just as much energy to think negative thoughts as also affects everyone around losses experienced by gamblers in Oklahoma. In talking with him, he ex- Tcan?” Oklahoma’s casino interests are promoting a bill to ex- plained the doctors told him Voltaire said the longer we it does to think positive ones. us. empt gambling losses from the deduction cap even as they all the cartilage in one knee dwell on our misfortunes, Looking on the positive side A bad attitude is far more was completely gone years the greater is their power to of things and speaking posi- of a disability in life than a resist Gov. Kevin Stitt’s call to renegotiate gaming com- pacts. ago. Twelve knee replace- harm us. It would be more tive words, concentrating on bad knee. ment operations each helped than difficult in the face of brightening someone else’s May we all have the cour- Stitt has the stronger case on the merits, But he may also for a short time, but there is such intense unceasing pain day instead of complaining age, if life hands us a cane, have more leverage thanks to the casinos” desire for a gam- no permanent solution to his not to dwell on one’s lot in about yours, helps take your to see it as a candy cane. bler tax break, which would act as an indirect taxpayer sub- Congress, put politics sidy of their operations. In Oklahoma, only tribal governments can operate casi- nos. In exchange for area monopolies, they pay a state fee in return. But Stitt has shown Oklahoma’s share is far less than in most comparable gaming markets. Tribal casino fees in Connecticut, New York and Florida all run up to 25 percent. In Oklahoma, the fee on slot ma- aside and pass USMCA chines tops out at 6 percent. Notably, two Oklahoma tribes That'll generate new sales edge class of medicines used countries with cheap labor By Gary Locke and Erik are entering an Arkansas market despite its top rate of 20 Paulsen opportunities for farmers in the fight against cancer like Mexico or China. percent. While Washington is of- and create jobs across the and other serious conditions. Labor standards also get a Casino operators counter that other states’ gaming com- ten dominated with partisan nation. These IP protections will facelift under USMCA. The gridlock, Congress can put USMCA also sustains benefit American innovators deal bans all forms of com- pacts charge less, and sometimes nothing. But those mar- politics aside and improve America’s 30 million small pulsory labor and promotes and spur additional research kets don’t compare to Oklahoma, which has the nation’s the everyday lives of Ameri- businesses, which form the investments, which create equality in the workplace, largest casino. cans by passing a new Unit- backbone of the economy jobs. neither of which were com- ed — States-Mexico-Canada and employ 60 million peo- USMCA also dedicates pletely guaranteed in NAF- At the same time, Oklahoma casino operators argue our Agreement (USMCA), a ple. If enacted, USMCA will an entire fully enforceable TA. And it explicitly shields gaming compacts auto-renew and the 6-percent fee remains trade deal that would replace be the first-ever trade pact to chapter to the environment. migrant workers from ex- locked in place throughout eternity. But Oklahoma’s gam- the outdated North Ameri- include an entire small busi- That’s a big improvement ploitation under Mexican, ing compacts state “this compact shall have a term which can Free Trade Agreement ness chapter. It establishes over NAFTA, which only Canadian, and U.S. labor shall expire on January 1, 2020.” Why include a concrete (NAFTA). special legal protections for dealt with environmental laws. NAFTA needed to be mod- small firms and removes out- protections in a side agree- In other words, there’s no expiration date in a contract with no expiration? ernized and the USMCA is dated red tape that governs ment. reason for Democrats or Re- In exchange for higher fees, the governor has said he is a 2lst-century upgrade that cross-border sales. Small The new pact includes publicans to delay any lon- open to allowing casinos to offer sports betting, a lucrative benefits all Americans. It in- businesses need USMCA’s robust labor provisions that ger. It’s time for Congress cludes pro-growth reforms safeguards to gain new foot- will protect American jobs, to come together and pass proposition. And the proposed gambler tax break looms in that sustain businesses while holds in international mar- especially in the auto manu- USMCA as quickly as pos- the background, even if no one is discussing it in public. bolstering labor and envi- kets. facturing industry. The deal sible. Oklahoma gambling is a monopolistic enterprise, not a ronmental protections. We USMCA~ would help requires that manufactur- Gary Locke, a Democrat, free market. Taxes on gambling in Oklahoma are less than know our former colleagues America’s creative indus- ers make 75 percent of auto served as governor of Wash- and friends on both sides tries and stop other countries parts in North America to ington, the U.S. ambassador taxes on a bottle of water or groceries. Most businesses are of the aisle value American escape tariffs. And at least to China, and as secretary from stealing our intellectual subject to either corporate or pass-through income taxes. workers over partisan poli- property and trade secrets. 40 percent of all those parts of commerce. Erik Paulsen, Businesses and homeowners pay property taxes, but not ca- tics. They can prove us right The pact extends copyright must be made by workers a Republican, represented by passing USMCA quickly. terms in Canada, which will earning at least $16 per hour. Minnesota in the U.S. House sinos. Especially in this situation, the governor has made a Consider how USMCA ensure American authors These provisions will keep of Representatives from strong case Oklahoma casinos should at least pay market boosts America’s farmers. and artists generate more factories in the United States 2009 to 2019. Both currently rates. And there’s no reason this can’t be a win-win for both The pact requires Canada revenues from their intellec- and provide better job secu- serve as honorary co-chair- sides. to raise import quotas for a tual property. Similarly, the rity for America’s nearly 10 men of the Pass USMCA variety of U.S. agricultural deal strengthens Mexican million auto workers. Com- Coalition. This op-ed first Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma products, including dairy, and Canadian protections for panies will no longer have a appeared in Fox News Opin- Council of Public Affairs (www.ocpathink.org). poultry, eggs, and sugar. biologic drugs -- a cutting- reason to outsource jobs to ion on www.FoxNews.com. ‘Made in Oklahoma’ is an international enterprise By Nancy McLernon According to the latest for global companies earn nesses. Over the past decade turing facilities across Ohio array of products, Dannon Alongside traffic and cof- government data, the num- 26 percent more compensa- and a half, international that directly employ more formed partnerships direct- fee, news radio is a staple of ber of Oklahoma jobs cre- tion than the average worker companies increased the than 13,000 Ohioans. It also ly with seven family dairy my morning commute. As I ated by international com- in the same geographic area, amount of business they do relies on a network of more farms and two dairy co-ops flip through the stations, ’ll panies jumped by 24 percent according to a new analysis with U.S. suppliers by nearly than 600 suppliers across the across the United States, sometimes hear a pundit la- ‘over the past five years. For from the National Bureau of 30 percent -- jumping from Midwest, almost a third of which now supply all of ment that “Nothing is made comparison, the number of Economic Research. $1.5 trillion to $2.4 trillion, which are based in the Buck- the milk Dannon uses in its in America anymore.” private-sector jobs overall International companies after adjusting for inflation. eye State. In fact, Honda products. In doing so, Da- In reality, there are nearly in Oklahoma increased by 6 benefit all workers, not just In the manufacturing sec- spends $10 billion in Ohio none set high standards for 13 million manufacturing percent. the ones they employ direct- tor, business between in- annually to obtain interme- animal welfare and sustain- workers in the United States, Oklahoma isn’t an anom- ly. When an_ international ternational companies and diary goods from regional able agricultural practices including thousands in Okla- aly. International companies firm sets up a manufactur- domestic suppliers rose by suppliers. homa. Some of these folks created 62 percent of new ing plant and creates 1,000 nearly 70 percent during Sourcing locally is impor- that must be upheld by their are employed by U.S.-based manufacturing jobs in the new jobs in America, work- that same period. That is tant for reasons beyond just suppliers. As we celebrate local firms. Many others work for United States over the past ers in that geographic area at more than 14 times greater economics -- it allows U.S. companies headquartered five years, according to the domestic firms experience a than the overall growth rate small businesses to demon- manufacturers _ statewide, abroad, latest available government collective $16 million boost achieved by all U.S. busi- strate a commitment to so- let’s recognize how interna- These international com- data. More than 510 differ- in wages. So for every lo- nesses. cial equity and environmen- tional companies catalyze panies employ more than ent international companies cal job that an international The economic well-being tal sustainability. local economic growth -- 51,000 Oklahomans, That employ Oklahoma workers. firm creates, the wage pool of local communities de- For instance, French food giving a whole new meaning includes 21,500 employ- Many of them are household for employees in the area pends on international com- company Danone’s Ameri- to “made in Oklahoma.” ees in manufacturing jobs names, including Anheuser- increases to the tune of panies and their relation- can division, Dannon, is Nancy McLernon is the -- or nearly 42 percent of all Busch, BP, and Nestlé. $16,000 annually. ships with suppliers in the the leading U.S. yogurt pro- president and CEO of the Oklahoma jobs created by International firms pay International companies United States. For example, ducer. Seeking to establish Organization for Interna- international companies. better. Americans who work also benefit U.S. small busi- Honda operates manufac- a more sustainably-sourced tional Investment.