January 7, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Tuesday, January 7, 2020 Oklahoma Opinion Page “ElkCituNews closing fund Biden continues to worth supporting Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 The Oklahoman, Oklaho- said it violated the separa- Meantime, Texas has closing fund, Spending that lead the pack ma City tion of powers set out in the spent more than $600 mil- money requires an analysis state constitution. The state lion from its Quick Action by the Department of Com- The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City Oklahoma's Quick Action Supreme Court agreed in Closing Fund. That's not a merce to determine potential The new year dawns with former Vice President Joe Closing Fund has had an late 2011, in a ruling that fair comparison, given Tex- return on investment. "We're interesting history. What it gave the governor control of as' enormity, but Arkansas Biden ina place where just a few months ago some pundits hasn't had are consistent de- the fund -- which at the time not going to write them a is -- our neighbor to the east weren't convinced he'd be -- still very much in the mix for posits to help the fund grow has spent roughly $120 mil- check that's bigger than the didn't have a dime in it. the Democratic presidential nomination. and thus help bring busi- Lawmakers have made lion from its fund through check they're going to write nesses to the state, some- hit-and-miss deposits since the years. back to us in taxes," Kisling Shortly after Biden entered the race in late April, national thing Gov. Kevin Stitt's then, beginning with $6.7 "The Quick Action Clos- says. polls showed him with the support of 41% of Democratic administration is rightfully million in 2012. Former ing Fund is a vital tool for Commerce Department primary voters. In short order that had fallen to 32% -- a trying to change. Gov. Mary Fallin distrib- our state," the executive di- data show about $14 mil- good showing given the large field of candidates. The fund was created uted $11 million to several rector of Arkansas' fund said lion in closing funds have via legislation in 2011 that companies that expanded in a 2018 letter to legisla- Today, the Real Clear Politics polling averages have changed the name of the business in Oklahoma. Last tive leaders. "Continuing to been committed to compa- Biden’s support at 28.3% nationally, with Sen. Bernie Oklahoma —_ Opportunity year, at Stitt's urging, the fund this appropriation on nies that will invest, or have Sanders at 19.1%. Third is Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 15.1%, Fund, which had been cre- Legislature placed $14 mil- an annual basis, as well as pledged to, $3.4 billion into ated in 2006. The bill autho- lion in the fund on top of a increasing its amount, will Oklahoma. Nearly $10 mil- then Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 8.3%. rized the governor to make $5 million appropriation in allow for greater success in lion has been paid to compa- This is telling because those other candidates have the final decision on a proj- March. bringing quality companies nies that invested $712 mil- surged at times and seemingly knocked Biden aside. But ect, subject to consultation That total, Commerce De- with quality jobs ..." lion in the state. with the House speaker and partment Executive Director The Stitt administration he’s not gone anywhere. Kisling says about $8 mil- Senate president pro tem. Brent Kisling told lawmak- is making a similar appeal. In late August, the RCP polling averages had Biden at The law was immediately ers recently, "was more than Kisling's budget request for lion remains in the fund. If 32% support while Warren had climbed to 17.1% and challenged as unconstitu- we had put in there since the the next fiscal year includes there's a way for lawmakers tional by an attorney who foundation of the program." another $14 million for the to make a deposit nex Sanders was at 16.5%. By early October, following a slug- gish fund-raising quarter for Biden, the former VP was at 26.3% nationally and Warren was at 26%. In mid-October, the RCP betting averages gave Warren Telephone legislation should lessen nuisance calls, scams slightly better than a 50% chance to win the nomination -- no Democratic candidate has approached that level. A few weeks later, Warren laid out her Medicare for All plan, which was roundly criticized by analysts of all stripes be- Enid News & Eagle, Okla. Criminal Enforcement and calls. Mahoney told The Associ- cause the costs were undersold by about $10 trillion over Times have changed for Deterrence -- or TRACED -- With technology, we’ve ated Press. adecade. Today Warren is given an 17.7% chance by RCP telephones. Act allows the Federal Com- lost some privacy. Inexpen- Now it will be up to phone In 1979, an AT&T Corp. munications Commission to sive software opened the to win the nomination. jingle encouraged callers to penalize those who “inten- floodgates for robocalls. companies to thwart robo- Biden’s odds are listed at 33.4%. Sanders’ are 22.2%. reach out and touch some- tionally violate restrictions Sadly, swindlers have de- calls from actually calling In Iowa, whose caucus is Feb. 3, Buttigieg leads the ‘one to make the world a bet- on the use of automated tele- frauded millions from un- consumers. ter place. phone equipment (ice., ille- suspecting victims. Besides companies rolling Democratic field with 22% support, followed by Sanders These days, illegal robo- gal robocalls and spoofing),” Consumer Reports’ Mau- out call-blocking services (20) and Biden (18.0). Biden also trails Sanders and Butti- calls are scamming innocent according to a White House reen Mahoney called the law free of charge, we hope a gieg in New Hampshire, whose primary is eight days after Americans, trying to make a press secretary statement. a “big victory.” It advances Towa kicks things off. dishonest dollar. Hopefully, the legislation steps taken by the FCC, in- new system is developed to Here’s hoping an anti- will allow regulators to en- dustry groups and attorneys verify legitimate Caller ID However, Biden enjoys a 9-point margin over Warren robocall measure recently force harsher penalties, im- general. numbers. Anything deter- in Nevada, and in South Carolina, Biden’s advantage is a signed into law by President prove transparency and aid “The key is requiring these ring the scourge of illegal whopping 19 points over Warren, according to RCP. A re- Donald J. Trump lessens government collaboration to phone companies to help cent online poll sponsored by FairVote and conducted by these nuisance calls. fight these annoying solici- stop the calls before they robocalls will be welcome Fortunately, the bipartisan tations that keep many from reach the consumer and do with open arms ... and phone YouGov gave Biden double-digit support over Sanders in Telephone Robocall Abuse answering unknown phone it at no additional charge,” lines. South Carolina, where blacks comprise 60% of the state’s Democratic voters. Biden has been critical of Warren’s and Sanders’ plans for a single-payer system, saying instead that as president he would build on the Affordable Care Act that he helped House drug bill dooms medical research get through Congress as Barack Obama’s vice president. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found blacks support a single-payer health care plan more than other groups. However, as The Wall Street Journal noted in a By Peter Rheinstein duced antiretroviral thera- killed both my grandfathers. argue, some of that money recent story, they also support a Medicare buy-in such as House lawmakers recently pies in the mid-1990s, Can- I am now 76, so thanks to could fund federal research voted to pass the “Lower cer death rates have dropped medical innovation, I’ve al- agencies like the National the public insurance option Biden has offered. Drug Costs Now Act,” 27 percent since they peaked ready lived almost 50 per- Institutes of Health. Biden enjoys support among black voters that others in which would enable govern- in 1991. And earlier this cent longer than my father As a medical researcher the field have not been able to replicate. That should help ment officials to set the price decade, drug companies -- and worked twice as long. and drug developer, I know of lifesaving medicines. The rolled out treatments that With that genetic track re- that plan wouldn’t work. him weather potential disappointment in Iowa and New bill would reduce pharma- cure nearly 100 percent of cord, I should be doomed. Hampshire. What also should help him is Biden’s unwill- The NIH does great research ceutical companies’ rev- patients with hepatitis C, a But like millions of other enues by a staggering $1 tril- fatal liver disease. -- but its employees focus on ingness to join Sanders and Warren in the extreme left lane patients around the world, lion over the coming decade. Across the country, scien- I take Lipitor to reduce solving basic scientific mys- on policy. That’s no doubt welcomed by Democratic voters teries. The agency doesn’t That would bring medi- tists are developing 4,500 my risk of heart attack and interested first and foremost in beating Donald Trump. cal research projects to a experimental treatments. stroke. have the infrastructure or screeching halt -- and doom But if lawmakers enable Lipitor and other statins personnel to turn insights millions of patients to pre- government regulators to were invented by American into tangible new drugs. Have something mature deaths from other- wise curable diseases. set drug prices, these medi- cines will likely never come drug companies. They're Congress can -- and should now cheaply available as ge- -- find ways to make medi- Right now, America leads to market. Firms would have nerics around the world. cines more accessible. But to share? the world in medical innova- little prospect of recouping Would scientists be able tion. We account for just 5 their research costs -- much to attract funding for future percent of the global popu- less turning a profit. So they Lipitors under the House the House bill isn’t the right solution. If lawmakers gut America’s research industry, lation and 24 percent of the wouldn’t attract investors bill? I worry. Send your letter world economy, but create willing to fund the search for Many lawmakers ac- more than 50 percent of all future treatments and cures. knowledge the bill would future Lipitors will never emerge from the lab. At age 76, Peter Rhein- novel drugs. Millions of current and fu- cripple private-sector R&D. to editor@ecdaily- stein, a doctor of medicine Thanks to such innovation, ture patients will die from But they argue the govern- many once-fatal diseases are diseases that could have oth- ment could simply assume and law, is president of the now manageable -- or even erwise been treated. a greater share of the re- Academy of Medicine of Washington, DC and a for- news.com curable. This issue is deeply per- search burden. After all, the HIV/AIDS — death rates sonal for me. My father died mer president of the Acade- bill would save the govern- have tumbled 88 percent from a heart attack at age 53. ment tens of billions of dol- my of Physicians in Clinical since drug companies intro- And cardiovascular disease lars each vear. Surelv. thev Research.